Aurora: Best places in the world to see the Northern Lights REVEALED (Image: Getty Images)
The Northern Lights are an impressive sight to see but they’re not always easy to find, so it\s vital tourists head to the right locations to witness the amazing display.
The aurora borealis is created from a collision between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the atmosphere of the earth.
They only appear at night when the sky is dark and can appear in green, pinks and violets, dazzling those who are lucky enough to catch them.
Travel company Trailfinders have rounded up the top four places to go visit the lights.
Aurora: Best places in the world to see the Northern Lights REVEALED
Norway
Northern Norway is the best places to head to catch the aurora between late September and late March.
In the Arctic Circle, there are numerous remote locations where there is little light pollution, giving you the best possible chance to spot the Northern Lights.
Finnmark is a county in the extreme northeastern part of Norway. There, in a town called Alta is the world’s first Northern Light observatory.
It was built here at the end of the nineteenth century and earned the town the nickname “The Town of the Northern Lights.”
Trailfinders package
4 days/3 nights from £429 per person, including 3 nights accommodation, Hot drinks and snacks at Aurora viewings, Whitehorse City Tour, 3 Northern Lights viewing excursions from Whitehorse, Return airport transfers in Whitehorse. Flights not included. Departs 18 Aug – 13 Apr. (020 7084 6500; Trailfinders.com)
Aurora: The Northern Lights appears all over Swedish Lapland from around the beginning of September (Image: Getty Images)
Sweden
The Northern Lights appears all over Swedish Lapland from around the beginning of September to around the end of March.
The best area of Sweden to see them is the region from Jokkmokk to the northern border with Norway
A place that offers a high chance of spotting the aurora in Aurora Sky Station in Abisko National Park.
Abisko is surrounded by mountains and is known for its clear skies, increasing the likelihood of visitors spotting the display. There’s even a chair lift to take you up to the observation tower.
Trailfinders package:
7 days/6 nights from £1949 per person, including Return transfers, 4 nights simple accommodation, 1-night wilderness camp & 1-night Icehotel, 14 meals, Arctic clothing! Flights not included. Departs 28 Dec- 17 Mar. (020 7084 6500; Trailfinders.com)
Aurora: Finnmark is a county in the extreme northeastern part of Norway where you can see the show (Image: Getty Images)
Iceland
In Iceland, the lights can be seen for eight months of the year – depending on luck – from early September to the end of April.
The Westfjords and north Iceland offer the best opportunities for the light as these areas have longer hours of darkness – roughly twenty-two in total.
Camping is a great way to spot them as your chances of seeing the lights are vastly increased. Campsites are often rural and so have far less light pollutions.
If you’re in Reykjavík, head to the Grótta lighthouse, on the Seltjarnarnes Peninsula in the north-westernmost point of the capital.
There’s little light pollution and even a geothermal tub to help keep you warm.
Trailfinders package:
4 days/3 nights from £445 per person, including 3 nights accommodation, return transfers, Northern Lights Deluxe Evening Tour from Reykjavik, Blue Lagoon in Comfort Experience. Flights not included. Departs 1 Nov – 15 March. (020 7084 6500; Trailfinders.com)
Aurora: Yukon is a vast, mountainous and sparsely populated wilderness in northwest Canada (Image: Getty Images)
Yukon, Canada
Yukon is a vast, mountainous and sparsely populated wilderness in northwest Canada which has hardly changed over time.
The northern lights here can appear as soon as dark night skies begin to return. They can be viewed from mid-August through to mid-April.
Visitors can be taken out by snowmobile or dogsleds away from light pollution to see them if staying in a town.
Whitehorse, and the surrounding wilderness, are only a two and a half hour flight from Vancouver but offer one of the best vantage points to witness the aurora borealis light up the night sky.
Trailfinders package:
4 days/3 nights from £429 per person, including 3 nights accommodation, Hot drinks and snacks at Aurora viewings, Whitehorse City Tour, 3 Northern Lights viewing excursions from Whitehorse, Return airport transfers in Whitehorse. Flights not included. Departs 18 Aug – 13 Apr. (020 7084 6500; Trailfinders.com) https://www.trailfinders.scot/tours/canada-and-alaska/northern-canada/tour-northern-lights-of-yukon
