Is seeing the Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, on your bucket list? If so, you may want to start planning your trip now since the best time to see the Northern Lights is quickly approaching. Basically, the sun operates on approximately 11 year cycles where solar activity starts low, reaches a solar maximum, then declines again. During the solar maximum, the Northern Lights are more frequent and displays are stronger due to enhanced solar activity. Our current solar cycle is expected to reach solar maximum in July 2025. Overall, this makes both winter 2024 and 2025 the best time to see the Northern Lights.
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Best Places to see the Northern Lights
To see the Northern Lights, you will want to travel to northern latitudes when there are clear, dark skies. An ideal location will be in the Auroral Zone, a region between the Arctic Circle and North Pole. Each location will have its own recommended viewing window, and generally this will be during the wintertime. You’ll have to stay up late or stay at a hotel with a Northern Lights wakeup call as typically the best time to see the Northern Lights is between 10pm – 2am local time.
Keep in mind, no matter which location you choose there is never a guarantee that you will see the Northern Lights. Choose a destination with other activities that you will be happy to do and hope the Northern Lights make an appearance to put the cherry on top of your adventure.
Alaska
In the United States, Alaska offers some of the best Northern Lights viewing opportunities. Fairbanks is positioned within the Auroral Oval which gives you great chances of seeing the Lights. It’s estimated that if you stay 3 nights in Fairbanks actively looking for the Lights, then you have a 90% chance of seeing them. You’ll need to get outside the city away from any light pollution to have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Popular hotels include Borealis Basecamp and Chena Hot Springs Resort. If you prefer to stay in the city, consider booking a tour. For example, you could spend the day and night in the Arctic Circle or check out an Ice Museum and Hot Springs tour.
I personally chose to spend my Northern Lights vacation in Fairbanks at the Borealis Basecamp. Check out my full review of the experience.
Canada
There are several places around Northern Canada to view the Northern Lights including Whitehorse (Yukon), Churchill (Manitoba), and Yellowknife (Northwest Territories). In Whitehorse, you could stay at the Northern Lights Resort and Spa to enjoy mountain views with your Northern Lights sightings.
Churchill is another city directly beneath the Auroral Oval and has approximately 300 nights of auroral activity a year. This town is famous for attracting polar bears July – November while they wait for the sea ice to freeze over. You can try to time your Northern Lights expedition with when the polar bears will be in town to see both these natural wonders in one trip. However, skies are likely to be clearer for auroral viewing in February and March.
If you choose Yellowknife, you could check out the remote Blachford Lake Lodge. A charter flight is required to reach this hotel in the wilderness located underneath the Auroral Oval. Alternatively, a local tour operator offers a package that includes a hotel stay along with Auroral night hunting tours.
Finland
Finland’s Lapland region is a great area to see the Northern Lights. Choose from any of the towns in the region to base your stay. For a classic, glass igloo experience, check out Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. For a luxury stay, consider the Arctic Treehouse hotel.
Norway
Tromsø is consistently rated as one of the best spots to see the Northern Lights. Known as both the “capital of the Arctic” and “Paris of the North”, it provides an opportunity for cultural activities along with your Northern Lights viewing. If you will stay in the city, you can book a bus tour to help you get out and see the lights. Alternatively, if you are willing to drive outside the city you could try one of the many igloo options in Noway. Nothing beats seeing the Northern Lights from your own bed! Options include North Experience Basecamp and GLØD Aurora Canvas Dome. Norway even features ice hotels like Snowhotel Kirkenes.
Sweden
The best area to see the Northern Lights in Sweden shares its name with the region in Finland. In Sweden’s Lapland area you can choose to base your stay in several small towns in the region or Abisko National Park. There are many great Northern Lights focused hotels in the Lapland. One unique pick is the Arctic Bath hotel. Here, your room is literally floating on an icy arctic river. This wellness hotel is a great place to relax and rejuvenate while you see the Northern Lights. Another hotel pick in Sweden includes a hotel made of ice called Icehotel (or try Icehotel 365 for a regular hotel room onsite).
Iceland
Iceland is a popular destination for Northern Lights viewing, but note that winters tend to be cloudy so your chances may not be as high as some of the other locations mentioned here. If choosing Iceland, you can stay in Reykjavik and take a tour outside the city. For more information about Reykjavik check out my travel guide.
Other Activities for your Northern Lights Trip
No matter which location you choose to view the Northern lights, there won’t be a guarantee you see them. Make sure you plan some daytime activities so that Lights or not you still have a great trip. Activities will vary by location but generally may include dog sledding, reindeer rides, snowmobiling, snow shoeing, and sledding among other options. Many Northern Lights focused resorts offer packages that include activities onsite and provide accommodations made for easy Northern Lights viewing, like clear igloos.
After researching all the options, I chose to see the Northern Lights in February 2024 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Out of all the locations, Fairbanks was easiest for us to fly into and offers a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights. We stayed at the Borealis Basecamp and had sightings every night! Check out my full trip report and hotel review here.
Let me know where you are planning to see the Northern Lights in the comments.