Experiencing the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, is on many traveler’s bucket list. We have all marveled over the amazing photographs of this spectacular natural light show. If the photographs are amazing, the experience is surreal, with vibrant hues of blue, green, pink, and violet dancing across the Arctic sky.
Few will argue that the experience is incredible, but where is the best place to see the aurora borealis? The answer, of course, is personal. For me, the best place is not where I thought it would be. After doing my research and chasing the northern lights around the world, here’s a summary of the top-rated places to see the aurora borealis, fantastic aurora experiences that are out of my budget but definitely on my “I-hope-to-someday-be-able-to-afford bucket list,” and finally, my all-time favorite place to view the northern lights.
Top Rated Places to View the Northern Lights
Tromsø, Norway
Tromsø, located above the Arctic Circle, is at the center of the northern aurora zone. Dazzling celestial displays circle the sky above the city with great and regular abandon. The northern part of the country is dark from the early afternoon until late morning between September and late March. With this extreme darkness, there are more opportunities to see the northern lights. Aurora chasers can view the lights on their own, opt for a guided bus tour, or go on an exhilarating husky trekking tour in the Arctic wilderness. You can check out a variety of options here.
Personally, I went with the most economical option: a bus tour.
Pros of the bus tour:
- it’s relatively inexpensive ($100 per person in 2019)
- you don’t have to do the driving
- guides help you with camera settings
- the driver takes you to the best spots for aurora viewing.
Cons of the bus tour:
- tour guides double as photographers, who will take your picture in front of the northern lights—for a price. This left the guides with little time to help the rest of us amateur photographers with our manual mode settings.
- it was freezing, and we spent long periods of time standing around outside waiting for the lights to appear. The tour company did provide hot chocolate and cookies and the opportunity to sit inside the bus, but the bus was cold. The driver had to turn off the motor to ensure total darkness.
- there were a lot of people, taking away from the intimacy of the experience.
Additional Reasons to Visit Tromsø
Anyone who’s been to Tromsø will assure you that there’s more to the city than what goes on in the night sky. Tromsø is a modern city with spectacular architecture, cozy coffee shops, bookstores, and a beautiful public library with expansive glass windows offering breathtaking views of the harbor and surrounding mountains. In late January, the city hosts the Northern Lights Festival, a multiday music and performing arts event that adds culture and music to the symphony in the skies.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland’s capital is one of the best places to not only view the northern lights, but to see some of the most remarkable natural wonders the world has to offer. Brimming with geothermal pools, volcanos, glaciers, waterfalls, and geysers, you could be forgiven for forgetting about the northern lights altogether. I recommend you don’t, however, as the display is astonishingly frequent and easily accessible for budget and (like me) less physically adventurous travelers.
Like Tromsø, the best months to see the aurora borealis in Reykjavik are between September to April. For optimum viewing away from the light pollution, head to Öskjuhlið, This densely wooded area has walkways and paths where you can see the nighttime show. Atop of this forest sits Perlan, which features the only planetarium in the country as well as a museum with exhibits about Iceland’s nature and geography. While there, don’t miss the panoramic views of the city from the institution’s observation deck. From this vantage point, visitors can see the Snæfellsjökull glacier, Keilir Volcano and the mountain of Reykjavik, Esja.
Personally, I went with a bus tour with Gray Line Iceland that took us outside the city limits and into a light-pollution-free … wait for it … parking lot.
Pros of the bus tour:
- it’s inexpensive ($44 in 2019)
- you don’t have to do the driving
- local guides help you with camera settings and Icelandic lore
- the driver takes you to the best spots for aurora viewing.
Cons of the bus tour:
- it was freezing, and we spent long periods of time standing around outside (in a parking lot) waiting for the lights to appear. There was a lodge in the parking lot, with hot beverages, snacks, and warmth, but most photography enthusiasts stayed outside.
- there were a lot of people, many of whom forgot to turn off their flashes. Red spots infiltrated some of my photographs, which was the light from my neighbor’s flash!
Additional Reasons to Visit Reykjavik
Anyone who loves literature must visit Reykjavik, a UNESCO City of Literature. Reykjavik is a modern city with Scandinavian architecture, cozy coffee shops, bookstores, and an exciting array of cultural offerings. In early February, the city hosts the Winter Lights Festival, an annual event that celebrates both the winter world and the growing light after a long period of darkness. The program is an event to be enjoyed by all and all events are free of charge. Together with all the major museums and thermal pools in the Reykjavík capital area, the Hallgrímskirkja church joins in on the fun with a beautiful light installation that brightens up the city in one of the darkest times of year.
Hallgrimskirkja Church, Reykjavic
Hallgrimskirkja Church, Reykjavik
The following locations are top-rated places to see the Northern Lights that I have not (yet) been to. Here’s my bucket list of the best places to see the Aurora Borealis.
Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
The optimal place for viewing the aurora in Sweden is in the northern part of the country, in Swedish Lapland. Visitors to this region can see the illuminated skies during the darkest months, from September to March. The small Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi sits about 124 miles above the Arctic Circle on the Torne River and is an ideal locale for aurora viewing in Swedish Lapland. Consider staying at the world’s first year-round ice hotel, ICEHOTEL 365. If you’re up for the adventure, reserve one of the artist-designed cold suites with temperatures as low as -8 degrees Celsius. The rooms are sculpted of ice and include beds with reindeer hides and thermal sleeping bags. For the less adventurous, the property also offers heated traditional rooms and chalets. During your stay, take advantage of the property’s guided Northern Lights Safari that includes a snowmobile ride and dinner in a wilderness cabin. You can also learn how to capture incredible images of the northern lights on one of their photography tours.
Yellowknife, Canada
Yellowknife is the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories. It’s also known as the Aurora Capital of North America. With its position in the middle of the Auroral Oval, the city puts on one of the world’s most awe-inspiring light shows from January through March. Located on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, Yellowknife boasts winter sports such as ice fishing and snowmobiling. At the end of March, as temperatures begin to warm, Yellowknife hosts the Long John Jamboree on Yellowknife Bay. The event’s festivities include sugar shacks, ice carving and dogsled races. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, make reservations to stay in a teepee at Aurora Village to view the lights https://auroravillage.com/. The property offers aurora-themed tours as well as activities like dog sledding and snowshoeing. Remote, wild, and beautiful, there aren’t too many places that will make you feel more detached from the modern world than the Yukon. Pair that with a colorful blanket of solar wind and magnetic interference, and the northern lights might just be the best natural experience imaginable.
Lapland, Finland
Lapland is located in the Arctic region of Northern Europe, meaning that the northern lights are visible approximately 200 nights a year. Finnish Lapland is also the home of Santa Claus, the indigenous Sámi people and approximately 200,000 reindeer. In northern Lapland, aurora chasers can expect to see the lights every other clear night between September and March. They can appear suddenly, and then quickly vanish, any time after sunset and just before dawn. For a bucket list experience, watch the impressive light show from a glass igloo in Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle in Luosto. This resort town is about 72 miles north of the town of Rovaniemi and is set among the picturesque and hilly landscape of Pyhä-Luosto National Park. For a Christmas to remember, visit Santa’s Village in Rovaniemi.
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Greenland may not be the most accessible place to travel for viewing the northern lights, but those who make it there will be thrilled they did. The tundra of Kalaallit Nunaat (the Greenlandic name for the country) is one of the top places to see the aurora. The 300 days a year of clear skies make it an ideal spot to see the lights, but the best viewing window is from September to April. If you travel to Kangerlussuaq, you’re almost guaranteed a show. This tiny town, located on a fjord right along the Arctic Circle, is one of the most renowned places to view the aurora in Greenland.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is one of the best places in the world to view the northern lights as it’s located directly under the Auroral Oval. This ring-shaped zone sits over the Earth’s geomagnetic north pole, where aurora activity is concentrated. Visitors can expect to see the lights on an average of four out of five clear nights during aurora season, which lasts from Aug. 21 to April 21. For a festive holiday experience, visit the Santa Claus House in the city of North Pole (around 13 miles southeast of Fairbanks). Travelers can also see ice sculptures in February and March at the impressive World Ice Art Championships or take a dog sledding tour. For excellent chances of aurora viewing, book accommodations at the upscale Aurora Villa https://akauroravilla.com/. Or for a truly unique experience, see the lights while enjoying a warm soak at the Chena Hot Springs Resort.
Fantastic Northern Lights Experiences that are Out of My Budget but on My “I-hope-to-someday-afford List”
A Viking Northern Lights Cruise
Embrace the winter and set sail for the Arctic Circle to experience the aurora in northern Norway. Viking’s 13-day itinerary departs from London for the North Sea with stops in ports of call that are top aurora-viewing locales, including Bodø, Tromsø, Alta and Narvik. The cruise ends in Bergen. While on land, take in the natural beauty of the snow-blanketed landscapes and book bucket list excursions like a night spent in an igloo hotel or go dog sledding with huskies. You can also chase the lights into the wilderness by snowmobile or view them from a Sámi tent atop Mount Pæskain in Alta. This Viking Cruises itinerary is offered from mid-January to mid-March.
A Cunard Cruise in Northern Europe
Cunard offers three sailings in October and November to view the Northern Lights in Norway, one of the world’s top destinations to see the aurora perform its magic. Two 12-night cruises sail round trip from Southampton, England, on either the Queen Victoria or Queen Mary 2. Ports of call on the Queen Victoria include Stavanger, Andalsnes, Romsdalsfjord, Narvik and Tromsø. The Queen Mary 2’s cruise to the North Cape features stops in Tromsø, Trondeim, Bergen, Alesund and Stavanger. An extended 26-night round-trip, trans-Atlantic crossing from New York City on the Queen Mary 2 is another option for seeing the North Cape’s dramatic cliffs as well as the northern lights. Also known as Nordkapp, the North Cape plateau is far above the Arctic Circle where the Atlantic and Arctic oceans meet and is the most northern point in Europe. For more information on Cunard Northern Lights Cruises, click here.
A Railway Journey in Alaska
Vacations by Rail’s explores the rugged and vast beauty of The Last Frontier via the Alaska Railroad’s Aurora Winter Train. The flagship route between Anchorage to Fairbanks boasts beautiful views from the comfort of your seat or the train’s Vista Dome Car. This tour package features overnight stays in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and the remote Bettles Lodge. At 35 miles above the Arctic Circle, the Bettles Lodge affords travelers some of the best views in the world of the aurora borealis. During the daylight hours, check out other Alaskan activities such as exploring the wilderness by snowmobile or bundle up and go ice fishing. You can even try your hand at dog mushing with your own team of Alaskan huskies. This expedition is available between October and April. Prices include hotels and train ride mentioned above, two nights at Bettles Lodge, five meals, Arctic clothing and gear and other activities such as cross-country skiing and guided snowshoe excursions.
And finally,
My Favorite Place to See the Northern Lights
From my private balcony on the Norwegian Encore’s Alaska cruise
Much to my surprise, seeing the lights from my private balcony on the Norwegian Encore was the most memorable experience I had with the aurora borealis as of this writing. Why? Because the viewing was unexpected, and lovely, and private. It was just me, my camera, and the swirling northern lights. No announcement was made, for which I was both happy and sad. I loved the isolation of the moment but wished that more guests had been able to see this elusive phenomenon. I was lucky. I saw the lights on our third night onboard the Encore. They made two shy appearances before putting on a dazzling display just after 11 p.m. as we sailed away from Glacier Bay.
Pros of the cruise ship balcony:
- it’s inexpensive. Since the best time to see the northern lights is from September to April, you can book a cruise to Alaska in September or October when it is low season and cabin prices are drastically reduced. For only $100 more than the price of an interior cabin, you can have a private balcony and seven opportunities to see the aurora borealis.
- you are alone and intimate with this spectacular show, a gift like no other; 3) you won’t freeze your face or numb your hands standing outside for hours; you can stay inside your cabin until you catch a glimpse of the lights from your balcony door.
Cons of the cruise ship balcony:
- no announcements of aurora activity are made; you have to be aware of what the northern lights look like, which is not the beautiful greens and blues you seen in those stunning photoshopped images of the aurora. To the naked eye, the northern lights look like grey streaks or swirls in the sky. It is only through the camera’s lens that you will see the full beauty of their colors;
- the lights often don’t appear until after 11:00 p.m. For those planning early shore excursions, nighttime aurora chasing may not be in the cards.
There is no limit to the ways you can experience the northern lights. Creative experiences are out there for all of us.
What is your favorite memory of viewing the aurora borealis?