Northern Lights in Norway: best time and places to see them

Planning a trip to Norway to spot the Northern Lights? Here’s what you need to know.

I’ll admit, I got pretty lucky on my trip to Tromsø. The forecast was terrible, it was cloudy for most of my stay, and I still saw the Northern Lights twice: first through the glass roof of my cabin, then dancing for two hours over the fjord at Oldervik.

The Northern Lights from my aurora cabin at ÆRA, near Tromsø

Jealous? Don’t be. It wasn’t all luck, and I’ve got the lowdown on how you can spot them too.

Now, this light show can be tricky to catch; that’s what makes it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors living outside of the Nordic region. I’ve seen the lights on all three of my aurora trips, in Iceland, in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland and in Tromsø, and I’ve explored Norway’s Lofoten Islands twice in the dark season, so I know how much of it comes down to planning.

Luckily, if you use this guide to plan your trip, it should go swimmingly, and you might catch the Aurora Borealis more than once.

In fact, Norway just so happens to be one of the best locations to view the Northern Lights in the world. Don’t believe me? Read on to discover when to go, where in Norway to base yourself, and how to give yourself the best possible chance on your Norwegian trip.

PS: Want to delve into how to plan a Northern Lights trip? Watch this video!

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When’s the best time to see the Northern Lights in Norway: at a glance

Ok, so you’ve decided on visiting Norway. But when?

In the north of Norway, the Northern Lights season runs from late August to early or mid-April. Heading there between late September and late March will give you the best chance of seeing them, because there are more hours of darkness each night.

You should note that September and March are the best months, as geomagnetic activity tends to peak around the equinoxes, which makes the lights shine more boldly.

What are the Northern Lights?

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are waves of light that dance around the sky. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn and Boreas the Greek god of the north wind, so the name roughly translates as ‘dawn of the north,’ and it truly is a beautiful display.

This gorgeous natural phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the sun (electrons and protons, if you want to be a little fancy) come into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere. The sun constantly throws off a stream of these particles, called the solar wind, at around 400 kilometres per second, and during a solar storm it can hurl out huge clouds of plasma at several times that speed.

When the storm reaches Earth, it strikes a magnetic field around the planet called the magnetosphere. Particles from the solar storm then travel toward the Earth’s poles and interact with nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the atmosphere. Thus, Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis are born.

The colours depend on which gases the particles hit. Oxygen creates the most common green auroras (and the rarer red ones, higher up), while nitrogen adds blue, pink and purple.

The poles are also affected by geomagnetic storms caused by solar wind shock waves. This can amplify the effects of the Northern Lights and increase their visibility. So, paying attention to these geomagnetic storms is essential if you wish to see the lights at full blast.

Can you see the Northern Lights in Norway?

Yes! However, for a realistic chance you need to be in the north of the country, above the Arctic Circle.

For example, you won’t usually be able to spot them in Oslo, as it’s too far south. It does happen on rare occasions when solar activity is very high: during the huge geomagnetic storm of May 2024, they were seen right across southern Norway. But you can’t plan a trip around that. Head north to Tromsø, Lofoten, Senja, Alta or Kirkenes and you’re right in the aurora zone. Svalbard, way further north, is a special case, and I’ll come to that below.

The best places to see the aurora

The so-called aurora zone, roughly between 65 and 72 degrees north, is where the Northern Lights show up most often, and northern Norway sits right inside it. Here are the best places to base yourself, starting with the one I’d pick for a first trip.

Wherever you go, you will have to leave the main towns to see the Northern Lights at their best, as there is too much light pollution, so prepare to head out to the fjords, the mountains or the wilderness.

Tromsø

Tromsø is the most popular base for spotting the Northern Lights as it’s far more accessible than anywhere else this far north. It’s around three and a half hours’ flight from the UK, and it has a lively little city to come back to after a night out in the cold.

You can watch my video about chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø here.

This city is near the centre of the aurora zone, which makes it perfect for catching a glimpse of these lights. You can sometimes spot them from the city, but getting out of town will give you a much better chance due to less light pollution. A trip towards the Lyngsalpene (the Lyngen Alps) mountain range is one option, and the fjords and islands of Kvaløya are closer still.

I spent five days in Tromsø in February, and it’s where I had my proudest aurora hunt. I started at ÆRA, about half an hour outside the city, in a glass-roofed aurora cabin. Night one was nothing but cloud. On night two, the forecast gave about an 11% chance, but I turned off the lights in the cabin, set up my camera, and caught a faint green glow through the glass, before heading down to the lake for a better look.

The Northern Lights over the fjord at Oldervik, near Tromsø

Then I moved into town and added an extra night. It had been cloudy for days, so I spent most of the day mapping the hourly cloud forecast against known viewing spots, and drove out to Oldervik, about 50 minutes north-east of the city. It was cloudy en route, but when I got there the sky was completely clear, and I watched the lights dance for two hours. That one night made the whole trip.

Other good spots near Tromsø include Ersfjordbotn (20 to 25 minutes away, with an amphitheatre of snowy mountains around the fjord), Grøtfjord and the white sand beaches of Sommarøy. No car? The Fjellheisen cable car takes you 421 metres up Mount Storsteinen, above the city lights. Read my full guide to chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø for the whole story and every spot.

The Lofoten Islands

The Lofoten Islands have some of the most beautiful locations in the world to spot the Northern Lights. You can see them here even when there’s fairly low solar activity.

Why, I hear you ask? Well, these islands sit under the auroral oval, a belt of light that encircles the geomagnetic poles. Not only can you catch the lights here, but it’s also super popular due to the magnificent landscape.

Imagine sitting in one of the most beautiful natural areas while watching the Northern Lights dance through the skies. DREAM.

I’ll be honest with you, though. I’ve been to Lofoten twice, in October and in February, and it was quite cloudy for much of my February trip. Lofoten is cloudier than Tromsø, so it’s not necessarily the place with the highest chance of seeing them. But when the cloud lifts and the lights come out over those mountains and beaches, it’s a spectacular place to see them. The season runs from late August to mid-April, and Svolvær, where I based myself on both trips, is the easiest base.

Take a closer look at Lofoten in my travel guide video.

Senja

Senja, Norway’s second-largest island, sits between Tromsø and Lofoten and is wilder and far quieter than either. Think jagged peaks dropping straight into the sea, tiny fishing villages and almost no light pollution at all.

It’s a fantastic place to add a couple of nights to a Tromsø trip. An express boat runs from Tromsø to Finnsnes in about an hour and a quarter, or you can drive across Kvaløya and take the car ferry from Brensholmen to Botnhamn (check the winter timetable, as sailings are limited and the weather can cancel them).

Alta

Alta, in Finnmark, calls itself the City of the Northern Lights, and with good reason. Its dry, stable inland climate means clearer skies than much of the coast, which is why scientists were studying the aurora here from the 1830s, and why the world’s first Northern Lights observatory was built on nearby Haldde mountain in 1899.

Don’t miss the Northern Lights Cathedral in the town centre, a striking modern church whose spiral shape is inspired by the aurora. Alta is also a big dog-sledding centre, and just outside town the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel is rebuilt from snow and ice every winter.

The North Cape

Up at 71 degrees north, the North Cape (Nordkapp) is often called the northernmost point of Europe (strictly speaking, it’s on the island of Magerøya, linked to the mainland by a tunnel), and on a clear winter night it’s an incredible place to see the lights over the Barents Sea.

It takes some planning in winter, though. The last stretch of road to the plateau can only be driven in an escorted convoy at set times, and those depend on the weather. Most people base themselves in Honningsvåg, or visit on a coastal voyage (more on that below).

Kirkenes

Kirkenes, right up by the Russian border, is another of the best places to catch the Northern Lights. The season runs from around late August to mid-April, and the sun doesn’t rise at all from mid-November to mid-January, which gives you plenty of darkness to work with.

It’s also the end of the line for the coastal voyages, and home to the Snowhotel Kirkenes, where you can sleep in an ice suite in winter and head out on husky and snowmobile safaris.

Svalbard

That said, I wouldn’t take a punt on Svalbard as the best place to see the Northern Lights in Norway, even though people often assume it is. At 78 degrees north, it actually sits north of the main aurora zone, so at night your chances are a little lower than in Tromsø.

What makes it special is the polar night. From around November to February it is dark even at midday, and Svalbard is one of the only places on the planet where you can see the aurora during the daytime. That’s pretty magical. Just be aware that, because of polar bears, you shouldn’t head out of Longyearbyen without a qualified guide.

On a coastal voyage

If you’d rather the Northern Lights came to you, consider a coastal voyage up the Norwegian coast. Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights Promise covers voyages of 11 days or more departing between 20 September and 31 March: if the ship’s officers don’t record a sighting during your trip, you get a free six- or seven-day voyage to try again.

What is Norway’s best time of year to see the Northern Lights?

The best time to see the Northern Lights in Norway is between the autumn equinox in September and the spring equinox in March. Going during the summer months won’t give you any chance of finding them, as they have to compete with the Midnight Sun: in Tromsø, the sun doesn’t set at all from around 20 May to 22 July.

September and March have some of the highest levels of geomagnetic activity and are the best months to go if you wish to spot Norway’s Aurora Borealis (which you definitely do, otherwise why are you still reading this article?).

You will have the darkest and longest nights from November to February, making it the perfect time to see them. However, there’s also a higher chance of cloudy weather, and clouds don’t mix well with the lights.

Which is the best month?

In a nutshell: It’s a toss-up between September and March. I vote for March.

I timed my trip to Rovaniemi for the spring equinox and saw a huge geomagnetic storm, and I went to Tromsø in late February. You get strong aurora activity, there’s still plenty of snow on the ground for dog sledding and reindeer, and the days are long enough for road trips around the fjords before you head out for the night.

Why September and March are the best months

There are several reasons why September and March are the best months to see the Northern Lights.

Darkness meets activity

By September, summer is waning and the nights in northern Norway are dark enough again. By March, the days are getting longer, but there are still plenty of dark hours. Both months combine enough darkness with some of the strongest aurora activity of the year.

The Northern Lights are stronger during the spring and autumn equinoxes

Without going into too much detail, geomagnetic activity increases during the equinoxes, because of the way the Earth is tilted towards the sun’s magnetic field at that time of year. Geomagnetic activity, as mentioned above, makes the lights brighter and more visible.

It’s not as cold

Northern Norway is cold in winter; there are no two ways around it. However, the temperatures during September and March are not as cold as during the depths of winter. This means it will be much more comfortable to stand around and wait for the lights to show than from December to February.

Less cloudy weather

November to February has the longest and darkest nights, which makes it perfect for catching the Northern Lights. However, the weather has a higher chance of being cloudy during these months, and you can’t see the lights in cloudy weather.

September and March have shorter nights, but the weather tends to be less cloudy. So the possibility of spotting the lights is higher (even if the nights are shorter). It’s no guarantee, mind: it was cloudy for days on my February trip to Tromsø, which is why I always watch the cloud forecast as closely as the aurora forecast.

Month by month

Now that you know that September and March are the best months to see the Northern Lights, what would it take to find them during other months?

September to October

It’s the end of summer, and nights are starting to get longer, but they are not yet as long as in winter. Luckily, high levels of geomagnetic activity around the autumn equinox make up for this, and you have a good chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis well into October. Autumn colours, unfrozen lakes and fjords for reflections, and milder temperatures are a bonus.

November to January

The nights are now nice and long, so you will have a good chance of spotting the Northern Lights. This is the time of the polar night: in Tromsø, the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon from around 27 November to 15 January, so you can sometimes see the aurora in the afternoon.

However, it’s quite cold, so you’ll have to layer up if you want to spend hours waiting for the Northern Lights to appear, and November and December can be particularly cloudy along the coast. January is usually the coldest month, right in the middle of winter.

February to March

February is still freezing. However, there is often a higher chance of clear skies, which makes it easier to spot the Northern Lights, and the light is coming back during the day.

In March, the weather starts getting a bit warmer and there’s more geomagnetic activity, so it’s the best time to see the lights. By mid-April, the nights in the far north are too light, and the season is over until late August.

What else should I know?

Following this guide will give you a higher chance of spotting the Northern Lights, however, aurora activity changes each year which can alter when and where you see them. The sun has an activity cycle that lasts around 11 years, and roughly every 11 years, it reaches solar maximum, where solar activity is at its highest.

The latest solar maximum peaked in October 2024. The good news is that the years either side of the maximum still bring strong displays, and the declining phase of the cycle has historically produced some of the most powerful geomagnetic storms. So the next couple of winters are still a brilliant time to go.

That said, the Northern Lights are bright and beautiful in any year, and you don’t need a solar maximum to see them. You can always make a second trip to compare. As if you need an excuse!

How to plan your visit

A trip to see the Northern Lights isn’t just about buying a ticket to Norway and going. There’s a bit more planning that goes into it.

Stay at a Northern Lights hotel

Staying at accommodation where you have a chance to spot the lights from your room is one of the best ideas, especially if you don’t fancy hours in the cold.

ÆRA, near Tromsø. This is where I stayed, in one of the glass-roofed aurora cabins, so you can lie in bed and watch the sky. It’s in a beautiful lakefront spot away from the bright lights of Tromsø, close to Oldervik, and the team sends aurora alerts on WhatsApp (until midnight). You will need a car. Read my full ÆRA Tromsø review, and my guide to where to stay in Tromsø for more options in and around the city.

Eliassen Rorbuer, Lofoten. Eliassen Rorbuer has traditional red wooden fishing cabins in Hamnøy, right below the mountains, which give you a great chance of seeing the lights from your window or just outside your door.

Check Rates and Availability

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, Alta. For something different, sleep on a bed of ice in this snow and ice hotel, which is rebuilt every winter. It usually opens for overnight stays from around the end of December, so check the dates for your trip.

Wherever you stay, book early. Northern Lights hotels are popular, and the best rooms go months ahead.

Go on a Northern Lights tour

If you would prefer to stay in town to see more than just the Northern Lights, then going on a tour to find the Northern Lights is a great idea. Your tour guide will know the best places and times to see the lights, and you won’t have to spend time hunting them down on your own, or driving on icy roads in the dark.

In Tromsø, there are minibus chases with photos, snacks and thermal suits included, and cross-border chases that include a portrait of your group under the aurora. Big coach tours are cheaper still. Guides will chase clear skies wherever they are, sometimes all the way to Finland. In Lofoten, this Northern Lights tour from Svolvær includes hot drinks, wool blankets and help with your photography.

Tours aren’t cheap, and no one can guarantee the lights, but you’re paying for expertise, transport and the chance to have your photo taken under the aurora.

Or hire a car and go it alone

If you’re confident driving on snow and ice, I’d recommend flying solo. I hired a car in Tromsø and went self-guided, and it was the best decision of the trip: when the cloud closed in, I could go wherever the clear sky was. Hire cars come with winter tyres in the season, but take real care on icy roads, and don’t stop in dangerous places when the lights appear.

Use the Aurora app (and watch the clouds)

The Aurora app (My Aurora Forecast & Alerts) is your friend if you want to find the lights. It has a real-time Northern Lights tracker and an aurora map, and can be a guideline for seeing them. The app is a forecast app, though, so it’s not always accurate. In Iceland, the night it forecast as the weakest of my trip turned into a Kp 8 geomagnetic storm.

Get to grips with the Kp index too. It measures geomagnetic activity on a scale of 0 to 9. At 0 to 2, the aurora is far north and fairly dim; at 3 to 5, it’s brighter, with more movement, and in northern Norway that can look really great; at 6 to 7, it’s bright and very active; and at 8 to 9, it pushes much further south, to the point where you might even catch it from London.

But here’s the thing: if you’ve planned your trip well, you’re not so much chasing the Northern Lights as chasing clear skies. The aurora happens far above the clouds, so even a strong display can be hidden by them. I use the cloud layers on Windy Premium, which shows the forecast cloud cover hour by hour for any spot you choose. It’s how I found the clear patch at Oldervik when the rest of the Tromsø region was covered.

Give yourself time (and stay up late)

Book as many nights as you can, and start hunting on your first night: the lights either come out or they don’t, and every extra night is another chance. My best night in Tromsø was the one I added at the last minute.

The busiest hours, aurora-wise, are usually from about 11pm to 2am, so be ready for a late one. Try to avoid the full moon if you can, as moonlight washes out fainter displays, and look for a spot with a clear view to the north.

Wrap up warm

You’ll be standing around in the Arctic at night, so layers are everything: thermal baselayers, a warm mid-layer, a proper parka, a hat, gloves and boots with good grip. As the Norwegians say, there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes. Pack hand warmers and a flask of something hot. My guide to chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø has my full layering list.

And plan plenty of daytime activities too, from dog sledding to feeding reindeer with Sámi herders, so your trip is brilliant whether or not the lights show up. See my guide to Tromsø in winter for ideas.

Best time and places to see the Northern Lights in Norway