23 Best Places To See The Northern Lights In 2025

The northern lights captivate travelers year after year, but they’re having a moment like never before. According to a recent report from Expedia, 42% of Americans say that spotting the northern lights is their top bucket-list experience—outranking long-time favorites like Egypt’s pyramids and the Great Wall of China. And survey data from VRBO revealed that the northern lights are the top phenomenon travelers want to see, followed by volcanoes, geysers and hot springs.

It’s no surprise—the world is hitting the peak of a solar cycle known as the Solar Maximum, which occurs every 11 years, resulting in over-the-top northern lights displays. Recent sightings of the northern lights across the United States have only fueled the fascination, as travelers look to the skies to catch this once-in-a-decade spectacle.

Heading into 2025, we’ll continue to experience some of the best northern lights displays in recent history—and the options for seeing them have expanded, too, as the travel industry has created more and more viewing opportunities. In fact, the northern lights tourism industry is expected to grow from about $800 million in 2023 to around $2 billion by 2030.

I’ve tracked the best places—and best ways—to see the northern lights in the past (you can see my previous reports here and here). So what are the most exciting places to see the northern lights in 2025? Here’s what’s on my shortlist.

The Best Northern Lights Cruises

Cruise Under The Aurora

Aurora Expeditions—the Australian-owned, B Corp-certified adventure travel outfitter—is so passionate about helping you see the aurora borealis that it’s in the name of the company. There are cruise options in Canada, Greenland and more. On the 18-day “Northern Lights Explorer Voyage” you’ll cruise through Norway’s fjords and the Arctic Circle, getting a front-row seat to the northern lights. The Sylvia Earle ship features floor-to-ceiling windows, giving you panoramic views.

See The Lights—Or Sail Again Free

Hurtigruten cruise ships are optimized for clear-sky aurora viewing, far from city lights. While Hurtigruten can’t guarantee the northern lights on every Norway cruise, the company will back it up if you miss out while you’re on an 11-day or longer voyage during auroral season (September 20–March 31). If the lights don’t appear, you’ll get a free six-day southbound or seven-day northbound Coastal Express voyage.

Sail In Canada

Embark on a one-of-a-kind adventure with Ponant’s 13-day winter voyage through Canada’s St. Lawrence River aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first hybrid-electric icebreaker. From January to February 2025, these expeditions take guests through Canada’s eastern provinces, combining thrilling activities like kayaking, ice-fishing and dog sledding with visits to Indigenous Innu and Mi’kmaq communities. Alongside rare wildlife sightings of caribou and black bears, travelers will witness the northern lights shimmering across the night sky.

Cruise From Iceland To Greenland

Poseidon Expeditions was recently awarded best polar expedition cruise operator at the 2024 International Travel Awards. Cruise to Greenland’s breathtaking Scoresby Sund, one of the world’s largest fjord systems, and explore its towering icebergs, ancient Inuit villages and wildlife-rich tundra. With stops in Iceland’s scenic Westfjords and the stunning Snæfellsnes peninsula, this journey includes prime views of the northern lights from the ship’s deck.

The Best Northern Lights Trains And Vans

Chase The Lights In A Campervan

With Travellers Autobarn’s campervans, you can experience the best of van life. Take an epic road trip from San Francisco to amazing northern lights spotting locations like California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, Crater Lake in Oregon and Idaho’s Panhandle National Forests. The vans give you the freedom to follow the northern lights at your own pace (and with unlimited miles). Perfect for families, the Hi5 van can comfortably fit five people.

See The Aurora By Train

Railbookers offers northern lights train trips that pair the magic of the aurora borealis with the comfort of rail travel. On their Norway trip, you’ll start in Oslo and journey north through scenic towns like Trondheim, known for its historic bridge, all the way to Bodø, where you’re right in the Auroral Oval for peak viewing. Or how about a journey through Alaska on the Aurora Winter Train from Fairbanks to Anchorage, with a stop at the Aurora Ice Museum.

Ride The Rails Under The Northern Lights

With Vacations By Rail, you can witness the northern lights on scenic train journeys across Norway, Sweden and Alaska. These trips combine rail routes with guided excursions to top aurora viewing spots, allowing you to experience the aurora borealis from the comfort of a warm cabin or a remote observation point.

Where To See The Northern Lights In The US

See Alaska By Land And Sea

On its Alaska sailings, Princess Cruises combine wild beauty by land and sea with cruises and immersive on-the-ground experiences. Guests can explore Denali, Kenai Peninsula and more on land, then sail to Glacier Bay and other scenic destinations. The award-winning North to Alaska program onboard the ships offers a planetarium experience showcasing the northern lights, along with local storytellers, Alaskan seafood dining, glacier tours and fascinating shore excursions that connect travelers to Alaska’s cultural and natural wonders.

Take An Alaskan Adventure

Join Gondwana Ecotours on an eight-day “Alaska Northern Lights Adventure,” where you can experience Alaska’s rich culture by day and photograph the aurora borealis by night. Highlights include dogsledding, curling lessons with locals, dining with homesteaders, soaking in geothermal hot springs, snowshoeing on private land and tea with reindeer herders. It’s a unique way to experience Alaska’s winter wonders.

Catch The Northern Lights In Michigan

Michigan is known for its 11,000 lakes, 300 waterfalls and 2,500 miles of trails—but it’s also one of the top spots for northern lights viewing. At Port Crescent State Park, located at the tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, visitors can experience the aurora borealis in a designated dark sky preserve free from electric light. By day, kayak to the famous Turnip Rock, and by night, relax and witness the dazzling northern lights.

See The Lights In Washington’s Olympic Peninsula

Washington’s Olympic Peninsula offers stunning landscapes and clear skies perfect for spotting the northern lights (which—fun fact—I recently saw there myself). The peninsula’s minimal light pollution and rugged beauty make it one of the best spots in the Pacific Northwest to see the northern lights. And remote dark-sky areas, like Kalaloch Beach in Olympic National Park, provide unobstructed views for an unforgettable aurora experience.

Where To See The Northern Lights In Canada

Have Adventures In Quebec

Known for its vast landscapes and minimal light pollution, Nunavik, Québec offers an unparalleled backdrop for aurora sightings. Ungava Eco Polar Tours leads sustainable northern lights excursions on the Ungava Peninsula, where visitors can watch the lights in remote settings and stay in eco-friendly accommodations. With Nunavik Parks visitors can take guided excursions in Parc national Kuururjuag that includes hiking and snowshoeing through the tundra to optimal aurora viewing sites. Inuit Adventures combines northern lights viewing with dog sledding and snowmobiling.

Snowshoe In Winnipeg

Experience the magic of the northern lights on a snowshoe adventure with Nanuk Operations, led by Indigenous guides in Winnipeg’s boreal forest. Trek through snow-covered trails with Indigenous storyteller Katie de Meulles, who shares cultural insights and local history. Participants can taste traditional fry bread in a cozy yurt, enjoying a truly immersive experience in Indigenous culture and sustainable tourism.

Explore Canada’s Yukon Wilderness

Discover Canada’s wild north with Terre Boreale’s new winter tours in the Yukon, where small-group adventures include everything from dogsledding and snowshoeing to snowmobiling and ice fishing. Led by local guides, each journey is set against the stunning backdrop of the northern lights, visible from remote cabins or Arctic Circle excursions. Travelers can go kick sledding, build snow lanterns or warm up in a sauna, all while connecting with the Yukon’s culture and pristine landscapes.

Where To See The Northern Lights In Europe

Discover The Science Of The Northern Lights In Sweden

Learn all about the science behind the auroras on New Scientist Discovery Tours’ “Science of Astronomy and Ice” trip to Abisko National Park in Sweden. This exclusive tour takes you to the iconic Icehotel and includes a visit to the Aurora Sky Station for unmatched viewing. Surrounded by Sweden’s wild landscapes, it’s the ultimate trip for science lovers who want to experience the northern lights with a deeper understanding.

Enjoy A Custom Trip

Want to see the northern lights? Nordic Luxury is a small, privately owned tour operator that can create bespoke explorations in Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Faroe Islands. Whatever you want to do, they can make it happen. Take a special aurora borealis flight above Swedish Lapland. Experience a luxury Iceland expedition in a mobile-tented camp built on ice-blue glaciers. Explore Norway’s coastal fjords on a private yacht. The options are endless.

Go On A Wellness Retreat In Iceland

Luxury adventure company Eleven—known for pairing world-class lodging with top-tier, tailor-made travel experiences—is launching “Coming into the Light” in Iceland. This transformative new five-day wellness retreat set under the northern lights will be held at Deplar Farm on Iceland’s Troll Peninsula. The trip combines wellness practices with Icelandic adventures like biathlon skiing, meditative horseback rides and ocean plunges. Guests will also experience a state-of-the-art spa and locally inspired cuisine.

Experience Iceland’s Sky Lagoon

Located just outside Reykjavík, Sky Lagoon offers a luxurious Icelandic spa experience rooted in local culture and tradition. Guests can soak under the northern lights in the lagoon’s 230-foot infinity edge with sweeping views of the North Atlantic and the Snæfellsjökull glacier The Seven-Step Ritual, inspired by Icelandic bathing culture, includes a geothermal soak, cold plunge, sea-salt scrub and sauna. Unique amenities like an in-lagoon bar round out this peaceful oasis.

Go Dog Sledding

With Exodus Adventure Travels, you can chase auroras across Sweden’s Arctic Circle—one of the most spectacular untamed wilderness areas in Europe—by dog sled. You’ll also learn about the Sámi culture, go snowshoeing, try forest skiing and stay overnight in a traditional log cabin. And that’s not all—Exodus brings you up close to the northern lights with thrilling tours across Iceland and Finland, too. Snowshoe through Iceland’s dramatic winter landscapes. Or head to Finland for family-friendly activities and cozy nights under star-filled skies.

Charter A Private Flight To A Finnish Wilderness Retreat

For the ultimate Finnish experience, charter a Jetflite flight to Rovaniemi in Lapland, where Octola Private Wilderness—an ultra-luxury cabin residence— awaits within 741 acres of Arctic wilderness. This 10-suite log cabin features a private gym, wood-burning sauna and gourmet meals. A private butler and wilderness guide ensure a seamless stay, with the northern lights visible through glass ceilings from August to April.

Take A Land-Sea Journey Along Norway’s Coast

Up Norway—known for creating sustainable luxury travel experiences—has partnered with Havila Voyages to offer a sustainable luxury journey along Norway’s stunning coastlines. On the “Lofoten Hop-on/Hop-off Journey,” travelers can spot northern lights, soak in fjord saunas and go dog sledding while cruising aboard Havila’s eco-friendly ships, equipped with the world’s largest battery packs for silent, emission-free sailing. On land, you can stop in traditional cottages and go on activities that highlight Norway’s culture and natural wonders.

Discover Nordic Culture

The company 50 Degrees North specializes in northern lights tours across Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland, with over 50 curated experiences to choose from. Guests stay in unforgettable accommodations like glass igloos, cozy cabins and even ice hotels, providing unique ways to view the northern lights in spectacularly remote settings. With experienced local guides and carefully crafted itineraries, each tour offers a deep connection to Nordic culture alongside awe-inspiring aurora sightings.

Where To See The Northern Lights Around The Globe

Take A Custom-Designed Trip

Whether you’re dreaming of Alaska, Norway, Sweden or Iceland, Goway can create tailor-made northern lights tours around the globe. Experience Alaska’s wilderness on a seven-day rail trip to the Arctic Circle, complete with dog sledding and mineral baths. In Norway, the “Ultimate Arctic Adventure” pairs northern lights viewing with glass igloos and insights into Sami culture. For a unique touch, Sweden’s “Land of the Northern Lights” trip features a chairlift to Mount Nuolja for spectacular aurora views and a gourmet dinner. On an Iceland tour, visit iconic spots like Thingvellir and Skaftafell National Parks, capped off with a dip in the Blue Lagoon under the northern lights.

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