See the Northern Lights on Norway’s western coast

The world’s greatest light show is Mother Nature’s own – the famous ‘Aurora Borealis’ – or more commonly known as the ‘Northern Lights’. It’s an extraordinary natural spectacle, caused by shifts of magnetic energy in the ionosphere, and it’s magical to watch them dance across the heavens, ethereal shapes in shimmering colours forming and dissolving. No wonder seeing them features on so many travel bucket lists.

Norway’s long, fjord-studded coastline not only offers breathtaking scenery, but is an ideal destination for seeing the Northern Lights – with dark skies, vast open spaces, and a prized location on the so-called ‘Aurora Belt’.

Still, there’s no specific one best place or time to see this notoriously fickle phenomenon, so we always recommend to pair it with another experience as part of a broader holiday adventure. Fortunately, Norway’s western coast is also a Mecca for outdoor adventure pursuits like whale watching, husky dog sledding and snowmobiling – meaning plenty of opportunities to pair with other bucket list experiences. See below for our recommendations of great bucket list experiences on Norway’s western coastline, where you’re also likely to see the Northern Lights along the way.