Best Hotels in Iceland For Viewing The Northern Lights

northern lights iceland

To get the best chance of viewing the northern lights you need to head out to somewhere that has little light pollution. This means either taking a tour outside of Reykjavik at night or staying in a hotel outside the city.

Did you know that there are a number of hotels around Iceland that are the perfect locations for viewing the northern lights in comfort?

Here are our favourite places to stay for giving you the best chance at viewing the northern lights.

hotel ranga northern lights

This wooden lodge looking hotel is warm, inviting, cosy, and offers the perfect setting for viewing the Northern Lights.

Hotel Ranga is near the town of Hella, situated with absolutely no light pollution whatsoever. A telephone service is also offered for those who want to be woken up if the lights make a late-night appearance.

On clear nights you can join the hotel’s astrologers and gaze at the stars through their high-tech telescopes.

The hotel also has 3 outside hot tubs which are scorching hot, giving the perfect place to relax day, sunset, or night time.

ion adventure hotel

This stunning piece of architecture can be found, quite literally, the middle of nowhere, making it the perfect setting for northern light visibility.

Ion Hotel can be found about 1 hour from Reykjavik. This means you can still easily access the famous golden circle tour.

Not only does this hotel offer panoramic views of the surrounding geothermic landscape, it also has its own geothermal pool to relax in.

Their well named ‘Northern Lights Bar’ offers the perfect setting to sit back with a drink and wait for mother nature to put on her show.

reykjanes
  • Fancy chilling out in a geothermally heated swimming pool whilst waiting for the Northern Lights to make their appearance? That’s good because Hotel Reykjanes offers exactly this!
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  • Situated in north-west Iceland, Hotel Reykjanes offers both a range of fun activities and a wide range of accommodation choices. Activities including wildlife spotting, hiking, kayaking and diving.
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  • The rooms are basic, but the location is not. This is definitely a place to stay if you want to travel around Iceland a little more.
airbnb iceland

This private property rental website has been booming over the last couple of years and always worth taking a look at what is on offer.

Airbnb offers you the chance to rent properties you may only dream of owning! It also throws up new and interesting experiences, such as staying in a lighthouse!

There are no lighthouses for rent in Iceland, but there are two outstanding properties we would like to highlight; a wood cabin and a luxury villa!

This Wooden Cabin can be found close to the Blue Lagoon and can sleep 4 people. It is set within a nature reserve, meaning there is little to no light pollution. It also has a lovely outside deck that you can sit on to view the lights should they appear. Do note that you will need a car for access in and out of the property.

If luxury is more your taste, then this villa would be perfect for you.

Similar to the cabin it has a cosy, wooden feel, but with all the home luxury’s you would hope for. These luxuries even include a sauna with a view outside, plus an outdoor hot tub for staying warm whilst waiting for the lights! The property can sleep up to 10 guests.

If you are heading out to Iceland hoping to see the northern lights, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration. Take a read at our article here to make sure you do not make any of these mistakes when heading over to the land of fire and ice!

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