Best Places to see Northern Lights in Reykjavík – Best Of Reykjavík 2018

So, you’ve shopped in the shops, drank the drinks, and eaten all the food you can manage. And whilst those things are all super fun, activities and culture are the missing pieces of the puzzle for a perfect trip to Iceland. Whether it a gleaming museum or a grimy artist-run gallery, a springtime hike or a trip to try and glimpse the aurora, presenting our Best of Reykjavík 2018: Activities winners. Here, we’ll dive into the not-to-miss spots that the best places to see northern lights in Reykjavík.

Best Place For Aurora Spotting

Grótta

Seltjarnarnes peninsula

The tip of the Reykjavík peninsula has an iconic lighthouse perched right on the end, reachable at low tide via a pedestrian causeway. There’s also a nature reserve, a golf course, a walking path, and little else, meaning light pollution is kept to a minimum, making Grótta the most choice place to see Northern lights in Reykjavík. “You can get there by bus,” said the panel. “And as an added bonus, you might see those kids out there with their little stall selling kleinur and cocoa—so you can have an authentic child entrepreneur/child labour experience, too.”

Runner-Up:

Öskjuhlíð

Reykjavík 101, by Perlan

Furthermore, this forested hilltop viewpoint is walkable from downtown and offers widescreen views of the evening sky. From the hilltop, due to little light pollution, there isn’t much to take away from the merry dancers. But above all “Put on some ice cleats if it’s winter,” warned the panel. “And be careful if you go wandering, or you might actually get lost in an Icelandic forest.”

Runner-Up:

Ægisíða

Vesturbær

Similarly, this walking path along the southern coast of the Reykjavík peninsula has unencumbered views of the sea and evening sky. For example, you can get a view over the bay to the presidential residence at Bessastaðir, and all the way to Keflavík. “There are only so many good places to see the polar lights in the capital area, and getting away from the centre definitely helps,” said the panel.

Previous Winners

2015: Grótta

2015: Öskjuhlíð

2014: Grótta

2013: Grótta

2012: Grótta

2011: Grasagarðurinn

Other Activities Categories

Best Pool

Best Art Museum

Best Museum

Best Artist-Run Space

Best Gallery

Best Place For Aurora Spotting

Best Place To Take The Kids

Best People-Watching Spot

Best Hike

Best Cinema

You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2018 magazine—an essential guide to having fun in Reykjavík—here, posted worldwide. We also have a Special Offer double-pack that also includes our Best Of Iceland magazine, about places to eat, see, swim, shop and stay, all around the country, here.