Best Places to See the Northern Lights (by Travel Bloggers)
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The Northern Lights is a natural phenomenon that I have always wanted to capture but it is elusive. It appears only in specific places at specific times and even then, there is no guarantee you will even catch a greenish tinge of the elusive Aurora Borealis.
Because of that, I reached out to a number of travel bloggers for their insight into the best places to see the Northern Lights in the world.
Each of these travel bloggers (and one contribution from a Scottish cottage!) have personal experience in the area, and offer their local insights into the best Northern Lights destinations that they know. The best times to catch it, where, how and the other things you can do while in the area are just some of the things covered in this post.
So if you are looking to tick off a bucket list item, read on for details! Some of the places listed here might even surprise you.
Table of Contents
Preliminary Guidance on Finding the Northern Lights
Before delving into each destination, here are some general guidelines to consider when hunting for the Aurora Borealis:
- The best times to see the Northern Lights tend to be during the winter season, around late August to mid-April
- The skies should generally be clear/cloudless and dark, preferably moonless. Heading out into the countryside far away from light pollution increases your chances of catching the elusive Northern Lights.
- The magic hours of catching the Northern Lights tend to be between 10 pm and 3 am.
- Mobile apps have been developed where updates are provided on Northern Lights sightings before predicted and actual, such as My Aurora Forecast & Alerts (iOS and Android).
- Bring a digital SLR camera and a tripod if you want to take photographs of the Northern Lights. Without this 2 camera equipment, chances are that you the Northern Lights will be “invisible” in your photographs!
- No matter how prepared you might be, the Northern Lights might sometimes never show itself. It is what it is or as the Mandalorians might say, “This is the way”.
The Best Places to See the Northern Lights (as told by travel bloggers)
Alberta, Canada
Written by Alyssa Watson from Like Where You’re Going
The flat prairies and wide-open spaces in Alberta, Canada make for one of the best places to view the northern lights. Not only is Alberta situated far enough north, but it is also one of the most accessible places in the world to view the stunning natural light show.
This province in Canada is home to several officially designated dark-sky preserves because of the minimal amount of light pollution. Because Alberta is so large, it is not very densely populated, so there are tons of viewing points even from within cities, like Edmonton.
And if you can time it right, one of the best ways to view them in the winter is to head to Elk Island National Park (about 40 minutes from Edmonton) and participate in an evening snowshoe hike, lit only by headlamps.
The local university has even developed a free online tool called Aurora Watch which provides real-time updates of when you can expect a high chance of seeing the aurora borealis in the area.
Or, you could head to Jasper National Park, which holds the prize for the second-largest dark sky preserve in the world, and try to catch the lights glisten over the rocky mountains.
No matter where you view them, probably the most Canadian experience ever is to bundle up with your touque (beanie) and mittens, and stop at the famous Tim Hortons coffee shop for a hot chocolate to keep you warm!
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Written by Mel from TravelingMel
The most spectacular northern lights show I have seen was from the balcony of the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Churchill, Manitoba. At least half of the sky, unencumbered by trees or buildings at this latitude, shimmered in greens and blues.
Everyone described the aurora borealis as “dancing lights,” and that’s just how it appeared that night. Thanks to the dark skies, you get an amazing view of the Aurora Borealis from just about anywhere outside of the handful of town streets.
The Northern Lights is frequently seen in Churchill during the long nights of fall through spring, but it isn’t the biggest draw to this little town perched on the edge of the Hudson Bay.
In October and November, tourists swarm north to see polar bears as they gather in the area waiting for the ice to freeze on the bay.
This part of the Hudson Bay is the first to freeze, and as soon as it does, the bears head onto the ice to hunt seals. Visitors ride in Tundra Buggies, which keeps one 12-feet off the ground, to see bears.
We also like seeing seals, Arctic foxes, beluga whales, and other wildlife from the buggies or from a short trail At Cape Merry.
There are so many things to do in Churchill: ride in a dog sled, learn about the area at the Parks Canada Visitor Center, shop for local art and crafts, float on the Hudson Bay, and even take a hike (with a bear guard or outside of bear season).
There are a few restaurants in Churchill. The best local foods to try have to be Arctic chard and local berry jam.
There are no roads to the town since it is surrounded by swamp and bog, so you will need to fly or take the train. While it isn’t easy to get to, a visit to Churchill is well worth the effort and expense.
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Written by Riley of Riley’s Roves National Parks & World Travel Tips
While you can see the northern lights from just about anywhere in Alaska, there are places to see them that are better than others.
The further north you go, the better your chances will be of witnessing a stronger aurora borealis showing. Furthermore, getting away from city lights is important.
For this reason, I recommend visiting Fairbanks if the main purpose of your visit is to try and see the northern lights. You’ll be much farther north than Anchorage, and the city won’t be as bright. Plus, you can travel north (on your own or with tour companies) to escape the light pollution.
I would recommend going on your own as long as you’re comfortable driving in winter conditions. However, one benefit to tour companies is the guides can help you capture great photos of the northern lights.
There are many other things to do while you’re in Fairbanks. One top attraction is Chena Hot Springs, featuring natural hot springs to bathe in and a cool ice bar along with hotel options. There are also tour companies in the area that offer dog-sledding experiences.
The food scene is starting to slowly arrive in the area. My favourite restaurant in town is Lavelle’s Bistro in downtown Fairbanks, located inside the SpringHill Suites Hotel.
It is down the street from one of my favourite bars, owned by the same family, called Lavelle’s Taphouse. They have 36 beers on tap, including local favourites from HooDoo Brewing Company.
My second favourite restaurant, Silver Gulch, is also a brewery. It’s outside of Fairbanks in the town of Fox, making it a great stop if you’re heading north to try and see the aurora. It is also the northernmost brewery in North America.
Other great restaurants include Banks Ale House, the Pump House, Pita Place, the Cookie Jar, and Frostbite.
Iceland
Written by ME! (Iuliya of Doing Life with Iuliya)
Iceland is one of those raw, wild places that deserve a visit in every season. It is a place that draws in anyone remotely interested in nature. Waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, and volcanic hikes being some of the exciting attractions that must surely feature in any Iceland travel itinerary.
That said, Iceland is also very popular when it comes to hunting the Northern Lights. In the summer, the sun never sets and the midnight sky is a stunningly gorgeous explosion of red and purple. This happens around mid-April to mid-August.
Come wintertime, darkness plunges. Located in the southernmost edge of the Arctic Circle, you should visit Iceland expecting 4 hours of daily sunlight on average.
Couple that with the general lack of people (the entire island has around 300,000 persons and most of them are in Reykjavik!) and you can bet on finding an environment that is dark, free of artificial light, cold and clear in the Icelandic countryside.
The perfect conditions for some Northern Light hunting.
Peak Northern Lights hunting: September to March (when the nights are longest)
- August: There is a slight possibility of catching the Northern Lights in Iceland, but not great. If possible, avoid this period.
- September: Your chances are a lot higher as solar activity tends to be quite high. I just had a couple of friends catch several nights worth of the most spectacular Aurora Borealis light show in their “backyard”!
- October – November: Snow and ice is here, but solar activity remains high. The number of daylight hours has also dropped, making it much easier to spot the Northern Lights (if any!).
- December – January: One of the best times to try and find the Northern Lights in Iceland as the island is deep in the heart of an Arctic winter. That said, it’s going to be SO cold but the good news is that this will be keeping the majority of the tourists away. To be very frank, our last trip was in July which is meant to be the highest peak in terms of tourists entering Iceland, but I felt that there was barely anyone around! The most crowded it got was when we went to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and that was it! I leave it to your discretion.
- February – March: The Arctic Winter is slowly fading although the solar activity remains active. You also get a lot more tourists coming in.
Best Places to Spot the Northern Lights in Iceland:
- Thingvellir National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site & location of the Oxafoss Waterfall. You can also dive or snorkel between 2 tectonic plates in the Silfra fissure! A unique diving experience you can also do as a small group.
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & the Diamond Beach (located across the road from the lagoon) – by far one of my most favourite places to visit due to the zodiac boat ride!
- Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach – so named because its beaches are completely black (they’re real volcanic rock!). Black sand beaches, in general, are the best places to see the Northern Lights and there are quite a few of them around Iceland. You can see a list of the 8 best black sand beaches in Iceland here.
- Skógafoss Waterfall – the little town of Skógar is popular among tourists because of its massive Skógafoss Waterfall during the summer. And during winter, you can capture the greenish glow of the Northern Lights above the Skógafoss as it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean!
- Snaefellsnes Peninsula, including where Kirkjufell and the Budir Black Church are located.
- Perlan, Reykjavik: Located in downtown Reykjavik not too far from the city centre, Perlan (“The Pearl”) is situated in the middle of a vast swath of nature making it a prime location for hunting for some of nature’s most beautiful lights.
While the Northern Lights can never be guaranteed, Northern Light enthusiasts may find the Aurora Forecast mobile app to be incredibly useful. It gives you all the details you need to know when an aurora is forecasted to arrive so that you can plan accordingly.
I would also advise reading up on the top mobile apps you will need when travelling around Iceland. These mobile apps are entirely free, invaluable when it comes to navigating & finding the best places in Iceland, and just make life so much easier.
If you’d rather save yourself the hassle of planning it all out, you can also do a day trip from Reykjavik to hunt for Iceland’s Northern Lights!
Kirkenes, Norway
Written by Rai of A Rai of Light
Kirkenes, the most northeasterly town in the country of Norway, is a tiny village found on the border with Russia.
This charming village offers a good mix of history, culture, and of course the potential of viewing the Northern Lights.
The latter is one of the main reasons to visit the region given its remote location and its dry and continental climate. The phenomenon is a common occurrence with excursions to take you far away from the artificial light of the town and into the surrounding wilderness.
While visiting, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Border Area Museum, showcasing the role that this town played during WWII. It was one of the most bombed cities in Europe and only a handful of houses survived the war, so the village has a modern rebuilt feel to it.
Just outside the town’s borders, there are also a host of activities which make the most of the surrounding mountains, lakes, and fjords. All this exploration is sure to leave you feeling famished and you can’t miss trying the freshly caught salmon that is a popular delicacy.
My time in this tiny Arctic town remains a highlight of my travels no matter how many countries I have been to.
Murmansk, Russia
Written by Ellis Veen from Backpack Adventures
When looking for the Northern lights, most people think about Iceland or Scandinavia, but few would consider Russia.
People seem to forget that a large part of the Northern Arctic is Russian territory. While most of the Russian Arctic is remote and barren, the city of Murmansk is quite easy to get to.
Being the biggest city above the Arctic Circle, Murmansk, Russia is, in fact, one of the best places to find the Northern lights. Murmansk has several advantages.
First of all, Northern lights excursions are much more budget-friendly compared to nearby Scandinavia. Second, There are a number of interesting things to do in Murmansk.
Murmansk played a vital role in the Second World War and although the Germans tried their best to capture the city they never succeeded. For the Soviets, the harbour of Murmansk was extremely important and they developed the very first nuclear icebreaker. It is now a museum open for visitors.
Other attractions in Murmansk include the large statue of soldier Alyosha overlooking the Kola bay. A memorial to all the soldiers that lost their lives in the second world war. Behind Alyosha lies lake Semyonovskoe. In winter a great place for ice fishing and even ice swimming.
Murmansk is also the gateway to further arctic adventures like dog-sledging and reindeer farms. The magic winter wonderland outside of Murmansk is like a fairytale.
Every night there are northern light tours that bring you out of town for the best chance of finding the northern lights.
Rovaniemi, Finland
Written by Alexander Popkov of Engineer on Tour
Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland. Can you think of a better spot of seeing the Northern Lights? The answer is YES.
If you want to see the Aurora, you have to be away from the city lights and Rovaniemi is the largest city in Lapland. So, here is what you can do.
- Ounasvaara hill. Ounasvaara is a large hill within walking distance from Rovaniemi city centre. You have to walk around 2 km.
- Guided tour. Rovaniemi is a huge hub for tourists and there are lots of companies offering “Aurora Safari”. They can drive you to a good location outside the city.
- Rent a Snowmobile. Snowmobiles are fun and with them, you have your own schedule. Pick up a good point outside the city and if you want a different scenery – go to another. Snowmobiles are better than a car because you can go directly to an observation spot.
- Apartment outside the city. If your ultimate goal is seeing the Northern Lights, you may consider renting an apartment on the outskirts of the city. At the end of the day, Rovaniemi isn’t that large, so you can still easily get to the city centre.
To see the Northern Lights, it needs to be dark. Since days in the North are bright in summer, the only suitable time is winter. I was able to spot the lights from early mid-October to mid-April.
If you want to photograph the lights, here are the very basics:
– Use a fast lens, set aperture wide open or close to that (I use f/1.4 lens but shoot mostly at f/2)
– Set shutter speed to around 8 seconds if lights move or to around 15 seconds if they stay in one spot
– Underexpose for a couple of stops and let the camera pick up ISO automatically
– Set the focus to infinity and take a shot from a tripod
If you want to photograph the lights, here are the very basics: – Use a fast lens, set aperture wide open or close to that (I use f/1.4 lens but shoot mostly at f/2) – Set shutter speed to around 8 seconds if lights move or to around 15 seconds if they stay in one spot – Underexpose for a couple of stops and let the camera pick up ISO automatically – Set the focus to infinity and take a shot from a tripod |
Skye & Lochalsh, Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom
Written by Islands and Highlands Cottages
Skye and Lochalsh in the northwest Highlands of Scotland has some of the best dark skies in Europe. It’s a great location for enjoying some stargazing, sunsets, planet spotting and moon dances, as well as offering the chance of seeing the magical Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.
This amazing winter night sky phenomena may not happen every night but when it does, it is quite frankly magical!
The Northern Lights depend on an essential mix of geomagnetic activity, clear sky and darkness. Our dark skies are studded with stars and if there is no cloud cover, the Milky Way is often visible.
We suggest setting up an aurora alert as well as keeping an eye on the local weather.
When conditions are right and there is a good chance that the Northern Lights are going to be visible, there are lots of places in Skye which are ideal for a sighting. Try the Glendale peninsula on the north-west coast or Staffin Bay on the Trotternish peninsula in the northeast.
Our tip would be to take a camera. It is extremely rare to see a good colour display with the naked eye. The best way to ‘see’ the colours of an aurora, you really need a digital SLR camera and a tripod.
Without a camera, most aurora will be either invisible, or just appear as white lights on the horizon. With a camera, they are revealed in all their colourful glory!
Islands and Highlands Cottages are based in Skye and have over 80 self-catering cottages to choose from! With their local knowledge, they can help you find your perfect holiday hideaway.
Less visitors in the winter makes this a great time to visit. Take your time to explore the island and enjoy the winter landscape. The majestic Cuillin Hills will be snow clad, the magical Fairy Glen will glisten with frost and the Old Man of Storr will be looking mean and moody in the mist.
Tromsø, Norway
Written by Daniel Gillaspia of UponArriving.com
The destination I would recommend (based on my personal experience) the following places for the northern lights: Tromsø, Norway. And there are a few reasons why.
Geography
All of the different fjords and mountains create different pockets of weather and this allows you to escape cloudy areas and see the brilliant night sky which is ideal for hunting the northern lights.
Also, if you go on a northern lights tour, your guides will use radios to communicate with other guides to find the optimal clear areas among the fjords, increasing your odds of having a northern lights encounter.
Weather
The weather in Tromso Norway is actually pretty mild and does not get super cold. If you venture far inland the temperatures will begin to drop but some tours will even provide you with winter suits that will keep you warm.
Natural scenery
The fjords offer dramatic backdrops to admire the northern lights under.
There are endless possibilities to get stunning photographs of snowy mountain peaks and beautiful bodies of water. It really is a photographer’s paradise.
Light pollution
It is not very difficult to get away from light pollution outside of Tromso. Once you escape beyond the fjords you can find wide open landscapes with little to no light pollution.
Easy to navigate on your own
We rented a vehicle one night and went northern lights hunting on our own and it was surprisingly easy to navigate the highways and streets.
Other things to do:
- Polaria
- Polar Museum
- Cable Car
- Arctic Cathedral
- Tromsø Ice Domes
- Dog sledding
- Reindeer sledding
- Snowmobiling
We visit during Christmas and so our dining options were extremely limited due to most places being closed. So my advice is that if you are interested in the dining scene to make sure you visit a week or two before or after Christmas so that most places will be open.
To learn more about finding the Northern Lights, check out this article here.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for the best places to see the Northern Lights, these destinations ought to be a good starting point.
Even if you are dead set on catching the Northern Lights, my advice would be to also plan other activities in your itinerary. In case they don’t appear, there is always something else to do.
Alternatively, you can also choose accommodations that are set up just for watching the Northern Lights like the luxurious Hotel Rangá in Iceland, which has its very own stargazing observatory!
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24 Comments
Crystal Ward
High five for working the Mandalorian into a travel post! 😉 I love that you included photography tips, too. Seeing the Northern Lights has been on my bucket list for ages!
Iuliya
Hopefully you get to tick it off soon!
Caroline Gelabert-Noh
Wow! What an education!!
Iuliya
Yup!
Vimal Bhatia
Beautifully explained in great detail. The pictures are awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Iuliya
You’re welcome!
Nomads RTW
I managed to see them in Iceland and it was absolutely gorgeous! Hopefully, it won’t be the last time
Iuliya
That’s amazing! Where did you see them?
Tarun D
I dont know why but I always thought you could only see the lights in Iceland! LOL Good to know I have alternatives now!
Iuliya
Yes! There are many alternatives out there haha
Megan
It is my dream to go see the northern lights… i really want to head to Iceland to do so!
Iuliya
It would be pretty spectacular to do so!!
Michelle
This is such a great post. The Northern Lights are on our bucket list, so I love knowing that there are so many options to choose from! Thank you. I will be saving this post for future reference.
Iuliya
You’re welcome!
Sage
Seeing the Northern Lights is definitely on my bucket list. While I knew about many of these destinations, the Scottish Highlands surprised me. I wouldn’t have immediately put that on a list of best destinations like Norway, Alaska, and Iceland. Who knew?
Iuliya
Scotland surprised me too!! Seeing the Northern Lights in the Scottish Highlands would be soo amazing
Anja
Beautiful pictures. I wonder how lucky one has to be with the weather?
Iuliya
I think your “luck” increases drastically when you go during the peak of winter where it tends to be dark and cloudless!
Michelle
The Aurora lights are on our bucket list! Thank you for compiling all the amazing site locations. Now I am off to go get that Aurora app. Thanks for sharing!
Iuliya
You’re welcome!
Pam
We were in Iceland and didn’t see them and I was so disappointed. This is such a great list – I still have hope! haha They really are nature showing off.
Iuliya
Oh no, what a shame! But I’m sure you’ll get another chance soon!!
Rafa
I am staying in Iceland for few days now and of course, I want to try hunting for the northern lights. I am staying in Reykjavik for all the time and for first 3 days didn´t see nothing at all. Then I took a northern lights tours, get into bus and travel to countryside and finally have a luck to see them, so excited about them!!
Iuliya
Hope you enjoyed Iceland!!