Experience · Iceland

Northern lights snowmobiling

Iceland's twist on the aurora hunt is doing it at speed: evening snowmobile tours cross the Langjökull glacier or highland plateaus, engines cut at intervals to let the green curtains perform overhead in silence.

Best forAdventure seekers · Groups of friends · Couples
In October6°C · 15 rainy days
Ideal stay4–5 nights in Iceland
Approx. flying time~8h 50m from Los Angeles

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Happens around Reykjavík, Iceland — nearest airport Reykjavík (KEF), about 37km away.

CurrencyISKIcelandic króna
LanguageIcelandic
Local time10:331h behind the UK
PlugsType C / FBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+354

The experience

Riding a snowmobile across a glacier or a highland plateau after dark is a strange, exhilarating way to look for the aurora. Engines are cut every so often and the silence that follows is total, with nothing but ice, starlight and, on a good night, green light rolling overhead. No experience is needed: you follow a guide in convoy after a briefing, wrapped in a thermal suit and helmet.

Build a few days around it rather than flying in for one night. Reykjavík is the usual base, with the Golden Circle, the south coast waterfalls and geothermal pools all within reach, and a spare evening or two in hand for cloud. September to April has dark enough skies, with midwinter offering the longest nights and the worst weather. Anyone prone to motion sickness or very cold hands should think twice.

Ideal stay: 4–5 nights in Iceland
The vibe: Freezing, fast, briefly silent

From our guides

No experience needed — you follow a guide in convoy after a short briefing, and full thermal suits are provided. September to April offers skies dark enough. Book a tour with a free rebooking policy; the lights answer to nobody's itinerary.

Featured in Ten winter adventures beyond the ski piste

Make a trip of it

Langjökull glacier

Iceland's second-largest ice cap and the usual snowmobile ground, reached by a bumpy transfer from the Golden Circle route. Vast, white and completely featureless in the best way.
Engine-off aurora stops

Guides stop the convoy at intervals and kill the lights, which is when the sky opens up. Bring a lens cloth, as helmets fog quickly.
The Golden Circle

Þingvellir's rift valley, the erupting Strokkur geyser and the two-tier Gullfoss waterfall, all on the road out towards the glacier.
Geothermal bathing

Naturally heated outdoor pools are everywhere, from the famous lagoons to municipal pools in every town. The best possible thaw after a night on the ice.
Reykjavík

Small, walkable and unexpectedly lively, with the Hallgrímskirkja tower for the view over coloured roofs and the harbour for whale watching in season.

Getting there

Fly to
Reykjavík (KEF)

Nearest airport to Reykjavík, about 37km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Reykjavík

International flights land at Keflavík (KEF), about forty-five minutes by coach or hire car into Reykjavík; the small city airport (RKV) handles domestic flights only.
On the ground
Getting around

Snowmobile and aurora operators pick up from Reykjavík hotels and drive one to two hours inland towards Langjökull or the highland edge, with the machines waiting at a base camp.

Public transport: Reykjavík has city buses and the airport coach, but nothing serves the glacier, so you go with a tour.

Flights

Los Angeles Reykjavík, Iceland

Flying from

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Roughly 8h 50m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

Check dates and prices

Pick your departure date, then your return.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about 0°C in December to 14°C in July. Driest in July; wettest in May, with rain on about 18 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

October6° · rain 15 daysCold and often wet.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to base yourself

Design hotels, guesthouses and apartments in the capital, with farmhouse hotels and cabins out towards the glacier. Chains are few and rooms run small by international standards.

Best base overall
Reykjavík city centre

Tours collect from central pick-up points, so 101 Reykjavík saves you a transfer at both ends of a long evening. It is the busiest and dearest part of town, and parking is a nuisance.
Find stays in Reykjavík city centre
Best with children
Laugardalur

A green pocket a bus ride east of the centre with the geothermal pool, the zoo and roomier apartments. Quiet at night, which helps when everyone is out until the small hours.
Find stays in Laugardalur
Quietest
Húsafell and Borgarfjörður

The nearest beds to the Langjökull departure points, up in the west with proper dark skies. You lose Reykjavík entirely, so it suits drivers doing a loop rather than a city break.
Find stays in Húsafell and Borgarfjörður
Best value
Hafnarfjörður

A lava-town harbour suburb twenty minutes south, cheaper per night than the capital and still on many pick-up lists. Check the operator collects there before you book anything.
Find stays in Hafnarfjörður

Worth knowing before you book: Winter beds in Reykjavík go early and refunds are stingy, so pick flexible rates. Confirm your snowmobile operator's pick-up zone covers your address before paying for the room.

Search everything else in Reykjavík by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Reykjavík

Good to know

Licence: Drivers usually need a full car driving licence and must be over a set age. Passengers can ride pillion, which is worth checking when you book.
Clothing: Thermal suits, helmets, gloves and boots are provided, but wear thermal base layers underneath. Fingers and toes suffer first at speed.
Timing: September to April gives dark enough skies. Late autumn and early spring balance darkness against roads and weather that are still manageable.
Weather: Tours are cancelled outright in high wind or poor visibility, which happens often. Book early in your trip so there is room to rebook.
Booking: Choose a tour with a free rebooking or refund policy for cancelled nights, and treat any aurora sighting as a bonus rather than a promise.