Introduction
If you’ve always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights, but don’t want to travel too far into the wilderness, these destinations are perfect for you.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is located in Finnish Lapland, about a two-hour drive from Ivalo Airport. The resort is open year-round, and offers the opportunity to stay in either a glass igloo hotel or a glass cabin hotel. You can also enjoy spa services at their geothermal spa, which uses steam from the ground underneath it to heat the water that flows into its pools.
The restaurant serves traditional Finnish dishes with local ingredients and produce as well as international cuisine like sushi, grandma’s apple pie and caviar.
Yellowknife, Canada
Yellowknife, Canada
Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories and it’s a great place to see the northern lights. It’s also a great place to visit at any time of year. The city has an average temperature of -3°C in January, but this can vary depending on how far north you are going. If you are planning on visiting Yellowknife during winter and want to see the northern lights, it would be best to book your trip between December and March when there is more darkness than daylight. If you plan on visiting Yellowknife during summer or fall (May-September), then it might be hard for you to see them as there will be more light than dark hours during these months.
Ylläs, Finland
Ylläs is a ski resort in Finland, with a population of about 500 people. It is located in the municipality of Kittilä and is one of the northernmost parts of Finland, close to the border with Norway. The best time to see the aurora borealis here is between November and February.
The northern lights here are visible from Ylläs if you’re lucky enough to have clear skies. You can also enjoy skiing or snowboarding during this time as well!
Þingvellir National Park, Iceland
Þingvellir National Park is located in southern Iceland, near the capital city of Reykjavik. It’s a historical site with a history of over 1000 years and it has been called “The Heart of Iceland”. Þingvellir is surrounded by a mountain range, the Langjökull glacier and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Þingvellir was once an assembly ground for the ancient Norsemen (Icelandic Vikings) where they decided about laws, rules and politics for their country. They met here every summer until 1262 when Christianity became the official religion in Iceland without any resistance from locals.
Tromso, Norway
The city of Tromso is a popular tourist destination, as it is one of the best places to watch the northern lights.
It has many museums and galleries, including a maritime museum, an art museum and an aquarium. There are also lots of outdoor activities such as dog sledding, skiing or snowboarding.
The Lofoten Islands, Norway
The Lofoten Islands are a group of islands in the Norwegian Sea, off the coast of Northern Norway. The islands are known for their fishing and fish farming, but they’re also home to some beautiful scenery that makes them a popular destination for tourists and photographers alike. There are many fishing villages along the coast of these islands and you can see the colorful houses with red roofs scattered throughout them. If you have time to visit this area during winter months (November through March), you’ll be able to see some amazing northern lights displays!
The aurora borealis is best viewed from areas where there’s little light pollution—so staying away from cities or towns will help ensure that your view is unobstructed by artificial sources. However if you want to get close enough to see it up close without having any interference from city light pollution then here’s what I recommend:
Murmansk, Russia
Murmansk is a port city in the extreme northwest of Russia, located on the Kola Peninsula, near the borders with Norway and Finland. The city is home to over 300,000 people and has a subarctic climate.
Swedish Lapland
Sweden is a great place to see the northern lights. There are many places in Sweden where you can see the northern lights, but not all of them are equal.
The best places to see the northern lights are Kiruna and Abisko, which both have very dark skies and little light pollution. You can also see beautiful auroras from June through August near Luleå in northern Sweden, Östersund in central Sweden or Umeå on the west coast of Sweden.
However, these areas have one big disadvantage: they are far away from Stockholm (the capital). If you travel all that way only to find out that there’s no chance of seeing any auroras that night because it’s cloudy then most probably your trip won’t be worthwhile because it will cost too much money!
Fortunately there is also a city close enough – Jokkmokk – which offers good chances for seeing auroras even when cloudy weather prevails further north (due to its proximity with Finland).
Svalbard, Norway
Svalbard is a remote archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, located between Norway and the North Pole. The archipelago consists of islands and mountains, with its capital being Longyearbyen. It is known for its cold climate, with temperatures that mainly range from −17 to −14 °C (1 to 7 °F). Svalbard has a population of about 2 thousand people who live on 4 different settlements: Longyearbyen (the largest), Ny-Ålesund, Barentsburg and Pyramiden.
Svalbard has its own administrative body called Sysselmannen i Svalbard – Governor of Svalbard which oversees all issues related to safety in the region including search & rescue operations as well as environmental protection. There are also designated zones within each settlement where you can visit without having special permission from local authorities first such as hiking trails along sea cliffs or skiing slopes near glaciers but these areas are mostly free from light pollution so chances are good you’ll get some great views there too!
If you’re looking for an ideal place where conditions might be just right when it comes down it finding clear skies around midnight during winter months then this could very well be one such spot! If not however – don’t despair because even if clouds cover up your view tonight it doesn’t mean they will necessarily do so tomorrow night either.”
Abisko National Park, Sweden
Abisko National Park, Sweden
The largest national park in Sweden is also the most famous place to see the northern lights. This vast area of land and water covers over 2,500 square miles (6,500 sq km) and includes mountains, glaciers and lakes. Abisko National Park is located in the northernmost part of Sweden near its border with Finland. It’s famous for its Aurora Sky Station where tourists can view the lights on clear nights during winter months. The park attracts thousands of visitors every year who come to witness this natural phenomenon or simply enjoy a break from city life.
These places are so beautiful to visit when the northern lights are happening.
The northern lights are a beautiful sight to behold, and they’re even more beautiful when you’re in one of these places.
There are several destinations around the world where you can see them. The northern lights are caused by solar flares and coronal mass ejections that send charged particles into space. These particles then interact with Earth’s magnetic field, which sends them back down towards the surface of the planet. This is how we get to see such an amazing display of colors.
Conclusion
There are so many places to see the northern lights, and we hope this list gave you some ideas! We tried to include some of the most popular destinations as well as some lesser-known spots that might be more secluded. If you’re looking for more information on viewing these natural phenomena in each location, check out our blog post on how long it takes for them to appear and how common it is at different times of year.