Imagine standing on the vast ground staring at the Northern lights in the sky with huge astonishment in your eyes but utmost calm inside your heart. The vast sky looks like it's trying to weave a story in different colours. The huge spectrums of colour are stretching from one horizon to another in never-ending longevity. The new shades of colour in the sky feel like they are slowly melting down inside your body, directly pouring from heaven. Now wake up and back to reality! While reading my blog, you must be sitting cross-legged on your sofa or maybe hunching on the café table during an office break. The beautiful Northern Lights are natural phenomena of light shown by nature, usually on higher altitudes. Most people's bucket list has this note of viewing northern lights at least once in their lifetime. So today, here I am to help you place a checkmark on that travel point. Today, I will share the list of the best places to see northern lights in the world.
Let's begin!
What Are the Best Places to See Northern Lights in the World?
Fairbanks, Alaska
You can consider this place as one of my favourites. Because apart from the Northern Lights, the native beauty of this place is also breathtaking. So you get more than just Northern lights in your trip to Fairbanks. Fairbanks is a ring-shaped region near the North Pole. Alaska is 180 miles away from Arctic Circle at about 64 degrees N. The perfect time to see the northern lights is around 10 pm to 2 am from August to May. The location of Northern lights formation is very unpredictable even for the experts.
I would recommend tracing the familiar spots where people witnessed light ribbons before, as there is no fixed place to see the northern lights. Chena Lakes Recreation Area is a lovely spot to spend some leisurely hours in Fairbanks. Other popular places that I recommend you visit are Ester and Murphy Domes. You can also opt for guided tours.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik is Iceland's capital city which is full of sophistication and aesthetics. Situated at 64 degrees N, it makes August and April the best months to live in the beautiful northern lights without going to a remote place. It is also a perfect place for music lovers due to its Dark Music Days Festival, which presents contemporary and modern music. You can also enjoy snowshoeing in the middle of lava fields along with steamingly hot springs. You can also witness the midnight sun if you come during the summer season. Don't forget to trace the previous places of northern lights and forecast before you go.
Tromso, Norway
Tromso is situated in the middle of the Norwegian Arctic, making it perfect for witnessing the northern lights. This place falls in auroral rings, so you have a higher probability of seeing them than other places. And that's why Norway is one of the best places to see northern lights. The best time to watch northern lights is around October and mid-march. This place is also relatively safe to wander around alone. You can also visit Polarlight Centre Lofoten in Laukvik, where you can find instruments that can predict the arrival of the northern light by tracking light activities. There are also many other things to do in Norway, like the Northern Lights Festival, where native people celebrate with dance, music, and many outdoor fun activities.
Also read: How to travel safe during coronavirus?
Alberta, Canada
Alberta is a vast place to visit in search of seeing Northern Lights. Let me start with Yellowknife in Canada. It is situated on the Northwest shores of Great Slave Lake. This place nicely integrates aurora viewing and other fun tourist activities. Wood Buffalo and Jasper National Park are the best locations for viewing due to their low light pollution and northern latitudes. The best time to visit for aurora viewing is around august to April, along with august to early May.
Yukon territory of Canada is also an ideal place for Aurora viewing from august to mid-April. To know more about Northern lights, scientific phenomena, and the epics behind them, don't forget to visit Watson Lake.
Scotland
In Orkney city of Scotland, fall and winter is the best time to witness the aurora rings. The northern lights are known as 'Mirrie Dancers' in Scotland. During this time, the cold evenings result in clear skies and trust me, that's the ideal condition for viewing enticing northern lights. Waterford Hill is situated on the shore of Birsay, which is one of the best places to see the northern light show.
This place also holds a UNESCO world heritage site in the middle of Neolithic Orkney. This place has ancient monuments that are more than 5000 years old. So you can also visit glimpses of history along with witnessing northern lights. The part of Scotland towards the North Pole named the Shetland Islands experiences beautiful green, pink, purple, orange, and blue northern lights during winter, which leaves you spell-bounded.
Some Quick Tips
The enticingly beautiful and dazzling display of this natural lights phenomenon is a one of its kind experience. For taking a break from your fast-acing city life, there can't be a better option than going for a trip to one of the places mentioned above and witnessing the northern lights.
Before packing your bags and starting your expedition to see the northern lights, one must calculate and research the optimal time. The northern lights are a scientific phenomenon, and they have some ideal conditions which can increase your chances of witnessing them. A pollution-free clear sky, dark nights during the fall and winter, or early springtimes are the perfect combination for viewing northern lights. As we go towards the more north side, the chance of witnessing better aurora rings also increases.
I have analyzed all these determining factors in the places mentioned above, and now you can choose for yourself. And here are some quick ways to cut your expenses and save money for Travel. Happy Journey, Guys. If you have already seen the northern lights, share your experience in the comments section.
