Glymur

Seasonal access: reachable roughly June to September. Outside those months the access road is not maintained, so this spot is not a winter aurora option — see the safety note below.

Light Pollution

Low light pollution — excellent dark-sky location

Getting There

E · Challenging hike — plan for a half day

Safety

Challenging day hike with a log bridge, a wire-assisted scramble, and a river crossing. Trail typically closed in winter — check west.is before attempting.

Parking

Trailhead car park at the end of Botnsdalur road in Hvalfjörður. Allow 3–4 hours round trip.

Nearby Viewing Spots

Guided Northern Lights Tours near Glymur

Glymur is about 43 km from Reykjavík, well inside the range guided tours work. No operator sells a tour to a named spot — the guide picks the destination on the night from the cloud forecast, which is most of what you are paying for — but on a night when the sky here is the clear one, this is the kind of ground they head for.

All 28 northern lights tours from Reykjavík — compared on group size, hotel pickup and what happens if the aurora does not show.

Super-jeep tours — Glymur sits on an F-road or a serious walk-in, so a modified 4x4 is the format that can actually reach ground like this in winter.

Where to Stay Near Glymur

Staying within a short drive means you can wait out the cloud and step outside when the forecast turns, rather than committing to a two-hour drive on a maybe.

Find places to stay near Glymur

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Plan Your Visit

Check current conditions on our Tonight page before heading out. Cloud cover and geomagnetic activity can change rapidly — the app updates scores every 5 minutes so you always have the latest data.

Learn more about the best time to see the northern lights and how to read aurora forecasts.