The all-important question
The simple answer is that there is not one single best place to see the Aurora Borealis. But there are areas where you have the optimal chance of seeing them.
In Europe the Aurora is most frequently visible in the far North, in a band that stretches between 66°N and 69°N which we call The Aurora Zone (see below for more details), and as you would expect for a company with our name, all our holidays take place within these latitudes.
We have spent over 20 years hand selecting local experts to work with, and building holidays which maximise your Aurora viewing opportunities, whilst also offering the most incredible experiences in some of the most spectacular areas of Northern Europe.
The Aurora Zone
The Auroral band stretches across Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland and we feature a huge range of carefully designed holidays in these destinations.
As a naturally occurring phenomenon, the appearance of the Northern Lights is notoriously difficult to predict any further in advance than about two days before it happens, if it does then happen. So much is dependent on solar activity, the position of the Earth’s geomagnetic field and the weather. What we can say is the aurora season begins in late August and runs all the way through until early April. During this time, if you have a clear sky and you’re underneath the auroral oval in one of our destinations, you have a fantastic chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis
On occasion, if solar activity levels are very high, the Aurora can be seen further south, which is why in some rare situations, the lights can be visible in the UK. These displays, however, are nothing like what can be experienced when witnessing the same activity in Northern Scandinavia. What we can sometimes capture on our cameras here, is usually a full-blown Aurora storm which is completely visible to the naked eye in The Aurora Zone, and dances overhead in all its glory.
The Sun’s solar activity peaks and troughs every 11 years, and we are now the peak period of maximum activity which means there is an increased chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis in Northern Scandinavia. The means over the next couple of years, the number of times the Aurora is spotted from our destinations will increase, as will the strength of the storms. There hasn’t been a better time to book your trip to and with The Aurora Zone.
So how do I choose where to go?
We fully appreciate we have a wide range of options, and it can be hard to know where to start, but by asking a few simple questions you can really focus in on the best destination for your holiday. If you consider all our destinations to be in ideal Aurora territory, you can then begin to narrow holidays down more easily.
The Aurora can be seen between September and the end of March/very early April, and there is no ‘best time’ within that period. So, the first thing to ask is when can you travel? Then, how long would you like to travel for? If you have an idea of your budget too then that is always helpful. You can then either use the relevant filters on our All Holidays page which will output holidays which fit the criteria, or of course you can contact one of our Aurora Travel Experts who will help you narrow things down and make recommendations.
You can also look at the types of holidays we offer, are you a family looking to combine Aurora hunting with a Father Christmas visit, are you are couple wanting to stay in a glass roofed cabin? You will see multiple options on our website which will really help pinpoint the right trips.
Another thing to consider is how remote a destination you are looking for. You may like the idea of exploring the city of Tromsø or Reykjavik and staying in one of the modern hotels with access to fabulous restaurants. From the city you hunt the Northern Lights each evening by travelling away from the lights and into the wilds. Or perhaps, you may prefer one of our more remote destinations where the location is everything, and you can see the Northern Lights simply by stepping outside your accommodation.
