When my brother and I first arrived at the airport in Edinburgh, Scotland, we honestly didn’t have much of an idea of what we were going to do there. All I really knew about Scotland were beautiful landscapes (maybe Loch Ness?) and castles while my brother was on the search for Scottish whiskey. Either way, we were pretty much exploring on the fly with our Google searches of what to do in Edinburgh for the two days we were there.
We actually did explore quite a bit for our first day in the city and the highlights for me was climbing up to Arthur’s Seat and visiting Edinburgh Castle. Why? Because not only are they two historic places but they are two of the highest points in Edinburgh where you can get breathtaking views of the landscape, castle, and the surrounding city.
Arthur’s Seat, Holyrood Park
From the airport, the very first thing we decided to do was head to Holyrood Park since it was described to be famous within the city with lovely landscapes. What we didn’t really read over was there were these huge hills and cliffs that overlook the city that you had to hike to the top. Well, since we were already there on limited time, we decided that we might as well climb to the top to Arthur’s Seat. It was maybe a slightly poor decision to do this first given that I was sleepy from a red-eye flight and haven’t had any food in the early morning yet but in the end, it proved to be totally worth it.
Still, I didn’t really have any idea what kind of hike this would be and I wasn’t really prepared for a hike. It wasn’t an overly grueling hike but it did make me sweat and my legs were burning. The first part was mostly steps and there were a lot of them. We were going at a pretty good pace without much stopping, though we’d pause to admire the sweeping views of the city.
When you’re getting close to the top towards the end of the hike, the steps disappear and turn into a dirt trail and is a little more even level. It was a bit easier on the legs but the gusts of wind were furiously blowing at us, threatening to take any sweater or jacket if we didn’t secure them properly.
After about 45 minutes, we finally reached the top of Arthur’s Seat. You definitely feel like a bit of a king being on top of Edinburgh, especially when Arthur’s Seat is actually the tallest point in the entire city at 251 meters (823 feet) since there are no tall buildings. From here, you have 360° panoramic vision of the whole city and out to the ocean. The views are simply spectacular and breathtaking.
Arthur’s SeatTop of Arthur’s Seat
We spent about 15 minutes on Arthur’s Seat before making our descent. While walking back down, we were getting a great view of a cliff-like landscape named Salisbury Crags. It really showed how massive this rock was and you can also climb towards the edge of this rock as well.
Salisbury Crags
Hiking to Arthur’s Seat is definitely a must-do activity during an Edinburgh visit, even if you’re sleepy and hungry to start the day. Once we eventually got our fill of food in us, we checked out the other high point in the city at Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh Castle
Being only a mile away from Holyrood Park, you can see Edinburgh Castle pretty clearly from Arthur’s Seat. After all, the castle stands above just about everything else atop the Castle Rock. However, it’s nothing compared to seeing the castle up close instead of viewing it from afar.
There’s a reason why the Edinburgh Castle is the most recognized landmark in Scotland. The historic castle is truly massive, very much looking like a gigantic fortress and imposing its authority over the city. This makes the castle practically its national symbol and one of Scotland’s top tourist attractions with over 1.5 million visitors annually.
Normally, to enter the castle, it costs £16.50 for and adult and it’s a little less for concession (60+ years or unemployed) and kids. Luckily for us, we arrived in Scotland during the St. Andrew’s Day holiday (November 30th) and entry was free for us! For being hundreds of years old, the castle is incredibly well-maintained, although, throughout the years, various structures were built at different times. And if you plan your visit right, you may be able to see the castle fire off its cannon, which they do at 1:00 PM every day except Sundays.
Entry gate with Lion Rampant Shield
Scottish War Memorial
Cannons for defense
Beyond the incredible interior is also getting to see the views of Edinburgh from the castle. Standing atop the Castle Rock at 130 meters (430 ft), you get a great vantage point of seeing the city and the cool architecture around the city. Even from the entrance is a beautiful view towards Old Town, Edinburgh, which is the oldest part of Edinburgh along with the castle.
Old Town, Edinburgh
So, if you want to check out two of the highest points (literally and figuratively), take a hike up to Arthur’s Seat and visit the Edinburgh Castle. Not only are they two of the biggest attractions in Edinburgh but they’re also two of the best places where you can enjoy some amazing views of the entire city. If you’ve been to Edinburgh, let us know what are some of your favorite viewing points!
When you’re are visiting Iceland, you’re probably most interested in the variety of incredible landscapes or the Northern Lights. During your visit, however, you also need to eat/drink and find places to stay. Well, there are plenty of places to stay and more places to dine and drink. Icelandic cuisine offers a variety of delicious options that will satisfy your taste buds, these can come at a price if you don’t plan carefully. Iceland can be notoriously expensive, so you probably will need to budget a little bit so you don’t go overboard.
During our visits to Iceland, we wanted to try some Icelandic cuisine and do some activities while also staying within our budgets. It was a fine line to walk, but we had a pretty good balance and got to enjoy a little bit of everything. So, we put together a list of the places we stayed, dined, and also some tips at the end to help control your budget during your visit.
We stayed at this Airbnb just outside of downtown Reykjavik. At around $122/night for the three of us, it’s a great budget place. It’s a cozy single-story home with several bedrooms that each can be rented out, a full kitchen, and dining room. There is also horseback riding available with this Airbnb and other outdoor activities, and it’s in a good location to see the Northern Lights.
Laugarvatn is a small town that’s perfectly located near several main attractions, including Pingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss. While you’re here, you can stay at the Heradsskolinn Boutique Hostel. Starting as low as $90/night, the hostel has just about everything you need, from a mini-restaurant, reading area, entertainment room, and the front desk can help arrange nearby activities. It’s also right by the Laugarvatn Lake and you can check out the geothermal spa, Laugarvatn Fontana.
Literally right next to the Skogafoss waterfall is Hostel Skogar. We paid just over $100 for a 3-bed room, which is pretty much all it had. It’s definitely not fancy, but we could sleep, had Wi-Fi, shared bathrooms, and there was kitchen if you need to cook. There is also the Hotel Skogafoss Bistro Bar right next to the hostels, which has pretty decent food and drinks, but is a little pricey if you’re on a budget.
If you want to enjoy a bit of luxury, then check out the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon. Although it’s expectedly priced higher than a hostel, it’s still relatively affordable. You can find prices ranging around $170-240 on most nights. The hotel has modern and contemporary touches throughout. There is also a bar that has happy hour and a restaurant, though menu prices were pretty expensive and we did not eat there. We did get a complimentary buffet-style breakfast and that was pretty fantastic. It’s also located close to Hof and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, so it’s a good place to rest after the long drive from west Iceland.
Bringing back one of my favorite places to eat, which is Cafe Loki. Located right across the Iceland church, Hallgrimskirkja, you can enjoy some of delicious traditional, Icelandic dishes. It’s not really the budget place to eat, as prices can range from $15-30 a person. But it’s homemade food with fresh ingredients and unique flavors. And if you’re adventurous enough, you can try their fermented shark (not very pleasant but it’s an Icelandic tradition).
If you want the best hot chocolate in the world (in my humble opinion), you’ll have to check out Sandholt Bakery! I’m pretty serious, IT’S THAT GOOD, and you’d be hard-pressed to find me rave about something like hot chocolate! Will it run you about $6? Perhaps…but it’s totally worth it!
Ok, aside from its amazingly awesome hot chocolate (sorry!), they also have breakfast/lunch/dinner menus, make artisan bread, sandwiches, desserts, pastries, chocolates, and other beverages. Though not that cheap, it’s not terribly expensive either, and they deliver exceptional quality and tasty food…and hot chocolate!!
Another cafe to check out is Te & Kaffi, which also has good hot chocolate but is better known for its delicious crepes and ice cream. It appears to be a very popular place as even by closing time, it was still jammed pack with people. There are so many combinations for crepes to choose from; you can’t really go wrong with what you pick, but they all also look really good!
Apparently, Iceland takes great pride in cultivating the best hot dogs. The country has some sort of odd obsession with hot dogs as it’s sometimes considered the unofficial national food. We’re not going to argue why, as we honestly think Iceland may have one the best hot dogs in the world. You can check its most famous hot dog stand, Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, a spot that former President Bill Clinton ate at. At about $4 per hot dog, it’s probably the cheapest food item you can get in the country, which is great for your budget but terrible for your health. Nevertheless, you can find Icelandic hot dogs just about anywhere you go, and it doesn’t hurt to eat 1 or 2…or 3…once in a while…not like 2 or 3 times or something.
Chuck Norris Grill, Reykjavik
Honestly, we didn’t eat here; I just wanted to put this in because it’s Chuck Norris. They are known for crafting good burgers, as well as providing many entertaining Chuck Norris jokes. “There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.”
Sushisamba, Reykjavik
If you’re really looking to splurge on a luxurious meal, you can head to Sushisamba. The restaurant does serve traditional sushi and a variety of rolls but also prepares a number dishes with Icelandic traditions. The food here is really good, with the fish being some of the freshest I’ve ever had. It’s also the first time we tried puffin, which surprisingly tasted like smoked salmon, and there are other traditional Iceland dishes you can try. Expect to easily spend $30-50 per person, if not more for several dishes.
For such a small city, Reykjavik has a surprisingly active nightlife. Though you won’t find many “clubs,” there is a big selection of bars and pubs, many that are converted into mini-clubs during the weekends. One that you could check out is B5 Bar, a pretty trendy, more upscale looking venue compared to some other places. It supposedly has a dress-code but we walked in with our winter gear on a Friday (but it is right in the middle of winter). Drinks are pretty reasonably priced and the live music that was playing was pretty amazing.
There aren’t really many places to eat in Laugarvatn, so perhaps the best-known place is Lindin Restaurant. It was the first time I tried a reindeer burger and it was pretty good. Overall, the food is good but will run you around $30-40 a person for just a main course meal with pretty small portions, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re on a budget.
Budgeting Tips
Like we said, Iceland can be pretty expensive, especially for food as you won’t be finding many cheap restaurants around the country. So we’re going to drop a few tips to help you save some money for your visit.
Book with WOW Airlines – WOW Airlines has become the go-to budget airline for Iceland. With one-way and round-trip flights starting as low as $99 and $199, respectively, you won’t find better flight prices than WOW Air. However, you don’t get a lot of luggage to pack; any oversized carry-on and check-in will cost a fee each way, so check their website for luggage specifications and pack accordingly. They’ll also charge you for any in-flight requests, including water and food.
Pack or carry lots of nut bars/snacks, any kind of food – Because food is expensive in Iceland, you should pack snacks, bars or any acceptable food you can fit. If you don’t have a lot of packing space, you can bring a jacket and stuff them with your snacks. This is what I shamelessly did and I filled my jacket pockets with at least 30 granola/nut bars and leftover turkey from Thanksgiving dinner. You can imagine the looks I got from TSA agents, but those things were lifesavers.
Bring or reuse a water bottle – In Iceland, water is incredibly pure and clean wherever you drink it. Buying water will run you $2-3 a bottle, so instead of doing that, just reuse that first bottle and fill from the tap. It’s also good for the environment.
Camp, hostels, split renting a car – Though we didn’t do any camping, you can legally camp in many places for free (with abiding rules) or a small fee for campsites, which makes it the cheapest option available. If you’re not camping, the next best option is the split hostels/Airbnb, the cheapest forms of accommodation, and it’s best to split those. A car rental can run you as low as $60-70/day, usually not including insurance unless in winter, so splitting between 3-4 people can save quite a bit from tours.
Go grocery shopping – This is probably the best tip we have when it comes to saving money on food, hence being underlined. We got bread, cheese/jelly spreads, crackers, and fruits that would last us our road trip. This helped balance our dining out costs along with the bars/snacks we brought, but if you want to forgo dining out, then grocery shopping will really help save a ton. You can also buy things to cook, as hostels/Airbnbs will have kitchens to use. Grocery/convenient stores can be found all over Iceland.
Eat lots of Icelandic hotdogs – Not going to be the healthiest piece of advice I ever give, but at $3 a pop, this is by far the cheapest and most filling option compared to anything else. Even most sandwiches you find in a convenient store will even run you $8-10. Plus, they’re actually pretty delicious and you can find them just about anywhere.
Iceland impressively has plenty to offer outside of its beautiful landscapes. Let us know what are some of your favorite spots to visit and also some of your best budgeting tips!
Iceland is one of the few countries we’ve visited multiple times and it’s easy to understand why. The culture, people, animals and, of course, the absolutely stunning and breathtaking landscapes keep tugging at my heart, wanting to go back again and again. Despite being a small country, there are simply too many things to see in any short time period, but we’ve done our best to put together a 7-day Iceland itinerary for an epic road trip!
Though it is possible to go around the country in 7 days, this itinerary focuses primarily in southern Iceland, where many famous sites are located. What I like about this itinerary is that it can be done at any time of the year, whether you have 21 hours of daylight in summer or only 4 hours of daylight in winter (yes, the days are that short)! We will highlight all of the locations in bold font to help you track these sites.
We’ve also mapped out the directions for the major sites to put into your Google Maps:
Let’s take a look at the awesomeness you’ll see over the next week:
Day 1: Reykjavik & Blue Lagoon
After you pick up your car from the Keflavik Airport, you can start your trip to Reykjavik. Though Reykjavik is the largest city in Iceland, it still has the charm of many small towns and there are very few tall buildings. You’ll walk by many small shops and cafes and many of the main attractions are walking distance apart. Perhaps the most well-known attraction in the city is Hallgrimskirkja, the tallest church in all of Iceland. It’s built to look like the basalt rock formations and has amazing views of the entire city. Right across the church is one of our favorites, the Loki Cafe, where you can get delicious traditional Icelandic dishes, but also try the dreaded fermented shark if you’re adventurous enough.
From Reykjavik, you can make the 45-minute drive to one of Iceland’s premier destinations, Blue Lagoon, for a relaxing soak in its natural springs. Be sure to book this in advance because time slots can fill up fast. In the spring and summer, the timeslots may not matter as much, but in winter with short daylight hours, it’s important to book early to go during the day. We made this mistake during our second visit, as they only had 4:00 PM reservations available, which is pretty much dark by then. However, there were far fewer people and experiencing the lagoon at night is pretty unique.
Other places to check out: Harpa Concert Hall, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (famous hot-dog stand), Sandholt Cafe (best hot chocolate!), Eldur and IS (for awesome crepes and ice cream)
Day 2: Kirkjufellsfoss to Pingvellir
We start Day 2 early by heading to Kirkjufellsfoss, the only time you’ll head northwest, about 2.5 hours from Reykjavik. Kirkjufellsfoss is particularly recognizable for having Kirkjufell Mountain in the background with the waterfall. It’s also a favorite spot for photographers for sunsets and the Northern Lights. If you have time, you can explore the surrounding area, including nearby Snaefellsjoekull National Park.
Kirkjufellsfoss
From Kirkjufellsfoss, you can make a 2-hour drive to Hraunfossar, a series of small waterfalls that forms a very picturesque sight. An hour from here, you can head to Glymur, the second tallest waterfall in Iceland that falls into a steep canyon.
Photo by Ming Ge
Finally, you can cap your day by heading to Pingvellir, a national park about an hour away from Glymur. A UNESCO Heritage Site, you will discover rock and canyon formations from the movement of tectonic plates, as well as the Oxararfoss Waterfall. There is also a unique experience here where you can snorkel or scuba dive at Silfra canyon, a rare opportunity to dive between two continental plates!
Oxararfoss
Pingvellir National Park
For your accommodation, I would look to stay in Laugarvatn, a town only 20 minutes away from Pingvellir. You can check out the Heradsskolinn Boutique Hostel, and also look to enjoy a bath at Laugarvatn Fontana.
Day 3: Bruarfoss, Geysir, Gullfoss, Haifoss
What’s nice about Day 3 is there’s plenty of flexibility for how you’ll want to spend your day. You can start by either revisiting Pingvellir or start heading to some of the other locations. Between Pingvellir, Bruarfoss, Geysir, and Gullfoss it’s only an hour total drive distance, so you can see a lot in a pretty short timeframe.
If you want to start towards Bruarfoss, it’s a little more hidden to find compared to other sites. From Laugarvatn, head east for about 20 minutes and look for the road, Brekkuskogur. There is no sign on the main road pointing to Bruarfoss, so be sure to look for this road. Your GPS should help you find it; however, once we entered the road, the GPS went haywire and couldn’t pinpoint our location. If this happens, just continue straight on the road. You will come to the end of a 3-way intersection and make a left turn. Continue on this road and look for a small sign on your left that says “Bruar.” This is the pathway to the falls, which requires a bit of a walk, possibly through mud and water depending on the weather. But it is worth it, as it is an incredibly beautiful waterfall and there is virtually no people around.
Bruarfoss
Once you finish at Bruarfoss, you can head 15 minutes east to Geysir. Geysir will be much easier to find, as it is a very popular spot for tourists. Here you can see the “Great Geysir” periodically erupt, spewing hot boiling water up to 200 feet in the air! Afterward, head just 10 minutes east to see one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls, Gullfoss. Gullfoss is made of two smaller falls before plunging 105 feet into a canyon. Anywhere from 30,000 to 500,000 gallons can be flowing into the canyon. Even from a distance, you can feel the sheer force of wind and mist from the falls. It’s definitely one of the greatest spectacles you’ll see in Iceland.
Gullfoss
Next, you can head towards Haifoss, a waterfall off from the main roads and about 1.5 hours away, but absolutely worth it. However, you’ll need a 4×4 vehicle to get to this waterfall, since the terrain is very uneven and the road can be prone to shallow flooding. You’ll need to watch for reports whether or not the road is impassable, but if you make it there, you’ll be treated to another spectacular sight. Because of its difficult accessibility, you’ll see very few people here too so you can enjoy the sights to yourself!
Haifoss
To conclude your day, you can look for accommodation in the towns, Hella or Hvolsvöllur.
Day 4: Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Vik
Day 4 also allows you plenty of flexibility to go at a flexible pace, but it provides plenty of things to see! 30 minutes east of Hella, you can visit Seljalandsfoss. Another iconic waterfall, you will be able to see this from the main road, as well as many signs pointing to its location. Seljalandsfoss is unique in that you can actually walk in the cave behind the waterfall.
Seljalandsfoss
Just 30 minutes further east, you’ll reach the stunning and also iconic Skogafoss, one of my favorite waterfalls. Nicknamed the “Curtain Waterfall” for being shaped like drapery, you can experience the powerful waterfall by walking right up to it. If that’s not enough, you can take the stairs to the top of the falls, where you’ll be greeted with a spectacular view of the landscape.
Skogafoss
From Skogafoss, you’ll head towards Vik, where there are several places to visit. First, you can check out the viewpoint that overlooks Dyrhólaey Arch. Next, head to Reynisfjara Beach, also known as Black Sand Beach, where you can see the uniquely recognizable basalt rock formations and giant rock formations jutting out in the background. Finally, you can explore the town of Vik, a charming town with exception views of the surrounding landscape, and a place to search for accommodation.
Basalt Rock Formations at Reynisfjara Beach
Other places to check out: because these places are very close to each other, you may have time to do other things. Try looking for the hidden hot spring, Seljavallalaug (by the road Raufarfellsvegur) or the Solheimasandur Plane Wreck.
Day 5: Skaftafell, Svartifoss, Vatnajokull & Jokulsarlon
Next, we’ll head east towards Skaftafell. You can choose to hike on the Skaftafell Glacier, which can take up to half a day, or you can go see Svartifoss, a unique waterfall that’s surrounded by basalt rock formations.
Credit: Annie Ngo
From Skaftafell, you can head towards Hof, a town that’s a frequent meeting place for tour groups for a variety of activities on the Vatnajokull Glacier. You can also hike the glacier, but I highly recommend doing an ice cave tour to see the incredible cave formations within the glacier.
Ice Cave Tour, Vatnajokull Glacier
Finally, the last spot of this road trip leads to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. This lake holds large icebergs that have broken away from the Vatnajokull Glacier. In the summer, you can take boat tours to ride up close to the ice. Just across the lagoon towards the ocean, you’ll find Diamond Beach, aptly named because of the crystal clear ice fragments that wash up on the beach.
Jokulsarlon Glacier LagoonDiamond Beach
For your accommodation, there’s plenty of inexpensive places in Hof, but if you have room the splurge, check out Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon.
Day 6: Free/Flex Day
Potentially on your 5th day of the road trip, you could see all of the things listed. However, depending on the season, weather conditions, activity schedule or if you decided to pace yourselves, you can be using this 6th day for the latter parts of your journey or visit anything you may have missed.
Plenty of Icelandic Horses
You may start heading back towards Reykjavik as you prepare to wrap up your trip. From Hof, it would normally take 4 hours straight to get back to Reykjavik. However, if conditions aren’t ideal, it could take longer. When we made our visit this past November, it was raining and snowing, which slowed our drive to over 6 hours.
Since Iceland is so photogenically beautiful, you probably will make several stops to enjoy the scenery and there are still other sites you can check out on your way back. You can pass by Foss a Siou, a tall but thin waterfall that’s in someone’s backyard. There’s also Fjaðrárgljúfur, a massive canyon that measures 100 meters deep. A town not covered in the main itinerary that you could visit is Selfoss, where you can see the Selfoss waterfall.
Day 7: Epic Iceland Road Trip Completed!
Congratulations! You completed your epic road trip of Southern Iceland! By this point, you are likely spending a little more time in Reykjavik before you fly back home.
Although our itinerary covers a lot of spectacular sights, it still only visits the southern part of Iceland! There’s still so much beauty to be seen that one visit isn’t enough, so I’m sure I’ll be back crafting another itinerary to see the rest of this amazing country.
Additional Tips
Although most vehicles will be fine to use, I recommend getting a 4×4 so you are able to trek over tougher terrain, such as Haifoss, and also for poor weather conditions like rain and snow. Keep in mind they are a bit more expensive than compact cars/sedans. I’d recommend Blue Car Rental for great pricing and excellent service. Also, opt for the Mobile Wi-Fi (around $10 a day), so you can use your phone’s GPS, as well as look up various destinations and booking accommodation.
Leave your itinerary at http://safetravel.is/ and download the 112 app so you get all your up-to-date information about Iceland conditions and so they know where you are and in case you need emergency services.
You pretty much don’t need cash, as just about every place takes credit card. If you’re coming from the US, you can use your dollars for cash and don’t need to exchange to Icelandic Krona.
As I mentioned, this itinerary is good for any season. However, because the days are so short in winter, you may be rushed in order to see many of these sites. So if you prefer a more relaxed, slower pace, then you may want to consider visiting in the spring or summer.
Let us know what you think of our itinerary and where are some of your favorite places to see! If you like it, Pin it below!
When making a visit to Iceland, one of the great natural wonders that everyone wants to see is the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as Northern Lights. The northern lights are a spectacle unlike any other with the intense swirling movement of green lights “dancing” in the starry skies. We were fortunate enough to see it again during our latest visit and it was a dazzling couple of nights.
But finding the northern lights and attempting to photograph them can be very challenging tasks, so we’re going to prepare you in the best way possible. Here are 7 tips for finding and photographing the Northern Lights during your visit to Iceland:
1. Download the Aurora Alerts Northern Lights App,
This could be one of your best resources to track the northern lights. The Aurora Alerts Northern Lights App is a free app provides live up-to-date information of the northern light activity, including the probability of seeing the lights based on location, geomagnetic conditions (KP Index) on a scale of 1-9, hourly to long-term forecasts, and projected northern light coverage worldwide.
You’ll want to go out when the KP Index reads 3 or higher for the best conditions. You can also set up alerts that will tell you when the best chance is to see the lights. This app also works for other countries as well.
Aurora Alerts Northern Lights App
Just about the only thing it doesn’t do is provide a weather report, so it’s good to have an app or website to show the weather. I liked using the Rainy Days App and also used the Icelandic Met Office website, both showing project cloud coverage throughout the country by the hour. With a combination of these resources, you’ll have everything you need to track the northern lights.
2. Find dark clear skies away from the city
The best places to see the northern lights are places that are away from the city to avoid light pollution. This way your eyes will adjust to the darkness and it’ll be easier to see and photograph the northern lights. That’s simple enough to do since there are plenty of places in Iceland that are far from the city.
The more challenging part may be trying to find dark clear skies. As the locals would say, “If you don’t like Iceland’s weather, wait 5 minutes.” The weather can be particularly fickle, going from very clear skies one moment and then raining minutes later. During our recent visit, it rained 5 of the 7 days we were there and in some instances, it can be cloudy/rainy for days or weeks at a time!
Having the Rainy Days App or the Icelandic Met Office website can help you showing projected cloud coverage and find an area with clear skies. Even partial covered skies can give you some great shots of the northern lights, as long as you have some open sky to show the lights.
Icelandic Met Office Website. This shot indicates it will be may be a good night to see the northern lights in southern Iceland.
Another thing to remember is to not go to Iceland in summer if you specifically want to see the northern lights because the days are very long and at night, it doesn’t get completely dark. It would be very difficult to see the lights under these conditions. The best time to see them would be during fall or winter when the nights are longer and darker.
3. The Northern Lights are not always easily visible
When the northern lights are VERY bright, they are very visible and can illuminate the entire sky. However, sometimes even if the sky looks dark, the lights can still be there. They will be very faint and pretty difficult to see, especially if you’re driving and your eyes are not adjusted to the dark.
These lights were too faint to see clearly with my eyes. Only my camera could capture this low activity
If you want to be sure whether or not the lights are there or not, then stop to the side on occasion and let your eyes adjust to the dark. If you can see a faint streak of color in the sky, it is possible those are the northern lights. If you have a camera with the right settings, you can confirm it with a test shot. While the lights may look very weak initially, you can wait a bit and see if the activity gets stronger. In both instances I’ve seen the northern lights, they started out as faint trails, but then intensified into much brighter lights.
4. Having the right camera and equipment
So you found the northern lights! You’re enjoying the wondrous spectacle of dancing lights dazzling through the sky! You bring out your phone or point-and-shoot camera to take a picture and…it’s almost pitch black…you can barely see the lights on your screen…it’s blurry…
Shooting photos at night are not the best conditions for a phone or point-and-shoot camera. If you really want to capture vivid shots of the lights, you need the right equipment. Here is the basic gear you should carry:
Tripod – Any tripod generally will be OK, but it’s highly recommended to bring a strong and sturdy tripod and prevent any vibration causing blurry images and especially on nights when it can be windy and will blow away any cheap tripod. You’ll be working with exposures from 5-20 seconds, so you need to be sure your tripod will keep your camera completely still.
Camera with Manual Mode – You need a camera that you can adjust the settings manually, primarily shutter speed, F-stop, and ISO. Auto will not help you here.
Although it’s still recommended to have a full-frame camera because of better low-light capabilities, better ISO performance and image quality, and more lens selection, you can still get shots with an advanced mirrorless or point-and-shoot camera as long as they have manual capabilities. I used full-frame cameras, including a Nikon D750 and a Sony A7s. However, if you’re on a budget, you can do well with a non-full-frame mirrorless camera like a Sony D6300 or Fujifilm XT1, or even use an advanced point-and-shoots like the Sony RX100 series or a Canon GX7.
Wide Angle Lens – A wide angle lens will help you capture a good amount of the foreground as well as the sky. When looking for a lens, anything 24mm or lower is ideal, and you want to look for F-stops as low as 2.8.
Remote Trigger (Optional) – It’s good to have if you want to take selfies and also to take a shot without pushing the camera button to prevent any vibration. If you don’t have a trigger, you can use the camera self-timer to take a shot.
Powerful flashlight (Highly Recommend)– We’ll get into more of this in the next tip.
5. Setting up your focus
Perhaps the most challenging part of night photography is focusing in the dark. In pitch black darkness, cameras are not able to properly autofocus on a particular object. Thus, you have to figure out how to manually focus your lens.
An easy way to set up your focus is to do it before dark sets. You can use your camera to autofocus on a distant point. Once the lens is focused, switch your lens to manual focus and do not touch it for the rest of the night. You can use tape to hold the lens’ focus ring or use a marker to mark the focus point on your lens. You’ll be good to go when shooting the northern lights in any direction.
If you did not focus before dark, then you’ll have to figure out how to focus at night. My favorite method is using a powerful flashlight that can illuminate an object at a distance. If you can light a distant object, many cameras will be able to autofocus on the object, which then you can switch back to manual focus. If your camera cannot focus on the illuminated object, have someone take the flashlight and walk 50-100 feet away. Your camera should be able to autofocus at the brightest point this way, and you can fine-tune the focus manually. I love Maglite flashlights because they are incredibly powerful and make it easier to focus at night at a distance, but a good headlamp will do the job too.
Seljalandsfoss brightly lit with flood lights. Easy for cameras to focus
Without at least flashlight, focusing can be a little trickier. Some full-frame cameras have excellent live-viewfinders that perform remarkably well at night, so it can be easy to find the brightest star and bring it into focus. If you don’t have that, then the next best option is to start your lens from ∞ (infinity symbol) and adjust by trial and error with minuscule adjustments after each trial shot.
6. Manual Settings to use
The best combination of settings to use to shoot the northern lights is a large aperture (f2.8 – 4), longer shutter speed (5-20 seconds), and relatively high ISO (800-6400, though ideally around 1600 ISO). You can start with something like f2.8, 15 seconds, 1600 ISO and work from there. If you stick around those ranges and make the necessary adjustments, you will be able to get good shots of the northern lights. You should also manually set your color temperature (K) to around 2800-4800.
f2.8, 6 seconds, 3200 ISO
f2.8, 6 seconds, 6400 ISO
f2.8, 13 seconds, 3200 ISO
As an added bonus, if you have long enough shutter speeds, you can do light painting and make doodles in your images. When you turn on a light, the camera will capture the movement of the lights until you turn off the light. Try this out when you do long exposures!
<3 Ling + Mat
KAMEHAMEHAAA!!!
KAMEHAMEHAAA PART 2!!!
7. ALWAYS Shoot Raw
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make while taking photos at night (and in general) is only shooting in JPEG. You should always shoot in RAW, which creates a digital negative of your image. This file allows you to make much more adjustments in post-processing with Photoshop or Lightroom, whereas adjusting a JPEG image is very limited and will hurt the quality of the image. Most advanced cameras offer the ability to shoot RAW, so although it takes up significantly more space, it is still almost a necessity to shoot in that format.
Adjustments made with a RAW file. Cannot be easily done with a JPEG
Hope these tips will help you when you’re out searching for the Northern Lights. Ask us any questions and let us know what helped you photograph the lights!
If you’re still looking for more icy things to do in Iceland after an Ice Cave Tour in the Vatnajokull Glacier, then you don’t have too far to see more. Just 30 minutes east of the town of Hofn, you can visit the spectacular Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and beautiful Crystal Beach.
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon is a lake of icebergs formed by the receding Breioamerkurjokull glacier. As the glacier recedes, huge chunks of ice break off and flow into the lagoon (and eventually into the ocean). It is also the deepest lake in Iceland at over 800 feet deep.
We actually went to the lagoon two times. The first time we got there, it was getting dark, so we didn’t get to spend too much time walking around. It was also pretty foggy, so the visibility was limited to a few yards. Nonetheless, it was still very pretty and had a very ethereal feel. There were very few people around so it was pretty quiet, and you could hear the cracking of icebergs slowly colliding into one another. Yet, the water is also very still but occasionally we would see a few pieces of ice peacefully drift by.
Put my flashlight behind the ice
The next day, after we did our ice cave tour, we decided to check out Jokulsarlon again with more daylight and hoped for better weather. This time, luck was on our side! When we arrived, the lagoon was clear of fog and revealed the incredible scale of the lake! IT IS HUGE! There were much much bigger icebergs than what we could see from our first visit.
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
I knew Iceland weather is very fickle and could change any second, so I quickly set up a drone to get a few passes of the lagoon. Sure enough, 10 minutes later, a heavy fog rolled back into the lagoon and completely obscured the lake, but not before getting some amazingly beautiful footage.
There are plenty of vantage points where you can get a great look of the lagoon. Best of all, it’s free! If you do want to get a look IN the lagoon, there are boat tours available but only in the summer time. The ice, however, will be much smaller compared to what you can see in the winter! Once you are done with the glacier lagoon, you can walk nearby to the next natural spectacle.
Crystal Beach
Crystal Beach, also known as Diamond Beach, is the beach area at the mouth of the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. When the ice fragments from the lagoon flow into the ocean, many of them will be pushed back onto the beach by the waves. These fragments vary in size and very often are incredibly crystal clear, thus retaining its name, and sit in stark contrast with the black sand of the beach. With the waves crashing into the ice fragments, it gives photographers endless opportunities to capture various natural elements.
There are two parts of the beach you can visit. The beach left of the mouth of the lagoon is the main beach people will visit with generally larger fragments, while the beach right of the mouth will have far fewer people but smaller fragments. In fact, when we were there (on the right side), there was no one else on the beach with us and allowed us to enjoy the serenity of waves crashing into the ice to ourselves. Either way, you will be treated to a beach filled with crystals.
The Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Crystal Beach are breathtakingly beautiful sites. They are havens for any photographer and every visitor of Iceland should make a visit!
Chuck Norris Grill, Reykjavik
