If we had a pound for every time we have been asked this question...

Imagine if there was one best place to see the Northern Lights! Overnight it would become the Costa del Aurora with high rise Northern Lights viewing hotels and people in the street handing out leaflets offering a free drink with every Aurora chase.

Mercifully, the unpredictable nature of the Aurora means that it retains its mystical allure and it’s fair to say that you stand as much chance of seeing them from a vantage point in Norway as you do from a frozen lake in Finland.

Southern Lights, Northern Lights, Extra-Terrestrial Lights

The lights appear in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and even on other planets but from an Aurora hunting point of view, only the Northern Lights are a genuinely viable option.

The Southern Lights or Aurora Australis occur most frequently over Antarctica which really only appeals to a few research scientists and penguins. When the Aurora Australis is very active then the lights may be visible from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa but these occasions are few and far between and certainly don’t justify travelling to such places purely in search of the Southern Lights.

The lights also appear near the magnetic poles of other planets and if you search the internet you can find images of Auroras above the likes of Jupiter and Saturn. Unfortunately, we’re not likely to be sending people into space on Aurora hunting missions any time soon so our focus remains firmly in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere and Northern Scandinavia especially.

The Aurora Zone

In Europe the Aurora is most frequently visible in Northern Scandinavia in a band that stretches between 66°N and 69°N, which we call the Aurora Zone. The band can expand further south when geomagnetic activity is high which is why we can occasionally see the Aurora from northern parts of the UK. The displays we see in the UK are not only rare but also incredibly different to what our guests see in Northern Scandinavia. In the UK, displays of the aurora are often confined to the northern horizon which makes it difficult to see, especially in light polluted areas. In Northern Scandinavia, because you are situated within the aurora zone, the probability of seeing the Aurora Borealis increases dramatically and often it will appear overhead and start dancing – just like you see in the viral Instagram videos.

The solar activity of the Sun peaks and troughs every 11 years, now we’re heading into the period of maximum activity which means there is an increased chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis in Northern Scandinavia. Over the next 4 years, the number of times the aurora is spotted from our destinations will increase, as will the strength of the storms. There hasn’t been a better time to book your trip to and with The Aurora Zone.

The Auroral band stretches across Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and Canada. We feature holidays to all of these countries, and every holiday we offer has been expertly designed to maximise your opportunity to see the Northern Lights.If we could answer this question, we would be rich beyond our wildest dreams!

As a naturally occurring phenomenon, the appearance of the Northern Lights is notoriously difficult to predict any further in advance than about two days before it happens, if it does then happen. So much is dependent on solar activity, the position of the Earth’s geomagnetic field and the weather. What we can say is the aurora season begins in late August and runs all the way through until early April. During this time, if you have a clear sky and you’re underneath the auroral oval in one of our destinations, you have a fantastic chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis.

Finland

Finland is often overlooked in favour of its neighbours Sweden and Norway, but you are just as likely to see the Aurora there as anywhere else. Indeed, the low density of human population where reindeer are more common than people means that Finland’s gorgeous lake, forest and fell landscapes are virtually free of any light pollution creating the perfect Aurora hunting conditions.

Finland also has more than its fair share of places where we would recommend searching for the Northern Lights. In the north-east, the heart of Sámi culture, destinations such as Nellim, Muotka, Saariselkä, Menesjärvi and Inari, are all extremely popular with knowledgeable Aurora hunters.

To the west, Harriniva, Jeris, Torassieppi and Kilpisjärvi all offer comfortable bases in remote locations with those all-important dark skies. This is also where you’ll find two of our all-time favourite Aurora photographers Antti Pietikainen and Gareth Hutton plying their trade once darkness falls.

Mention must also go to the small village of Luosto where we ran our first ever Northern Lights holiday. With a great Aurora record, very comfortable accommodation choices and a wide variety of daytime activities, Luosto has become a firm favourite amongst Aurora Zone clientele.

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Sweden

Finland is often overlooked in favour of its neighbours Sweden and Norway, but you are just as likely to see the Aurora there as anywhere else. Indeed, the low density of human population where reindeer are more common than people means that Finland’s gorgeous lake, forest and fell landscapes are virtually free of any light pollution creating the perfect Aurora hunting conditions.

Finland also has more than its fair share of places where we would recommend searching for the Northern Lights. In the north-east, the heart of Sámi culture, destinations such as Nellim, Muotka, Saariselkä, Menesjärvi and Inari, are all extremely popular with knowledgeable Aurora hunters.

To the west, Harriniva, Jeris, Torassieppi and Kilpisjärvi all offer comfortable bases in remote locations with those all-important dark skies. This is also where you’ll find two of our all-time favourite Aurora photographers Antti Pietikainen and Gareth Hutton plying their trade once darkness falls.

Mention must also go to the small village of Luosto where we ran our first ever Northern Lights holiday. With a great Aurora record, very comfortable accommodation choices and a wide variety of daytime activities, Luosto has become a firm favourite amongst Aurora Zone clientele.

View All

Norway

Finland is often overlooked in favour of its neighbours Sweden and Norway, but you are just as likely to see the Aurora there as anywhere else. Indeed, the low density of human population where reindeer are more common than people means that Finland’s gorgeous lake, forest and fell landscapes are virtually free of any light pollution creating the perfect Aurora hunting conditions.
Finland also has more than its fair share of places where we would recommend searching for the Northern Lights. In the north-east, the heart of Sámi culture, destinations such as Nellim, Muotka, Saariselkä, Menesjärvi and Inari, are all extremely popular with knowledgeable Aurora hunters.
To the west, Harriniva, Jeris, Torassieppi and Kilpisjärvi all offer comfortable bases in remote locations with those all-important dark skies. This is also where you’ll find two of our all-time favourite Aurora photographers Antti Pietikainen and Gareth Hutton plying their trade once darkness falls.
Mention must also go to the small village of Luosto where we ran our first ever Northern Lights holiday. With a great Aurora record, very comfortable accommodation choices and a wide variety of daytime activities, Luosto has become a firm favourite amongst Aurora Zone clientele.

View All

Iceland

Finland is often overlooked in favour of its neighbours Sweden and Norway, but you are just as likely to see the Aurora there as anywhere else. Indeed, the low density of human population where reindeer are more common than people means that Finland’s gorgeous lake, forest and fell landscapes are virtually free of any light pollution creating the perfect Aurora hunting conditions.
Finland also has more than its fair share of places where we would recommend searching for the Northern Lights. In the north-east, the heart of Sámi culture, destinations such as Nellim, Muotka, Saariselkä, Menesjärvi and Inari, are all extremely popular with knowledgeable Aurora hunters.
To the west, Harriniva, Jeris, Torassieppi and Kilpisjärvi all offer comfortable bases in remote locations with those all-important dark skies. This is also where you’ll find two of our all-time favourite Aurora photographers Antti Pietikainen and Gareth Hutton plying their trade once darkness falls.
Mention must also go to the small village of Luosto where we ran our first ever Northern Lights holiday. With a great Aurora record, very comfortable accommodation choices and a wide variety of daytime activities, Luosto has become a firm favourite amongst Aurora Zone clientele.

View All

Learn More About Northern Ligthts

Where Is The Best Place To See The Northern Lights?

When is the best time to see the Northern Lights?

Why are the Northern Lights sometimes coloured differently?

How likely am I to see the Northern Lights?

The Aurora Oval & the Ovation Map

What is the Solar Maximum?

How do the Northern Lights appear?

Does a full moon ruin your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis?

Aurora Zone

Aurora Specialist

Exceptional Local Knowledge & Advice Every Step of The Way