Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 2 °C
98 percent cloud cover - 2 °C
100 percent cloud cover - 4 °C
100 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Kirkjufell
Kirkjufell, Iceland
64°55′37.9″N ⋅ 23°18′23.4″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Kirkjufell tonight?
Aurora activity is expected to be moderate between 21:00 and 05:00 in Kirkjufell tonight. Sky will be dark from 19:16 to 07:18 local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 100%. There may be good aurora activity overhead, but thick cloud could block the view.
Can you see the Northern Lights in Kirkjufell tonight?
Aurora activity is expected to be moderate between 21:00 and 05:00 in Kirkjufell tonight. Sky will be dark from 19:16 to 07:18 local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 100%. There may be good aurora activity overhead, but thick cloud could block the view.
Aurora Forecast for Kirkjufell
Today at 18:00
Low Activity
Cloud Cover:12%
Aurora activity
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Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
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Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Kirkjufell
| Local time | Aurora activity |
|---|---|
| Low Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity |
3-Night Weather Forecast for Kirkjufell
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Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 5 °C93 percent cloud cover
- 5 °C100 percent cloud cover
- 5 °C95 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- 4 °C99 percent cloud cover
- 5 °C95 percent cloud cover
- 4 °C95 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 19:16 to 07:18 (12 h 2 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Kirkjufell
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Today. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 92% illumination | Thursday, October 29, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination | Friday, October 30, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 76% illumination | Saturday, October 31, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 8 out of 10. Last quarter, 65% illumination | Sunday, November 1, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 7 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | ||
Monday, November 2, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Last quarter, 43% illumination | Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waning crescent, 23% illumination | Thursday, November 5, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waning crescent, 14% illumination | Friday, November 6, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waning crescent, 8% illumination | Saturday, November 7, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Sunday, November 8, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination |
Monday, November 9, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 7 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 5% illumination | Thursday, November 12, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Friday, November 13, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 16% illumination | Saturday, November 14, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 23% illumination | Sunday, November 15, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. First quarter, 32% illumination |
Monday, November 16, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, November 17, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 7 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Wednesday, November 18, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 7 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, November 19, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 70% illumination | Friday, November 20, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 79% illumination | Saturday, November 21, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Sunday, November 22, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, November 23, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Tuesday, November 24, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Kirkjufell
The aurora season in Kirkjufell runs from mid-August to late April, when the nights get dark. Your best chances are from September to November, and again in February and March, when the aurora shows on many clear nights.
- Dark hours
- Chance of aurora
Long-term averages for clear nights, since 1985. Geomagnetic data: GFZ, CC BY 4.0
Every night of 2026 in Kirkjufell, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Kirkjufell
Kirkjufell, “Church Mountain”, is a 463 m peak on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in west Iceland, just west of the fishing village of Grundarfjörður and about 180 km from Reykjavík, roughly two and a half hours by road. The usual aurora photo of Kirkjufell is taken from Kirkjufellsfoss, a small waterfall about 3 km west of the village. The falls lie south of the mountain, so when you frame the water with the peak behind it you are facing north, and a display rises over the summit.
Kirkjufellsfoss and the lights of Grundarfjörður
Kirkjufellsfoss is a short walk from its car park off the main road, with a trail around the falls. Grundarfjörður is about 3 km to the east, so the village’s lights sit off to the right of the classic frame rather than behind the mountain. In winter both the mountain and the falls are covered in snow and ice, and the path can be icy.
Climbing Kirkjufell itself is prohibited in winter. The mountain has had several fatal falls, and its steep sections are dangerous when wet.
Grundarfjörður, Arrowhead Mountain and Walter Mitty
Grundarfjörður has fewer than 900 residents and lies between the mountains and the sea, and Kirkjufell can be seen from almost anywhere in it. The harbor and the shore face north across the fjord, with the mountain off to the west, and the harbor is one of the ten largest quota-fishing harbors in Iceland. Kirkjufell is the “Arrowhead Mountain” that Jon Snow’s party heads for north of the Wall in Game of Thrones, and it is in the background in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty when Walter’s boat arrives at Grundarfjörður’s harbor. Stykkishólmur, with its well-kept old houses, is east along the north coast.
Djúpalónssandur and Snæfellsjökull National Park
For a sky with no village in it at all, Snæfellsjökull National Park covers the western tip of the peninsula, beyond Ólafsvík. The West Iceland tourist board points aurora watchers to Djúpalónssandur, a black pebble beach below the glacier, far from any town. The park’s information center is in Hellissandur, with a visitor center at Malarrif.
FAQ
Where do you stand to photograph the northern lights over Kirkjufell?
At Kirkjufellsfoss, the small waterfall about 3 km west of Grundarfjörður, with its own car park off the main road. The falls are south of the mountain, so with the water in the foreground you are facing north and the aurora rises behind the peak. The village's lights are to the east, off the right side of the frame. Expect ice on the path in winter.
Is Kirkjufell too far for a northern lights trip from Reykjavík?
It makes for a long night. Grundarfjörður, on the north side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, is about 180 km from Reykjavík, roughly two and a half hours each way, so going out for the aurora and back means about five hours of night driving. Staying in Grundarfjörður, a few minutes from Kirkjufellsfoss, saves the late drive back and lets you go out whenever the sky clears.
Can you see the northern lights from Grundarfjörður?
Yes. The village has fewer than 900 residents and sits between the mountains and the sea, with the shore and harbor facing north across the fjord. Kirkjufell can be seen from almost everywhere in town, and Kirkjufellsfoss is about 3 km to the west if you want the mountain and the waterfall in the frame.
Is Kirkjufell the Arrowhead Mountain from Game of Thrones?
Yes. Kirkjufell was filmed for seasons 6 and 7, and in season 7 it is the "Arrowhead Mountain" that Jon Snow and his companions head for north of the Wall. It also appears in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Climbing it is prohibited in winter, and the mountain has had several fatal falls on its steep sections.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Kirkjufell?
The aurora season in Kirkjufell runs from mid-August to late April, when the nights get dark. Your best chances are from September to November, and again in February and March, when the aurora shows on many clear nights. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 15 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Kirkjufell in summer?
No. From mid-May to late July the nights in Kirkjufell stay light. The aurora is still there, but the sky is too bright to see it.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Kirkjufell?
In Kirkjufell, even quiet geomagnetic conditions can be enough for aurora overhead.
This is based on magnetic latitude, and Kp index is a global geomagnetic index, so treat it as a rule of thumb, not a location-specific guarantee.
Tonight, the NOAA Kp index forecast is 1.3 to 1.7. That is above the usual Kp index threshold for Kirkjufell, so you have a chance of seeing the aurora if the sky is clear.