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Northern Lights and cheap flights – if that’s not tempting enough to book a trip, I don’t know what is!
A lot can be said about my favorite country, some good, some bad – if one thing is certain: fall is the best time to explore Iceland.
What once seemed like an unreachable, remote destination with a fascinating way of life and amazing landscapes from other planets, is now one of the world’s trendiest destinations.
Summer draws crowds to many of Iceland’s top locations, such as Vik’s abundance of majestic waterfalls, shooting geysers and volcanic black-sand beaches.
Now that the calendars have turned to September, the crowds are starting to thin out, but best of all, this month marks the start of the Northern Lights season with an incredibly priced plane ticket to reach Europe’s most breathtaking country on a budget.
An ethereal autumn in Iceland
They say “don’t chase waterfalls,” but no one’s stopping you from chasing impeccably beautiful fall foliage across the pond.
To be honest, Iceland is borderline erratic in some ways.
The culture is steeped in bizarre elf folklore, unpronounceable streets and quirky architecture that will leave you bewildered.
What is often overlooked are the picturesque autumn colours along the streets of Reykjavik, many of its wondrous sites, and the up-and-coming northern city of Akureyri, which you should definitely visit this time of year.
Although most travelers keep their passports at home to look at leaves, you will be quite impressed if you visit the already beautiful natural areas without the vibrant backdrop of foliage.
The rush of fall colors adds a tenfold appeal.
Of course, Iceland is a rare European country where trains are sidelined in favor of road trips.
Home of the popular Ring Roadthis is the ultimate autumn adventure with open roads, fewer crowds and more room to move around the famous Blue Lagoon.
Watch the sky dance green
September marks a season to remember, but you don’t have to feel like you have to go right away; the northern lights can be seen in Iceland through Aprill.
That said, many define September as the month to visit this city as it also marks the end of the stingy ‘midnight sun’.
Just like it sounds, if you’re not familiar, Iceland experiences extended daylight during the summer months, so locals and tourists alike are happy to get some sleep!
If there was ever an excuse to stay up late, it is to witness nature’s concert of colors known as Aurora Borealis, a natural reaction caused by the charged particles of the sun and Earth’s atmosphere .
But enough with the science lesson, the point is that it really is a wonderful phenomenon to experience.
I did it here in Iceland.
Thinking I had missed the opportunity to go to the airport, the universe heard my prayers and the sky lit up green in Keflavik, near the airport.
Even my driver was surprised when I was told that there is often too much light pollution to see it here. There are much better places with a higher chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
According to Guided tours of Icelandhere are the 5 best bets to see the Northern Lights at a show: (good luck pronouncing that one!)
- Vatnajökull National Park
- Seltjarnarnes (Reykjavik)
- Snæfellsnes
- Thingvellir National Park
- Westfjords
Iceland’s flagship low-cost airline: PLAY
This Icelandic airline, formerly WOW Air, has been renamed PLAY after a long series of accidents.
This low-cost airline offers a variety of direct flights to/from the US cheaply. Such notable airports include Baltimore (BWI), Washington DC (IAD), and Boston (BOS).
As for New York (SWF), make sure you go to the right place as it is an alternate airport in Stewart, NY – not JFK or LaGuardia.
PLAY offers sales all year round with some truly breathtaking rates. For example, Bostonites can fly direct to Keflavik (KEF) this fall for just $139.
While Iceland may be an expensive country upon arrival, that’s a problem you’ll have to solve once you get there!
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
