You hear about northern lights more often than southern lights (aurora australis) because there are fewer locations to see auroras from the Southern Hemisphere. In this column, "Transformative Travel," I look at how travel can change women's lives. If you’re really keen on seeing them and want to take your monitoring a step further, download this monitoring app. In winter, the lodge can arrange outings with photographers who take guests on light-chasing excursions and can teach you how to take photos of the northern lights. Head to Yellowknife, which is known as the “Aurora Capital of North America,” thanks to its prime location and excellent viewing conditions. In the air. It’s possible to be too far north to see the northern lights—such is the case in northern Greenland. However, if you'd like to avoid the crowds, Alaska is a great option. 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. When to see the Northern Lights? View a … On the shores of Great Slave Lake, travelers have a 95% chance of spotting the lights. That means there’s no artificial light around to obscure the extraterrestrial view. The trip includes relaxing in the hot waters of the Secret Lagoon, the country’s oldest natural geothermal swimming pool. Check out the new Aurora Glass Chalets at the Northern Lights Resort and Spa, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows for prime northern lights views from your queen-size bed. All rights reserved. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. Nights need to be cold and the sky clear of clouds, with limited light pollution and increased solar activity. Northern Lights Alerts. The night skies here are often clear and sparkling, which makes it a fantastic place to see the Northern Lights dance above the mountaintops. Take northern lights photography lessons with an expert, explore the surrounding untouched wilderness or just relax in the spa, which is built around a plunge pool that is open to the aurora borealis-streaked skies. Imagine broad streaks of green, red, blue and purple lights dancing to the rhythms of silent celestial melodies across the night sky. The first time I filmed an aurora was from an icebreaker near Antarctica. What it does. Expect viewings from a glass Aurora Pod, inside heated domes with 360-degree views, from an isolated cabin deep in the boreal forest and in a tepee warmed by a campfire at a dog musher’s camp. Still, the northern lights are the star of the show. Visitors can even opt for a guided tour for expert viewing advice. Bonus: The town’s street lights are turned off every night to help maximize the viewing. But don’t limit yourself: You can also spot the southern lights in the southern hemisphere. But head farther south for beautiful auroras and attractions like Qaleraliq Glacier, which has small floating icebergs even in summer. Don’t Do This, Mastering Your Body’s Response To Stress In Business, 5 Statistics Employers Need To Know About The Remote Workforce, ‘Momnibus’ Bill Takes Aim At Reducing Black Maternal Deaths, At 21, She Suffered Four Strokes. Across the country, sky watchers can take in the dancing lights from outdoor hot tubs, inside Buubble lodges, and from hot spring lagoons. The effect of the northern lights inside Icelandair’s Hekla Aurora plane. The Northern Lights appear in the magnetic polar regions of the north and south hemispheres and their colour can vary from white, green, pink and purple. The northern lights stream down above Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Another tip: Weather is also key. The mentioned locations provide some kind of infrastructure, like tours, observation points etc. Brits who have always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights won't need to venture too far!. To see the Northern Lights you need dark skies and from early-April until late-August, the Aurora may be blazing across the Arctic firmament but it is visible only to scientific equipment, as the skies are just too light for the human eye to see the show. In high activity you can even spy the northern lights from the suburbs of Reykjavík; the Grotta Lighthouse is a popular viewing spot. Daylight hours become longer and, in many parts of Canada, the springtime rains bring lots of cloudy skies. The North Pole Igloos, where you can now stay for $105,000 for one night. An Alaska cruise with Cunard on the Queen Elizabeth is one of the best ways to see the Northern Lights, especially in August or September. I have been the editor-in-chief of Yahoo Travel, which was named the top online travel magazine under my leadership. However, if you’re in a dark place with little light pollution, you can see the northern lights as late as May. Northern Lights and Arctic Cultures trip, Canadian Arctic. Witness the hypnotizing astronomical greens, reds, purples and yellows of the aurora borealis in some of the world’s largest dark sky preserves, including Wood Buffalo, Elk Island and Jasper National Parks. Svart Hotel with a view of the northern lights. It’s not cheap—staying here costs a cool €95,000 (about $105,000), which includes a one-night stay in the North Pole, as well as two nights in nearby Svalbard, plus transportation, meals and guides. Stay at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which offers dark-sky experiences. Inland northern British Columbia, such as Dawson Creek, is a great place to spend a night with your eyes to sky before beginning a trip up the Alaska Highway. Natural Habitat Adventures is introducing its very first Arctic expedition exclusively for women. 2. In the two-story timber-frame lodge, owners Annie and Mike Hooper showcase Alaskan artists, with works on display throughout the property. Another way to take northern lights viewing to new heights: aboard the Aurora 360 Experience. I’m a travel and lifestyle authority and a content strategist who works with brands to create powerful storytelling. Spotting the aurora borealis from a train in Russia. Witnessing the northern lights is a transformational bucket-list experience that many people wait years—even a lifetime—to see, since the conditions need to be perfect for this spectacular display to take place. When to Go: Year round, but your best chances are near equinoxes. A fjord reflects the glowing green light of an aurora near Tromsø, Norway. Aurora Inn, the best Northern Lights hotel in Dawson City Another top accommodation to see the Aurora in Yukon, this time from Dawson City, is the Aurora Inn.They offer great quality food, some rooms with jacuzzi, and the opportunity to take a step away from the city and see a display of the Northern Lights. In Fairbanks itself, residents see the northern lights on about eight of every 10 nights, Deehr said. Photograph by Babak Tafreshi, Nat Geo Image Collection, Related: Stunning Time-lapse Video of Iceland's Northern Lights, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/7-aurora-destinations.html, find out how to join the Launch Party and help set a Guinness World Record. Destinations known for northern lights are often expensive. In Fairbanks, Alaska, the sky glows with the aurora borealis. Located along Wisconsin’s northern coast of Lake Superior, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is your best bet to try and see the northern lights in Wisconsin. Northern Lights Cruise, Alaska. Both the latitude and longitude of the country favor aurora viewing, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate. Northern Norway is among the most comfortable and interesting places to see the northern lights and to experience the unbelievable colours move across the Arctic sky. Fairbanks, Utqiagvik, and Coldfoot are among the best places to visit for a chance to see the northern lights. With nearly 2.5 million hectares of untouched wilderness, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, located about 383 kilometers north of Anchorage, is a favorite destination for campers and hikers because of its wide open spaces, beautiful mountain vistas and abundant wildlife.The park is also one of the best places in the U.S. to see the northern lights, thanks to the lack of light pollution. Try moonless nights. At the 7 Fells Hostel in Finland, the owner Tinja—a retired backpacker—is serious when it comes to spotting the lights. And here’s more good news: The travel industry wants to help you spot the northern lights with new hotels, specially tailored tours—even one that’s aimed at women—and other unique experiences. A view of Steve, a northern lights phenomenon, over the Patricia Lake in Alberta's Jasper National ... [+] Park. The best time to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. In Alaska, anywhere from Fairbanks north offers good viewing. Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, M’Care Brings Equitable Healthcare Access To Rural Africa With Mobile Connectivity, Ten Legal Mistakes To Avoid As An Entrepreneur, How Judy Collins Returns To Her Musical And Activist Roots, How To Decide Whether An Idea Is A Trailblazer Or A Bad One, Want A Six-Figure Course Launch? Travelers who fly on Icelandair can get a taste of the phenomenon before they even reach Iceland when flying on Icelandair’s Hekla Aurora plane, which is painted in the colors of an Icelandic winter landscape on the exterior. For Churchill and Wood Buffalo, early August to early May. The 7th Room has panoramic windows that make it perfect for spotting the northern lights. © 2021 Forbes Media LLC. A view of the northern lights and the Aurora Sky Station. At Finland’s Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort you can spy the northern lights through a glass igloo. Transformative Travel: I look at how travel can change lives. The northern lights sparkle above the teepees at Aurora Village in Yellowknife, Canada, the “Aurora ... [+] Capital of North America.”. Set in an extreme, rugged landscape, the property also includes a seaside sauna, a concert space, a “Tower for Big Thoughts” and—of course—killer northern lights views. The aurora borealis spreads out above Prosperous Lake in Yellowknife, Canada. Your best shot to see the aurora borealis is September through mid-May. Plus, there’s an observatory with a retractable roof for nightly northern lights viewing, as well as a staff of local astronomers who will show you the planets and the stars using Iceland’s largest telescope. “What better way to minimize the cloud cover then getting above them and being surrounded by the northern lights?” says Icelandair’s Sigríður Einarsdóttir, who has witnessed the lights on multiple occasions in flight. The result is a colorful, dancing light show. Canada is an aurora viewing paradise, thanks to its northern latitude and low light pollution; elsewhere in the country, Wood Buffalo and Jasper National Park are popular viewing spots. And another perk: Cunard is celebrating its 180th Anniversary with special sales available on many voyages between July 2020 and May 2022, including Alaska. And remember: Besides weather, a dark sky and the right season are the keys. These are the closest accessible places to the south magnetic pole, outside of Antarctica. Alberta is even home to a group called the Alberta Aurora Chasers that numbers 25,000 strong; they’re credited for discovering a northern lights phenomenon called "Steve" that shows up as a bright pink streak in the sky. “Like the weather in Iceland, the lights are unpredictable, however the forecast can be tracked to some extent to give you the most likely time to experience the lights from the ground,” she says. "We wanted to create a space for women who are ready for the next big adventure of their lives, where they can feel empowered to be themselves in one of the wildest places on the planet," said Van Dinther. Iceland. In order to increase your chances of seeing this spectacle, you should time your trip to a new moon. Seeking out the northern lights in Iceland. You can also watch the northern lights from a cozy teepee at Aurora Village, an Aboriginal-owned experience that also offers custom-made, heated outdoor seats that swivel 360 degrees to catch every angle of the aurora borealis. Or head to Takhini Hot Springs, where you can connect mind and body as you watch the aurora borealis while soaking in 107-degree mineral waters. The weather here is much more stable than the Norwegian coast, but it’s colder too. You can see the northern lights in Canada in the spring, but the chances of seeing them decrease as the summer approaches. For luxury in the wilderness, take a bush plane to Blachford Lake Lodge, a fly-in eco-lodge with viewing from a hot tub under the stars and more. To see the northern lights in British Columbia, you’ll need to get away from more than the city. The glass igloos at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finland.