Borgarvirki

Light Pollution

Low light pollution — excellent dark-sky location

Getting There

C · Easy detour on rough or unpaved road

Safety

Basalt plug ringed with old stone ramparts, on the ridge between Vesturhópsvatn and Víðidalur. The spur off Route 717 is a steep, unlit gravel track and the rim at the top is unfenced — climb it in daylight and stay at the car park after dark.

Parking

Gravel car park at the foot of the rock at the end of the Route 717 spur. It already stands well above the surrounding farmland, so the horizon is open in every direction without climbing.

Nearby Viewing Spots

Guided Northern Lights Tours near Borgarvirki

Borgarvirki is about 118 km from Akureyri, which is the outer edge of what a single evening allows. The longer tours reach this far; the standard three-hour departures do not. Tours never commit to a named destination in any case — the guide chooses it on the night from where the cloud actually is.

All 12 northern lights tours from Akureyri — compared on group size, hotel pickup and what happens if the aurora does not show.

Small-group tours — A minibus can re-route to a break in the cloud that a full-size coach cannot reach — the difference that matters most on a marginal night.

Where to Stay Near Borgarvirki

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 Borgarvirki

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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.