Watching for the northern lights from a Hvammsvik pool
A soak in a hot pool under the northern lights is the picture many people have of Iceland in winter. At Hvammsvik it is possible, but it is never certain, and none of the tours on this site is built around the aurora. This guide explains what has to line up and how to give yourself a fair chance.
Possible, never promised
The aurora needs darkness and a clear sky, plus enough activity overhead. None of that is under anyone's control, so neither a pool nor a driver can promise a display on a given night.
The springs' own listing mentions the northern lights, and the midnight sun as well. That tells you both can be part of a visit. It does not tell you how often, so treat any sighting as a bonus on a trip you would enjoy anyway.
None of our tours is a northern lights tour
All four trips on this site are hot spring trips. The ICELANDIA bus and the Nicetravel Golden Circle day say nothing about the aurora, and neither do the entry ticket or the private car.
A dedicated northern lights trip drives to wherever the sky looks clearest that night. A trip to Hvammsvik goes to one fixed spot on the fjord, whatever the clouds are doing.
So book the soak for the soak. If the lights show up, you are in the right place for once, lying warm in the water as you look up.
The darker months
The aurora is only visible when the sky is dark. That points to the darker months, roughly September to April, when evenings are long enough for a soak after nightfall.
Around June the opposite holds. The midnight sun keeps the sky light late into the night, which is lovely in the pools but leaves no chance of the lights.
Winter also brings snow on the hills and icy roads. Our best time guide weighs the dark months against the light ones for a visit to the pools.
Why Hvammsvik helps, and what it cannot fix
The springs sit on the Hvalfjörður shore, about an hour from Reykjavík. There is likely far less light on the ground than in the city, so a faint aurora should show better than from a hotel window downtown.
Lying back in warm water also beats standing in a cold field. You can watch the sky for a long while without freezing, which is the hardest part of an ordinary aurora hunt.
What the location cannot fix is cloud, the usual spoiler. One Golden Circle reviewer missed the lights on a cloudy night at the pools and saw them later back in town.
Our guide to the pools describes the shore and the sea dip, along with the pools that come and go with the tide. They look different after dark, so a daytime picture of them helps.
Getting back after a late soak
Timing is the catch. A soak only gives you a chance if you are in the pool after dark, and then you still need a way back to Reykjavík.
The private car is the simplest answer. North Escape's car from ~$330 per person agrees the return time with you, so you can ask for a late slot. Check the springs' closing time for your date before you settle on one.
Driving yourself on the ~$80 entry ticket gives the same freedom, if you are happy on dark winter roads. Our bus or self-drive guide covers the drive along the fjord.
The ICELANDIA bus and the Golden Circle day run on fixed schedules. The booking page shows the times for your date, so you can see whether your soak falls after dark. Read the Golden Circle guide for the long day in full.
A driver who waits for the dark
North Escape's private car agrees the return time with you and picks you up anywhere in Reykjavík. It is not a northern lights tour, and it has only 2 reviews so far.
The Viator button leads to a different operator with its own 4-hour private trip. Our private car guide compares the two listings and lists what to ask before you pay.
Dressing for a night soak
A winter night by the fjord is cold the moment you leave the water. A woolly hat in the pool and a warm layer for the walks between pools make a long watch far more pleasant.
Think about the hour after the soak too. A dry set of warm clothes in the bag means you leave the changing room ready for the drive back, rather than shivering in the car park while the heater warms up.
Wading shoes help on frozen ground as well as in the sea. Our packing guide lists what to bring and what you can rent on site.
Photos from a hot pool
A phone in night mode can catch a bright display, but a faint aurora is hard to photograph from the water. Steam on the lens makes it harder still.
Watch with your own eyes first. A faint aurora can look pale to the eye and show its colour only on a camera sensor, so do not give up on a grey arc low over the hills.
Keep the phone in a waterproof pouch and dry your hands before you touch it. If a bright display does appear, a quick shot from the edge of the pool beats fiddling with settings in the cold.
Then put the phone away and look up. The pools are the reason you came, and the sky is the extra, so let a good night be a memory rather than a file.