Northern Lights Holidays

The occurrence of the northern lights is influenced by solar activity, geomagnetic conditions and local weather, so we carefully select the locations of our trips, ensuring we only travel to the best areas, at the best time of year. These include Greenland, northern Norway and Finnish Lapland. As the northern lights are a natural phenomenon and sightings cannot always be guaranteed, we recommend combining your holiday with other interests, such as wildlife watching or photography.

Witnessing the northern lights is a bucket list experience like no other. The delicate display of shimmering lights, against the dark backdrop of starry night-skies, creates a sense of wonder and awe. Combined with unique wildlife encounters, such as Arctic fox, pods of orcas or humpback whales and our expert tour leaders, those that are lucky enough to see them are sure to return home with memories that last a lifetime and a newfound appreciation for the beauty and grandeur of our planet.

What are the northern lights?

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are created by an interaction between charged particles from the sun and the Earth's magnetic field. When these energetic solar particles collide, they release energy in the form of light. This cosmic reaction manifests as vibrant, colourful bands of light dancing across the night sky, offering a truly magical and unforgettable sight to witness. The colours observed depend on the type of gas in the Earth's atmosphere and its altitude. Oxygen usually produces green and red light, while nitrogen contributes to blue and purple hues. This natural phenomenon predominately occurs within the Arctic Circle between September and April. It's important to note that the occurrence of the northern lights is influenced by solar activity, geomagnetic conditions, and local weather, making it a natural spectacle that can vary in intensity and frequency.

Our northern light watching trips

We offer a range of northern lights tours. Some of our trips have a strong focus on the northern lights, with several opportunities to look out for them. In Iceland, we have our Orcas & Northern Lights holiday, and in Norway, you can choose from our Fjords, Orca & Aurora Photography Expedition, or for non-photographers, there’s our Northern Lights & Lapland Birds trip. In addition to these trips, we also have a variety of holidays to remote locations where there’s a good possibility to see the aurora borealis in the evenings, most notably Wild Canada in Winter and Arctic Fox Photography.

Where's the best place to see the northern lights?

Travelling far north to high-latitude regions closer to the magnetic pole, such as Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland or Canada, increases your chances of seeing the northern lights. It's best to travel when the nights are longer, providing more darkness for the lights to be visible. The best time to see the northern lights is during the Arctic winter months, from September to April. It’s important to avoid bright lights and visit areas with little light pollution to maximise visibility. Our guided tours are operated in remote locations, within the Arctic Circle, away from artificial light, which increases our chances of witnessing this celestial light spectacle.