Sometime around midnight, in the middle of a pitch-black field just outside of Reykjavík, my hands are freezing as I hold a cup of hot chocolate, trying desperately to warm myself up in the below-zero-degree weather.

Suddenly, our tour guide approaches the DSLR camera that he set up on a tripod and focuses it on the night sky. He points above the horizon and says the northern lights are finally appearing. For the next 30 minutes, we gushed while being awestruck by the ethereal dance of light and color across the Arctic night sky. Mother Nature truly outdid herself as graceful ribbons of green and even pink hues appeared, painting a celestial masterpiece above us.

Mid-September 2023, I traveled to Iceland to see with my own eyes the mesmerizing spectacle of the northern lights, or the aurora borealis. This elusive display of dancing lights in the night sky has captivated travelers for centuries, and after seeing them fill the sky with vibrant colors above, it's easy to see why.

The northern lights are caused by electrically charged particles from the sun colliding with gas particles in the Earth's atmosphere. This collision produces vibrant colors and hypnotic displays that are truly out of this world.

While seeing the northern lights is not guaranteed, there are ways to increase your chances of witnessing this astronomical spectacle.

If you're heading to Iceland specifically to chase the northern lights, it is advisable to book a guided tour with experienced professionals. These local experts possess knowledge about the ever-changing weather and conditions, allowing them to guide you to the best spots and increase your chances of witnessing this extraordinary phenomenon.

I went with a tour group called Arctic Adventures and I was able to see the northern lights twice out of the three tours that I joined. It would be ideal if you could escape manmade light pollution and venture into the wilderness on a clear, cloudless night.