Iceland Day 6

Friday, November 7, 2025

Hotel: Hotel Von, Reykjavik

We checked on the aurora every couple hours overnight. There was one glimpse thru the clouds, but otherwise the sky was too cloudy.

Having only a short drive back Reykjavik, we took it easy in the morning, starting with a late breakfast at the hotel. We stopped to see the Hveragerði geothermal park which had one small geyser. It was very cold in windy. We drove out to the Grotta lighthouse just past Reykjavik, walking out to the point past some sea birds. Then we parked in a garage near Hotel Von, had lunch, and spent some time looking in shops along Laugavegur and the rainbow street. We checked into our hotel early and spent the afternoon exploring the shops along Laugavegur and the rainbow street. 

At 9pm, we joined a small group for a northern lights watching tour. Our guide looked at the weather and cloud cover maps to figure out where we could go for a clear sky. We saw green swirls, zigzags, and patches. It was a much better approach than trying to find a clear, dark spot outside our hotels. The aurora shifted and faded in and out quickly. We returned to the hotel around 1am.

Day 7 — Postscript: We rose early to drive to the airport, return our car, and catch our flight home. There was a hitch when our 24 hour parking turned out to be closed until 7am. Our hotel clerk assured us there was time, and we had coffee and pastries while we waited. We could see some aurora on our drive to the airport when we passed thru dark areas, until dawn started brightening the sky which happens over a few hours at this time of year.

Overall we were very fortunate with the weather and were able to see the sights without any issues. Original forecasts predicted rain and below-freezing temperatures. It can be so windy that cars are blown off the road. we saw a lot of beautiful sights on the golden circle and south coast, and finally seeing a good view of the aurora was a great way to end the trip.