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In search of the northern lights

02/02/2017

How to plan your trip to see the beautiful northern lights, following a few simple tips.

 

Winter is the best season to organize a nice trip to admire the beautiful aurora borealis, the northern lights. The time frame starting from October up to April is the best to take advantage. But before organizing it all, you should get informed for the best possible trip.

First of all start by choosing the right place to go see it, since you can only view it at certain latitudes. On our continent it can be observed in Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. But if the idea of an extra-continental trip is intriguing, the choice one can divert you to other destinations like Canada, Greenland, and Alaska.

Viewing the Northern Lights is not 100% guaranteed, so it is advisable not to organize a trip only with this goal. We have to look for alternatives, maybe organizing related activities such as husky safaris. In this case it is advisable to book everything from Italy and to get set up with regard to clothing, since the temperatures will be below zero we recommend thermal clothing.

 

The best way to see the northern lights? Tours

 

If you opt to travel in the territory of Lapland, there are two types of tours: the Aurora Chase and the Aurora Visit.

With the Aurora Chase the tour is conducted with a bus where the guide, depending on weather conditions and solar and magnetic activity, chooses the places where the probability of spotting the Northern Lights are greater. The trip can last quite a while since you move quickly from one place to another.

With the Aurora Visit you go to only one location. The duration of the tour can last from 4 to 6 hours and while waiting to see the northern lights can stay in a lavvu, the traditional tent of the Sami (the indigenous people of Lapland), where you can have something to eat and get warm around the fire.

Even in this case thermal clothing is recommended, since you will be exposed to the harsh temperatures for a long period of time.

 

Seeing the lights and the most charming places of Lapland

 

During the trip you can also take the opportunity to visit the most fascinating places that the Nordic countries can offer us, among them we find Tromsø, the “unofficial” capital of Lapland (Norway), offering a holiday for those who enjoy city life. In addition to viewing the Northern Lights, you can eat at the finest restaurants and visit the best museums.

Also in Norway, Lofoten and Vesteårel Islands are suitable for those looking for tranquility in a vacation. You can stay in the fishing villages, in small houses built on wooden poles called rorbu. Here you can savor the best fish of the North Sea.

Finnish and Swedish Lapland, however, are best suited for those who seriously want to devote themselves to the finding the Northern Lights every day. There are many places away from light pollution that offer a perfect view. Among them is Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, and the most populated area of Lapland. Here polar night occurs, a night that can last more than 24 hours, during which it’s possible to see the northern lights.

If you are traveling with children, the advice is to visit Santa Claus’s Village in Rovaniemi, while the Northern Lights can be seen in the neighboring village of Luosto. If you want to opt for a journey dedicated to wellness, you may prefer Iceland and the city of Reykjavik, where before venturing to find the Northern Lights, you can take a relaxing dip in the typical thermal pools.

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