Norway, Canada, Iceland, Greenland…if you’re thinking about taking a trip to see Northern Lights, you’ve come to the right place. I hope that in 15 minutes, the time it takes to read this article on the best Northern Lights tours of 2023, you will already have decided where you’re going to make your dreams come true.
But first, let me tell you why it is so important for us to help you to plan your Northern Lights holidays. Every year we lead an Iceland Photo Tour and a Lofoten Photo Tour, so many travelers who want to see the Aurora Borealis ask us if they can participate.
Best trips to see the Northern Lights in 2023
Our photography tours are aimed at photography lovers who want to learn how to photograph the northern lights. If you sign up without being a photographer, it’s more than likely that you won’t enjoy the tour as much as you would with one of the best Northern Lights holiday packages, such as the ones I will recommend below.
However, I’d be very happy to help you fulfill your dream by helping you choose a good Northern Lights vacation package. Therefore, in this article, we’ll tell you how to pick a Northern Lights tour package in 2023.
- Best trips to see the Northern Lights in 2023
- How much does it cost to see the Northern Lights?
- Trips to see the Northern Lights in Iceland
- Trips to see the Northern Lights in Canada
- Trips to see the Northern Lights in Norway
- Trips to see the Northern Lights in Alaska
- Trips to see the Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland
- Trips to see the northern lights in Sweden
- Discounted Northern Lights travel deals
Best trips to see the Northern Lights in 2023
Taking into account price, dates, visited attractions, and quality of the tour guides, these are the best Northern Lights vacations in 2023:
- Land of the Northern Lights: Iceland in 5 days (affordable Northern Lights tour package)
- Northern Lights Exploration: 8-day Northern Lights trip in Iceland
- Finnish Lapland in Winter: 8-day Northern Lights vacation in Finland
- Best Value Aurora Viewing: 4-day Northern Lights holidays in Whitehorse (Canada)
- Northern Lights at Aurora Village: 4-day Northern Lights tour package in Yellowknife (Canada)
- Winter in the Rockies & Northern Lights: Canadian Rocky Mountains and Yellowknife in 10 days
- Norway Winter & Northern Lights: 7-day Northern Lights trip to Tromso and Lofoten Islands
- Northern Lights & wildlife in Swedish Lapland: Swedish Lapland tour in 6 days
How much does it cost to see the Northern Lights?
The cost of seeing the Northern Lights varies depending on where you live, the chosen destination, dates, if you want to travel on your own or book a Northern Lights tour, the duration of the trip, etc.
How much does it cost to see the Northern Lights?
Don’t worry, though. There are affordable trips to see the Northern Lights. Now we’ll tell you how much a Northern Lights vacation package costs and how much you would spend if you traveled on your own.
Cheap flights to see the northern lights
The best way to find cheap flights to see the Northern Lights is through Kiwi.com, between 3 and 5 months before your trip.
This is the approximate cost for a round trip ticket to some Northern Lights destinations:
Iceland | Norway | Canada | Finland | Alaska | Sweden |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USA (NY) | USD500 | USD450 | USD430 | USD490 | USD500 | USD456 |
Canada (Toronto) | CAD570 | CAD900 | CAD400 | CAD800 | CAD700 | CAD900 |
UK | GBP52 | GBP36 | GBP600 | GBP100 | GBP630 | GBP42 |
Australia | AUD1670 | AUD1160 | AUD1420 | AUD1140 | AUD1570 | AUD970 |
Northern Lights trip cost |
Northern Lights vacation packages
You may think that taking a Northern Lights trip on your own is cheaper than booking a tour. However, there are very affordable Northern Lights holiday packages.
Although we will go into detail later, a Northern Lights tour in Iceland costs around $153 a day, including all accommodations, tour guides, and transportation. Of course, it would be much more expensive to plan it on your own.
Best Northern Lights vacation packages
In Canada, for example, there are Northern Lights vacations that are even cheaper, at a price of $130 per day. However, there are also some luxury Northern Lights tour packages, which include more activities, for $500 a day.
It all depends on what type of trip to see the Northern Lights you want to take.
If you don’t want to book a Northern Lights vacation package, remember to take into account the following expenses:
Check our guide on how to plan cheap trips. Below are our recommendations for the best Northern Lights holiday packages by destination.
Trips to see the Northern Lights in Iceland
Iceland is the most popular place to take a Northern Lights trip this year. If you don’t have much time or want to travel on a budget, the Land of the Northern Lights is your best bet. In just five days, you’ll see all the Iceland must-sees: Blue Lagoon, half of the South Coast, the Golden Circle, and Reykjavik.
Trips to see the Northern Lights in Iceland
However, if you have more time for your Northern Lights vacation in Iceland, I recommend Northern Lights Exploration where, iin addition to the above, you’ll tour the easternmost area of the South Coast, visiting places as impressive as the Jokulsarlon ice lagoon, Diamond Beach, and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. You also have the option to visit an ice cave.
Trips to see the Northern Lights in Canada
Canada is one of the most magical places to see the Northern Lights in the world.
The Best Value Aurora Viewing tour is the cheapest tour to see the Northern Lights and takes place in Whitehorse. For 4 days, you’ll visit the capital city of the Yukon on your own and then meet your guide in the afternoon to hunt the Northern Lights. You’ll go to the AuroraCentre, a camp where you can wait, away from light pollution and sheltered by the heat of a fire, for the Northern Lights to appear.
Trips to see the Northern Lights in Canada
Another option is to take a Northern Lights holiday package in Yellowknife. Northern Lights at Aurora Village, which also lasts 4 days, is the best option. Your guide will accompany you on different winter activities during the day, and at night, you’ll chase the Northern Lights from the Aurora Village, where you can shelter in a teepee or next to a bonfire.
Best winter Northern Light Tours
However, Winter in the Rockies & Northern Lights is my favorite Northern Lights vacation in Canada. It is a combo of a Northern Lights tour in Yellowstone and the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The tour is quite like our 15-day Canadian Rockies trip, except that we had the tremendous fortune of seeing the Northern Lights in the Rockies. Realistically, you are much more likely to see them if you head to Yellowknife after your Rockies adventure.
Trips to see the Northern Lights in Norway
Norway is one of the cheapest places to see the Northern Lights in Europe. Moreover, as far as tourism is concerned, there are many options. You’ll find everything from hotels specialized in the observation of this phenomenon to multi-day holidays for touring the north of the country.
Trips to see the Northern Lights in Norway
Virtually all tours depart from Tromso, the Arctic capital, and from there, either visit the Lofoten Islands, such as this 7-day Norway Winter & Northern Lights tour, or take you to Alta, epicenter of the Norwegian Lapland, where you’ll have a great opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis, as in this 5-day Capitals of Northern Lights tour.
Best Northern Lights holidays in Norway
In my opinion, if, in addition to taking a tour to see the Northern Lights, you would like to fall in love with the landscapes of Norway, I recommend choosing the Lofoten Islands tour. We visit these islands every year during our Lofoten Photo Tour, and they have some of the most impressive landscapes I have ever shot in my life. If you choose that tour, here is a list of the most amazing places to see in the Lofoten Islands.
Trips to see the Northern Lights in Alaska
Although Alaska isn’t the only place in the United States where you can see this phenomenon, it is the best place to plan a trip to see the Northern Lights. However, the options are somewhat scarcer than in the rest of the countries mentioned. The only multi-day tour we found departs from Fairbanks. On it, you’ll spend five days chasing the Northern Lights in the Borealis Basecamp and partaking in winter activities, such as snowmobiling or sledding.
Alaska – Trips to see the Northern Lights in Alaska
Trips to see the Northern Lights in Finland
Finland is one of the most popular destinations for Northern Lights packages and Christmas tours. Meeting Santa Claus, staying in an igloo, or seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland are the main attractions. If there’s a country where everything is about Northern Lights tourism, it’s got to be Finland. Here you can find some of the best Northern Lights hotels in the world.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort – One of the best Northern Lights Hotels in the World
There are numerous guided Northern Lights multi-day tours in Finland, so here a complete list.
The Finnish Lapland in Winter tour is the cheapest 8-day vacation package. On this tour, you’ll travel by train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi to chase the Northern Lights. The four-day Finland Northern Lights tour is also a good option, where you will visit Harriniva in search of the Northern Lights.
Trips see the Northern Lights in Finland
If you want a more exclusive tour, where you’ll visit Oulu, Kemi, Rauna, Rovaniemi, Kemijarvi, Kuusamo, and Syöte in 8 days, I recommend the Northern Lights: A Lapland Winter tour.
Trips to see northern lights in Sweden
Finally, if you have chosen Sweden as your Northern Lights destination, the Northern Lights & wildlife in Swedish Lapland tour, which lasts 6 days and leaves from Lulea, is your best option. With the Northern Lights and Wildlife holiday package, you’ll live an authentic adventure, camping in Sami tepees and photographing moose and wild reindeer found in this area of Sweden.
Trips to see northern lights in Sweden
Northern Lights travel deals
If you want to find affordable trips to see the Northern Lights, visit the TourRadar deals section. There, they post significant discounts, and you can select the country in which you are interested to see if there are any good deals.
If you’re looking for cheap Northern Lights holidays, please note that when traveling in a guided group, you won’t have to worry about paying for accommodation, rental car, etc. Sometimes, hiring a Northern Lights vacation package is cheaper than planning the trip on your own. However, always compare the prices of all the Northern Lights tours to choose the best option for you.
Which is the best Northern Lights destination this year?
Have you already decided where to spend your next Northern Lights holidays? Remember: it’s very important to travel during the best time to see the Northern Lights. If not, you won’t see them, no matter which tour you hire.
Feel free to leave me a comment if you need help with anything. Nothing would make me happier than helping you fulfill your dream of seeing the Northern Lights.
I am 81 and depend pn a wheelchair. Alaska would be of interest and travel by water preferable, but not written in stone. I would have a companion.
Hope you can get to see the Northern Lights in Alaska, it’s an amazing place to see the Aurora 😉
This information is super helpful. However, due to time constraints, we may only have 2 days max for the northern light experience in Sweden. Further more, we are visiting in end sep/early oct. We also realised that most Tour groups only start end oct onwards. Do you think we should drop the plan entirely or would you have any suggested companies we can approach?
Hi Katherine,
This one-day tour from Kiruna is a great option, but it’s available starting in mid-October. If you can change your travel dates, it’s well worth it!
Thank you, found your article helpful. I am in Sweden on a short visit and was planning to visit a place to see the Northern Lights either this weekend or next. (I know its way too ambitious to think I will get to see), but given my short trip, don’t have much choice. That said, would you recommend a place that I should attempt to go to?
Hi Venkat,
Where exactly in Sweden are you? The northern, the better when chasing the Northern Lights!
Ascen
Hello, I am interested on going to the Best Value Aurora Viewing Tour, for me a and my son. I want to know how much is for the tour. We are coming from San Antonio, TX. Do you have military veterans discount. We want to go on spring break around 3/15. What city do we flight into. Is lodging provided? Please advise. Thank you
Hi Juan,
We have just selected the best Northern Lights trips for 2022 but we don’t run these tours. I recommend you to contact directly with the organizer of the tour that you like by clicking on the links on our article. Anyway, March is a great time to see the Northern Lights and I wish you luck for your Aurora Viewing Tour.
Ascen
Very interesting; useful information. Planning stages, this helps.
Thanks Mike! Good luck chasing the Aurora on your trips!
This was super helpful thank you! I hope to get myself together to do this before my 40 th birthday in February
Thanks Bradley! hope you can fulfill your Northern Lights dream 😉