Chasing the Northern Lights in Iceland

Iceland is our all-time favorite road trip destination.

We spent 3 unforgettable weeks traversing this enchanting country by car along the renowned Ring Road during the deep winter months when thick powdery snow enveloped everything in sight.

Our journey was timed to coincide with the winter months so we could catch a glimpse of the mesmerizing Northern Lights. Along the way, we were treated to awe-inspiring sights of massive glaciers, erupting geysers, an abundance of geothermal baths, picturesque fjords, thrilling whale-watching experiences, and encounters with the quirkiest and most delightful people – the charm of Icelandic humor is truly unmatched!

The Midnight Call…

We were all tucked up inside our bed at the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon in Southeast Iceland, fast asleep.

Suddenly, the phone rings. It was The Call!

We’d asked the hotel night receptionist to call and wake us if there had been any sightings of the Aurora Borealis, aka, the Northern Lights.

When you get The Call, EVERY second counts! You never know when the Aurora Borealis will disappear…

“Come on Stefan, get up. We need to get going, asap!”

He’s a heavy sleeper so a lot slower to react. I could barely contain my excitement.

By the time Stefan opened his eyes, I was already fully dressed in my many layers of winter clothes (Icelandic weather in the deep winter is rough!), my camera in hand along with our tripod, a bag of snacks, ready to head to our car.

It was our dream to one day experience the Northern Lights together. This was the moment. It was now or never.

Once Stefan was also ready, we rushed to our car…oh my god it was cold – with biting wind! I’ll never forget struggling to close the car door as I fought the powerful gust of wind.

Our goal was to reach Diamond Beach, around a 20-minute drive away from our hotel. We had visited earlier that day and agreed we’d come to this spot to see the Northern Lights. As well as being completely isolated, it was far from any human settlement therefore guaranteeing complete darkness at night.

The trick to seeing the Northern Lights is to head to the Arctic Circle (like Iceland) where the Earth’s magnetosphere interacts with the sun to create the famed ethereal auroras. In addition, the sky has to be completely dark with minimal light pollution and, of course, as clear as possible.

Every day of our Iceland trip we checked the hourly weather forecast as well as the daily Aurora forecast on the Icelandic vedur.is website, which gives a mark out of 10 in determining the chances of seeing the Northern Lights.

Up until now, we hadn’t been lucky, and our trip was nearing a close.

I’ll never forget the adrenaline and anticipation we both felt during that drive to Diamond Beach in the dead of night. Both of us acting like two excited schoolchildren let loose in a candy shop!

We eventually reached Diamond Beach, parked the car then scurried up the small hill we found earlier that day using our phone torch to light the way through the freshly fallen thick snow.

When we reached the top, we left our stuff in a pile and stood looking up at the darkness. There was no one else around us. Just complete darkness everywhere we looked.

We waited patiently as the biting cold wind blew hard on our faces. I pulled Stefan close to me to share our body heat. Despite the cold, I loved how cozy we felt!

Suddenly, a dash of green broke out in the darkness lighting up the night. Then another one. Then a third…

“OMG Seby did you see that?!”

I was speechless. It was the Northern Lights!

As each ray of green light broke through the night we would point at them, smiling at each other, laughing with joy.

“Did you see that one? Over there, there’s another one, look, Stefan!” 

It was a celestial kaleidoscope of alien-like waves of greens dancing, like a giant lava lamp lighting up the sky. We were euphoric.

This was what we came to see, and it did not disappoint!

Out there in the middle of the Icelandic countryside, pitch black, in the cold, wrapped in the embrace of the love of my life watching something so magnificent together.

This is one of the most romantic moments of our lives that will live in our hearts forever.

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Top experiences in Iceland for gay travelers

What left an indelible impression on us was Iceland's incredible gay-friendliness. Throughout our adventure, we felt completely at ease expressing our affection publicly, whether in the bustling capital city, Reykjavik, or the remotest countryside settlement. Never once did anyone bat an eyelid at two men holding hands – acceptance and inclusivity were the norm.

It's no surprise. Iceland boasts some of the most progressive LGBTQ laws in the world, and it proudly made history with the appointment of the world's first openly gay head of state, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, in 2009.

Like most visitors, we departed Iceland with a profound sense of longing, already yearning to return for another enchanting chapter in this captivating land. Iceland has woven itself deeply into our hearts, and its allure is simply irresistible. We've put all our notes in our Iceland gay travel guide, but here's a summary of the top experiences we think you should not skip out on in Iceland…

Chasing the Northern Lights

There is nothing more romantic than watching the ethereal alien-like Aurora Borealis dancing in the sky above you with your loved one in hand. Just read my story above to see why!

Experience gay Reykjavik

Although tiny, with a population of just 130,000, the Icelandic capital has so much to explore including a few gay/queer-friendly bars like Kiki, Gaukurinn, and Bravo along with two permanent rainbow crossings celebrating the city’s commitment to tolerance and diversity.

If you're there in August, be sure to check out Reykjavik Pride if heading there in August. Read more in our gay guide to Reykjavik.

The penis museum

You read right!

The Icelandic Phallological Museum in Reykjavik is the quirkiest place we’ve ever visited as well as the most fascinating – hosting an impressive collection of penises from over 300 specimens!

This included a gigantic Sperm Whale penis, so elegantly preserved I might add, which stands proud at 5ft 7 inches (170cm), which is the same height as Stefan:

Relax in the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon

A spa journey like no other, located in a lava field – the mineral-rich water and soft white silica mud have healing effects on the skin…trust us, you’ll feel like a Goddess afterward!

Pay homage to Eurovision in Husavik

The home of Lars and Sigrit in the brilliant Eurovision Netflix movie that gave us life during the COVID lockdowns in 2020 when Eurovision had to be canceled! They have a bar/museum dedicated to it called Ja Ja Ding Dong. Husavik is also the place to head for whale-watching tours between May and September.

Buy matching lopapeysas

These are handmade Icelandic wool jumpers worn by Icelanders to keep them warm in the deep winter months. We bought a matching pair from a shop in Husavik. They’re not cheap but worth the expense as they do keep you warm in the extreme cold. They also make for a terrific souvenir!

Snorkel between two continents

Silfra Lake in the Thingvellir National Park is the only place in the world where you can snorkel between two tectonic plates. In this case, it’s between the Eurasian and North American plates. The water is so clear that visibility is up to 100m!

Watch a live geyser erupt

The most dramatic one we saw was Strokkur in the Geysir Geothermal Area which erupts every 5-10 minutes, shooting water over 65 feet (20 meters) high.

Get splashed by a world-famous waterfall

Iceland has an abundance of dramatic waterfalls, the most visited is Skogafoss which was featured in Game of Thrones, Thor: The Dark World, and even in the video of Justin Bieber’s song, I’ll Show You.

Diamond Beach

Like no other beach we’ve ever been to. It has black volcanic sand decorated with large chunks of jewel-like chunks of ice. The ice comes from the pieces of the iceberg that have broken off from the nearby Breiðamerkurjökull glacier.

Practical tips for gay travelers to Iceland

We share here all our practical tips and invaluable advice for LGBTQ travelers to Iceland that we wish we had known before our trip:

Road trip in Iceland

For independent travelers, we recommend renting a car with a company like Hertz Iceland to explore the country along its Ring Road. Quote PINK when booking and they can offer you a 10% discount. During the winter months, make sure it’s a strong SUV/4WD vehicle as Icelandic roads can get pretty treacherous with the heavy snowfall. You’ll also need to check the Icelandic Met Office traffic website hourly for the latest info on road closures and driving conditions.

Gay travel agents

If you don’t fancy a road trip you can easily base yourself in Reykjavik and arrange a day trip via the excellent LGBTQ company, Pink Iceland. The best day trips we recommend are the Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon, and the Golden Circle. This will allow you to see Iceland’s top 3 attractions: the Geysir Geothermal Area, Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Thingvellir National Park.  Pink Iceland can also arrange Northern Light tours.

How to see the Northern Lights

To maximize your chances of seeing the Northern Lights you need a dark, clear night sky. October to March is the optimal time for this. We recommend checking the Aurora Forecast on the Icelandic Met Office website for the Aurora Forecast info for the evening ahead or booking yourself onto a Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik with a company like Pink Iceland.

Gay friendly hotels in Iceland

All hotels in Iceland welcome gay travelers. You’ll have no problems there. The only issue you’ll have is expense: Iceland is not cheap! Hotels we’ve tried, tested, and loved include the medium-priced Fosshotel chain, which has hotels all across the country including Reykjavik and Husavik. Other hotels in Reykjavik we recommend for more budget-conscious travelers include Room With A View and Hotel Alda.

For more inspiration:

• Read Seby's story of how what it was like swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos
• Read about when we dressed up like geisha in Tokyo…oh we were beautiful!
• Our experience getting blacklisted and banned in Lebanon was quite a fright!
• Seby wrote all about how we first met in 2009 in London
• Check out Stefan's story of the Varosi Ghost Town in Famagusta, Cyprus
• We think you'll love Seby's heartwarming story about snorkeling with manta rays in the Great Barrier Reef

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