The secret to seeing the Aurora Borealis is patience. If your snowmobile or minibus or snowshoe search is unsuccessful then it is very often the people who brave the cold night rather than those who sneak off to a warm bed who have a tale to tell at breakfast time. You do not have any shortlisted holidays. Click the star icon on the search or holiday pages to shortlist a holiday. Activities Abroad is the UK's leading family activity holiday company.
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View Holidays. If we could answer this question we would be rich beyond the dreams of men! The best we can do is to provide a rough guide based on certain timescales. January to March These are probably the three most popular months for Aurora hunting because they bring long dark nights and plenty of snow to play in during the daylight hours while you wait for darkness to fall.
View Holidays Next: April to August. Credit: Northern Norway. April to August To see the Northern Lights you need dark skies and from early-April until late-August, the Aurora may be blazing across the Arctic firmament but it is visible only to scientific equipment, as the skies are just too light for the human eye to see the show.
View Holidays Next: September and October. Credit: Markku Inkila. September and October These are the months we would recommend to anybody who prefers to avoid the extreme cold of an Arctic winter.
View Holidays Next: November and December. I completely agree. I did not know what to expect when trying to find the aurora borealis in Iceland. We waited and were slightly disappointed at a faint show because pictures make the lights look WAY better. However, our best showing was just outside of Reykjavik even with light pollution. Be patient and bundle up. Look for a ribbon of colors forming near the horizon in Iceland in March. Thanks, Angela! It does take patience and persistence to see them.
Wow, great images and some good points too. I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights but have never had the chance. Hoping to get up to Scandinavia in the next few years so I might see I I can get up there in winter. Pity they are so fickle! Nice post! Yes, the Northern Lights are beautiful and so special to see. Hope you get to experience them yourself, Ellen!
Absolutely, Jennifer. Some do get lucky, but mostly it is a lot of patience and effort to see the Northern Lights. Northern Lights can be visible from September — March. Hope you have good weather for your trip!
Gorgeous photos! Agree that we should be going for the destination rather than the northern lights since its so unpredictable. There is a lot to do, especially for outdoor and adventure lovers in the Scandinavian countries where you can see Northern Lights. Fantastic photography and tips Jennifer! We want to go husky sledding and see reindeer also, as well as experience other cultural and arctic experiences which will be polar opposites from our sunny lifestyle here.
Having been to these places, where can you recommend? Have you been to the Lofoten Islands? Cheers, Rosey and Shaun. Hi Rosey and Shaun! Tromso is known for being the spot in Norway to see Northern Lights. It just all depends on getting lucky with clear weather and that the sun has been active. Norway, Finland or Sweden are definitely the spots that you can easily go dog sledding and interact with reindeer.
Hello like 2Musos we are also from Aus and planning at trip in early This is very helpful for my mom who wants togo see the northern lights. I keep telling her not to have high expectations because I've read so many times that people travel to see them and see none… so your post is perfect for increasing our chances. Suzette trysomethingfun. We used to occasionally see the Northern Lights growing up in Canada but I took them completely for granted.
All comments very much appreciated. Thanks so much! Hi Tracy! Really beautiful and well done! I agree you need to go there for the destination and not for the lights! Thank you, Charu! The great thing about these destinations where it is possible to see the Northern Lights is that there are so many winter activities to do. We hope she does get to see the Northern Lights Suzette.
But we also hope she heeds our advice so she's not disappointed. It's definitely worth the effort when you do see them thought! Great tips and photos! Perspective and attitude is everything! I hope you do get to see them one day though! I just hope I see it when I get there. Hi Grace! The Northern Lights are visible from September — March, so you have the same chance of seeing them.
Just keep your expectations realistic! There is plenty to do in and around Tromso though that make it a great destination to travel to in winter. Thanks for sharing your Northern Lights tips.
The Northern Lights wake-up calls are a great way to have a restful sleep without worrying that you are missing something. Hope you have the chance to see the Northern Lights sometime Anne! Glad to hear you got to experience the Northern Lights, Emma!
And yes, Finland is a beautiful country to visit. Superb photos. I totally agree with your points and I think the first one is the most important. I only saw the northern lights on my 3rd attempt and made the mistake the first time in Tromso of only having that to do. It wasnt the best trip because we had nothing else planned. As you say if you make sure you go for the destination first then you will still have a good time.
Great article. Would love to share photos and tips! One thing no one told me was that you need a bloody good camera and know how to set the proper settings!! This really is awesome. Just been reading your tips and so glad i have…. That will definitely be a fantastic birthday treat, Dawn! Stop by our Facebook page. We post alerts for the big solar storms and when you can expect great Northern Lights showings.
I think the best advice you gave is to go for the destination-seeing the lights is a bonus. We went to Iceland a few weeks ago with exactly that attitude. But on our first night they had what was called the best display in years! We saw green, red and even purple. The lights came out before it was even fully dark and lasted well past the time we went to bed. We got totally lucky. But the aurora reports have had almost zero sightings since we left 2 weeks ago.
Wow, awesome photos Scott! At least it did for me when I went to Alaska. Get away from all ambient light if possible. You can do this online. Some months may be more likely to have adverse conditions snow, fog, etc. Otherwise you could miss the show. Follow Solarham to check out the solar conditions. Aurora Borealis Notifications on Facebook also puts out notifications on auroral sightings in Alaska. There are multiple web cams in different locales throughout the northern hemisphere that will show when the aurora make its appearance.
Seeing the aurora is a very special experience. I am planning Iceland just to see Northern light from sept 3 to sept 9, and hoping to see them. I am also globe traveller, female, senior and enjoying travelling, mostly alone.
Seen almost the whole world and now picking spots and see the countries not travelled yet. I will be taking tours so hoping they know where to go and what to see. Your blog helped me a lot and very good pics and advice.
Was in Rovanimani and went to Inari to see midnight sun, great place…. So best of luck to both of us! Thanks for the tips! I understand that the Northern Lights are unpredictable, but do you know if that is a good time to try to chance on the auroras?
In early September is it more likely to see them in one city over another? No, the problem with late August and early September is that it is still light until around 10pm and is light again by 5am in Reykjavik even less hours of darkness in Tromso during the period , so the window to possibly seem them is much shorter.
Hi Jennifer! These are some awesome pointers, thanks so much for posting about your experience. I just moved to the upper peninsula of Michigan where reportedly they are seen quite often. I did however see some possibly? It was sorry of pulsating through the sky. I was pretty sure it was lightening but had never seen such an abundance of activity without any rain or thunder, the sky lot up every few seconds.
It was a bit cloudy. Again, very determines to see them, particularly the pretty colored ones! Any input much appreciated:. Northern Lights are only colored to the naked eye when they are very strong and bright, otherwise they usually look like light green or whitish wisps moving through the sky. They can be very fast or slower moving, sort of looking like a weird cloud.
Thanks for the tips xx. Awesome, Louise! So glad that you got to see them. Head on over to our Facebook page and share some with us.
Thanks for all your posts, on the Northern lights, our turn is coming. They know how to host a good party there! So glad I stumbled across you!
I am heading to Iceland in December with my husband for his 40th birthday… Northern lights tour booked for the first night and keeping everything crossed! What a great birthday gift, Rowena! Let us know if you have any questions about planning your trip. Do you think a digital compact camera with manual options on a tripod will be ok to capture the lights if they appear? Keep your fingers crossed! Your trip to Iceland sounds wonderful. With 10 days there should be a pretty good chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
While it may be possible to get some pictures of the Northern Lights with you Panasonic Lumix, it will be a little difficult. Be sure to practice learning the controls and just try to take some star pictures at night. The concept is rather similar and knowing what buttons you need to hit will be much easier once your familiar with them.
Anyways, enjoy your trip and I hope you get to see them. I had visited Reykjavik for the 4 days 3 nights! And I am so blessed that get to see the northern lights on the re-book second night as first night was cancelled due to the rain and cloudy sky. Visited Oslo for gateway to Tromso, have stayed 4 days 3 nights at the Lauklines Kystferie private island in Tromso, and I am blessed to see the northern lights on the second night and dancing northern lights just right in front of my cabin.
Stayed in Tromso city for 3 days 2 nights, second night we get to see very light green northern lights but cover by the clouds, was so happy and quickly prepared camera try to get the northern lights but failed as later strong wind and rain came by, but managed to take 1 image.
Hi, may I know if december or March will have a better chance to spot the northern lights? And if sweden or iceland is better? If so, is there a recommended particular spot? Hope to hear from you soon! I would recommend March over December simply because the typically snow falls in December. Abisko, Sweden statistically has more days of viewing the Northern Lights than anywhere else in Europe and due to the microclimate, the weather is much more stable than in Iceland. I love your post! My boyfriend and I are planning to go to Escandinavia in early September, so we were thinking about going somewhere to try to see the northern lights.
Do you have any idea which place would be the best in Septmeber? Also we will look for other activities following your advices! Thanks a lot! Cheers from Argentina! Hi Carla! Abisko in Sweden statistically reports the most nights of Northern Lights visibility and does have much better and predictable weather than Iceland due to their microclimate. Either would be a good choice. Great tips indeed. By husband and I are planning to visit Scandinavia in December as I would like to see Christmas there and also witness Northern lights.
For a period of 2 weeks which destinations will you recommend. How would the weather be in the these destinations that you would recommend and will it be possible to get warm clothing on rent there? It will be quite cold, especially for someone not used to the weather.
It also tends to snow more in December. We typically wear thermal layers under the clothing provided when doing outdoor activities. Nice images, i am planning for ICELAND in Dec for 8 days, i have request to make, as i m also a amateur photographer, planning to make lots of Timelapse of Aurora, waterfalls, lakes, etc, varied landscape, can you plz help me out in making a itinerary , and which places to go and the days needed…need your recommendation, which is better a self drive tour or a escorted tour , as i have heard, it snows heavily, roads blockage, and becomes difficult for driving,.
We only recommend a self-drive for Iceland. Especially if you are interested in being able to photograph the sites and create time-lapse videos, a bus tour is not the way to go. We already have an itinerary. Have you checked it out? The weather is about the same during that time. December can have more snow, but the weather in Iceland is pretty unpredictable most of the year.
You can have all different kinds of weather in the span of a few hours. You do have more hours of daylight in October as opposed to December, so that is something to take in to consideration. Feel free to let us know if you have other questions about Northern Lights.
Quick question. My family and i are planning a trip to Kamloops, Canada from the 21 of december throu january 1st. Do you think there could be any chance we get to see the northern lights in that season? My sister lives there and told me that some people have said that there are some spots where we might catch them.
On our first night of Northern Lights they started everywhere but north, They finally did end up being mostly in the north and our guide was so surprised by the direction from which they started. Thanks for this information! It is definitely on my bucket list, right next to my dream Alaska vacation.
Technically, the Northern Lights are there all the time. We just can only see them when it is dark enough for them to be visible. Since Alaska is your dream vacation, you could combine it with a Northern Lights hunting trip during the winter months! I live in Northern Wisconsin, on Lake Superior and they are not always there. Every night sky is different. But when the Northern lights come out, the phones start ringing everywhere in our little town, and everyone runs outside to see them.
Thanks so much for your insight, Dan! Happy hunting and thanks for sharing your wonderful photo with us! My pleasure, and thank you for a great article; I have shared it on my page, so that my future guests can get good knowledge and information about the beauty in the sky?
Keep up the good work! I cannot wait until I get a chance to see them. My preferred spot? The Lofoten Islands! We really hope you get to see the Northern Lights, J. They really are a spectacular sight. Pale grey and beautiful. Joel joelmciver. Hope you get to see the Northern Lights, Kay!
What part of Iceland are you visiting and how many days are you staying? I agree with point 8- aurora can be seen when there is a full moon. I just experienced a short few minutes of aurora when it appeared on 26 december 2 hours west wards, outside of reyjkevik.
It was infact having snow flurries, thereafter the skies cleared up and we saw the moon. Shortly after, the aurora started Appearing! Our guide was very pesistent and she encouraged us to hang in there and watch for it! Heavy snow falling and completely clouded over skies. But the weather can literally change in the blink of an eye in the Arctic. So persistence is the true key to seeing the Northern Lights. Glad that you go to experience them, Anne! Be sure you get out of the city.
A friend and I are going to Iceland in a few days. I hope we see the Northern Lights! We my husband and two friends have just returned from a wonderful trip to Iceland today and I am very pleased to say that we were very lucky to get a sighting of the lights on 3 separate nights.
The other two nights, the 13th and 14th were only green to the camera and much fainter to the eye but do you know why I was the only person not to get any colour on the night everyone else did?
Hi Jude, it sounds like the Aurora was faint on the night you all saw it and it appeared green to the others. Some people are colorblind to only certain colors. Or it could be that the mind sort of plays tricks on us. I remember the very first time I saw it, it appeared white or light gray to me.
After I saw it on the preview screen on the camera, I could pick up the green more in the sky. Hi, I loved your pictures of the northern lights and I really want to go and see it. I have no idea however where to book my flights to and where the cheapest hotels are and a good tour group to see the northern lights.
I want to go with my husband and 2 kids, so I am on a budget. I was hoping to go in the easter holidays, do you think I could still see it? I would appreciate any advice and suggestions please, thank you x.
The season is September — March, but by the end of March the days are already much longer and not dark enough to be able to see the Northern Lights. As far as which destination you can reach most affordably, it really depends on where you live and which destinations are most accessible to you. I saw the northern lights in Abisko. Once from the Aurora Sky station m a. One thing that absolutely no one is telling you is that the photo can be very misleading.
What I saw through naked eye was a beatiful but very dim white-greenish light — the second day rather spectacular, with an arch covering almost half of the sky -, moving, appearing as wedges, then becoming white-greenish curtains. Just one meter ahead of me there were a tourist taking long exposition shots. And the image he got it was something even more unbelieveble, a really strong green cloud hovering above the mountains. Photographs tend to amplify the intensity quite a lot.
Glad to got to see the Northern Lights, Daniel! I have seen them five times. Once purely by chance from South Wales on 8th November , very bright reds and overhead, spectacular, even Patrick Moore mentioned this display in one of his many books. I was on Orkney last year and heard that the night I arrived the lights had made an appearance so the next night I walked above the street lights of Stromness at about ten p.
I was treated to a greyish white display for about two hours, Really had to adjust my eyes to the dark and be patient, It was a very slow formation, like someone shining the beams of torches into the air or a SLOOOOW heart monitor. The same happened the next night. I saw them again from Glastonbury in October, very clear and looked like a crazy cloud formation but it was such a clear night there was no way it was a cloud. The last time was on Samhain, October 31st, Bitterly cold Halloween evening and my friend and I were walking through a cemetery near Newbury, We saw a very distinct single curved line, again greyish in colour which gradually moved lower in the sky until it faded.
So yes, head out a few hours after dusk, away from Street lights.. Autumn is good!! Then wait and be patient. It is not always going to be a multi colured time lapse display, but you will be rewarded for your patience. Hey I loved your pics and article about the Aurora lights. I live in Dublin and Unfortunately due to my collage life I cant plan a visit to Iceland or Finland more than a weekend ,until, end of may.
And I missed the aurora in January where it appeared in Iceland. So I was wondering if I have any chance to travel on a weekend or do I need more than 3 nights?
Plus, is it true after it will start to disappear? There are no guarantees even if you stay three nights. And no, the Northern Lights are not going to disappear. This is going to sound like a lie, or a boast or whatever, but I have just seen the lights again. From Glastonbury. Because I posted here a few days ago and have been renewing my interest, I found out today that the aurora put on a good display in Britain last night.
I can just see the Northern horizon from my living room window, and despite a few clouds to the South and West we had a clear and cold night tonight. I watched for a while, it was not behaving in a cloud like way, but nothing great, so I was about to retire to bed. As I have observed before, beams carry far across the sky to East and West, and tonight there were a few at opposing angles.
At one point a totally random curved wisp just appeared in the East and then went as quickly. Will definitely keep them in mind when i plan a visit to see the Northern Lights. Seeing the lights is not as simple as folk believe. I have been interested in Astronomy since a young age and know enough about constellations etc to know even which direction to look in.
That sounds obvious, but a group of us drove out to the Ring Of Brodgar on Orkney one crystal clear night at ten p. Some of our party did not know how to find the Pole Star, I was happy to point it out to them, as the lights will always start in this direction. Unfortunately it was a crystal clear night but COLD, even in mid September and although we observed the beginning of the lights as a low greyish arc in the North with the sloooow heart monitor effect starting at midnight, some of the party were a bit disappointed and cold and wanted to leave..
The Moon on a stick?? Photos on this site and in general of the lights are stunning, as are time lapse videos, but folk need to realise that although bright colours can appear was red, so red!!
Have managed to pick out pink and yellow shades before, but it does require being away from any light pollution and being incredibly patient. Also they do dance, but definitely not in the way folk think. Not sure I am in the right place to ask these questions… We are trying to calculate our best place to see the Northern Lights anytime between Dec. Any thoughts? Hi Tina! Unfortunately, no one can give you an answer to where you can see the Northern Lights between December 24 and January 2.
I can tell you that the Arctic receives the bulk of its snow in December and January so weather is just less stable. If you happen to see the Northern Lights, you count yourself lucky that you did. All that said, we believe Abisko, Sweden is one of the best places for a good chance to see the Northern Lights because of its micro-climate. Abisko: no or few clouds, away from lights. Fancy places to rest [STK — swedish mountain club].
Good access — short trip by train from Kiruna. As others have said NL are really unpredictable — we was frantic looking at Aurora forecast — but we could see them three nights in a row. Be alert the whole thing lasted half hour in my case. Your blog is so informative and real, your pictures are stunning. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Certainly feel free to share on your FB Page. Where are you starting your own Northern Lights tour?
After midnight, they stepped out of the ice house and noticed the northern lights. They took out folding chairs and sat on the ice with the lights appearing to dance on the ice around them. Thanks for sharing, Keli! Jennifer, thanks for your post, very informative. I am thinking of coming to see the Northern Lights from United States and have a hard time selecting which country to go to. Will end of October be a good time?
As you said even though I really want to see the Northern Lights, I need to adjust myself and tell myself that it is an added bonus. Being said that, which country should I visit? I heard a lot about Reykjavik but is afraid of too much tourist. Any suggestions? Hi Maureen, it really depends.
Iceland will be nice in October. It will still be quite nice in October, but in Iceland you can have every type of weather all in the same day. We are two people from Chile we will be at Reykjavik the nights 19, 20, 24, 25, 26 august and we want to see the northern lights on a private tour to a good place. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is extremely unlikely that you will see the Northern Lights in August. We have just booked to go to Reykjavik on 5th February for three nights.
Im a bit gutted after reading this now? The weather is just a bit stormier than other months, but there is always a chance. Iceland is stunning and never disappoints! Browse Greenland Northern Lights holidays. Interested in seeing the Northern Lights? Click here to browse all Northern Lights holidays. What are the best places to see the Northern Lights? Find out more 2. Swedish Lapland Arriving at the zenith of the Swedish wilderness is richly rewarding, for Kiruna provides a quality aurora show without the tourists.
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