For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, make reservations to stay overnight in unique camping accommodations at Aurora Village to view the lights. During the summer months the Milky Way is visible across the sky and late summer evenings entertain visitors with meteor showers. For a bucket list experience, watch the impressive light show from a glass igloo at Santa's Hotel Aurora in Luosto. On the shores of Great Slave Lake, travelers have a 95% chance of spotting the lights. Stay at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which offers dark-sky experiences. See the northern lights on a towed sled in Iceland. Headlands International Dark Sky Parkwas one of the first ten dark sky parks in the world, established in 2011! This is especially true between the months of October and April. It . Use the airline's app or make an international call if your flight has been canceled. The trip includes relaxing in the hot waters of theSecret Lagoon, the countrys oldest natural geothermal swimming pool. Icelandair captain Sigrur Einarsdttir,a woman pilot who has spent more than 30 years flying beneath the Arctic skies,has become an expert in seeing the northern lights. But first, there are a few things to know. Visit for the Jasper Dark Sky festival in mid-October and, in addition to the view of the stars, youll get hands-on science and astronomy events. Another tip: Weather is also key. Fairbanks, Alaska, ranks among the best locations in the U.S. for viewing the Northern Lights. Talk about a birds-eye view. You may opt-out by. Troms itself is a modern city, so there's plenty to see and do when you're not looking up at the sky, including a visit to the beautiful Arctic Cathedral. 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. Another good location to chase evasive Northern Lights is the remote wilderness of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James in Northern Quebec. Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories, is also known as the "Aurora Capital of North America." Looking ahead, 2021 will bring the new Svart, an architectural spectacle set at the foot of Norways second-largest glacier. Find the best travel insurance for you with these U.S. News ratings, which factor in expert and consumer recommendations. In fact, its the only place in the world where the Northern Lights can be seen in thedaytime. In this way, you get the chance to see two incredibly beautiful sites all at once. The . A short drive from Whitehorse in Yukon at 60.6 North, the Northern Lights Resort and Spa features chalets with vast windows and an outdoor jacuzzi. Each of these destinations is relatively easy to reach, has good geographic position for viewing the northern lights, and is popular among aurora-chasers. Keep your curtains open and you may even see the Northern Lights from your room. There are plenty of great places around the city where you can catch a glimpse of the "Green Lady." Ultimately, choosing your aurora viewing spot will depend on how far you're willing to travel . Its a truly fascinating place to stay while you wait for the Northern Lights to appear. Its dark skies also make the Aurora Borealis especially vivid at night. This makes them a good destination to see the northern lights in winter! For optimum aurora viewing away from the light pollution, head to skjuhli. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. For those who want to try and catch a glimpse, find a dark area away from street and city lights and look north. In Fairbanks, you can see the aurora almost anywhere on a strong night. Where and when to see Northern Lights Best place and time to see Northern Lights. They're free and fun for everyone! Before we get into the best places to see the northern lights in Iceland, first thing's first: it's all about timing. That makes it a great destination for stargazing in general and for experiencing the aurora borealis specifically. The best places in the world are usually closer to the Arctic Circle, including Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. And another perk: Cunard is celebrating its 180thAnniversary with special sales available on many voyages between July 2020 and May 2022, including Alaska. Not only is their observation tower in a prime location for viewing the lights, they also have experts on hand who can answer any questions you might have. Its not cheapstaying here costs a cool 95,000 (about $105,000), which includesa one-night stay in the North Pole, as well astwo nights in nearby Svalbard, plus transportation, meals and guides. Let us know in the comments! 11, 2023, Stacey Zable and Timothy J. ForsterJan. Travelers can also see ice sculptures in February and March at the impressive World Ice Art Championships or take a dog-sledding or snowmobiling tour. You can also watch for elephant seals, leopard seals, wandering albatross and other species of birds. But if you're lucky enough to travel to see the aurora australis, you'll be rewarded with brilliant displays of color in shades of green, blue, purple, pink, or orange and gold. Northern Lights and Arctic Cultures trip, Canadian Arctic. Connecticut is on the edge of visibility for a Northern . If you're visiting between late April and the end of October, splurge on a stay at the Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island. The Shetlands are one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Scotland. With its arctic location and dark skies, Yellowknife is one of the most famous places in Canada to see the northern lights. Located on a fjord right along the Arctic Circle, the town, also known as the "gateway to Greenland," was a former U.S. Air Force base and is now home to Greenland's largest airport. Whitehorse, nicknamed the "Aurora Capital," is one of the country's premier spots to see the northern lights because of its high latitude. Plus, theres an observatory with a retractable roof for nightly northern lights viewing, as well as a staff of local astronomers who will show you the planets and the stars using Icelands largest telescope. Take northern lights photography lessons with an expert, explore the surrounding untouched wilderness or just relax in the spa, which is built around a plunge pool that is open to the aurora borealis-streaked skies. Weve ordered these alphabetically by country (i.e. the best Northern Lights hotels in Norway. You can even take a sleigh ride through the snow to a campsite on Lake Inari, where no light pollution at all makes this one of the world's best places to catch the aurora. 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. These are the best places to see the northern lights in 2020. There, visitors will find the Orkney Islands, a place that remains largely uninhabited even in the 21st century. [See more of Tasmania: Things to Do | Hotels | When to Visit | Photos ]. This island chain is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but autonomously governed, like Greenland. Although youre likely to see them anywhere in the park, you can increase your odds by visiting the Aurora Sky Station. New Zealand's winter months June to August are the best time to see the southern lights, but you can still view them in the spring (September to November) and in the fall (March to May). Even as late as the end of March or the beginning of April, you may still get a glimpse of these undulating rainbows. Aurora activity is frequent and widespread across the Yukon, with many excellent places to see the Northern Lights. You may even be able to see the northern lights from your room! Destinations known for northern lights are often expensive. Ilulissat is the most popular tourist destination in Greenland thanks to the Ilulissat Icefjord. Inside those unique accommodations, they can watch the sky overhead without ever having to venture out into the cold arctic air. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a moderate . 3. New England is one of the most densely populated parts of the United States. If you're up for the Arctic adventure, December is the ideal month to visit Abisko National Park, which is regarded as one of the best places on Earth to see the lights dance across the sky. Absolutely! The northern part of the country is dark in the early afternoon until late morning from the end of September to late March. In northern Sweden, theTreehotel is made up of six modern tree houses perched in the pines. But because the Earth's magnetic field tends to pull the energized particles towards the poles, the celestial light show tends to mostly be seen at a more northerlyor southerlylatitude. This post was originally written in October 2020, and was updated most recently in December 2022. US Travel: 25 Best Places To Visit In 2020, Where To Go Next: 27 Best Places To Travel In 2020, Ranked: The Worlds 10 Worst Cities To Live (3 Are In The US), This Cruise Line Is Making History With The First Women-Led Cruise, This is a BETA experience. Eeyou Istchee Baie-James. Without a doubt, Glacier National Park is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Montana. Expert aurora chasers recommend staying in the capital city of Hobart as a base. [Read: The Best Places for National Park Camping.]. Finska. With Canada's Aurora | 360 you can see the northern lights at eye level. [See more of Reykjavik: Things to Do | Tours | Hotels | When to Visit | Photos ]. 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. Sweden. The property also offers aurora-themed excursions and packages that include three-night tours and activities such as dog-sledding or private dining experiences. 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. The reason: Solar Cycle 25.It's an 11-year cycle in which the sun's magnetic . The 7th Room haspanoramic windows that make it perfect for spotting the northern lights. T he northern lights are an atmospheric phenomenon in which undulating waves of green, purple, and red lights dance across the sky. Watch the lights dance across the sky from the comfort of your bed. There, you can have a guided night tour with a Swedish fika (coffee and a pastry) or indulge in a four-course meal. Escape the hustle and bustle of our nation's capital with one of these refreshing weekend getaways. 11, 2017 12:07 pm EST The city of Fairbanks, Alaska, is a great place to start. Its only a 15-minute drive to the Rainy Falls Visitor Center where you can admire the northern sky and aurora from the coast. 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 best places to see the Northern Lights in 2023 are scattered on the most extreme latitudes of our planet: Iceland, Canada, Alaska, Norway, Finland. Still, Thingvellir National Park is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Iceland. Top 5 Best Places to See the Northern Lights, 23. Want northern lights viewing thats pretty much guaranteed? Enter Chena Hot Springs Resort, with . The entire area covers more than 38,000 square miles, much of which remains remote and untamed. When it comes to wildlife viewing, humpback whale sightings are abundant, and you'll still see penguin colonies including king and gentoo penguins. The northern part of the country is dark in . This has earned it an International Dark Sky Park designation. There, on a clear night, you'll get an unfettered look at the sky, which from September through March, is often ablaze with bright colors. By day, you can explore local history and cultural museums to get a sense for Russian history. Needless to say, this is unlike any other accommodation youve ever seen. 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. From this vantage point, you'll be able to see the Snfellsjkull glacier; Keilir, a volcanic mountain; and Esja, the mountain of Reykjavik. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Iceland is a popular destination for aurora watches, and for good reason. They can also learn more about the aurora borealis from guest speakers during the flight. 13, 2023, Rachael Hood and Lyn MettlerJan. Its location on the auroral oval makes it an excellent spot to go hunting for the Northern Lights. If you're on your own in the park, campsite docks offer some of the best spots for northern lights viewing and stargazing. A strong geomagnetic storm is expected to bring the Northern Lights further south than normal tonight. 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. Created by energized particles from the sun hitting the Earth's upper atmosphere, the aurora appears as a wave of light that dances across the night's sky. 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! As you might expect from a country thats as far north as Finland, there are alotof great spots where you can see the northern lights. In the winter months, Washington State isnt known for clear skies; the states reputation as a rainy and cloudy place is well-earned during the aurora-viewing season. Eye level summer months the Milky Way is visible across the sky and aurora from the comfort your! 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