How to see the Northern Lights
by The Adventure People on 3rd October 2018
Would you like to write for our blog? Please send an email to hello@theadventurepeople.com we'd love to hear your ideas!
An ultimate guide on how to see the Northern Lights.
Many come to visit the northern hemisphere and countries like Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and of course the Artics for a chance at spotting the famous Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights as they’re commonly referred to as. There are of course, no guarantees that you will see the lights, even if you follow all the recommendations. It’s a work of nature, so just like you can’t guarantee a stunning sunset when you reach the peak on a trek, you can’t guarantee when the northern lights will make the sky glow when you’re there. But here is a list of the 5 best tips on how to have the BEST CHANCE of seeing the northern lights:
1. Time of year
First things first. The northern lights appear when it’s dark out and no sunlight. The northern hemisphere have very few hours of darkness in the summer so to even have a chance of seeing them you should plan your visit for winter. With only a few hours of daylight you have a much better chance to see them in September - April.2. Duration of your visit
It’s recommended that you stay for at least a week to have a much better chance of seeing the northern lights. You might see them on day 1, day 7 or maybe not at all, but go out an try every night. Don’t stay cooped up inside, odds of seeing them through a window are very small.3. Go on a tour
The local guides on our tours know exactly where to go and the odds of seeing the lights on a given night. They have the experience and can give you lots of good advice on how to take the best pictures etc.4. Check the app
Yes, there is an app for that! Download an app like Aurora Forecast that tracks winds, solar rays etc to predict the likelihood of seeing the lights on a given night.5. Get out of the city and get up north!
The further north you are the more likely you are to see them. Cities like Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki are too far south, so don’t expect to see them here, no matter how dark it gets at night. You could possibly see them in cities like Reykjavik, but you’re much more likely to if you head out into the wilderness.
