Iceland or Greenland: Which is the Best Country to See the Northern Lights?

The highest rated Northern Lights Tour in Iceland takes you from the capital to lesser populated spots which are ideal for stargazing. You’ll get free photos of your experience and also a much-needed cup of hot chocolate because you will be out for a while. After being picked up in the Reykjavik Capital Area, you head out of the city away from any light pollution to the best location , chosen on the day, for visibility of the evening. You might need to wait for the Northern lights to appear, and even change location over the evening. There’s no guarantee, but tours like this give you best chance of all to catch a glimpse of the magical dancing lights in the sky.

This fjord in the west of Iceland has been inhabited since the time of settlement, and was home to events in the Icelandic sagas. Steeped in such legends, the region combines epic history with a landscape that surges with lava fields, hot springs and waterfalls.

Dramatic and distinct, Kirkjufell (Church Mountain) is the most photographed peak in Iceland. It’s found by the coast on the western Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and you might recognise its emblematic shape from Game of Thrones. With a glittering lake at its foot and a nearby three-pronged waterfall, this mountain yields unparalleled reflective panoramas for your aurora-seeking snapshots.

A glacial lake inhabited by drifting blue icebergs, Jökulsárlón is a spectacle hard to surpass. From the lagoon, this ghostly procession idles out to sea, where its members are polished by the North Atlantic waves and washed ashore on the jet-black sands of nearby Breiðamerkursandur. Here, you’ll find these ice sculptures glittering in the sun, having earned their resting place the nickname Diamond Beach. On clear nights, this surreal region is host to aurora skies.

Watching the Northern Lights flash across an Arctic winter sky is truly awe-inspiring, and Greenland is one of the world’s best places to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon. This group tour of Nuuk will take you to the darkest corners of Greenland’s capital for the best chance of seeing the aurora borealis. As you follow the lights, your guide will share insights and information about the region. Thankfully heated transport, warm drinks and free rebookings if the lights don’t show are all part of the deal.

Home to almost as many sled-dogs as people, the third-largest city in Greenland neighbours the astounding Ilulissat Icefjord, a Unesco World Heritage site. Here, you’ll find luminous icebergs calving from the Jakobshavn Glacier – some so large (up to 1km/0.6mi tall) that they can’t float down the fjord. From Ilulissat, join a guided Northern Light snowshoe tour along the famous Icefjord.

This airport settlement sits at the head of an eponymous fjord, and has more than 300 clear night skies a year thanks to its unusual cold, semi-arid climate. And with the edge of the Russell Glacier easily accessible from the town, your chances of seeing the Northern Lights are at their best here. Hire a local guide and marvel at the aurora as it dances amid towering ice cliffs.

An island settlement in southeast Greenland, Kulusuk benefits from a place on the edge of the Atlantic at the end of an archipelago abundant in natural beauty. It’s home to only 250 people, but Kulusuk International Airport ensures there are usually a few visitors in town. In winter it’s possible to cross the frozen sounds. A lack of artificial lights here is once again the key to opening up the night sky. Take a dog-sled tour deep into eastern Greenland for a glimpse of the elusive northern glimmer.