Perlan, Öskjuhlíð, Reykjavík
Perlan, the glass dome on Öskjuhlíð hill, pairs the Áróra northern lights film in its 150-seat planetarium with the Wonders of Iceland exhibitions, including a walk-through ice cave. Pick it for a cloudy night or the afternoon before your hunt: it's the one aurora in Reykjavík you can count on, even if it's on a dome.
Áróra is the reason to come. Perlan calls it the first ever 8K northern lights planetarium film, and it plays in a domed, 150-seat planetarium with 8K projection and 7.1 surround sound, telling the origins and the legends of the lights. Perlan's own site bills it as "guaranteed northern lights", which is true in the only way anything about the aurora can be.
Around it are the Wonders of Iceland exhibitions. The press texts describe a hundred-metre artificial ice cave made from an estimated 350 tons of snow, a glacier exhibition, the Forces of Nature exhibit on volcanoes and geothermal heat, an indoor geyser that shoots water 25 metres up, and a 10-metre replica of the Látrabjarg bird cliff. A wraparound observation deck gives a 360° view of the city. Exhibitions are open 9:00 to 21:00, and there's a restaurant, café, bar and ice cream parlour.
What this listing can't tell you on its card is exactly which shows the ticket covers, so check that before you pay. And treat it as a companion to a real hunt, not a substitute. A good plan is Perlan in the afternoon, then a tour such as the 4x4 hunt that night; if the night is cancelled for cloud, Perlan is where to spend the evening instead.
Make your way up Öskjuhlíð hill to the glass dome. The exhibitions are open from 9:00 to 21:00.
Take a seat in the 150-seat planetarium for the 8K northern lights film, with its story of the science and the legends.
Walk through the hundred-metre ice cave, then the glacier, volcano and nature exhibitions, the indoor geyser and the Látrabjarg cliff.
Step out on the observation deck for the view over Reykjavík, then stop at the café or bar.
Öskjuhlíð hill is one of the darker spots in town. On a clear, active night, step outside and look north.
Read next:
A northern lights film in Perlan's domed, 150-seat planetarium, shown with 8K projection and 7.1 surround sound. Perlan calls it the first ever 8K northern lights planetarium film. It covers the origins and the legends of the aurora.
Perlan's exhibitions are open from 9:00 to 21:00. The café (10:00 to 18:00), restaurant and bar keep their own hours.
Sometimes. Öskjuhlíð hill around Perlan is one of the darker spots in Reykjavík, and on a strong, clear night you can see the aurora from there. Faint displays are lost in the city glow.
Yes, as a companion. Watch Áróra before your hunt to know what you're looking for, or use it on a night your tour is cancelled for cloud.
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An 8K northern lights show on a planetarium dome at Perlan, plus the Wonders of Iceland exhibitions. Any weather.
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