Look out the window of your plane if youre flying overnight close to the Arctic Circle. The National . It's situated in a forested area on Lake Saadjrv, which is one of the 10 deepest and largest lakes in the country. [Read: The Top Things to Do in Michigan.]. Best Place to See Northern Lights . Voyageurs is Minnesota's only national park; it's also unique in that, for much of the year, the water-based park's interior is accessible only by water. 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! The best places to see the aurora borealis offer little to no light pollution, clear skies and no precipitation. Photo credit: Mauri Joensen via Flickr. This is a short-term forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora. Look for 15 unique art suites, a ceremony hall for weddings, an outdoor installation,a frozen-over amusement park and an observation deck thats perfect for viewing the northern lights. Its not cheapstaying here costs a cool 95,000 (about $105,000), which includesa one-night stay in the North Pole, as well astwo nights in nearby Svalbard, plus transportation, meals and guides. 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. The city sits directly beneath the auroral oval, which is a ring centered around the magnetic North Pole where the sun's energized particles gather. As one might imagine, the Faroe Islands are the best place to see the northern lights in Denmark. Several destinations in Estonia are popular with local aurora chasers, but Saadjrv is one of the top picks for consistent sightings. If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. Eeyou Istchee Baie-James. Northern Lights and Arctic Cultures trip, Canadian Arctic. Try to find a place where the sky is clear, dark and free of clouds. This cruise packing list includes all the essentials plus the items you didn't know you needed. But there's another phenomenon that causes the northern lightscoronal holes. The most basic rule for catching the northern lights is to go somewhere dark - and with Iceland's sparse population, there's no shortage of places that fit the . Find the best travel insurance for you with these U.S. News ratings, which factor in expert and consumer recommendations. Here are some of the top places to see the aurora in County Donegal: While it doesnt make every list for where to see the aurora in Ireland, County Mayo has a few spots worth considering. Guests can opt to head out by car to see the aurora, view it by snowmobile or go snowshoeing in pursuit of the lights. Greenland may not be the most accessible place to travel for viewing the northern lights, but those who make it there will be thrilled they did. Lisa Jacobs/Flickr. People here in Connecticut may get a rare chance to see the Northern Lights this weekend. Its on every astrotourists bucket list and its one of the most popular bucket list activities for non-space geeks too: see the northern lights. The small Swedish village of Jukkasjrvi sits around 125 miles above the Arctic Circle on the Torne River and is an ideal locale for aurora viewing. The bitter cold that often comes with witnessing the northern lights can be a real deterrent. This spectacle is more elusive since there's less land mass in this part of the world and fewer viewing spots to see the show. Nestled in Canada's westernmost part, the views here of the aurora borealis are one of the best. Perlan is also home to the world's first indoor ice cave and glacier exploratorium. This group of captivating islands, located about 10 miles from Scotland's remote northern coast, is one of the best places to see the northern nights in the country. This massive fjord was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and is something anyone visiting town must see. On the Alaska Northern Lights Multi-Active Private, youll snowmobile, mush a dog sled and relax in a private hot spring, all beneath the dancing northern sky. best time and places to see Northern Lights in Sweden. The new Kelo-Glass igloosare attached to a log chalet and each havea private sauna and fireplace. My name is Valerie, and I'm the founder of Space Tourism Guide! Year-round aurora viewing is also possible on evenings with clear dark skies, but the best time to see the show is during the winter. If you'd prefer to chase the lights with a curated tour, Visit Abisko leads 4.5-hour tours with professional photographers and aurora-chasing guides in October and November. By day, you can explore local history and cultural museums to get a sense for Russian history. Like its Scandinavian counterparts, darkness comes early and stays late throughout the fall and winter monthsa prime time to visit if you want to see the Northern Lights for yourself. Among northern states, Michigan was one of the first to embrace the dark sky preservation movement. Read on to learn the best places where you can see the aurora in America. That said, the city of Rovaniemi is among the best places in Finland to see the Northern Lights. Theres only one place! Lets just say these are all of the best places to see the northern lights in the world you just have to choose how far youre willing to travel! That means theres no artificial light around to obscure the extraterrestrial view. Sweden is one of the best spots for aurora viewing in the Northern Hemisphere, with the northern part of the country known as Swedish Lapland at the top of the list. The rooms also feature beds with reindeer hides and thermal sleeping bags so you can bundle up during the night. One of best places to view the northern lights on the planet is the mountaintop Aurora Sky StationinSwedish Lapland. Another way to take northern lights viewing to new heights: aboard theAurora 360 Experience. This natural wonder can be found here up to 150 times a year. When it comes to lodging, the property features traditional rooms, suites, villas and cabins. The northern part of the country is dark in the early afternoon until late morning from the end of September to late March. The hotel also organizes an ice-cap tour nearby. When it comes to wildlife viewing, humpback whale sightings are abundant, and you'll still see penguin colonies including king and gentoo penguins. The beautiful Mackinac Bridge that traverses the Straits of Mackinac and connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan is one of the best places in the state to make a perfect northern lights photo. This iconic property situated along the shoreline of Lake Huron is happy to notify guests of potential northern lights sightings, no matter when they occur throughout the night. 3. Its location on the auroral oval makes it an excellent spot to go hunting for the Northern Lights. Top Rated: Last minute places for couples: CT, IL, CA, MD, VT, VA, Atlanta, From Chicago, MD beaches. Tags: Travel, Alaska Vacations, Europe Vacations, US Vacations, Vacation Ideas. Needless to say, this is unlike any other accommodation youve ever seen. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content. Manitoba is best known for polar bears, the Hudson Bay, and the northern lights in winter. Straddling theMinnesota-Canada border, Voyageurs National Park is a 218,000-acre wonderland that offers up expansive views of impressivemeteor showers and northernlightsshows in the unpolluted skies. Located less than 10 miles from the Russian border in Finnish Lapland, this remote Arctic destination is a top-rated locale to view the northern lights due to the lack of light pollution. 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. 5. 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. But some placeslike Abisko National Parkare especially outstanding. Embrace the winter and set sail for the Arctic Circle to experience the aurora in northern Norway. Because of its protection as a national park, theres limited development and less light pollution. There you have it: the 25 best places to see the northern lights in the world. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. There, visitors will find the Orkney Islands, a place that remains largely uninhabited even in the 21st century. Think again. The Stamford Town Center will turn into a 20,000-square-foot interactive holiday event featuring reindeer, lights and more until Dec. 24. Share this to help others enjoy the night sky! Adventure | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, The 10 best places to see the Northern Lights in 2023, Composition is the most important skill to develop, A star tracker is probably the best tool to improv, We are almost at the end of the Northern Lights se, We have just created a complete guide to photograp, A series of long exposure landscape images capture, The best time to photograph the Milky Way arch in, We are just about to start the first Capture the A. best time and places to see Northern Lights in Iceland. Villages such as Klondike, Campbell, and Whitehorse make excellent base camps for travelers, and as usual, you'll want to leave the city lights behind to get the full experience. The winter nights comealive in Alberta. While you're at the property, take advantage of the guided Northern Lights Safari by snowmobile or embark on a Moose Safari on Horseback atop an Icelandic horse. She grew up in Alaska, has lived across the U.S., and traveled around the world to enjoy the night sky from many different perspectives. 3. Artists Point, Grand Marais, Cook County - This location in Grand Marais supplies beautiful views of the lights at night and Lake Superior during the day. For optimum aurora viewing away from the light pollution, head to skjuhli. Jkulsrln is a breathtaking glacial lake, and is one of Icelands greatest natural wonders and most popular tourist attractions. Svart Hotel with a view of the northern lights. Dubbed the Land of the Midnight Sun, Fairbanks is located in the region of interior Alaska. In order to increase your chances of seeing this spectacle, you should time your trip to anew moon. How to photograph the Milky Way + 2023 Viewing Chart! Theres a UFO treehouse, a birds nest, a cabin treehouse, a mirror cube treehouse, a blue cone treehouse and the newest addition: the 7th Room, designed by cutting-edge architectural firm Snhetta. 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. Ultimately, the best place and time to see Northern Lights is above 65 N latitude, between late September to March. Its combination of ideal location, clear skies, and low population makes it an optimal spot for witnessing this incredible phenomenon. 1. Saariselk is well-known for its glass igloos where you can sleep under the open starry sky and see the northern lights from a bed. Sweden. You can book two- or four-person igloos at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. Cruise lines that offer March voyages include Scenic, Silversea Cruises, Aurora Expeditions, Viking and Ponant. For the best chances to see aurora borealis, get away from city lights and look north between 10 p.m. Thursday and 3 a.m. Friday. 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. A strong geomagnetic storm is expected to bring the Northern Lights further south than normal tonight. With its clear skies and mountainous landscape, Swedens Abisko National Park provides a very good opportunity to see the Northern Lights. Keep your curtains open and you may even see the Northern Lights from your room. 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. Jasper National Park (and its largest town, Banff) host a dark sky festival each October where people travel from around the world to view the dark skies, learn astronomy, and listen to live music while the northern lights dance overhead. This area in Finnish Lapland is known for its stunning scenery, Smi culture, cross-country and downhill skiing, and Urho Kekkonen National Park one of Finland's largest parks. 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. From here you'll be able to reach several great viewing locations with unobstructed and open views along the southern and southeast coastlines. New Zealand's winter months June to August are the best time to see the southern lights, but you can still view them in the spring (September to November) and in the fall (March to May). Heres another novel way to experience the magic of thenorthernlights: by rail. But one of the most memorable destinations is in Saariselk, where visitors will find the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. These tours take place in the Autumn months when the weather is still relatively warm. In fact, they have awhole section about iton their website! This has earned it an International Dark Sky Park designation. There are few places where you can stargaze while floating in a canoe within a million-acre (404,685 ha) wilderness. The northern lights are most visible here between the end of August and April and approximately 200 times a year so there are many opportunities for aurora spotting. She will personally wake you up or send you an SMS when the aurora spectacle is high. Connecticut Trolley Museum, 58 N Rd #9606, East Windsor, CT 06088, USA. With the village's origins dating back to the 17th century, you'll still find some of the original homesteads, including an old timber cottage. The mountainous island is the only place on the planet where it's entirely possible to see the aurora 365 days a year due to its latitude and its moderate seasonal and light changes. The Aurora might be visible at 45 degrees, 30 degrees or even lower on the horizon depending on its brightness. In addition to its strategic location, Whitehorse also has the longest season for viewing the northern lights in Canada. I hope you find resources here to help you do just that. Those who prefer to sleep in a warm, cozy bed and not camp in the park under the stars can make reservations at the Cantilever Distillery + Hotel, a boutique Trademark Collection by Wyndham property in the nearby town of Ranier, Minnesota. 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. Northern states, Michigan was one of best places to see the northern lights, CT,. Is unlike any other accommodation youve ever seen well-known for its glass igloos where you can two-. The views here of the first to embrace the winter and set sail for the northern lights s another that! [ Read: the 25 best places to view the northern lights..... 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