How to Spend a Night in the Midnight Sun

If you are in Iceland at the moment, you must have noticed that the sun doesn’t really set. Even when it’s cloudy, it does not really get dark at night, and your body doesn’t get a sign that it needs to go to sleep. Wearing a sleep mask might help, but luckily, there are all kinds of activities organised that can keep you going all night. In this article, we will name six of them.

Why not go on a whale safari while you’re in Iceland? These are also going at night in the summer months between June 15 and August 31. You don’t have to travel far to go on a whale safari, as Reykjavík offers good options for whale watching. During midnight whale watching tours you can see minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises and even humpback whales, so the same as during day tours. Sailing in the fairy-tale light of the midnight sun adds something special to the whale watching experience.

Another great tour is horseback riding in the midnight sun. These tours are organised in Heiðmörk, a nature park at the edge of Reykjavík. You start at Rauðhólar, the remnants of a cluster of pseudocraters. The area is estimated to be 5,200 years old. Then you ride past Elliðavatn lake, where you can enjoy nature and birdlife. Included is a 30-minutes picnic break with Icelandic food and drinks.

The Golden Circle is the most popular day tour in Iceland, and for good reason. The Golden Circle combines three beautiful stops. The first one is Þingvellir National Park, the second is geothermal area Geysir and the last one is the waterfall Gullfoss. The Golden Circle is immensely popular, and during the day it can get very crowded. So, why not do the tour at night? There will be enough light, plus you will most likely have the entire place to yourself.

There are not many places in this world that offer the spectacle of midnight golf, a joy any golf enthusiast has to try at least once in his life. The near 24 hours of sunlight in the summer months allows golfers from around the world to experience this phenomenon in Iceland. The country has golf courses situated in the most picturesque parts of the country, surrounded by untouched wildlife.

What do you think of going for a midnight run? You can head to Laugardalur valley, a popular outdoor area not far from the city centre. Or run along the coastal path with a beautiful view of Mt. Esja. Read this article for more running trails in Reykjavík.

This one speaks for itself, just do like you would normally do. Parade down Laugavegur and hit the bars, but now in bright daylight!