Northern Lights trips, tours and holidays to see the Aurora Borealis.

• When to see them
• Best conditions
• The Aurora in the UK

The Northern Lights
The beautiful natural phenomenon that is the Northern Lights is a result of geomagnetic storms caused by collisions between electrically charged particles hurled from the sun on solar winds. These particles enter the atmosphere of the earth and are attracted to the magnetic poles, giving rise to the curtains of shimmering light that are the 'Aurora Borealis' in the North and the 'Aurora Australis' in the South.

Where to see them
Aurorae occur most regularly and are at their brightest within a belt 2,500 km out from the poles, and the closer you get to the poles the better chance you have of seeing them. Practically speaking this means places like Iceland, Greenland, Scandinavia, Alaska and Northern Canada are the best bets for reasonably sure sightings; but in times of high geomagnetic activity they are visible in Scotland and have even, rarely, been spotted as far South as the Mediterranean.

Southern Auroras can be seen around Antarctica and in the South Indian Ocean.

When to see them

The best Aurora sightings happen when there is a large amount of solar activity and this peaks in roughly 11-year cycles. Scientists predict that the next peak started around 2012/3.

It's generally considered that the best seasons for Northern Light tours are Autumn and Spring when nights are longer and darker, but temperatures are not too extreme. There also tends to be more magnetic activity around the time of the equinoxes (March-April, Sept-Oct). But remember that Aurora happen throughout the year and it's possible to see them during the Summer months too.

The best conditions

The Nothern Lights are best seen at night in clear, dark conditions, away from other light sources like street lighting or bright moonlight.

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Northern Lights holidays, trips to search for the Aurora Borealis

FEATURED AURORA BOREALIS TRIPS

NORWAY: Northern Lights photo/video tour

Small and rather special expeditions to Norway to photograph and video the amazing Northern Lights – the video above is well worth watching to get an idea of what can be seen.
These trips are very different to many standard Aurora excursions and include photography and video making tuition from a professional television cameraman. Travel from Tromso is by road and snow scooter and the accommodation is in mountain cabins. The package also includes food, use of the snow scooter and ice fishing.
Dates, price and full details ...

FEATURED VIDEO

Hurtigruten – special Northern Lights cruises in Arctic Norway

Check the Northern Lights directory from the top»

SCOTLAND NORTHERN LIGHTS

The Northern Lights in Scotand & the UK

The Scottish lights are known as 'Fir Chlis' in Scots Gaelic, usually translated to mean 'merry dancers' – a very apt name for the shimmering, constantly moving lights. The far North of the mainland and the Northern Isles of Shetland and Orkney are the most likely places to spot them.

For more information about the Northern Lights and on viewng them in the UK see this article from the British Geological Survey.

NORTHERN LIGHTS: DIRECTORY

Aurora Sky Station

based: Abisko, Sweden

website: auroraskystation.com

Located in Abisko in the heart of the auroral zone, where the normally cloud-free sky provides what are considered to be the best conditions for seeing the Aurora Borealis. The mountain top Sky Station offers very basic overnight accommodation, a restaurant and an Aurora exhibition.

| Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis | Norway |

GeoWorld Travel Ltd

located: Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK

website: geoworldtravel.com

Geologically themed holidays, Worldwide and also in Wales and other parts of the UK; aimed at all levels from enthusiasts to experts – whether you want to have the dramatic scenery explained, discover fossils, visit volcanoes or the polar regions. Also expedition cruises and Northern Lights and Wildlife focused trips.

Northern Tales

based: Yukon, Canada

website: auroraborealisyukon.com

Northern Lights and Aurora Borealis tours in the Yukon. Offering a range of packages incliding combination trips that include a spa, fall colours, a music festival, remote cosy cabin option, and the Yukon Quest International Dog Sled Race.

| Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis | Canada |

Spaceport Sweden

based: Lapland, Sweden

website: spaceportsweden.com

For an even closer look at the Northern Lights in Kiruna, Swedish Lapland, this very unique space tourism flight starts with a briefing at the famous Icehotel® (where you can also stay). Spaceport Sweden has been set up to advance Swedish space tourism, so expect more amazing tours like this in the future!

| astronomy/space | Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis | Sweden |

Alaska Best Wilderness

based: Alaska, USA

website: alaskabestwilderness.com

Guided dog sledding expeditions in remote Alaska; drive your own sled team.

| dog sledding | Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis | North America |

Alaska Vacation Store

based: Alaska, USA

website: alaskavacationstore.com

Activity vacations in Alaska, including the Northern Lights, kayaking and sled dog tours.

Hotel Rangá

based: Hella, Iceland

website: hotelranga.is/northern-lights

Luxury 4-star hotel in a rural area of Southern Iceland, without light pollution, in an ideal position for viewing the lights; special Aurora services are available.

| Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis | Iceland |

Magnetic North Travel

based: East Midlands, UK

website: magneticnorthtravel.com

Tailor-made Northern Lights holidays and short breaks in Scandinavia.

NORSC Holidays

based: Dorset, UK

website: norsc.co.uk

See the NORSC Tromso and Northern Lights break to Arctic Norway in winter.

| Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis | Norway |

Tundra Inn

based: Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

website: tundrainn.com

Enjoy a combined dog sledding and northern lights package. Sledding with an an experienced local musher and viewing the lights from the comfort and warmth of a Tundra Buggy.

| dog sledding | Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis | Canada |

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Or visit phenomenon like live volcanoes here»