Northern Lights (Aurora) Season & Best Destinations
📅 When: Northern Lights season: roughly late August/September to March/April (dark skies needed). Forecasts are only reliable ~hours to days ahead.
ℹ️ Aurora can't be scheduled — use NOAA SWPC 30-minute forecasts and local cloud forecasts.
🗺️ Where it's visible: Auroral oval: northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada. Southern Lights: Tasmania, New Zealand's South Island.
NOAA aurora forecast ↗📍 Best viewing destinations
Tromsø, Norway
Under the auroral oval with mild coastal winters, flights from across Europe and many guided chases.
Map ↗📘 Destination guide: Chasing the Northern Lights: Tromsø, Iceland & Lapland
💡 Tips
- Plan 3+ nights to beat the weather.
- Avoid the week around Full Moon for faint displays.
- Phone cameras in night mode pick up aurora colour better than the eye.
- Equinox months (September and March) are often active.
🧳 Plan your trip
🏨 Places to stay near Tromsø, Norway
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🏨 Places to stay near Iceland (Reykjavík base)
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🎟️ Tours & experiences
Northern lights tours — Tromsø, Norway
Find tours on GetYourGuide ↗Northern lights tours — Iceland (Reykjavík base)
Find tours on GetYourGuide ↗Northern lights tours — Abisko, Sweden
Find tours on GetYourGuide ↗Northern lights tours — Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland
Find tours on GetYourGuide ↗Northern lights tours — Fairbanks, Alaska
Find tours on GetYourGuide ↗Northern lights tours — Yellowknife, Canada
Find tours on GetYourGuide ↗Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission from tickets and tours booked through these GetYourGuide links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources: swpc.noaa.gov. "Computed" values were calculated with Astronomy Engine and may differ by a few seconds from official predictions. Always confirm before you travel.