Watching the northern lights is something every person who loves travelling, and wishes to explore and experience the wonders of the world — has on their bucket list. The northern lights are a naturally occurring phenomenon that will bewitch you with their magic, treating you to an unforgettable visual. We are sure you have come across pictures of this breathtaking phenomenon at least once on the internet, but if you haven't — the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis (meaning light of dawn) are lights that can vary from a very pale green that barely moves, to an intense green with flickers of pinks and purple that shimmers like a curtain across the sky. They usually occur between sixty and seventy-five degrees of latitude, which covers northern parts of Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Alaska and Russia as well as all of Iceland, and can be pretty much called the sole reason of travel for massive crowds of people.
Celestial Ballet: 8 Best Places Where We Can See The Northern Lights
What Are Northern Lights?
Northern lights are bluish-green dynamic patterns of brilliant lights that appear when highly charged solar wind particles flowing from the sun collide with air molecules in the earth’s atmosphere transferring their energy into light. This occurs around the polar regions where those magnetic fields converge. These magnetic fields create auroral ovals around the top and bottom of our planet which move and distort as the earth rotates and solar flare activity increases. This occurs around the polar regions where those magnetic fields converge. These magnetic fields create auroral ovals around the top and bottom of our planet which move and distort as the earth rotates and solar flare activity increases.
So, if you are into some fancy stargazing, here are the best places where you can see northern lights in action.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Aurora season in Fairbanks Alaska, is from August through April. It spans all four seasons and nine months of the year so there's plenty of time to plan your trip. Ideal time for your visit should be end of August and the first half of September since you get to revel in summer activities and attractions by day and chase the northern lights at night. Fairbanks is situated underneath the aurora oval, so viewing is great right from town itself. It's also a great basecamp for trips beyond the Arctic Circle.
Best Time To Visit: August to April.
Norway
Tromsø is known as ‘The capital of the Arctic’, and is regarded as one of the best places in the world to view the northern lights. The best time to visit Tromso is between mid September and mid April. Since Tromsø is Northern Norway's largest city and is situated in the middle of the auroral oval, the city offers visitors a wide variety of tours to choose from during its dark season which is the peak time for tourists to watch Northern lights in action.
Kirkenes is another famous town near the Russian border, and is right in the heart of northern lights territory. It is also home to the famed 'Snow Hotel of Norway', which is made entirely out of snow and ice, and rebuilt every winter. Want to live the complete winter wonderland fantasy? This place is just the place to head between the end of August until end of March.
Best Time To Visit: August to March
Finland
North of the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, surrounded by towering pines, is a surreally beautiful place to experience the aurora. Accommodations for enjoying the northern lights abound throughout Finland, ranging from seaside glass villas and lakeside domes to cabins with large windows and glass roofs. The lights make an appearance over Finland about 200 nights per year, so you couldn't pick a better destination for an auroral vacation.
Best Time To Visit: End of August to April.
Greenland
With minimal light pollution and near-perfect visibility in some places, Greenland provides exceptional odds for viewing the milky-green lights. A three-or four-night stay during the aurora season (September to early April) offers the best chance of spotting them. In Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut and Ilulissat, there are guided northern lights tours during the winter. We would almost dare to promise you the sight of northern lights on a winter trip to Greenland.
Best Time To Visit: End of September to March or April.
Yukon, Canada
From August to April, the northern lights swirl across the sky above Canada's Yukon Territory. Depending on cloud conditions, light pollution, and the night's auroral activity, you could spend hours watching the neon shades of green and yellow. Learn about the science and folklore surrounding the colours at the Northern Lights Space and Science Centre in Watson Lake.
Best Time To Visit: August to April.
Scotland
The aurora can be seen across the U.K., as far south as England's Kent and East Anglia, in the autumn and winter months. But the best bet is to head for the northernmost parts of the Highlands or the Shetland Islands where they are called 'Mirrie Dancers'. One of the best places to view the Northern Lights is in Galloway Forest Park — the only Dark Sky Park in Scotland. It is absolutely essential that you keep an eye on the aurora forecast if you don't want to miss on the opportunity of spotting Northern lights in Scotland.
Best Time To Visit: March - April and September - October
Iceland
In Iceland, the best time to see the northern lights is between September and April, when the nights are long and dark. The best two months are September and March, especially around the equinoxes, when there is increased solar activity. The best place to see the northern lights in Iceland is the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, which lies by the Vatnajokull glacier. You can drive to the lagoon along the Ring Road from Vik or find one of the black sand beaches of South Iceland to enjoy the view of the lights dancing across the sky.
Best Time To Visit: September - April
Sweden
On clear evenings, the best time to see Northern Lights in Sweden is between 6:00 PM and 2:00 AM. However, the most spectacular display usually occurs around 10:00 PM-11:00 PM. Even though northern Sweden in general – and Abisko in particular — is the best place to experience the Northern Lights, it can be seen elsewhere. The next best place to see northern lights is in the north, or Swedish Lapland. In that area, you'll have all the most important factors on your side. Part of Swedish Lapland is inside the Arctic Circle and the 'Northern Lights Belt', ticking two boxes at once
Best Time To Visit: September to late March.
