Northern Lights: Best Tips for Catching the Aurora

Although the aurora can be seen in both hemispheres, the northern part of the globe offers better sighting opportunities due to more accessible locations, whereas the Southern Lights mainly occur over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. The Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland – are some of the best places to witness the Northern Lights. Here in Finnish Lapland, they are visible every second clear night. Your chances of seeing them are already pretty good, and they increase the further above the Arctic Circle you go. Top spots include Rovaniemi, Kittilä, and Saariselkä, but the entire area above the Arctic Circle is renowned for its great Northern Lights sightings.

The Northern Lights are visible from late August to early April. Although winter may seem like the best time to see them, autumn and spring actually offer the best conditions for viewing Northern Lights due to increased frequency of geomagnetic storms that cause the auroras to appear. In addition, these seasons, especially spring, tend to have fewer clouds during the night than the winter months. In Rovaniemi, for example, March has almost twice as many clear nights as January.

Clear skies are essential for catching the Northern Lights, so keep an eye on the local weather forecast. If you’re visiting Finland, one of the best websites to check weather and the likelihood of seeing the auroras is the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Other good weather forecast sites include Windy and Yr. Give these a try! There are also many apps available that send alerts when the aurora is likely to be visible in your area, such as My Aurora Forecast & Alerts. Remember: try to avoid light pollution as much as possible. In other words, stay away from civilisation!

When hunting the Northern Lights, remember to dress appropriately. The Northern Lights are unpredictable, even with the best forecasts, so be prepared: you may have to wait outside in the cold for quite a long time. Layering is very important when it comes to staying warm and comfortable in low temperatures. Start with a merino wool or synthetic base layer, add a fleece jacket or sweater as a mid layer and finish with a winter coat that is ideally windproof and waterproof. If you’re unsure whether your clothes will be warm enough, or don’t want to buy new ones just for one trip to Lapland, there are companies that rent proper winter clothing that will keep you warm even down to -30 °C.

Travel agencies such as our own offer a variety of Northern Lights tours led by experienced guides, some of whom have spent years chasing the auroras. They know the best locations and times to witness this incredible phenomenon, which greatly increases your chances. This is something they do more than a hundred times every year! Some tours even include professional photographers who will capture the moment for you and send you beautiful souvenir photos of you and your family witnessing one of the most beautiful displays the sky has to offer!

Watching (or waiting for 😅) the Northern Lights outdoors in the cold can be a an unpleasant experience for some people. A cosy alternative is to choose accommodation specially designed to make viewing the Northern Lights more comfortable. In Rovaniemi, some hotels located in the Arctic forest, such as Aito Hotel & Spa Resort, offer lodging options that connect you to the night sky without sacrificing comfort. Stay in a glass igloo or a tree house and watch the aurora from a warm bed, through a panoramic window or through a glass ceiling!

Now that you’ve got the best tips for catching Northern Lights, you’re ready to plan your trip to the Arctic! And we hope you’ll take the plunge, because no matter how many photos or videos you’ve seen of these colourful waves flooding the night sky, there’s nothing like seeing them for real!