See The Northern Lights
Where To See The Northern Lights
To see the northern lights is an extremely common goal among travelers across the world. They are an amazing display of nature, which can only really be appreciated when seen in person, as photos do not do them justice. Many of these wishful travelers hold a false belief that the northern lights are quite difficult to see, or that they much venture to some isolated town deep in the arctic circle to see them. By the time you have finished reading, you should have an understanding of just how easy and potentially inexpensive it is to see the northern lights for yourself.
Best Places
Norway
The 'best' place to see the northern lights is debatable, and depends greatly on the time of year, weather and other environmental factors. In January, the arctic town of Tromso in northern Norway is an excellent place for viewing. Situated over 300km inside the arctic circle, the northern lights are a very common sight between 6pm and 1am daily. For the larger part of the month, Tromso lies in complete darkness as the sun never breaks the horizon. The biggest attraction of seeing the northern lights in Tromso is the northern lights festival, held to celebrate the first dawn of the year, and honor the lights. The host of international music and party atmosphere for the festival make this an excellent choice for you to see the northern lights.
Canada
Almost on the other side of the world, Canada also provides another excellent place to see the northern lights. A one hour snowmobile ride north of Lake Superior, Ontario, offers an awesome display of the lights. Similar to Tromso, this is one of the coldest options for your viewing, so make sure you rug up for the occasion! It is not recommended that you try to attempt the snowmobile journey yourself, especially if you have never lived in the area, so you should seek professional guidance. There are several tour operators that do just that, so be sure to look around for the best deals.
Iceland
The city of Reykjavik in Iceland also offers a great view of the lights. From the city itself, displays may not be as spectacular as others due to the amount of street lighting affecting the view. Further out of the city however, you can see the lights and still be close to all the action back in the city. Iceland is situated in one of the most active areas of the Aurora Ovals, where the northern lights are formed. This means as long as there is clear sky, the lights can almost always be seen.
We have only covered three countries in which it is possible to see the northern lights. Other options include Sweden, Finland, Lapland, and even Alaska. Chances are one of these places is within your travel range, so hopefully you are able to see the northern lights with a lot less money, and a lot less hassle then you originally thought.
Good luck on your travels and cross one more thing off that list!
The 'best' place to see the northern lights is debatable, and depends greatly on the time of year, weather and other environmental factors. In January, the arctic town of Tromso in northern Norway is an excellent place for viewing. Situated over 300km inside the arctic circle, the northern lights are a very common sight between 6pm and 1am daily. For the larger part of the month, Tromso lies in complete darkness as the sun never breaks the horizon. The biggest attraction of seeing the northern lights in Tromso is the northern lights festival, held to celebrate the first dawn of the year, and honor the lights. The host of international music and party atmosphere for the festival make this an excellent choice for you to see the northern lights.
Canada
Almost on the other side of the world, Canada also provides another excellent place to see the northern lights. A one hour snowmobile ride north of Lake Superior, Ontario, offers an awesome display of the lights. Similar to Tromso, this is one of the coldest options for your viewing, so make sure you rug up for the occasion! It is not recommended that you try to attempt the snowmobile journey yourself, especially if you have never lived in the area, so you should seek professional guidance. There are several tour operators that do just that, so be sure to look around for the best deals.
Iceland
The city of Reykjavik in Iceland also offers a great view of the lights. From the city itself, displays may not be as spectacular as others due to the amount of street lighting affecting the view. Further out of the city however, you can see the lights and still be close to all the action back in the city. Iceland is situated in one of the most active areas of the Aurora Ovals, where the northern lights are formed. This means as long as there is clear sky, the lights can almost always be seen.
We have only covered three countries in which it is possible to see the northern lights. Other options include Sweden, Finland, Lapland, and even Alaska. Chances are one of these places is within your travel range, so hopefully you are able to see the northern lights with a lot less money, and a lot less hassle then you originally thought.
Good luck on your travels and cross one more thing off that list!
