Northern Lights Tours & Packages
Chase the Aurora Borealis in
Iceland, Scandinavia & Alaska
Iceland, Scandinavia & Alaska
See nature’s most spectacular light show on a Northern Lights tour. Explore destinations where the aurora borealis dances across the sky in ribbons of color, from Norway’s Arctic landscapes to Iceland’s volcanic terrain. These unforgettable tours to see the Northern Lights blend natural beauty with cultural exploration, creating a journey unlike any other. Each tour includes dedicated aurora nights paired with unique daytime adventures. Start here to explore our signature offerings in each region.
Top Trips to Take to See The Northern Lights
Scenic Iceland & the Northern Lights
This Iceland aurora tour includes visits to the Golden Circle, majestic waterfalls like Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, geothermal landscapes, lava fields, and nighttime excursions away from city light to chase the Northern Lights.
Northern Lights of Scandinavia
This Northern Lights guided tour explores the best of Norway and Finland, combining breathtaking fjords with Arctic wonder. Stay in glass-roofed cabins designed for sky gazing, travel north to the North Cape, and enjoy encounters with Sámi culture and reindeer herding traditions. Each night offers another chance to see the aurora dance above snowy wilderness, making this journey a luminous mix of nature, culture, and comfort under the polar sky.
Scandinavian Northern Lights
This Scandinavia winter tour takes you deep into the Arctic Circle across Swedish and Finnish Lapland. Glide through snowy forests on a husky sled ride, visit a traditional Sámi reindeer farm, and marvel at the artistry of the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi. Evenings are reserved for Northern Lights excursions, where you’ll chase the aurora across vast, unspoiled landscapes. It’s the perfect blend of adventure, culture, and serene Arctic beauty.
Alaska Northern Lights
This Alaska Northern Lights vacation focuses around Fairbanks and the wild interior. Journey through tundra, visit cultural centers, and chase aurora displays from dark-sky zones, with optional photography coaching to help you capture the show.
How to Pick the Right Tour
- Length & Pace: Prefer a shorter tour? Iceland may be your match. Want deeper immersion? Scandinavia or Alaska offer extended stays.
- Scenery & Landscape: Iceland’s volcanic and geothermal world vs. Scandinavia’s snow forests and Arctic tundra vs. Alaska’s rugged wilderness.
- Photography Priority: All regions offer chances to photograph the aurora, but Alaska and Scandinavia often offer more nights and remoteness.
- Comfort Level: Remote stays may be simpler. If you prefer extra amenities, check lodging details in each itinerary.
What Each Tour Offers: Experiences & Highlights
- Multiple Aurora Nights — Each itinerary includes several evenings devoted to aurora viewing, giving you flexibility across weather and activity.
- Photography & Guidance — Some tours provide photography tips or dedicated support to help you frame and capture the lights.
- Daytime Adventures — Even when skies are cloudy, your days are filled with powerful landscapes, cultural encounters, local wildlife, and immersive regional sites.
- Flexibility Built In — We design routes that allow for changes, helping you chase clearer skies if conditions shift.
- Comfort-Optimized Lodging — You’ll stay in lodgings chosen for comfort and aurora suitability—glass-roof rooms, quiet rural settings, or wilderness lodges.
- Local Expertise — Our guides in each region monitor aurora forecasts, local weather, and light conditions to guide you nightly to the best spots.
Best Places to See the Northern Lights: Iceland, Scandinavia & Alaska
The aurora comes alive across northern skylines, and each region offers its own advantages:
- Iceland combines dramatic terrain with relatively short itineraries, making it ideal for travelers who want a compact but striking aurora experience.
- Scandinavia delivers the full Arctic experience: remote landscapes, cultural depth, and consistently dark skies.
- Alaska brings rugged wilderness and latitude-advantaged viewing around Fairbanks and the Interior, ideal for those chasing both nature and night skies.
Start with your preferences, whether for landscapes, comfort, or style, to choose the region that fits your ideal Northern Lights guided tour.
Why Travel with Us for the Northern Lights
- We manage all logistics, flights, transport, lodging, so your focus stays on the experience.
- Our groups are small to mid-sized, allowing flexibility and personalized attention.
- We leverage real-time aurora forecasts and local insights to optimize your viewing chances.
- We choose accommodations carefully for aurora suitability (low light pollution, optimal positioning).
- You’ll receive support before, during, and after your trip: packing advice, gear tips, and more.
FAQs: Northern Lights Guided Tours in Iceland, Scandinavia & Alaska
Typically September through March, with many guides highlighting October to March and the equinox periods for frequent activity.
- In Iceland, tours typically run from late August or September through mid-April, when nights are dark enough for viewing.
- In Scandinavia (northern Norway, Swedish Lapland, Finnish Lapland), the core season is from September through March, when daylight is limited and skies are darker.
- In Alaska, aurora season often spans from late August to mid-April, with peak chances in mid-winter when nights are longest.
While auroras can appear at any time during darkness, the most frequent and intense displays tend to occur between about 10 pm and 2 am local time, especially when skies are clear and geomagnetic activity is high.
Every itinerary includes at least two nights (often more), sometimes in different viewing zones to increase your chances.
Yes. You may choose to travel in Iceland, Scandinavia, or Alaska alone. Or combine them as multi-destination packages.
The aurora is a natural phenomenon. We cannot guarantee sightings, but our tour designs maximize the odds with multiple nights, expert scouting, and remote viewing locations.
No. The aurora is a natural phenomenon affected by solar activity and local weather. Tours aim to maximize the chances by choosing remote locations, adjusting routes nightly, and monitoring forecasts. But there is never a full guarantee.
The darker, the better. Light pollution from cities reduces visibility, so tours often travel into remote areas. Even with moonlight, strong auroras can still shine through if conditions are favorable.
Clouds are a major limiting factor anywhere. Moonlight brightens the sky but strong auroras can still be visible.
Dress in warm layers: thermal base layers, insulated outerwear, hats, gloves, and warm footwear. Bring a tripod and camera capable of long exposures, and extra batteries (cold drains battery life).
Many tours include basic photography guidance like how to set exposure, frame the sky, or use LEDs to light subjects. Some of our premium tours even offer photography experts.
Regions like Tromsø in Norway, Abisko in Sweden, and various spots in Finnish Lapland are often cited for clearer skies and consistent aurora activity, thanks to favorable geography and climate patterns.
Fairbanks lies directly under the auroral oval, giving it higher odds for strong displays. Also, many tours begin there and then venture into darker outlying areas to escape light pollution.
Cloud cover is one of the biggest limiting factors. Even with strong solar activity, the aurora won’t show if the sky is overcast. Tour operators regularly shift plans to chase clearer skies.
Most aurora tours travel dozens to even hundreds of miles away from city lights, sometimes crossing national parks or wilderness zones, to reach locations with the darkest skies.
Occasionally in very strong displays, but usually city lights drown out subtler colors. For the best view, you’ll want to be out of urban light zones.
Tromsø and Finnish Lapland in Scandinavia, Iceland’s south coast, and Fairbanks in Alaska are all considered among the best places to see the Northern Lights due to frequent clear skies and high auroral activity.
Each region includes rich cultural and scenic experiences such as geothermal wonders in Iceland, reindeer encounters in Scandinavia, and national parks in Alaska.
These tours are in high demand. We recommend booking early, especially for peak season, to secure your spot.
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