Getting to the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights can be challenging. It passes through remote parts of eight countries—the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia—but it’s frozen at 65 degrees north. It’s hard to get around.
Why bother, you might ask if the northern lights are now regularly visible at lower latitudes. After all, there have been recent sightings as far south as Greece and Arizona.
Most of these sightings are of the faint aurora on the distant horizon, only detectable by camera. To see the true glory of the aurora—a sky full of green and red curtains or a glorious auroral corona pulsing above you like an eye in the sky—you must travel north. If you decide to wait for the Northern Lights to come to you, you could be waiting a lifetime.
Right now, the sun is approaching the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, meaning magnetic activity is very high. As a bonus, auroral activity tends to increase around solar maximum and intensify in the few years after.
But seeing the Northern Lights from the Arctic Circle is down to luck. Magnetic activity may be high, but you need a clear sky. Finding a clear sky typically means driving, often in icy mountainous environments. For many, the best and most convenient solution is to take a Northern Lights cruise, the popularity of which has been booming in recent years. The peak time is late August to late April when the nights are long and dark.
As well as seeing the Northern Lights from the deck, most aurora-themed cruises offer instruction on photography—which you can do with just your smartphone—as well as lectures and other astronomical activities. Some even give you a wake-up call if the aurora appears while you’re sleeping.
Here are three Northern Lights cruises to try:
1. Hurtigruten Expeditions: Astronomy Voyage
For stargazers
This 12-day cruise by Hurtigruten ($3,078 per person, Feb 2, Sept 28, Oct 27 and Nov 25, 2024) from Bergen, Norway, voyages along the Norwegian coast with lectures from an army of renowned astronomers (including aurora expert Tom Kerss). Expect to learn about the Arctic night sky, visit the Northern Lights Planetarium in Tromsø and see the Northern Lights. If you don’t, Hurtigruten will give you a free six or seven-day cruise for the next Northern Lights season.
2. Aurora Expeditions: Northern Lights Explorer Voyage
For adventurers
This 19-day cruise by Aurora Expeditions ($16,807 per person, September 8-26, 2024) from Kirkness, Norway to Reykjavík, Iceland goes via remote islands and villages to see the Northern Lights from the Arctic Circle in northern Norway, Iceland and Greenland—including Jan Mayen Island, Greenland’s Scoresbysund and Iceland’s remote Westfjords.
3. Elding: Reykjavík Northern Lights Cruise
For independents
If you are an independent traveler or want to avoid being at sea as much as possible, consider a short cruise from Old Harbour in downtown Reykjaví, just yards from the Icelandic capital’s hotels. This short cruise by Elding ($93 per person) takes place each evening at 21:00 from September through March, whisking you away from light pollution. It’s also got a 360° viewing platform. If there’s bad weather or a no-show from the aurora, you get a free ticket valid for two years.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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