Our round-up of the best of the best:
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 of ethereal shapes in shimmering colours, constantly forming and dissolving.
No wonder seeing them features on so many travel bucket lists.
You can see the phenomenon in both polar regions – it’s known as the ‘Southern Lights’ (Aurora Australis) in the south, but the best viewing is in the north. They form in these regions specifically because the earth’s magnetic field attracts the arriving electro-charged particles to the poles.
There’s a so-called ‘Aurora Belt’ between latitudes 66° and 69 °, which offers the best viewing, with the most intense light and greatest colour variations. The destinations recommended below all fall in this region, are easily accessible and have a wide range of accommodation, tours and experiences specifically set up for seeing the Lights. They are the recognised global hotspots – so that’s where you should go.
Alaska, United States of America (USA)
The US’s western most province, neighbouring the Yukon, is a pristine wilderness renowned for raw, remote beauty and dreamy snow-capped mountain vistas. Cruises to the region are not only the best way to access this vast landscape, they provide outstanding Northern Lights viewing from the comfort of a deckchair – or hot tub.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free | Any
Iceland
Iceland is land of striking volcanic topography, creating some of the most spectacular Northern Lights-lit landscapes. Just outside of the capital Reykjavik, the skies are perfectly dark. Cruise around its circumference, hike on glaciers, 4WD through harsh volcanic landscapes, whale watch or just soak in the Blue Lagoon.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
Lapland, Finland
Lapland’s vast wilderness is about as far from civilisation as you can get in mainland Europe, with star-studded, inky black skies, and offers Scandinavia’s best displays. Pair the Northern Lights with snow shoe safaris, reindeer sled rides, ice fishing, husky dog sledding – or an outdoor Finnish smoke sauna.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free | Any
Western Norway, Norway
Norway’s long, fjord-studded coastline is an ideal destination for seeing the Northern Lights – dark skies, vast and spellbinding scenery, and a prized location on the so-called ‘Aurora Belt’. It’s also a Mecca for cruising and outdoor activities like whale watching, husky dog sledding and snowmobiling, perfect entertainment while you wait.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free | Any
Yellowknife, Yukon, Canada
Centred under the so-called ‘Aurora Oval’ – the area of the atmosphere with the highest geomagnetic activity – the Yukon is North America’s Northern Lights capital, offering the most colourful and frequent light displays anywhere. It’s remoteness, though, means getting there is a challenge – if you make it, camp out in an Indian teepee.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free | Any
The phenomenon occurs when electrically-charged particles from the sun are carried in the solar wind to Earth, where they collide with gaseous particles in Earth’s atmosphere. The energy released from those collisions is emitted as billions of small sparks, creating the effect we see. It occurs on other planets too.
The atmospheric shin-dig happens throughout the year – every time a solar wind arrives bringing ions with them. Spring and Autumn are therefore usually best – as you need clear skies which are, of course, harder to come by in winter. The natural light in summer months or any man-made light pollution dilutes their visual impact and makes them harder to see. You need a dark, inky black sky, as far away from any urban centre as possible.
Still, the Northern Lights are notoriously fickle performers; they can appear anytime, anywhere. But if you’re in the right part of the planet, at the right time of year, for more than a couple of days, your chances of seeing them are excellent. The other good news is that you don’t need to stay up all night hoping they show up. The build-up of energies that give rise to the lights is closely monitored, such that impending displays can be accurately predicted by monitoring stations. Many hotels and tour operators use their forecasts to offer their guests a handy alert service, so you can be gazing skyward for that first ethereal streak. You can also sign up for your own alerts (Europe only) with the free Aurora Service.
Since there is no specific one best place or time to see them, even in the five optimal destinations listed above, so pair it with another bucket list experience – a thrilling snow or husky dog sled ride, a cruise on the magnificent Norwegian fjords, or just lying bed in a luxury glass igloo – as part of a broader holiday adventure. Some tour operators offer guarantees and free second trips if you don’t see the Northern Lights.
Where available, click through on the destinations below to see our recommendations of other great bucket list experiences you can sign up for in these hotspots, where you’re also likely to see the Northern Lights along the way. Also see our round-up of great ways to see the Northern Lights.
