That makes it a great destination for stargazing in general and for experiencing the aurora borealis specifically. This island chain is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but autonomously governed, like Greenland. The aircrafts main cabin features dramatic LED-lighting that mimics the northern lights. While there are no major cities to be found in the entire country, the village of Kangerlussuaq is regarded as the "Gateway to Greenland." They occur when waves of energized particles from the sun called . The northern lights sparkle above the teepees at Aurora Village in Yellowknife, Canada, the Aurora [+] Capital of North America.. The area is extremely remote, and visitors will also have the chance to see animals like . Lapland is a region that stretches across the northernmost sections of Finland and Sweden and is home to the Indigenous Sami people. 4. Its on every astrotourists bucket list and its one of the most popular bucket list activities for non-space geeks too: see the northern lights. While lesser known, polar lights called aurora australis appear in the Southern Hemisphere and are visible in places like Antarctica, Tasmania and New Zealand. 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. The largest urban area in Northern Norway and the world's third largest city above the Arctic Circle, Troms lies . When you're not chasing the lights, enjoy other Arctic activities like a husky safari, ice fishing, snowmobiling or a day in the snow meeting the local reindeer. Copyright, Juan Pelegrn. This position gives it uniquely exceptional conditions for viewing the Northern Lights. But dont limit yourself: You can also spot the southern lights in the southern hemisphere. If you want to maximize your chances of witnessing the phenomenon, however, come from September through March, when the sky is frequently painted green, yellow, and violet on most clear nights. The route extends around the coastline of the entire country, allowing visitors to chase the Northern Lights each night based on their projected intensity and visibility. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content. Its position under the auroral oval also makes it an excellent spot to view the Northern Lights. . The Northern Lights viewing season is short, running from May through September. These tours take place in the Autumn months when the weather is still relatively warm. Northern Hemisphere. Absolutely! Visitors can even camp on a nearby ice sheet while basking in the glow. During other times of the year, Cunard also offers special Northern Lights cruises in Norway. The 7 Best Northern Lights Tours Around the World, Isle Royale National Park: The Complete Guide, The 20 Best Hot Springs Destinations in the World, Weather in Sweden: Climate, Seasons, and Average Monthly Temperature, The 10 Best Beaches to See Bioluminescence, 20 RV Campsites and Dark Sky Parks for Stargazing, How to See the Northern Lights in Iceland, Where to See the Northern Lights in Sweden, Scandinavia and the Nordic Region: Planning Your Trip, Where to Go in 2021: 10 Future Trips You Can Start Planning Now. Late-season expedition cruises to the last continent offered in March also bring the opportunity to view the southern lights and enjoy Antarctica's fleeting summer. There is a three-night package available where you can watch this amazing phenomenon from the comfort of a cabin. Jkulsrln is a breathtaking glacial lake, and is one of Icelands greatest natural wonders and most popular tourist attractions. 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. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm watch into Thursday. You can catch an even better glimpse from the top of the Greenland Ice Cap. 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. The North Pole Igloos, where you can now stay for $105,000 for one night. It is during those months that solar activity is at its highest, and the skies are most likely to be clear of clouds and light pollution. This is due to its high latitude and proximity to major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Fairbanks, you can see the aurora almost anywhere on a strong night. Bonus: The towns street lights are turned off every night to help maximize the viewing. From big-city adventures to small-town escapes, these locales highlight some of Middle America's top destinations. 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. Gwen Pratesi and Amanda NorcrossJan. 12, 2023, Lyn Mettler and Timothy J. ForsterJan. For a bucket list experience, watch the impressive light show from a glass igloo at Santa's Hotel Aurora in Luosto. Because of its northern location, during the peak season, you can see the northern lights from inside of the city as well as in the surroundings. 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. But some placeslike Abisko National Parkare especially outstanding. Still, Thingvellir National Park is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Iceland. Eeyou Istchee Baie-James. If you're visiting between late April and the end of October, splurge on a stay at the Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island. Enter Chena Hot Springs Resort, with . 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. 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. Fairbanks, Alaska, ranks among the best locations in the U.S. for viewing the Northern Lights. These experienced operators watch weather and aurora reports closely and know the best places to take travelers to see the Northern Lights. This cruise packing list includes all the essentials plus the items you didn't know you needed. In order to increase your chances of seeing this spectacle, you should time your trip to anew moon. Days are spent snowshoeing, igloo-building and dog sledding, while evenings will be spent in search of the northern lights. You may even be able to see the northern lights from your room! My name is Valerie, and I'm the founder of Space Tourism Guide! The new Kelo-Glass igloosare attached to a log chalet and each havea private sauna and fireplace. 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. Visit Troms sells aurora-watching trips around the city of Troms in Norway. Many people overlook Greenland as an aurora destination, but Kangerlussuaq is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. But there's another phenomenon that causes the northern lightscoronal holes. The town is located about 15 miles north of Tartu in central Estonia's Tartu County. 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. That's right - you don't need to board a plane to Norway in order to see this phenomenon. 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. Hotel Kangerlussuaq , 3910 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland; +299 841180 Fairbanks, Alaska. 3. There you have it: the 25 best places to see the northern lights in the world. The Aurora Bubbles are even equipped with a laser-heated glass roof that opens up overhead and into the night sky. Viewing the northern lights in Iceland with Butterfield & Robinson. How frustrating it can be to spend hours waiting for the northern lights, only to learn that your location is a bit off for the day's best viewing. You can read more about these 5 spots below, as well as 20 alternatives that are also good spots to see the northern lights but less popular and/or further off the beaten path. #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. Vast portions of Iceland are rural or undeveloped, meaning you can find places to spot the northern lights all over the country. READ MORE: Where To Go Next: 27 Best Places To Travel In 2020. Get up close to that . Its location on the auroral oval makes it an excellent spot to go hunting for the Northern Lights. 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. That said, the city of Rovaniemi is among the best places in Finland to see the Northern Lights. The best places in the world are usually closer to the Arctic Circle, including Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Lapland is located within the Arctic Circle in the northernmost part of Finland. 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. This property also offers Kelo-Glass Igloos that combine the comforts of a log chalet with the visibility of the glass roof. Canada, Denmark, Finland, etc.) Soak in the springs, and don't forget your snowshoes. This phenomenon occurs when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth's atmosphere and collide with gaseous particles, such as oxygen and nitrogen. The Aurora Borealis. 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. The Shetland Islands are the British Isles closest to the North Pole. Top 5 Best Places to See the Northern Lights, 23. Visitors can expect to see the lights on an average of four out of five clear nights during aurora season, which lasts from August 21 to April 21. The northern part of the country is dark in the early afternoon until late morning from the end of September to late March. Sweden is another Scandinavian country where the Northern Lights are visible from just about anywhere. To get there, head toAbisko National Parkand ride a 20-minute chairlift to the viewing tower. It's also a quieter time to visit as many of the expedition lines have moved their ships to warmer regions around the world. [Read: The Best Places for National Park Camping.]. Another good location to chase evasive Northern Lights is the remote wilderness of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James in Northern Quebec. Use the airline's app or make an international call if your flight has been canceled. However, you will have to contend with the light from nearby communities like Bar Harbor when trying to view the northern sky from Cadillac Mountain. What better way to minimize the cloud cover then getting above them and being surrounded by the northern lights? says Icelandairs Sigrur Einarsdttir, who has witnessed the lights on multiple occasions in flight. 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. And since the lodge is off-the-grid, theres minimal artificial light to interfere with prime aurora viewing. (Getty Images). Places to spot the aurora close to town are Inganess Bay and Wideford Hill. If you really want the best chance of experiencing the Aurora Borealis in all its glory, then this is where you want to go. See the northern lights without getting out of bed at one of these hotels. There, you can have a guided night tour with a Swedish fika (coffee and a pastry) or indulge in a four-course meal. Mackinaw City. Courtesy of Sherman Hogue/Explore Fairbanks. It also gets surprisingly dark here at night, which makes it a fantastic spot to view the Northern Lights. Top Rated: Last minute places for couples: CT, IL, CA, MD, VT, VA, Atlanta, From Chicago, MD beaches. If you're patient and the weather cooperates, chances are, you won't be disappointed. I had the chance to visit Mayo Dark Sky Park last year just after they received dark sky park designation, and can attest that its incredibly dark here! the best Northern Lights hotels in Canada, the best time and places to see Northern Lights in Canada. This group of captivating islands, located about 10 miles from Scotland's remote northern coast, is one of the best places to see the northern nights in the country. Spotting the northern lights from The Lodge at Black Rapids in Alaska. Just pick a town and go. Business Aug 18, 2022 Nearly Two-Thirds of Successful CEOs Say . Manitoba is best known for polar bears, the Hudson Bay, and the northern lights in winter. It's situated in a forested area on Lake Saadjrv, which is one of the 10 deepest and largest lakes in the country. The Aurora might be visible at 45 degrees, 30 degrees or even lower on the horizon depending on its brightness. On the Golden Circle: Platinum Tour With Northern Lights, youll get the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure featuring handpicked sites within Icelands famousGolden Circleregion. The best places to see northern lights in Saariselk are the snowshoe track around Saariselk chapel, Javri restaurant, and the top of Kaunisp fell. Milky Way Calendar 2023 Best Milky Way viewing planner, Even though Iceland is not above the Arctic Circle, there are very. In fact, most guided tour options will visit Murmansk as part of the itinerary. Your best shot to see the aurora borealis is September through mid-May. After a long wait, Swedens highly anticipatedArctic Bath Hotel and Spaa floating architectural wonderis finally set to open in January, 2020. This time of year brings cold evenings with clear skies, which makes for ideal viewing conditions. The auroras are active in Voyageurs all year round and can be seen during any month of the year. During the day, head out on reindeer and snow tank safaris. Norway. Fairbanks is the second-largest city in Alaska and a popular spot on the tourist circuit. One of those special places is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness within Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. This massive glacier, which covers 80% of the country, is accessible in Kangerlussuaq. Dubbed the Land of the Midnight Sun, Fairbanks is located in the region of interior Alaska. Weve ordered these alphabetically by country (i.e. In a country where the Northern Lights are a common occurrence, Troms is quite possibly the best place to witness the light show for yourself. 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. Liard River Hot Springs, further north, is a bucket-list must. This beautiful place is under the Auroral Oval, a ring-shaped zone showcasing much of the action. Maine's Acadia National Park is also a designated International Dark Sky Park that offers opportunities to see the Northern Lights. Like its Scandinavian counterparts, darkness comes early and stays late throughout the fall and winter monthsa prime time to visit if you want to see the Northern Lights for yourself. 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. While there, you can also spend a magical evening outdoors under star-filled skies during a sleigh ride through the snow-covered forests. Destinations known for northern lights are often expensive. Officially named a Dark Sky Preserve, Jasper National Park is one of Albertas and Canadas most picturesque locations and is quickly becoming a tourist hotspot. Theres a UFO treehouse, a birds nest, a cabin treehouse, a mirror cube treehouse, a blue cone treehouse and the newest addition: the 7th Room, designed by cutting-edge architectural firm Snhetta. Witnessing the northern lights is a transformational bucket-list experience that many people wait yearseven a lifetimeto see, since the conditions need to be perfect for this spectacular display to take place. Travelers stay in heated glass-enclosed igloos with a glass ceiling roof and glass walls that allowguests to view the northern lights from bed. Heres another novel way to experience the magic of thenorthernlights: by rail. People here in Connecticut may get a rare chance to see the Northern Lights this weekend. Northern Lights Resort and Spa, Canada. Because the Nothern Lights are less predictable in Acadia, an app such as My Aurora Forecast & Alerts (iOS/Android) can be very helpful for timing a visit to the park. 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