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Witnessing the elusive northern lights flickering across the sky may cause you to gasp because it's actually that cool. The colorful ribbons of green and other hues look like something from outer space — and they are. The best place to see the northern lights is the one that fits in best with your future travel plans. No matter where you see the northern lights, or how long you have to wait in freezing cold to tick them off your bucket list, you've now got all the information — and inspiration — you need to make it happen. The best time to see the northern lights in Iceland is as deep into winter as you can go.
Enhance your experience
Norway, with its myriad of natural wonders, rich culture, and prime geographical location, offers one of the most exquisite Northern Lights experiences. Its natural beauty, combined with the ethereal dance of the lights, makes it an experience like no other. Many Northern Lights cruises are accompanied by experts who not only offer insights into the science behind the phenomenon but also give tips on photography, ensuring you capture the magic perfectly.
Admire The Aurora Borealis Amid Alaska's Wilds
Finding the best place to see the northern lights is critical, but it's not the only detail that matters. Before you go aurora chasing, brush up on the facts about this dazzling natural spectacle. This captivating phenomenon, also known as the aurora borealis, occurs near the polar regions due to the interaction of solar radiation with Earth's magnetic field. Surprisingly, the first historical mention of the lights is from a Babylonian king in about 500 B.C. You can book a nine-night sailing on Balmoral out of Newcastle — a shorter than typical trip due to the closer proximity of the departure point to Norway.
Hurtigruten Northern Lights cruise: A bucket list experience - Good Housekeeping uk
Hurtigruten Northern Lights cruise: A bucket list experience.
Posted: Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Visit The Northern Lights & Aurora Borealis With Ideal Timing
The expedition vessels are strategically positioned in areas with minimal light pollution, maximizing the chances of observing the vibrant colours and dancing lights of the Northern Lights against the Arctic night sky. Passengers will enjoy the magical display from the comfort of the ship, creating a truly extraordinary and unforgettable experience. The arctic viewing season for northern lights cruises is from late September to late March/early April, though the best months are December through March, when there are the longest hours of darkness and many clear night skies. Generally, skies are clearest near the spring and fall equinoxes in later September and March. Some late September/early October Alaska cruises can include northern lights sightings as well.
One of the highlights is visiting the Inuit village Ittoqqortoormiit, the region’s most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement, with its gregarious locals and scores of Greenlandic sled dogs. While aurora borealis activity happens year-round, the best time for a Northern Lights adventure is during the long winter months, when the windows for viewing them each night are longer and the skies darker. The conditions must be just right, but it's highly likely to see this magical and sometimes elusive scientific phenomenon on a Northern Lights cruise sailing the Arctic Circle during the long, dark winter nights. While the best time to see the northern lights is in the northern winter, this is flipped for the aurora australis, aka the southern lights.
Do cruisetours in Alaska improve my chances of seeing the lights?
This is one of the landings used to supply the Norwegian weather station at Olonkinbyen, a settlement situated on the eastern side of the island. Over the next few days we explore parts of Norway’s remarkable 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) coastline. Starting in North Cape, in the very north of the country, we make our way south, stopping in the Lofoten Islands and visiting mesmerising Mount Torghatten, famous for the hole through its centre. Our Northern Lights cruise sticks to the aurora zone in the Arctic Circle, but seeing the lights dance is only one part of your Northern Lights adventure. It is most frequently visible in high-latitude regions in the Arctic and Antarctica, but most accessible between 10° and 20° of the North Pole in a band called the ‘auroral zone’. It’s important to understand that this oval-shaped halo can shift slightly, and there are many factors at play that affect how bright the lights appear or if it’s possible to see them at all.
The most affordable option on this list, British cruise line P&O operates 12-day sailings to Norway year-round, but during the auroral season, there's a strong chance you'll see the northern lights while onboard. Guests embark in Southampton, England, before sailing north to Norway, traveling as far north as Tromsø, well north of the Arctic Circle. We recommend splurging on a room with windows for the best northern lights viewing options. However, those in interior cabins can always run up on deck — which you should do anyway to witness the full grandeur of the atmospheric phenomenon. Each fall, one or two of the ships in Cunard's legendary fleet head north for Norway, where guests are treated to scenic cruising along the coast. The 12-day itineraries depart from Southampton, England, before traveling to Alesund, Tromsø, Narvik, and Haugesund, sailing through majestic fjords along the way.
The excited, ionised atoms that enter our atmosphere through the poles emit light which, when emitted on a large scale, causes the phenomenon of the Southern and Northern Lights. Northern Lights experiences are best with a dark sky as the aurora is not strong enough to outshine the sunlight. If you don't have two or three weeks to take off work to go northern lights watching, consider Oceanwide Expeditions' eight-day aurora borealis sailings from Iceland to Greenland and back.
Alaska Cruises
Announcements (even opt-in late night wake-up calls) may be issued when there’s an opportunity to view the northern lights from your ship. Excursions may give you the opportunity to be transported to northern lights viewing spots by everything from buses and minivans to small boats and dogsleds. Both Hurtigruten Expeditions and the Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express, offer a good number of itineraries that showcase the Northern Lights. The Coastal Express serves as both a passenger cruise line and a lifeline for Norwegian coastal residents and these working ships transport locals’ cars, fjord towns’ freight and up to 1,000 total passengers on any given day. In the spirit of true expedition-style travel, we foster a culture of exploration and adventure throughout our Northern Lights tours. Vantage Explorations’ Northern Lights cruises are designed to offer adaptability in challenging environments, allowing you to immerse yourself in the experience and maximize your opportunities for exploration.
Each small group of kayakers (up to 10 per guide) will have their own intimate exploration of the small hidden bays and coasts that are inaccessible to Zodiacs. Of course, we also make time for your own shore excursions and wildlife encounters. Sea kayaking holidays in the humbling wilderness of Antarctica, the Arctic, and some of the world’s most biodiverse regions, are guaranteed to stir your soul. Paddle between brash ice and icebergs of all shapes and sizes, absorbing the majestic scenery as it unfolds before you. During the early morning, we cruise into Reykjavik and disembark at approximately 8.00 am.
A general rule is that the further north you go, the better your chances of seeing the Northern Lights. Norway is perhaps the most popular country for a Northern Lights cruise, though Iceland is also a good choice. Cunard offers cruises within the Arctic Circle visiting the Norwegian city of Tromsø, which is a known place to view the aurora borealis.
On a clear night in this city, you won’t have to travel far to see the Aurora Borealis. If you are looking for some of the best cruises to see the lights, Tromso has some great options for you. Because of the late-setting and early-rising midnight sun, it's way too light during the summer to see the northern lights in the destinations mentioned, though solar activity takes place year-round. Cunard Line and Hurtigruten are among the lines that visit northern Norway in the fall.
Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as you continue your onward journey. We stretch our legs on hikes across tundra in search of ancient graveyards and summer villages occupied 3,000 years ago by Inuit. The maze of calm, interconnecting waterways in this area provides excellent opportunities for sea kayaking. We will see ring seals, perhaps catch a glimpse of the elusive narwhal, and maybe even a polar bear hunting on pack ice. Enjoy a Zodiac cruise through spectacular Trollfjord, a gorge flanked by steep mountains and so narrow that it can only be accessed by small ships.
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