Persons are all the time asking me the place the most effective place to see the Northern Lights in Norway is, and the reply does rely a bit on what sort of journey you need. I’ve now lived in Norway for over 9 years, and half of that point was within the far north, so I’ve seen the Northern Lights in lots of locations in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. Listed here are my high suggestions.
One of the best place to see the Northern Lights in Norway: Tromsø
I often ship most individuals to Tromsø, Norway to see the Northern Lights, because it’s a sufficiently big metropolis to supply numerous Northern Lights excursions and different actions, and it’s far sufficient north to have very excessive aurora exercise. I lived in Tromsø for 2 years and often noticed the Northern Lights a number of instances per week within the winter.
However I do have another glorious ideas for locations to see the Northern Lights which can be typically even higher than Tromsø!
By all rights Norway needs to be the most effective place to see the Northern Lights in Europe – I imply, it reaches the farthest north – and but it has one large downfall that has ruined many a Northern Lights chasing tour.
Sorry, Northern Norway, however your climate sucks.
So in the event you head to one of many fashionable locations in Norway to see the Northern Lights like Tromsø, Bodø, Lofoten, or Alta, whereas there’s a really excessive probability that the Northern Lights might be dancing above you each evening you’re there, there’s additionally a excessive probability that the sky might be coated in clouds.
However wait! Don’t surrender on Norway fairly but. Whereas the climate in Norway is unpredictable, in the event you’re keen to drive round or take a Northern Lights tour, then your possibilities of seeing the Northern Lights in Norway are actually excessive, particularly in the event you’re staying for at the very least 5 days.
You see, Northern Norway is filled with mountains, which signifies that the climate can range loads even over brief distances. So your Northern Lights tour information ought to be capable of drive someplace with clear skies. Northern Norway can also be fairly slim, so it’s additionally attainable to your information to drive all the best way to Finland as properly.
So what I all the time inform individuals is that this: if you wish to expertise probably the most lovely panorama and are keen to pay for Northern Lights excursions (or are snug driving within the snow), undoubtedly head to Northern Norway. Yow will discover my high selections for the place to go to right here and the finest Northern Lights accommodations in Norway right here.
One of the best place to see Northern Lights in Sweden: Abisko
One other glorious place to see the Northern Lights is definitely in Sweden!
Abisko is a magical little village within the very north of Swedish Lapland, which is in the course of nowhere so there’s no gentle air pollution, and it lies instantly below the aurora oval, so there’s just about all the time going to be at the very least some aurora exercise there. The views listed below are nowhere close to as lovely as Norway, however your possibilities of seeing the Northern Lights even with no tour are glorious.
I’ve additionally written an in depth book masking all features of planning your northern lights journey, together with the most effective locations within the Nordics to see the northern lights, the most effective time to see the northern lights, my high northern lights lodging selections, tour choices, chase the northern lights (together with which apps I exploit), {photograph} and movie the northern lights, what to pack to your journey, and different thrilling Arctic actions to strive in your journey up North.
If you wish to guarantee you’ve got the most effective northern lights journey attainable, you possibly can buy the book right here.
The encircling mountains and lakes really pull any clouds away in order that it enjoys extra clear nights than practically anyplace else on the earth below the aurora oval.
And in the event you actually do have your coronary heart set on Norway, Abisko is definitely only a brief practice trip away from the Norwegian metropolis of Narvik, after which from Narvik you will get a bus (just like the Arctic Route bus) both to Lofoten or Tromsø. So it’s completely attainable to see the Northern Lights in Abisko and likewise expertise a few of Northern Norway!
How do I do know a lot about Abisko? I’d like to faux that I simply nerdily did all this analysis myself, however really I discovered about Abisko by means of my buddy Rachel who works in Abisko!
Rachel works for a Northern Lights tour firm, the place her associate is a pictures tour information and Rachel helps with admin work – which means that she actually does appear to know all the pieces about Abisko and the Northern Lights, together with spectacular figures like how previously 4 seasons 99% (400 out of 404) of the friends that joined considered one of their 4-day+ packages noticed the Northern Lights on at the very least considered one of their nights within the Park.
So principally in the event you can put aside at the very least 4 days to spend in Abisko you’re very practically assured to see the lights – particularly you probably have tour guides that can assist you chase them.
Actually there was cloudy and snowy climate forecast for each single evening I used to be in Abisko, but her associate’s excursions managed to see the lights each evening due to the Blue Gap opening up.
Like, did you simply learn that? EVERYONE: get yourselves to Abisko!!
One other little bit of insider information I acquired from Rachel is that individuals are already reserving their Northern Lights journeys for subsequent winter already within the spring.
I’m extra of a last-minute planner so I used to be really pondering of publishing this submit subsequent autumn, once I figured individuals would begin desirous about making journeys as much as see the Northern Lights, however nope, you must in all probability begin desirous about it now as excursions and lodging in Abisko can e book out actually rapidly.
The aurora season in Abisko begins in early November and finishes in late March.
I’ve written up a information to seeing the Northern Lights in Abisko on a price range, however in the event you do have the funds I might suggest reserving a tour for day by day you’re in Abisko and staying on the Abisko Turiststation.
There are many different lodging choices in Abisko, however the STF was my private favourite of the locations I noticed, and it’s conveniently situated on the foot of the Aurora Sky Station – a great viewing level for the aurora – in addition to the beginning of different trails and hikes out to aurora viewpoints. Plus they serve scrumptious Swedish pancakes at their lunch buffet on Thursdays! Verify present costs and availability right here
And whilst you undoubtedly don’t must be on a tour to see the Northern Lights, it does add an additional probability of seeing them as a result of your tour information will do all the pieces attainable that can assist you expertise them, even when it means they should drive you far out in the direction of clearer skies. You possibly can e book a Northern Lights tour with Rachel’s firm right here.
The tour can also be only a actually enjoyable expertise. Our information walked us as much as a tepee that he had arrange on a mountainside after which anytime we wished a relaxation from taking images we may go into the tepee and heat up in entrance of the fireplace. Or in the event you’re extra adventurous, you possibly can strive this Northern Lights snowmobile tour!
I spent the remainder of my nights in Abisko in Rachel’s camper or down on the close by lake. After we had been inside Rachel simply made positive to all the time have the Lights over Lapland aurora webcam up on her laptop – it updates each 5 minutes so we may see if we would have liked to go exterior.
Actually, on considered one of my final nights in Abisko it had been snowing all day, so I used to be completely caught off guard when late at evening Rachel beginning yelling at me to seize my tripod and get exterior. The Blue Gap of Abisko had opened as soon as once more, this time for a tremendous present!
It solely lasted for a couple of minutes, most of which Rachel and I spent laughing and falling over within the snow, so I didn’t actually get any good images of it. Uh, plus we had been in a truck depot, which isn’t probably the most photogenic place. However it was wonderful – and stable proof that the Blue Gap of Abisko actually is a factor.
One of the best place to see the Northern Lights in Finland: Saariselka
Now we are able to’t neglect about Finland! Northern Finland has numerous fashionable Northern Lights resorts, however the most effective is unquestionably as far north as attainable in Saariselka.
I’ve additionally stayed in Rovaniemi twice and liked it, however you’ll have higher possibilities of seeing the aurora in Saariselka, because it’s a lot farther north.
The beauty of visiting Finland to see the Northern Lights is that Finland has numerous Northern Lights resorts with glass igloos and glass roof cabins. Standing exterior all evening ready for the Northern Lights to seem is freezing enterprise, so it’s a lot nicer to do it from the consolation and heat of your mattress! I actually want Northern Norway had extra glass roof lodging choices.
I stayed on the Northern Lights Village in a cabin with a glass roof, which is a splurge however so price it! Plus they provide numerous enjoyable actions in the course of the day, so that you’ll have a tremendous time right here even in the event you don’t see the Northern Lights.
You possibly can examine my expertise on the Northern Lights Village right here.
