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Search for the Northern Lights
We know the best places to see the aurora
Northern Lights Holidays
In our 40 years experience of arranging holidays to see the northern lights we’ve discovered the best places to view this incredible phenomenon and we’re excited to share them with you. Our collection of northern lights holidays across the auroral oval takes you away from the artificial light of city locations to maximise your chance of seeing the aurora.
Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Greenland, Canada and Alaska all offer excellent options for a winter break. So whether you’re looking to experience glaciers and aurora in Iceland, see the lights dancing above the Sky Station in Abisko National Park or prefer to relax in a hot tub whilst on northern lights watch, we offer all this and more. And as we surge towards the peak of Solar Cycle 25 in 2024/2025, the time to book your northern lights break has rarely been better.
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Northern Lights & Winter Experiences
Popular Northern Lights Holidays
SOLAR CYCLE #25
Experience tells us that if you visit a destination within the auroral oval between September and March, you have a good chance to experience nature’s greatest light show on a clear night.
That is why we don’t typically focus on planning holidays around the 11 year solar cycle. But it’s hard not to get excited by the buzz around the current Solar Cycle #25, which started in 2020 and is expected to peak later this year. Many scientists are reporting that this solar cycle could be one of the strongest on record. So NOW is the time to start planning your aurora escape.
Northern Lights Destinations
We recommend that you choose the destination to suit your interests based on the experiences available in each.
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Norway
- Finland
- Canada
- Alaska
- Greenland
Iceland
This stunning volcanic island captivates visitors at any time of year, but the September to April have a special charm with the added bonus of being able to see the northern lights in Iceland. We recommend staying away from the bright lights of Reykjavik in one of our countryside locations, either exploring independently or on a small group tour.
- Explore geysers, waterfalls and volcanic landscapes
- Combine aurora viewing with orca watching from Grundarfjordur
- Bathe in hot tub while watching the celestial light show at Hotel Ranga
- Enjoy a New Year adventure including venturing inside a glacier
Sweden
Swedish Lapland offers some truly special opportunities for viewing the northern lights. We recommend combining Abisko Mountain Station with a stay at the Icehotel to optimise your chances of seeing the aurora. With a wide range of exciting activities on offer, you’ll experience stunning snow-covered landscapes and the spectacular polar light of the Lapland region.
- Visit the world-renowned Aurora Sky Station in Abisko
- Combine aurora watching with a stay at the spectacular Icehotel
- Stay in a beautiful lodge beside a frozen seascape near Lulea
- Mush your own team of huskies on a wilderness adventure
Norway
From the dramatic scenery of the Lofoten Islands to the cultural city of Tromso, explore the fjord indented coastline of Norway all the way up to the North Cape. Northern Norway is a land of wide open spaces and little light pollution offering superb opportunities for seekers of the northern lights.
- Board the famous Hurtigruten for a northern lights coastal cruise
- Stay at Malangen, a stylish fjord-side retreat renowned for aurora viewing
- Combine historic Tromso, aurora hunting and experience the polar night in Svalbard
Finland
Log cabins set amidst the brilliant white snow and pine forests of Finnish Lapland provide the truly splendid backdrop for watching the aurora borealis. Head high above the Arctic Circle into the pristine wilds of Lapland where opportunities for viewing the northern lights can be combined with a range of exhilarating activities.
- Cosy up in a traditional log cabin or wilderness resort with a private sauna
- Superb value short breaks offer a great range of included activities
- Enjoy a wilderness break at a boutique, adult-only hotel
- Go snowmobiling, join a husky safari and much more on a Christmas break
Canada
With its northern provinces extending deep into the Arctic Circle, Canada offers some fantastic locations to see the northern lights in wilderness locations. Combine a host of thrilling winter activities with picturesque snow-covered scenery and Canadian hospitality. With options in both The Yukon and Alberta, combine with a longer tailor made holiday in Canada.
- Enjoy winter activities and spa relaxation in a wilderness resort in the remote Yukon Territory
- Combine aurora viewing with a polar bear watching in Churchill
- Encounter wildlife such as caribou and moose
Alaska
The Wilderness State of Alaska offers the perfect location for a winter adventure as well as the opportunity to see the northern lights. A destination offering a range of winter activities, we recommend heading into the Arctic Circle on the famed Dalton Highway to a remote camp right beneath the auroral oval.
- Travel on the legendary Alaska Railroad
- Go snowshoeing, ice skating, dog sledding and more
- Witness the epic Iditarod dog sled race
Greenland
Though less accessible during the true winter months than our other aurora destinations, Greenland offers some exciting options during the shoulder seasons. Combine a search for the aurora borealis on an adventure cruise along Greenland’s east coast and into Scoresby Sund, departing in September or enjoy a thrilling husky adventure in East Greenland during March and April
- Join a coastal cruise into Scoresby Sund early in the aurora season
- Consider an early autumn coastal cruise
- Or explore the frozen wilderness by husky sled
When to see the northern lights
The northern lights are visible under dark skies from late August to April, preferably under a clear, cloudless sky. Usually seen between 5pm and 2am, it is important to be away from artificial light. No month guarantees better sightings than another but December to February offer the longest hours of darkness, while the months of autumn and spring are likely to offer more stable weather conditions and often see more aurora activity around the equinoxes.
Where to see the northern lights
Anywhere within an area known as the auroral oval that sits above the Arctic and sub-Arctic offers opportunities for seeing the northern lights. The most easily accessible of these destinations are Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway, or travel further afield to Canada and Alaska. Our premium locations include the Aurora Sky Station at Abisko in Swedish Lapland, Hotel Ranga in Iceland’s southern countryside and just outside Tromso in northern Norway.
Read our guide to the northern lights, what causes them and where and when is best to see.
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