If you want to go all out, head to Svalbard, one of the northernmost inhabited places on earth — Shutterstock
In the northernmost parts of Norway, you can see the northern lights from as early as October. The port city of Tromsø is a popular spot and gives you the chance to book a boat trip away from the city to see the lights diving and swooping across the ocean. Even further north is the town of Alta, surrounded by tundra, mountains, and forests. The lights appear most nights, and while you’re there, you can also head up the fjords for some whale-watching, or to go snowmobiling or sledding. Thirdly, the Svalbard archipelago — a remote collection of frozen islands in the Barents Sea — is the place to be if you really want to feel like you’ve made an effort!
Sweden (Abisko, Kiruna)
Northern Sweden and Lapland are also definite options for aurora hunters. Just over the border from Norway, the village of Abisko (and the National Park that shares its name) are popular spots. The Aurora Sky Station is a mountaintop observatory that markets itself as “the best place on earth to see the northern lights”… although we’re sure a few other places make this claim, too!
Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city, also attracts tourists throughout winter, mainly to Camp Ripan where you can experience a slightly more luxurious stay. The “camp” (more of a high-end hotel, really) includes excellent food, a spa, dog-sled tours, and private cabins to come back to after a hard night looking at the heavens.
Gothenburg city guide: get the lowdown on Sweden’s cool second city
Did you know that Sweden is a great destination all year round? Our lead writer explored Gothenburg in the summer.
Finland (Revontuli, Nellim, Kakslauttanen)
Finnish Lapland is home to a number of spots where you can see the lights, some more scientific and more extravagant than others. The Hankasalmi Observatory, around 15 minutes from the winter resort of Revontuli and home to a classic Finnish sauna and spa, is a great place to start. It’s in the middle of some of the darkest countryside in the country, slap bang in the center of Finland, and surrounded by lakes.
Much further north (but also home to a sauna — where in Finland isn’t?) is the village of Nellim. See the lights from the frozen shores of Lake Inari before heading back inside to warm up. For something really special, however, try Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. Here you can observe the lights from your own glass igloo, warm and cozy in a stunning structure made of local kelo pine and featuring a kitchen, bedroom, fireplace, and, yes, a private sauna!
Iceland (Reykjavík, Thingvellir, Kleifarvatn)
Iceland has built an entire industry on the northern lights, so there are stays and tours to suit pretty much every budget and length of stay. In fact, with the right weather conditions, it’s possible to see the lights anywhere in Iceland, even Reykjavík.
However, if you really want to make sure you get the best possible show, you do need to get out of town, even if just a little way. Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park is only 20 minutes outside Reykjavík but it’s known as Iceland’s mecca for northern lights watchers. Alternatively, head to Kleifarvatn, a lake only 30 minutes from the capital. Nine square kilometers of eerie calm gives off exactly the right atmosphere.
Heading to the hills is another option. Öskjuhlíð in the center of Reykjavík, the hills outside of the town of Akureyri in the north of the country, or nearby Húsavík all provide excellent viewing points. The fishing village of Sandgerði on a peninsula in the very southwest offers views of the horizon almost as far as Greenland.
Finally, for the most Icelandic experience possible, why not hunt the lights from atop a glacier? The Langjökull glacier to the northeast of Reykjavík is 935 square kilometers of frozen magnificence, including ice caves. Stand 1,450 meters above sea level and wait for the lights to come sweeping toward you.
Scotland (Orkney, Shetland)
The far north of Scotland is a very picturesque place, and when the aurora comes out, it’s like another world — Shutterstock
Not on most lists of places to see the lights, there are parts of Scotland where it’s entirely possible. The Orkney and Shetland Isles are your best bet — their treeless, windswept glory lending itself perfectly to a bit of aurora chasing. In Shetland, the lights are known as the Mirrie Dancers, a beautifully poetic phrase that perfectly describes their flitting and flickering.
It’s also possible to see them from the mainland, but of course, the further north you can go, the better. Thurso and Wick in the very northeast are decent bases for aurora-spotting, as is the northwest over the Moray Firth between the mainland and the Isle of Harris.
Canada (Northwest Territories, Yukon)
North America also gets its share of the northern lights, and in Canada, again, you’re going to want to head as far north as you can go. The Northwest Territories and their remote landscape of forests, mountains, lakes, islands, and tundra give a suitably last-person-on-earth feeling, made all the more powerful during the darkest and emptiest of nights, brightened only by starlight and the silent magic of the lights.
Yukon, between the Northwest Territories and Alaska, is another option, offering similarly spectacular landscapes. They do cater slightly more to aurora chasers here, though, with things like Dawson City’s Midnight Dome, a scenic lookout high above the town where locals gather for the lights in winter and the midnight sun in summer. The lookout affords views of the Yukon River and Klondike Valley, meaning that even if you don’t see the lights that night, come back in the day for some of the most spectacular landscapes in the country.
US (Alaska, Idaho, Maine)
Alaska is the obvious choice in the US for seeing the lights — Getty Images
Given what’s written above, Alaska is the obvious place to begin if you’re in the US. Similar to Northern Canada, the wilderness and lack of light pollution make it an amazing place to begin your search. Try Denali National Park, where even if you’re unlucky with the lights, you’ll be able to see the Milky Way and beyond as a blanket of stars covers the sky above your cabin or camp. It’s unlike anything you’ll have seen before.
Surprisingly, you can also catch the lights in the Lower 48, at places like Priest Lake in Idaho’s panhandle, or at Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, Schoodic Lake, or Moosehead Lake, all of which are in Maine. Cook County at the northeastern tip of Minnesota is also a shout, as is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
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Publish date : 2024-05-28 07:00:00
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