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Kulusuk and Tasiilaq in the east, and the capital city of Nuuk are also great viewing platforms. The Norwegian-owned Havila Voyages operates four newer environmentally friendlier coastal cruise ships that carry both people and cargo between Bergen and Kirkenes, year-round. The hybrid ships run on liquified natural gas and, for up to four hours, on 86-ton battery packs, for emissions-free sailing (the packs can be charged in ports with clean electricity). Done up in decor inspired by Norwegian landscapes, the vessels carry up to 468 overnight cruise passengers.
The North Cape
Make sure you have a grippy pair of shoes so you can stay stable on the deck at night. However, most Northern Lights cruises visit just Norway, Iceland, and Greenland because those countries have open waterways that aren’t frozen over. Under the Northern Light Promise, if the Northern Lights do not appear on a traveler's applicable Norway Expedition cruise, the expedition group will give travelers another Norway cruise free of charge. Glimpsing the Northern Lights in all their mystical and sky-transforming glory is one of those bucket-list life experiences that many world travelers often wait years to see. Join John Maclean, astronomer and award-winning astrophotographer, on an exploration of the sought-after sights of the mysterious aurora borealis.
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Also, batteries will drain faster in the arctic cold, so be sure to bring extras. Did you know that the northern hemisphere isn’t alone in getting a natural light show? The southern lights are usually visible around the equinoxes in March and September. Seeing the southern lights can be trickier than seeing the northern lights, so your best shot is to go during the solar maximum. Quark Expeditions’ Northern Lights–themed sailings begin and end in Iceland, where sightings of the dancing aurora borealis are common in winter.
Itinerary
By day, you’ll visit some of Norway’s most enchanting coastal towns, discovering the region’s rich culture and scenery. While at night the prospect of the Northern Lights is enough to tempt you from your stateroom into the crisp, still, darkness beyond. Arrive at the Art Nouveau town of Ålesund, renowned for its stunning and picturesque architecture. Take time to explore the city and its rich Norse history or visit Atlanterhavsparken, one of the largest saltwater aquariums in Northern Europe. You can also make your way up to small Mount Aksla for a panorama of the town and its picturesque position surrounded by islands.
Eight of the best places to see the Northern Lights
Get unique insight and knowledge about the Arctic sky and the greatest light show on Earth, the Aurora Borealis, on this popular voyage along the beautiful Norwegian Coast. This unique voyage is accompanied by special lecturers - experts on astronomy and expeditions to see the Northern Lights. Your best chance of seeing this spectacular light show in Europe is in Northern Norway between October and March, when the nights are long and dark – forming the ideal backdrop for the colourful Northern Lights. The longer you spend with us in this region at this time of year, the greater your chances of seeing a sensational display. We have more than 130 years of experience seeing the aurora along the Norwegian coast, every year.
Fjord Travel Norway Tel: (+ 55 13 13 10 Fax: (+ 55 13 13 11
S&T's 2024 Norwegian Aurora Cruise - Sky & Telescope - Sky & Telescope
S&T's 2024 Norwegian Aurora Cruise - Sky & Telescope.
Posted: Sun, 17 Mar 2024 11:56:39 GMT [source]
The short Alaska sailing season may make it a bit more difficult to spot the lights (since they’re more visible in winter), but Fairbanks sometimes sees the northern lights even in April or August. Cunard is known for bringing aboard subject experts, astronomers, and night-sky photographers who add extra color and insights to the sky-transforming glory of the Northern Lights. There will be ample space on the 1,085-foot, 13-deck ship to find quiet areas to see the nighttime show. Passengers can opt-in for overnight wake-up calls, so they can get some sleep without worrying about missing a Northern Lights sighting. The conditions must be just right, but it's highly likely to see this magical and sometimes elusive scientific phenomenon on a Northern Lights cruise sailing the Arctic Circle during the long, dark winter nights. Hurtigruten is so sure you will see the lights on the October-through-March sailings of its year-round 11- and 12-day Norwegian Coastal Express itineraries that the company has a guarantee called the Northern Lights Promise.
Best Tips to See the Northern Lights
During our 130 years of sailing Norway’s coast, we’ve spotted every type of aurora you can imagine. We’ve seen rare coronas form directly over fjords lined with frozen waterfalls. The sun does not appear above the horizon in Tromso & Kirkenes from late November to mid January, but it is not dark all day. You can experience the magic, blue Arctic twilight during the day time, while the spectacular Northern Lights may show at the dark sky in the evening. Even though Australia and New Zealand are outside the Antarctic circle, they still get occasional aurora sightings. Even so, there’s only a 1% or 2% chance to see the lights on any given night in Tasmania.
Tromso, Northern Lights & Arctic Coast
The Northern Lights first peek over the horizon in September in the far north of Sweden, viewable in and around Kiruna. By January, the pink, green and purple illuminations can be seen throughout Swedish Lapland. Abisko and the Aurora Sky Station in Northern Sweden is a fantastic location from which to see the aurora borealis, followed by the village of Jukkasjärvi, and Porjus in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Laponia. Passing through the legendary Lofoten and Vesterålen archipelagos, the ship negotiates an intricate network of inlets and isles through one of the most beautiful stretches of the Norwegian coast. From here, the coastal landscape changes from rolling hills to soaring mountains. As we call into the northern city of Bodø, gaze up at the snow-capped Børvass peaks before experiencing the fabulous street art this city has to offer.
Tromso, Lofoten Islands & Fjord Norway winter tour
Ice crampons may come in handy, especially in ports where walkways may be icy or slick. On some active excursions, outfitters provide weather appropriate gear, but you can’t always count on that. And don’t forget your bathing suit for outdoor tub soaks and pool swims onboard.
Because the northern lights often appear late at night or very early in the morning, some ships offer opt-in wake up calls for this purpose. And Norway and generally sail 10 to 15-night itineraries during the winter season. Some venture to the Svalbard Archipelago, where the Gulf Stream flows prevent the seas from freezing in winter. Alta's credentials include the world's first permanent observatory for viewing the aurora borealis; it was built there in 1899.
The building-like pillars were once an ancient sacrificial site for the indigenous nomadic Sámi people who still inhabit and herd reindeer in the region today. As we continue north towards Kirkenes, we sail past Slettnes Lighthouse, the northernmost lighthouse in continental Europe. While you may see the lights from Denali National Park and Preserve during the viewing season, Fairbanks and points farther north are where you can increase your odds. Cruisetours in Alaska can improve your odds of seeing the aurora because they get you to Fairbanks and other inland destinations in Alaska that tend to have more cloud-free skies than in the Inside Passage, where cruise ships sail.
For sleek, affordable digs and extreme convenience, consider Moxy Tromsø, a stone’s throw from Tromsø Airport and a 10-minute drive from the more bustling downtown. More toned-down than other Moxy hotels, this location still provides a welcome cocktail and playful touches of pink, but the decor of its 208 rooms—which are both sizable and comfortable—embraces a more minimalist, Scandi aesthetic. The best part of the hotel is undoubtedly its lobby, bar, and dining area, on the top (11th) floor, which boasts ample seating and floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy unobstructed views of the Tromsøysundet strait. On especially clear nights, lucky travelers can play a game of pool inside the lounge and pop out onto its conjoined deck to watch the northern lights dance overhead.
From there, the ship will sail as far north as possible, to a few kilometers from the Russian border, before sailing back to Tromsø, then visiting the wild and rugged Lofoten Islands and the Trondheim fjord. It’s never a guarantee that the Northern Lights will appear—it’s all dependent on the strength of geomagnetic storms on the sun and how clear the sky is where you are. One of the highlights is visiting the Inuit village Ittoqqortoormiit, the region’s most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement, with its gregarious locals and scores of Greenlandic sled dogs. There, guests spend their days scanning the dizzying cliff sides for puffins, guillemots, and razorbills, and their nights scanning the sky for signs of the aurora. The ship then crosses the Arctic Circle as it heads to Greenland, where it spends seven days patrolling the remote northeast coast. This wild tundra is home to reindeer, arctic hares, and 40 percent of the world’s musk ox population.
At a centuries-old wine-growing estate, guests can cut grapes from the vine before stomping them by foot in a traditional stone trough. Portugal’s River of Gold cruise-tour offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy the local food and wine, including its famous Port. The 10-day itinerary from Lisbon to Porto also crosses the border to Spain to visit Salamanca.
Because of the late-setting and early-rising midnight sun, it's way too light during the summer to see the northern lights in the destinations mentioned, though solar activity takes place year-round. If you are on a cruise in the Inside Passage before April 21 or after Aug. 21 and are willing to be awake in the middle of the night (the lights tend to appear in Alaska after midnight), there's a chance you'll see the aurora borealis. Head to a husky farm on the outskirts of Longyearbyen to embark on a thrilling experience in the Arctic Tundra.
