Northern lights tours & vacations

The best time to see the northern lights is from late September to late March. These are mostly the winter months in the north and have fewer sunlight hours meaning more time for the lights to show up at night.

The best places to see the northern lights are all in the aurora zone – an area that stretches around the Northern Hemisphere at a latitude of about 66 to 69 degrees north – including parts of:

The northern lights are caused by electrically charged particles from the sun colliding with elements in our atmosphere (such as nitrogen and oxygen), creating brightly coloured dancing displays of light.

Because they are a natural phenomenon, the northern lights can never be fully guaranteed.

When on a trip to see the lights, your local leader will monitor the aurora forecast for your location and take you to the viewing locations that give the best likelihood of the lights.

Yes, the northern lights can be predicted to some extent. There are several factors that influence spotting the northern lights, these include:

• Being in a location in the aurora zone
• Moving away from areas with light pollution
• Long hours of dark skies
• Clear and cloudless conditions
• Days around the spring and autumn equinoxes
• Certain times during the solar cycle, such as the solar maximum.

Yes, you can see the northern lights with the naked eye. Humans can most easily see the green and white of the lights at night.

A camera, however, does not have the same limitations as the human eye, so the colours may appear brighter and more brilliant in photos.

Yes, you can photograph the northern lights.

You’ll want to set your camera on a tripod and ensure it has a manual mode functionality so you can adjust the aperture and shutter speed to capture the spectacular display best.

We believe travel should be accessible to everyone. Although some destinations and itineraries may be more accessible than others, we'll do our best to accommodate your needs, make reasonable adjustments where possible or guide you toward the most suitable trips. Get in touch with our friendly adventure consultants to chat about your options.

Our Tailor-Made team can also help you plan a customised trip just for you.