Blue and purple northern lights reflected over a lake

Northern Lights Tours made for you

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Extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime trips to chase the northern lights

An expertly organised and magical Nordic northern lights trip

Standing in awe beneath the shimmering arcs of the aurora borealis is an experience you’ll never forget. On your bespoke northern lights trip, you’ll be guided by experts on a seamless journey to see this otherworldly spectacle.

The aurora borealis is a natural phenomenon that occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere. To the human eye – or through a camera lens on a northern lights photography trip – this creates a kaleidoscope of bright swirling ribbons of light in the dark sky. 

Sparsely populated Nordic countries (Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway) have huge swathes of rugged landscapes untouched by the bright lights of big cities. Although there will always be an element of luck in glimpsing the aurora, these conditions, along with long, dark winter nights, are perfect for viewing the northern lights. Our travel designers’ favourite northern lights trips usually take place during winter (December to March), to snow blanketed Sápmi (the name that Indigenous Sámi people prefer to use, rather than Lapland). Swedish Sápmi, Finnish Sápmi and Norwegian Sápmi boast wide horizons, rich cultural heritage and a host of wildlife – including reindeer, integral to the Sámi way of life. Here, you can try sledding, snowshoeing, or exploring beneath the dark skies on a snowmobile.

We’ll get to know exactly what level of luxury and adventure that you want on your northern lights tour, and we’ll plan your perfect itinerary to a pristine winter wonderland.

From our experts

Experiences picked by our specialists

Sleep at Sweden's Icehotel

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Stay in Sweden’s Icehotel on a Scandinavian winter adventure

Husky sled beneath the northern lights

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Witness the northern lights in Norway while husky sledding

Cross Svalbard's Arctic tundra

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Discover the remote Arctic tundra of Norway’s Svalbard Islands

Photograph the aurora in Sápmi

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Capture the night sky on a northern lights photography lesson in Swedish Sápmi

Chase the lights in southern Iceland

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Chase the Northern Lights on an exclusive adventure in southern Iceland

A word from one of our experts

A fully immersive northern lights experience means spending time in remote areas with expert guides. There is some incredible off-the-beaten-track accommodation in Sápmi (Lapland) and Iceland, my favourite places to maximise time beneath dark skies. Here, you can enjoy a delicious dinner before stepping out in search of the aurora, snow shoeing, sledding or cross-country skiing.

Murray Mitchell headshot
Murray Mitchell

Senior Travel Designer

Luxury accommodation in Scandinavia and Iceland

There are many incredible places to stay in Scandinavia and Iceland where you might see the northern lights. Here are some of our favourites, handpicked by our travel designers:

Swedish Lapland

Icehotel
When it comes to finding rooms with that little something extra, the Icehotel is hard to beat. This hotel and art exhibition was first built in 1989 and has been redesigned and built from scratch every year since. Water from the River Torne provides ice for the hotel and a team of skilled and hardy workers chip, carve and chisel until the building is complete. There is a mix of warm and cold rooms in which to sleep, the latter lingering between -5 and -8°C on the thermometer. The highlight for most guests is the chance to bed down in one of the cold rooms, where a thick mattress covered in reindeer skins sits on top of a huge bed of ice. Snuggle up in your thermal sleeping bag then wake up in the morning to a steaming cup of lingonberry juice before jumping in the sauna before breakfast. New for 2016 is the Icehotel 365, a permanent structure that is kept cool in summer by solar panels. Inside are luxury suites, each with their own bathroom as well as art suites designed and hand carved by artists from around the world. Despite its frosty nature, there are plenty of cosy corners in which to warm your fingers and toes. Set up camp in front of the crackling fire in the Jukkasjärvi Homestead, a timbered building that dates back to 1768. Here you can enjoy beef and salmon steaks hot out the charcoal-fired oven, or head to the hotel restaurant to sample traditional Scandinavian fare with locally sourced fish, game and berries. Then there is the ice bar, where everything from the glasses to the tables, chairs and bar itself is made from ice. Enjoy the totally unique surroundings and sip on what is likely to be the crispest glass of champagne or cocktail you’ll ever drink.
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Why book with Jacada?

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Personalised design

We’ll plan your trip around your specific interests, tastes and preferences, providing helpful tips and honest advice based on first-hand knowledge of the destination.

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Authentic experiences

Our expert guides and brilliant travel concierges are hand-picked to provide a genuine experience, bringing your destination to life with care and passion.

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Responsible travel

Our luxury trips are designed with responsible travel principles that prioritise travel experiences that are both good for you and good for the planet.

Ready to plan your adventure?

Whatever you want from your northern lights tour, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.

Where to go

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Finland

Finland’s 40 national parks are stunning destinations of pristine wilderness, perfect for snowmobiling, snow shoeing, sledding and ice fishing beneath dark skies.

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Iceland

In winter, the ice fields, thundering waterfalls and steaming lakes of Iceland make an impressive backdrop for an Aurora Borealis light show.

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Norway

Home to unparalleled winter beauty and adventure, the frozen tundra of Norway is an incredible place to search the Arctic sky for the luminous northern lights.

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Sweden

One of Scandinavia’s best known northern lights destinations is Sweden, especially Swedish Sápmi in the far north, the land of reindeer and Sámi culture.

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Polar Regions

Venture into the polar wild with expert-crafted luxury travel, where reindeer, icebergs and endless horizons meet exceptional service.

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When to travel

In the far north of Scandinavia and in Iceland, the best time to see the northern lights is in winter, from November to February. A lot of Iceland and all of Sápmi (northern Sweden, Finland and Norway) is blanketed in snow and there’s less rainfall than elsewhere – clear, long dark nights are perfect for experiencing the aurora.

Winter activities

November–April

Astrotourism

September–October

Northern lights

November–February

Ice fishing

November–March

Best Time and Place to See the Northern Lights in Norway

Best Time and Place to See the Northern Lights in Norway

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Plan your trip to chase the northern lights

Whatever you want from your winter adventure, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.

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Don't take our word for it

Your trip, your story

We craft trips deeply personal, delightfully surprising and entirely one of a kind. Every Jacada journey begins in conversation with a travel designer, a specialist in their destination of expertise. Behind each journey is a wealth of insight, gathered over years of on-the-ground exploration.

Once you’re booked, you’ll meet your concierge. Based in the region you’re visiting, they’ll take care of all the details so your mind is at rest. They make the trip truly special – and truly yours.