The northern lights are one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the northern skies. Dancing in shades of green, purple and sometimes even red, these mesmerizing lights attract travelers to northern destinations from all over the world. But where can you see the northern lights, and when do you have the best chance of witnessing them? While the northern lights can never be guaranteed at a specific place or time, choosing the right destination and time of year can significantly improve your chances.
In this guide, we explore when and where can you see the northern lights, which conditions affect their visibility, and the best places around the world to experience this incredible natural phenomenon.
- Summary: When and where can you see the northern lights?
- When can you see the northern lights?
- Where can you go to see the northern lights?
- Where can I see the northern lights in Europe?
- Is Norway or Finland better for the northern lights?
- Where can you see the northern lights in the USA?
- Which is the best country to see the northern lights?
- FAQ: When and where can to see the Northern Lights?
- Dreaming of a Northern Lights tour in Northern Finland? Get in touch!
- Sources
Summary: When and where can you see the northern lights?
Here are the 5 key takeaways from this article:
- The best time to see the northern lights is during the dark season.
- A dark and clear sky offers the best chances of seeing the northern lights. Cloud cover and light pollution can significantly reduce visibility, so it is worth choosing your viewing spot carefully.
- The farther north you travel, the better your chances of seeing the northern lights generally are.
- Finnish Lapland, Northern Norway and Sweden, Iceland, Alaska, and the northern parts of the United States are some of the best destinations for seeing the northern lights.
- Finland is an excellent choice for a northern lights trip. In Lapland, you can enjoy snowy nature, clean air, and plenty of other things to see and do alongside the northern lights.
When can you see the northern lights?
The northern lights occur throughout the year, but you need a dark and clear sky to see them. In northern regions, the best time to see the northern lights is generally from autumn to early spring. Here in Finnish Lapland, for example, the northern lights season begins in late summer as the nights grow darker and continues well into spring. The long, dark nights of winter offer especially good opportunities to see the northern lights.
Solar activity plays an important role in the appearance of the northern lights. The stronger the geomagnetic activity, the wider the area in which the northern lights may be visible. However, it is impossible to predict exactly when or where they will appear. They may light up the sky soon after dark or not until late at night, and cloud cover also has a major impact on visibility. This is why local knowledge and experienced guides can be invaluable when hunting for the northern lights. By monitoring the conditions and changing the viewing location when necessary, you can improve your chances of seeing them.
Where can you go to see the northern lights?
The northern lights are best seen in the northern parts of the world, especially around and above the Arctic Circle. As the Finnish Meteorological Institute explains in its article about the northern lights: “Typically, the northern lights can only be seen at the latitudes of northern Fennoscandia, Svalbard, Iceland, northern Canada, Alaska and Siberia.”
Fennoscandia includes Norway, Sweden and Finland, as well as Karelia and the Kola Peninsula in Russia.
In addition to geographical location, your surroundings can make a big difference. Look for a place with little artificial light and a clear, open view of the sky. Lakeshores, fells, forest clearings and sparsely populated areas are often among the best places to watch the northern lights.
Weather also plays an important role in visibility, as cloud cover can completely block the northern lights from view. A clear, cloudless sky therefore provides the best conditions for seeing them.
Where can I see the northern lights in Europe?
In Europe, the best chances of seeing the northern lights are in the northern parts of the continent. Northern Finland, Sweden and Norway, as well as Iceland, are particularly popular destinations for seeing the northern lights. Thanks to their northern location and long, dark season, the northern lights can be seen regularly in these regions when the conditions are right.
When choosing a destination for your northern lights trip, it is also worth considering the weather conditions, transport connections and local services. Think about how easily you can reach the destination by plane or train, how easy it is to get around once you arrive, and whether guided northern lights tours are available. It is also worth considering what other activities and experiences the destination has to offer.
Next, let’s take a closer look at some of the best countries in Europe for seeing the northern lights.
Finland
Finnish Lapland is one of the best destinations in Europe for seeing the northern lights. Its northern location, long and dark winter nights, and low levels of light pollution provide excellent conditions for northern lights viewing. From Rovaniemi, for example, you can quickly leave the city lights behind and head into the peaceful Lappish wilderness, where open lakes and forest clearings provide great spots for watching the sky.
Besides northern lights tours, there is plenty more to experience in Lapland. With us, you can join a reindeer tour, go ice fishing, admire the frozen waterfalls of Korouoma, explore the beautiful winter landscapes of Riisitunturi, or meet Arctic animals at Ranua Zoo. And of course, we can’t forget the magic of Santa Claus, which makes Rovaniemi truly one of a kind.
Norway
Northern Norway is a popular destination for seeing the northern lights. One of the best-known places is Tromsø, where the northern lights can be seen on dark, clear nights.
Norway’s coastline, with its mountains and fjords, also provides a beautiful setting for a northern lights trip. However, the weather can change quickly, and cloud cover can make it difficult to see the northern lights. It is therefore a good idea to keep an eye on the weather forecast and, if necessary, move to an area with clearer skies.
Sweden
Kiruna, both located far from the light pollution of major cities. Abisko, in particular, has become a popular destination for seeing the northern lights thanks to its often favorable weather conditions. In addition to northern lights viewing, the area offers beautiful mountain scenery, hiking opportunities, and a variety of winter activities in nature.
Iceland
Iceland is a great destination for a northern lights trip, as you can combine seeing the aurora with visits to many of the country’s best-known natural attractions. When conditions are right, the northern lights can be seen across the island, and there are plenty of dark viewing spots away from city lights. During the day, you can visit waterfalls, glaciers, hot springs, and Iceland’s rugged volcanic landscapes. However, the weather can change quickly, so it is worth being flexible with your plans and adjusting them according to the forecast.
Is Norway or Finland better for the northern lights?
Both Norway and Finland offer excellent opportunities to see the northern lights, so the choice largely depends on the kind of trip you are looking for. In Norway, you can admire the northern lights surrounded by fjords and mountains, while Finnish Lapland offers vast, sparsely populated areas with very little light pollution. There are plenty of dark viewing spots outside cities and towns. The inland weather conditions also differ from those on the Norwegian coast, where maritime weather can bring rapidly changing cloud cover.
Finland is also a great choice if you want to combine a northern lights tour with other Lapland experiences. During the same trip, you can join a reindeer or husky tour, enjoy a traditional Finnish sauna, and experience the magic of snow-covered Lapland.
But where in Finland should you go if seeing the northern lights is the main goal of your trip? Let’s take a look.
Which part of Finland can see the northern lights?
The farther north you travel in Finland, the better your chances of seeing the northern lights generally are. This is why Lapland is an excellent choice for a northern lights trip. Great destinations can be found from Rovaniemi all the way to the northernmost parts of Finland.
Rovaniemi is a particularly convenient base, as the city’s services are close at hand and the surrounding Lappish nature is easy to reach. However, our northern lights tours are not limited to the areas around Rovaniemi. If cloud cover or other conditions make it difficult to see the northern lights nearby, we can travel farther in search of clearer skies.
For us, a northern lights tour is about more than simply searching for the northern lights. As we explain in our introduction, our tours are also about experiencing the real Lapland, its nature and atmosphere, together with our local guides:
“From Northern Lights adventures and reindeer experiences to peaceful days in Arctic nature, our team is here to make your journey personal, safe and unforgettable.”
Where can you see the northern lights in the USA?
In the United States, Alaska is the best place to see the northern lights. However, the northern lights are not limited to Alaska. During periods of strong geomagnetic activity, they can also be seen in the northern parts of the continental United States.
Next, let’s take a look at some of the best places to see the northern lights in the US.
Alaska
Alaska is by far the best-known northern lights destination in the United States. One of the most popular places is Fairbanks, where the northern lights season stretches from late summer well into spring.
North Dakota
North Dakota’s northern location and wide-open landscapes make it one of the more interesting places to see the northern lights in the continental United States. Low levels of light pollution in more remote areas make it much easier to watch the northern lights.
Northern Washington
In Northern Washington, seeing the northern lights usually requires stronger-than-usual solar activity and a bit of luck. Good viewing spots can be found in the mountainous areas and along lakeshores in the northern part of the state. The northern lights often appear close to the northern horizon here, so it is worth choosing a viewing spot with a clear view to the north.
Minnesota
One of the best-known places to see the northern lights in Minnesota is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near the Canadian border. Its remote location and very low levels of light pollution provide good conditions for watching the night sky. However, seeing the northern lights here usually requires significantly elevated geomagnetic activity.
Michigan
In Michigan, the Upper Peninsula is one of the best areas to look for the northern lights. The shores of the Great Lakes and areas with little light pollution offer good viewing spots when the northern lights are visible farther south than usual.
Which is the best country to see the northern lights?
If you had to choose just one country for a northern lights trip, Finland would be a strong contender for the top spot. Finnish Lapland is far enough north that the northern lights can be seen regularly throughout the dark season. The sparse population and low levels of light pollution outside the cities also mean there are plenty of great places to watch the sky
The northern lights are, of course, one of Lapland’s biggest attractions, but the nature alone makes the journey worthwhile. The landscapes are breathtaking, and the air, among the cleanest in the world, makes the experience even more special. It really is easy to breathe here!
Another reason Finland stands out as a northern lights destination is that there is so much more to experience during the same trip. Since the northern lights can never be guaranteed, having plenty of other things to see and do means the trip can still be memorable even on those rare occasions when the sky decides not to put on a light show of its own.
FAQ: When and where can to see the Northern Lights?
Yes. The northern lights can also be seen during a full moon. Bright moonlight makes the night sky lighter and can make very faint auroras harder to spot, but strong northern lights remain visible despite the moonlight. A full moon can also beautifully illuminate the snowy landscape, making the northern lights experience and photographs even more spectacular.
Generally, no. The northern lights occur far above the clouds, so thick cloud cover can block them from view. You may sometimes see the northern lights through thin or broken clouds, but clear skies offer by far the best chance of seeing them.
Where you can see the northern lights tonight depends mainly on aurora activity, cloud cover, and where you are in the world. In northern regions, such as Finnish Lapland and Alaska, the northern lights may be visible even on a typical clear winter night. Farther south, seeing them usually requires stronger-than-usual solar activity.
Before heading outside, we recommend checking the latest northern lights forecast and cloud cover for your area. If both look promising, head away from city lights and find a spot with a wide, open view of the sky.
Dreaming of a Northern Lights tour in Northern Finland? Get in touch!
At My Lapland Travel, we don’t simply wait for the northern lights in one predetermined location. Instead, we keep an eye on the conditions throughout the evening and use our local knowledge to search for the northern lights wherever the chances of seeing them are best. Sometimes we find them quickly, while other nights the search turns into a longer adventure. That’s what makes every trip different.
Our local Finnish guides monitor the weather, cloud cover, and aurora conditions and head wherever the skies look most promising. Our small-group tours are arranged in a comfortable van for a maximum of eight guests. Along the way, we can stop to take in the scenery and enjoy a campfire and some snacks surrounded by the nature of Lapland.
Dreaming of your own northern lights adventure in Northern Finland? Get in touch or book a northern lights tour that suits your budget and join us in search of Lapland’s most spectacular light show!
Sources
Northern Lights Tour from Rovaniemi Across Lapland