The area is extremely remote, and visitors will also have the chance to see animals like . Photo credit: Mauri Joensen via Flickr. The northern reaches of Norway are nicely nestled within the Arctic circle, and the mega-long nights in winter make perfect aurora viewing conditions. If you're on your own in the park, campsite docks offer some of the best spots for northern lights viewing and stargazing. If you'd prefer to chase the lights with a curated tour, Visit Abisko leads 4.5-hour tours with professional photographers and aurora-chasing guides in October and November. Atop this forest sits Perlan, which houses the only planetarium in the country and a museum featuring exhibits about Iceland. You've Gotta See These 6 Spectacular Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays In Connecticut. In the U.K., the Northern Lights are known as the "Merry Dancers," and the best place to see them is on a remote archipelago off the northern coast of Scotland. Sweden. Experts from the National Park Service are onboard to provide commentary, offering guests insight on what they are viewing. Check out The Lodge at Black Rapids, a year-round hotel in the heart of the Alaska Range. If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. You can learn more about my mission here or read about me and the rest of the team here. With its position in the middle of the auroral oval, the city puts on one of the world's most awe-inspiring light shows from mid-November to the beginning of April. Greenland Travel offers five-day winter tours to Kangerlussuaq that include visiting Greenland's ice sheet, dog-sledding and viewing the northern lights. If you plan your vacation within these parameters, and allow at least 4 days for your stay, you have a very good chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Keep kids happy and entertained with these activities in and around Las Vegas. This is a short-term forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora. This is especially true during the winter months. Seeing the Northern Lights is an event that often gets a spot on many bucket lists, but traveling north toward Alaska, Canada and the North Pole might not be necessary to accomplish it. Embrace the winter and set sail for the Arctic Circle to experience the aurora in northern Norway. A quality travel stroller makes a world of difference when traveling with little ones. There, visitors will find the Orkney Islands, a place that remains largely uninhabited even in the 21st century. Guests can opt to head out by car to see the aurora, view it by snowmobile or go snowshoeing in pursuit of the lights. That's right - you don't need to board a plane to Norway in order to see this phenomenon. In winter, the lodge can arrange outings with photographers who take guests on light-chasing excursions and can teach you how to take photos of the northern lights. 7. . Northern Irelands northern county, Country Atrim, is a great option for trying to see the northern lights in this part of the Irish isles. To help you narrow down a literal hemisphere of places to try and see the northern lights, weve pulled together the best places to see the northern lights from all of the posts weve written so far. The Iceland Winter Multi-Active Private is a five-day northern lights adventure that kicks off in Reykjavik and includes hikes through otherworldly landscapes and soaking in steaming hot springs. The park's mountainous terrain and clear dark skies offer dramatic front-row seats for viewing the lights. Theres only one place! Without question, the Northern Lightsor aurora borealisare one of the most stunning natural phenomena to occur on our planet. Because most of the country is remote and largely unpopulated, Greenland is an often-overlooked destination for travelers chasing the Northern Lights. Guests will be able to kayak right under the property, go ice climbing, indulge in night fishing andbest of allsee spectacular northern lights views. Here are some of the top places to see the aurora in County Donegal: While it doesnt make every list for where to see the aurora in Ireland, County Mayo has a few spots worth considering. Ultimately, the best place and time to see Northern Lights is above 65 N latitude, between late September to March. Bonus: The towns street lights are turned off every night to help maximize the viewing. Top 5 Best Places to See the Northern Lights, 23. From soft to firm and everywhere in between, these travel pillows are the best options for your next trip. Lets just say these are all of the best places to see the northern lights in the world you just have to choose how far youre willing to travel! Visitors to the park can hop a chair lift to the top of a mountain where the Abisko Sky Station is located. CONNECTICUT A rare glimpse of the Northern Lights could treat Connecticut residents as the spectacular sky show is predicted to be visible in northern U.S. states on Saturday. Its location on the auroral oval makes it an excellent spot to go hunting for the Northern Lights. A view of the northern lights and the Aurora Sky Station. From this vantage point, you'll be able to see the Snfellsjkull glacier; Keilir, a volcanic mountain; and Esja, the mountain of Reykjavik. Here, the Northern Lights are common throughout the year, but due to the midnight sun, they aren't visible during the height of summer. International Falls, MN 56649, USA. One of the most unique ways to view the northern lights? Business Aug 18, 2022 Nearly Two-Thirds of Successful CEOs Say . A few places to see the spectacular light show include along the coast at Birsay or on the beach at Dingieshowe. Saadjrv is also close to the Vooremaa nature reserve, so there's plenty to do in the region when you're not watching the lights dance in the sky. Witness the hypnotizing astronomical greens, reds, purples and yellows of the aurora borealis in some of the worlds largest dark sky preserves, including Wood Buffalo, Elk Island andJasper National Parks. Mackinaw City. Romantic in a rustic-wilderness way, these steamy natural thermal pools are Canada's second largest. Your best shot to see the aurora borealis is September through mid-May. The city sits directly beneath the auroral oval, which is a ring centered around the magnetic North Pole where the sun's energized particles gather. This post was originally written in October 2020, and was updated most recently in December 2022. Many top viewing spots have websites with aurora trackers, and staff members at some hotels will wake up visitors when the lights appear (if requested). While you're at the property, take advantage of the guided Northern Lights Safari by snowmobile or embark on a Moose Safari on Horseback atop an Icelandic horse. On the Alaska Northern Lights Multi-Active Private, youll snowmobile, mush a dog sled and relax in a private hot spring, all beneath the dancing northern sky. Fall and winter are the best seasons to witness the aurora, also known in local dialect as the "Mirrie Dancers." They can also learn more about the aurora borealis from guest speakers during the flight. Still, Thingvellir National Park is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Iceland. These are the best places to see the northern lights in 2020. 3. The park is located far away from any city lights which might interfere with your view. While you might see be able to see them year-round (just as you can the northern lights), certain months are better for aurora viewing in the Southern Hemisphere. It provides one of the best views of the aurora borealis you can possibly see. This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information. Depending on your whims, your private pilot can whisk you away to soar over the sea cliffs; stop at a local winery to sample local vintages; or head south to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Port Arthur, Tasmania's historic and most notorious prison. Best of all, you can plan to visit any time of year in search of the dazzling aurora australis. It is even possible to doze off in a warm bed while the auroras dance overhead, making this a comfortable and enchanting way to enjoy this unique setting. But the Northern Lights are so amazing that they are worth traveling for just to see them firsthand. Absolutely! If youre willing to make the trek,Acadia National Parkis one of the best destinations in the region. Set in a remote part of northern Sweden, the property promises to be the ultimate place to catch the northern lights. best time and places to see Northern Lights in Sweden. The Quebec government signed an accord with the Cree in 2012. As one might imagine, the Faroe Islands are the best place to see the northern lights in Denmark. Between mid-April and mid-August, the night skies are just too bright for visitors to see the aurora well. There are many small villages throughout the country where you can view the show during the long and dark winter, but the capital city of Reykjavik also offers many options for accommodations, restaurants and other activities for your visit. For those who want to try and catch a glimpse, find a dark area away from street and city lights and look north. The Aurora might be visible at 45 degrees, 30 degrees or even lower on the horizon depending on its brightness. The town is located about 15 miles north of Tartu in central Estonia's Tartu County. If you're lucky, you may just experience something magical. Tasmania sits approximately 150 miles south of Australia between the Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea. Yellowknife is one of the world's best places to spot the northern lights. But there's another phenomenon that causes the northern lightscoronal holes. 1. You can also watch the northern lights from a cozy teepee at Aurora Village, an Aboriginal-owned experience that also offers custom-made, heated outdoor seats that swivel 360 degrees to catch every angle of the aurora borealis. To fully immerse yourself in this experienceand the parkthat is one-third waterstay on ahouseboatand think about the adventures the fur traders this park is named after experienced on these same waters many years ago. New policies may be in place, including capacity restrictions, reservation requirements or mask mandates. These tours take place in the Autumn months when the weather is still relatively warm. October through March is the best time to chase the aurora borealis in Iceland. Best Place to See Northern Lights . Reykjavk makes an excellent base camp for visitors looking to explore everything that Iceland has to offer. For optimum aurora viewing away from the light pollution, head to skjuhli. This natural wonder can be found here up to 150 times a year. Alaska is in the Aurora ovalwhich is where the lights are most frequently seen. Watch the lights dance across the sky from the comfort of your bed. The city sits 220 miles above the Arctic Circle, and during the long nights of winter, it is possible to see the auroras while in town. In northern Sweden, theTreehotel is made up of six modern tree houses perched in the pines. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm watch into Thursday. . Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Before we get into the best places to see the northern lights in Iceland, first thing's first: it's all about timing. 12, 2023, Lyn Mettler and Timothy J. ForsterJan. But one of the most memorable destinations is in Saariselk, where visitors will find the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. These experienced operators watch weather and aurora reports closely and know the best places to take travelers to see the Northern Lights. Northern Lights Resort and Spa, Canada. The Northern Lights viewing season is short, running from May through September. Greenland may not be the most accessible place to travel for viewing the northern lights, but those who make it there will be thrilled they did. Festival of Silver Lights at Hubbard Park, Meriden. Without a doubt, Glacier National Park is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Montana. If you're up for a chilly overnight adventure, reserve accommodations at the world's first Icehotel 365 in one of its artist-designed cold suites. These durable carry-on bags are ideal for any upcoming vacation or business trip. Voyageurs National Parkis another great spot to see the northern lights in Minnesota. Located along the U.S.-Canada border between Minnesota and Ontario, Voyageurs National Park is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in the continental United States. This territory is governed by the Cree, one of the largest groups of First Nations in North America. The rooms also feature beds with reindeer hides and thermal sleeping bags so you can bundle up during the night. In this way, you get the chance to see two incredibly beautiful sites all at once. 1. Although youre likely to see them anywhere in the park, you can increase your odds by visiting the Aurora Sky Station. She will personally wake you up or send you an SMS when the aurora spectacle is high. She grew up in Alaska, has lived across the U.S., and traveled around the world to enjoy the night sky from many different perspectives. The researchers at the facility recommend that travelers looking to see the Northern Lights plan their visits for August and September or January through April. This product is based on the OVATION model and provides a 30 to 90 minute forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora. Some have not only witnessed the Northern Lights for hours here, but observed a rare red Aurora. These destinations will inspire even the most experienced aurora chaser. Needless to say, this is unlike any other accommodation youve ever seen. But the country's landscapes are free of light pollution and often have clear skies, making it a great destination for adventurous travelers looking to avoid more popular places to see the auroras. Together with a visit to the festive visitor's center, you'll feel like you're immersed in a winter wonderland! Visitors looking to experience the auroras in the Yukon should make the journey sometime between late August and early April, with optimal viewing times falling from November through March. Troms is the largest city in northern Norway. In fact, under the right conditions, you can see the northern lightsanywherein Finland! While the northern lights are hard to predict, the best time to catch a glimpse of this phenomenon is typically during the spring and fall and experts at the park recommend visitors face north after midnight for the best chance to see the show. The town of Churchill, Manitoba, in Canada, is best known for its polar bear population, which congregates in large numbers along the shores of Hudson Bay. This cruise packing list includes all the essentials plus the items you didn't know you needed. 5, 2023, Up to 60% Off + Exclusive 5% Guaranteed Priceline Coupon, Up to 50% Off Travel Plans with Top Expedia Promo Code, Discount Travel Plans with 50% Off on Hotels.com bookings, 50% Discount on Getaways with Barcel Resort & Hotels, Booking.com Promo Code Up to 50% Off + Extra 10% Off. These areas are located well within the auroral oval, a ring . In order to increase your chances of seeing this spectacle, you should time your trip to anew moon. Sweden is one of the best spots for aurora viewing in the Northern Hemisphere, with the northern part of the country known as Swedish Lapland at the top of the list. For a bucket list experience, watch the impressive light show from a glass igloo at Santa's Hotel Aurora in Luosto. Natural Habitat Adventures, a leader in responsible wildlife tourism, is introducing itsvery firstArctic expedition exclusively for women: the seven-dayNorthernLights and Arctic Cultures. Inspired by the Arctics intrepid female explorers, this epic journey was designed by expedition leader Annie Van Dinther. Voyageurs is Minnesota's only national park; it's also unique in that, for much of the year, the water-based park's interior is accessible only by water. Or head to Takhini Hot Springs, where you can connect mind and body as you watch the aurora borealis while soaking in 107-degree mineral waters. The property has an impressive selection of year-round tours and activities, including northern lights excursions on horseback or by horse drawn carriage or you can head out on a quad bike to see the show. But heres the good news: The time is right to get a glimpse of the aurora borealis. See the aurora borealis, aka the northern lights, across the northern tier of the U.S. this week, from Maine to Montana to Washington this week. Saariselk is well-known for its glass igloos where you can sleep under the open starry sky and see the northern lights from a bed. While there, you can also spend a magical evening outdoors under star-filled skies during a sleigh ride through the snow-covered forests. All of the rooms have luxuries like wood-burning stoves and skylights for optimal viewing. Over a typical winter, a keen observer checking the skies on every clear night could certainly expect to see the aurora several times, with a number of low-level displays and possibly one or two more spectacular ones. For excellent chances of aurora viewing, book a private igloo at Borealis Basecamp, a top glamping resort located on 100 remote acres of boreal forest about 25 miles from Fairbanks. Youll see a selection of aurora destinations in North America and Europe (we didnt include Siberia in Asia due to the difficulty of winter travel there!). Let us know in the comments! However, these auroras are sudden and short-lived. And heres more good news: The travel industry wants to help you spot the northern lights with new hotels, specially tailored tourseven one thats aimed at womenand other unique experiences. Additionally, the Faroe Islands are less developed than other parts of Europe and this remoteness ensures a lack of light pollution to interfere with your aurora viewing. While its far from Norway, Svalbard consistently ranks among the best places to see the northern lights in the world because its so far north it almost seems like youre at the north pole! For an extended visit, plan to stay at the Antonius Hotel, a luxury boutique property in the heart of the historic city of Tartu. On the shores of Great Slave Lake, travelers have a 95% chance of spotting the lights. If you're visiting between late April and the end of October, splurge on a stay at the Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island. This massive fjord was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and is something anyone visiting town must see. Its a truly fascinating place to stay while you wait for the Northern Lights to appear. Kraig Becker is a writer based out of Roanoke, Virgina who has covered adventure travel and product reviews for TripSavvy since 2013. The optimal time for seeing the illuminated skies in the northern part of Sweden, in Swedish Lapland, is between early September and late March. This excursion includes round-trip transportation to the resort from town, a soak in the hot springs, dinner at the on-site restaurant, a visit to the Aurora Ice Museum and an aurora viewing tour in a snowcat. McGulpin Point and Johnson Point are both good viewing spots; McGulpin Point Lighthouse is just outside the park but also a good contender. By Caitlin Morton. There are even plenty of local guides and experts who can advise you on the best places to go based on the current weather conditions. Stay at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which offers dark-sky experiences. While the auroras appear less frequently there, in December and January each year, they can be seen illuminating the heavens. With the village's origins dating back to the 17th century, you'll still find some of the original homesteads, including an old timber cottage. Keep your curtains open and you may even see the Northern Lights from your room. Northern Lights and arctic circle tour in Fairbanks. You can also chase the lights into the wilderness by snowmobile, take a dogsled ride under the stars or view them from a Smi tent atop the mountain Pska in Alta. The Shetland Islands are the British Isles closest to the North Pole. Think again. Maine's Acadia National Park is also a designated International Dark Sky Park that offers opportunities to see the Northern Lights. September to November and February to March are the best months to view the aurora, as the skies are clearer than in December and January when they can be cloudy due to snow. Since Earth's magnetic field is weaker at the poles, more particles from the solar winds enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles there, making the lights more visible in these regions. rather than attempting to rank them from best to worst. These states are: Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Vermont. It's situated in a forested area on Lake Saadjrv, which is one of the 10 deepest and largest lakes in the country. Regarded as one of the top spots in the U.S. to see the aurora, Headlands International Dark Sky Park sits at the top of Michigan's lower peninsula, less than 5 miles from Mackinaw City. The aurora borealis occurs so frequently in Churchill that scientists have built a research station to study the phenomenon there. Courtesy of Sherman Hogue/Explore Fairbanks. For a festive holiday experience in the winter, visit the Santa Claus House in the city of North Pole (around 15 miles southeast of Fairbanks). Your email address will not be published. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Here are some of thebest spots to see the northern lights near Fairbanksif you want to improve your chances during your trip: Want to sleep under the aurora? The new Kelo-Glass igloosare attached to a log chalet and each havea private sauna and fireplace. Saariselka, Finnish Lapland. The brainchild of jazz musician Hvard Lund, Fordypningsrommet (more commonly known as the Arctic Hideaway) is a cluster of cabins on the coast of a tiny island in the Arctic Circle of Northern Norway, near Bod. When you come here to see the Northern Lights, you have a chance of photographing two amazing works of nature at once! The best time to see the Northern Lights in Sweden occurs between the hours of 6:00 pm and 2:00 am on a clear night. Northern Lights and Arctic Cultures trip, Canadian Arctic. However, all hope is not lost if you seek to view the aurora australis in Antarctica. [See more of Fairbanks:Things to Do|Hotels|When to Visit|Photos]. Located across Puget Sound from bustling and brightSeattle, you can make your way to the small communities of Port Angeles or Sequim to base yourself for a weekend chasing the aurora. The northern part of the country is dark in . That makes it a great destination for stargazing in general and for experiencing the aurora borealis specifically. (Fairbanks is substantially farther north than Anchorage, and more close to the Auroral Oval.). The Nellim Wilderness Hotel also offers aurora-focused "kotas" (inspired by traditional Smi huts), as well as cabins and bubble-shaped accommodations for two where guests can watch the dancing lights from their warm, cozy beds. Vast portions of Iceland are rural or undeveloped, meaning you can find places to spot the northern lights all over the country. Destinations known for northern lights are often expensive. This 13-day cruise itinerary departs from London for the North Sea with stops in ports of call that are top aurora-viewing locales, including Bod, Troms, Alta and Narvik. The summer months, between December and February, make it more difficult to spot the aurora, but there's still a chance you'll catch a glimpse of the lights between midnight and 4 a.m. For accommodations during your aurora-chasing adventure, reserve a room with a view over Halfmoon Bay and the Foveaux Strait at Stewart Island Lodge, an intimate bed-and-breakfast. Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories, is also known as the "Aurora Capital of North America." Svart Hotel with a view of the northern lights. Another way to take northern lights viewing to new heights: aboard theAurora 360 Experience. Now, read on for some of the best places to see the northern lights in 2020. I hope you find resources here to help you do just that. The Aurora Bubbles are even equipped with a laser-heated glass roof that opens up overhead and into the night sky. #shorts For many outdoor enthusiasts seeing the Northern Lights is at the top of their list and is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Depending on the time of year, the six overwater cabins float on the Lule River or are frozen into it. Read on to learn the best places where you can see the aurora in America. Jasper National Park (and its largest town, Banff) host a dark sky festival each October where people travel from around the world to view the dark skies, learn astronomy, and listen to live music while the northern lights dance overhead. The northern lights are an optical phenomenon of the Earth's atmosphere, characterized by bright bands of a wide range of shapes and colors, typically red-green-blue, called auroral arcs, caused . Travelers who fly on Icelandair can get a taste of the phenomenon before they even reach Iceland when flying on IcelandairsHekla Aurora plane, which is painted in the colors of an Icelandic winter landscape on the exterior. Located on the international border of Minnesota and Ontario, Voyageurs National Park is an approximately 218,000-acre labyrinth of boreal forests, lakes and streams. The southernmost destinations in the world offer the chance to see the aurora australis or southern lights. Want northern lights viewing thats pretty much guaranteed? Required fields are marked *, Hi! That said, the city of Rovaniemi is among the best places in Finland to see the Northern Lights. You can head to Russia and Norway on The Golden Eagle - Arctic Explorer - Quest for theNorthernLights (which includes a tour venturing out into the wilderness with a guest astronomer), celebrate the natural wonders of Sweden and Norway with TheNorthernLights& Lapland or explore Alaska on the Aurora Viewing at Bettles Lodge, where youll partake in a communal bonfire under the light-streaked skies of the Arctic Circle.
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