As Shetland lies closer to the North Pole than any other part of Britain, it's the best place to see the Northern Lights. You can also watch for elephant seals, leopard seals, wandering albatross and other species of birds. I had the chance to visit Mayo Dark Sky Park last year just after they received dark sky park designation, and can attest that its incredibly dark here! US Travel: 25 Best Places To Visit In 2020, Where To Go Next: 27 Best Places To Travel In 2020, Ranked: The Worlds 10 Worst Cities To Live (3 Are In The US), This Cruise Line Is Making History With The First Women-Led Cruise, This is a BETA experience. The legendary Icehotelthe world's first hotel of ice and snow inthe north ofSwedenis celebrating its 30th anniversary with dazzling new installments and an ephemeral art exhibition. In the U.K., the Northern Lights are known as the "Merry Dancers," and the best place to see them is on a remote archipelago off the northern coast of Scotland. CONNECTICUT A rare glimpse of the Northern Lights could treat Connecticut residents as the spectacular sky show is predicted to be visible in northern U.S. states on Saturday. One of the worlds best locations to behold the aurora borealis, Canada is home to 80-90% of all accessible land located under the Aurora Oval, the area with the strongest geomagnetic activityproducing the worlds brightest and most frequent displays of the northern lights. That said, the city of Rovaniemi is among the best places in Finland to see the Northern Lights. The northern reaches of Norway are nicely nestled within the Arctic circle, and the mega-long nights in winter make perfect aurora viewing conditions. Embrace the winter and set sail for the Arctic Circle to experience the aurora in northern Norway. Iceland is a popular destination for aurora watches, and for good reason. The park's mountainous terrain and clear dark skies offer dramatic front-row seats for viewing the lights. Witnessing the northern lights is a transformational bucket-list experience that many people wait yearseven a lifetimeto see, since the conditions need to be perfect for this spectacular display to take place. Voyageurs National Parkis another great spot to see the northern lights in Minnesota. There is a chance that people in parts of Connecticut could get the rare chance to see the Northern Lights tonight after a change in the forecast late last night and it comes at a time when we . Where can you experience all of these things? Its the best way to see thenorthernlights, explore ice caves and avoid the crowds. 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 mushers camp. Located on a fjord right along the Arctic Circle, the town, also known as the "gateway to Greenland," was a former U.S. Air Force base and is now home to Greenland's largest airport. Nestled in Canada's westernmost part, the views here of the aurora borealis are one of the best. Headlands International Dark Sky Parkwas one of the first ten dark sky parks in the world, established in 2011! A short drive from Whitehorse in Yukon at 60.6 North, the Northern Lights Resort and Spa features chalets with vast windows and an outdoor jacuzzi. If you're on your own in the park, campsite docks offer some of the best spots for northern lights viewing and stargazing. The city sits 220 miles above the Arctic Circle, and during the long nights of winter, it is possible to see the auroras while in town. The cruise ends in Bergen. This massive fjord was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and is something anyone visiting town must see. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, make reservations to stay overnight in unique camping accommodations at Aurora Village to view the lights. Looking ahead, 2021 will bring the new Svart, an architectural spectacle set at the foot of Norways second-largest glacier. Best places to see the Northern Lights in Fairbanks. The trip includes relaxing in the hot waters of theSecret Lagoon, the countrys oldest natural geothermal swimming pool. Saariselk is also known for its glass igloos, which are perfect for snuggling up and staying warm while viewing the aurora. Those can last for months, and, as Rodney explains: "as the sun . Another way to take northern lights viewing to new heights: aboard theAurora 360 Experience. Like Norway, Finland has plenty of great places to spot the Northern Lights, particularly in its Lapland region. Just pick a town and go. You can reach Stewart Island by flying into Oban or taking a ferry from Invercargill or Bluff. The Faroe Islands, Denmark. Located across Puget Sound from bustling and brightSeattle, you can make your way to the small communities of Port Angeles or Sequim to base yourself for a weekend chasing the aurora. Stay away from places with street lightning such as Lerwick or you will be disappointed. These states are: Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Vermont. For U.S. citizens, the top no-passport-required destination for seeing the northern lights is Alaska. The property has an impressive selection of year-round tours and activities, including northern lights excursions on horseback or by horse drawn carriage or you can head out on a quad bike to see the show. Sweden is another Scandinavian country where the Northern Lights are visible from just about anywhere. The lights are visible throughout most of Norway, but the best places to see them are in the northern regions, such as Troms, Alta, and Narvik. While the auroras are on display regularly in the Orkneys, they are not as predictable and reliable as they are in some other places. See the northern lights on a towed sled in Iceland. The route extends around the coastline of the entire country, allowing visitors to chase the Northern Lights each night based on their projected intensity and visibility. Think again. Those . Its definitely going to be on your itinerary during a winter trip because Fairbanks is ideally located for viewing the northern lights. With its arctic location and dark skies, Yellowknife is one of the most famous places in Canada to see the northern lights. Visit Troms sells aurora-watching trips around the city of Troms in Norway. But if you're lucky enough to travel to see the aurora australis, you'll be rewarded with brilliant displays of color in shades of green, blue, purple, pink, or orange and gold. Abisko: Home to Abisko National Park and the Aurora Sky Observatory. When geomagnetic storms are big enough, the northern lights can be visible as far south as . You may opt-out by. 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This beautiful place is under the Auroral Oval, a ring-shaped zone showcasing much of the action. Visitors to Troms will find plenty of local guides who offer aurora tours. best time and places to see Northern Lights in Alaska. For a festive holiday experience in the winter, visit the Santa Claus House in the city of North Pole (around 15 miles southeast of Fairbanks). See the northern lights without getting out of bed at one of these hotels. They occur when waves of energized particles from the sun called . For further exploration of the region, the Nellim Wilderness Hotel offers the perfect base with year-round activities, including aurora-chasing tours. For excellent chances of aurora viewing, book a private igloo at Borealis Basecamp, a top glamping resort located on 100 remote acres of boreal forest about 25 miles from Fairbanks. If you're up for a chilly overnight adventure, reserve accommodations at the world's first Icehotel 365 in one of its artist-designed cold suites. Its undeveloped enough that youll encounter little light pollution and a great option for those in Glasgow who want to see the northern lights. But heres the good news: The time is right to get a glimpse of the aurora borealis. Seeking out the northern lights in Iceland. With this extreme darkness, there are more opportunities to see the aurora. This natural wonder can be found here up to 150 times a year. Thanks to longer hours of darkness and clear night skies, December through March is usually thebesttime to observe this elusive natural phenomenon (though you can sometimes see the northern lights starting as early as August). Yukon is a top spot to view the lights in Western Canada. However, you will have to contend with the light from nearby communities like Bar Harbor when trying to view the northern sky from Cadillac Mountain. The Shetlands are one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Scotland. Tasmania sits approximately 150 miles south of Australia between the Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea. Most often, those waves are green in color, but they can also be yellow, red, orange, blue, and even white. #shorts For many outdoor enthusiasts seeing the Northern Lights is at the top of their list and is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Murmansk is generally considered one of the top destinations in Russia for seeing the aurora. To help you narrow down a literal hemisphere of places to try and see the northern lights, weve pulled together the best places to see the northern lights from all of the posts weve written so far. When you come here to see the Northern Lights, you have a chance of photographing two amazing works of nature at once! Christmas is just a few days away, and if you're in the mood to celebrate, consider taking a family drive and enjoying these beautiful and enchanting neighborhood Christmas lights displays. Even as late as the end of March or the beginning of April, you may still get a glimpse of these undulating rainbows. Washington Observatory, a scientific and educational nonprofit atop that peak, has seen the northern lights about three dozen times in the past 15 years . This is especially true during the winter months. In the air. Svart Hotel with a view of the northern lights. This cruise packing list includes all the essentials plus the items you didn't know you needed. From soft to firm and everywhere in between, these travel pillows are the best options for your next trip. There, visitors will find the Orkney Islands, a place that remains largely uninhabited even in the 21st century. The summer months, between December and February, make it more difficult to spot the aurora, but there's still a chance you'll catch a glimpse of the lights between midnight and 4 a.m. For accommodations during your aurora-chasing adventure, reserve a room with a view over Halfmoon Bay and the Foveaux Strait at Stewart Island Lodge, an intimate bed-and-breakfast. Experts from the National Park Service are onboard to provide commentary, offering guests insight on what they are viewing. Not only does it have excellent restaurants and accommodations, but it also has good access to the Ring Road. This Viking Ocean Cruises itinerary is offered from mid-January to mid-March. Still, the northern lights are the star of the show. Some of the most popular places are near towns or interesting geologic features, but if youre traveling Iceland on your own, you can set up pretty much anywhere on a good night and get a great view. 3. If you want to explore this remote Arctic region further and have the incredible opportunity to see Greenland's endangered polar bears Quark Expeditions offers a 20-day tour that starts in Toronto and sails round trip from Kangerlussaq in mid-September. It is even possible to doze off in a warm bed while the auroras dance overhead, making this a comfortable and enchanting way to enjoy this unique setting. Phone +1 218-283-6600. The resort village is also one of the prime spots in the world to view the northern lights as it sits within the "aurora zone" and there are as many as 200 opportunities per year to see the show. In order to increase your chances of seeing this spectacle, you should time your trip to anew moon. These destinations will inspire even the most experienced aurora chaser. rather than attempting to rank them from best to worst. Before jumping into the full list of great places to see the aurora borealis, I thought it might be good to start with five of the best ones. 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