7 Day Northern Lights Tours & Trips

What our customers ask about 7 Day Northern Lights Tours & Trips

• When's the best time to see the Northern Lights on a 7-day tour?

  Your best chance to spot the lights is from September through March, especially during the darker winter months. In Tromsø, Norway, many travelers have great luck between November and January when it's dark for up to 18 hours. Most tours include 2-3 nights of guided viewing, and your guides will track weather and aurora forecasts to pick the best spots. If you're on a coastal cruise in Norway, you'll get to watch from the deck away from city lights. In Iceland, places like Hotel Laki are perfect since you can step right outside to watch the sky.

• What do you do during the day on a Northern Lights tour?

  You'll stay busy with Arctic adventures while waiting for nightfall. In Norway, you can go reindeer sledding with local Sami people, try dog sledding at Camp Tamok, or join a whale watching trip from Tromsø. Iceland tours take you to places like the powerful Gullfoss waterfall, bubbling Geysir hot springs, and the raw landscape of Thingvellir National Park. As one traveler told us, "The glacier walk at Falljokull and visiting the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon were absolute highlights of our trip." You can also join city tours, spot wildlife, or try activities like snowmobiling and ice fishing.

• Where are the top spots to see the Northern Lights on a week-long tour?

  The best viewing spots include Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Thingvellir National Park, and the quiet south coast near Vik. In Canada, Whitehorse in Yukon Territory is another excellent choice. Places like Hotel Stracta in Hella, Iceland are perfect because they're far from bright city lights. In Whitehorse, you can watch from the AuroraCentre, built just for Northern Lights viewing. One of our travelers shared, "We got lucky and saw an aurora on the way to the viewing location and they pulled the buses over so we could get out and look."

• Which season should I pick for a Northern Lights tour?

  Plan your trip between September and March, with the sweet spot falling between November and February. September gives you an 88% chance of seeing the lights, October 74%, while November through February averages around 62%. Just remember it'll be cold - temperatures usually range from 14°F to 35°F (-10°C to 2°C).

• How many times will I get to look for the Northern Lights during the week?

  You'll usually get 3-4 chances to see the lights, spending about 2-3 hours each night at carefully chosen spots. In Iceland, many tours spend 2-3 nights at countryside hotels like Stracta Hotel, where there's no city light to spoil the view. In Yukon, you'll often get 3 nights in a row at special viewing areas. One happy traveler told us, "We got to see the lights on 2 out of 3 nights at the Aurora Village, which exceeded our expectations."

• Which viewing locations give you the best shot at seeing the lights?

  Finnish Lapland around Inari is great because it's so dark, and the same goes for Iceland's South Coast near Hella and Vik. Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon Territory is another top spot. At Stracta Hotel in Hella, Iceland, you can walk right out onto their grounds for perfect viewing. In Finnish Lapland, you can watch from glass igloos at places like the Black Spruce eco cabins near Rovaniemi - being right on the Arctic Circle puts you in a prime spot for aurora viewing.