13 Bucket-List Destinations for Northern Lights Lovers
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is a celestial ballet of light dancing across the dark winter skies with colors as vivid as the brush strokes of an artist painting the skies. For those whose eyes are blown wide open by this natural spectacle, seeing the auroras is not just a trip: it is a pilgrimage to the most wavering theater of nature. This is more than a light show, it’s an ethereal experience that you’ll never forget.
Thousands of travelers go out every year into the cold crisp nights of the northern latitudes with hopes as high as the sky. Whether swaddled in a big blanket sipping hot cocoa in Lapland or staring up from a steamy hot spring in Iceland, these places give you a front-row view of one of the world’s most breathtaking natural shows.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is arguably one of the best places on the planet to watch the Northern Lights, and lies under the ‘auroral oval,’ a ring shaped zone over the far north where aurora activity is concentrated. Long, dark nights from September to March provide lots of time to view, and local tour operators run heated ‘auroriums’ or guided ice fishing trips while you wait for the lights to appear.
Tromsø, Norway
Tromsø is a charming city that is often called the Gateway to the Arctic — it’s a great place to see Northern Lights, and if you’re there in winter, you won’t be bored either. The city’s location more than 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle means it enjoys one of the world’s longest aurora seasons, from early September to early April.
Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
Jukkasjärvi is a tiny village that houses the original Icehotel. The Northern Lights often paint the sky here from late September to late March. Aurora hunting is another great thing to do in Tromsø, and the town also boasts one of the world’s coolest hotels made completely of ice and redesigned every year with stunning frozen artistry.
Reykjavik, Iceland
The Northern Lights can be seen all over Iceland, but Reykjavik is great because it’s close to amenities and there are lots of tour operators. It’s possible to see the lights from the city on clear nights, or you can get out into the Icelandic countryside a bit and not have to travel very far at all.
Yellowknife, Canada
Because of the clear skies, minimal light pollution and its position directly beneath the Auroral Oval, Yellowknife, in the heart of Canada’s Northwest Territories, is a great place to view the aurora. Statistics say that if you visit and stay for three nights or longer, you have a 90 percent chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
Ivalo, Finland
Deep in Finland’s Lapland, Ivalo is located in Northern Finland. Its snowy landscape is as serene as its legend, the Northern Lights. The region’s consistent cold weather patterns mean many clear nights. Watch the show from a glass igloo, or make it a real adventure and join a night time snowmobile safari to double your fun under the arctic sky.
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Kangerlussuaq has over 300 clear sky nights per year and is therefore a great place to see the Northern Lights. This small settlement, with stable weather and a good strategic location, has superb aurora viewing conditions, against the unique backdrop of Greenland’s ice cap.
Abisko, Sweden
Tucked away in the Swedish Lapland, famed for its ‘blue hole’ – a patch of sky above the Torneträsk Lake that often does not become overcast when the rest of the area is – Abisko is very special. It also gives you the best odds for an uninterrupted show.
Luosto, Finland
If you are in Luosto, Finland, Lapland, you can stay at the Aurora Chalet, which not only has comfortable accommodations, but will also send you an ‘Aurora Alarm’ alerting you to aurora sightings around the village as they happen.
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Not only do the landscapes of the Isle of Skye have drama, but they also make for a stunning natural stage for the Northern Lights. With its remote rugged settings and minimal light pollution, it is an unexpectedly perfect spot for aurora enthusiasts to experience something memorable.
Senja, Norway
A mountain and fjord-strewn land, Senja is Norway’s second-largest island, and reflects the dancing lights of the aurora. Clear skies are the norm due to the northern latitude and coastal climate, and they are perfect for those long nights under the stars.
Murmansk, Russia
It’s one of the prime locations for seeing the Northern Lights because it lies at an extreme northern latitude and because it’s dark there so much of the day. A stark contrast to Soviet era building, the aurora’s vivid colours make for a stunning backdrop to the trip.
Anchorage, Alaska
It might be more urban, but the light pollution isn’t there to ruin your view of the Northern Lights in the surrounding wilderness of Alaska. A short drive out of the city can place you in front of some spectacular aurora displays with the bonus of returning to warm accommodations and a warm meal.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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Even if you’ve been on a safari in the past, an African photo safari is something you want to experience or at the very list add to the top of your bucket list.
But first, what is a photo safari? The phrase “photo safari” is not a common sentence structure but its meaning can be deduced easily. An African photo safari in general context means going on an adventure with the sole purpose of taking high-quality pictures.
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