Article: One of the most important aspects of planning a trip to Iceland to catch the northern lights is to choose the right time of the year. Typically, the lights are most active from early September to the end of April each year, largely due to the longer periods of darkness during the winter. Plan a trip during these months to give yourself the best chance of seeing the northern lights. Light pollution from cities and houses can really decrease visibility of the night sky. So if you want to see the northern lights in Iceland, you should choose a destination that is removed from the lights of the city.  Avoid Reykjavik and Akureyri, where light pollution may be too severe for you to see the northern lights. If you are stuck in a town with no way out into the countryside, try heading toward the outskirts of town or finding a darker area – like the Grótta Lighthouse or a park inside Reykjavik. These regions have longer hours of full darkness and, as a result, provide greater opportunities to catch the northern lights. You will be more likely to see them the farther north you travel in Iceland. Consider traveling to the Westfjords or the most extreme north locations in Iceland. These areas have about 2 more hours of darkness (22 hours total) than Reykjavik during the peak winter months. There are many places to go camping in rural Iceland, and spending a night underneath the stars greatly increases your chances of seeing the northern lights. Camping will give you hours of observation time in a remote, dark area.  There are about 170 registered campsites in Iceland for you to choose from, but Icelandic law also allows you to pitch a tent for 1 night in residential, non-campsite areas. Just remember that Iceland can be quite cold in prime northern lights viewing months. If you plan to sleep outdoors, you’ll need to bring warm clothes, blankets, insulated sleeping bags, and a sturdy tent to protect yourself from the elements. Sign up for a guided tour that has a goal of northern lights sightings. The local tour guides will have a better idea about where to go and what the likelihood will be of seeing the lights. You can also take a boat cruise in the dark hours. People who go on these kinds of tours are often very successful at viewing the northern lights.

What is a summary?
Visit Iceland between October and April. Choose a remote place with little unnatural light. Stay in north Iceland to experience more full hours of darkness. Camp out if you want to spend more time observing the lights. Take a guided tour out into the more rural areas.