Planning a trip to see the Northern Lights with kids? Confused as to where to see the Northern Lights and when to see the Northern Lights? We have worked out a list of the best places to see Northern Lights with kids for you to choose the right place for your Northern Lights Vacation.
Catching sight of the celestial Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis dancing in the clear, dark, and moonless sky as it paints the sky with different strokes of green, purple, and fuchsia colors is an experience that tops the bucket list of almost all travelers.
You might feel super-charged and excited to show this dancing show of lights to your kids, but remember, kids might not be interested in enduring the harsh Arctic weather conditions to see the Northern Lights. They’d want to run inside rather than stay up late, patiently waiting around for the lights to display. You plan well, really well, if you want your kids to soak in the magic.
Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon triggered by the charged particles discharged by the sun as it collides with gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere near the magnetic poles. The same phenomenon takes place in the southern hemisphere, it’s known as the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis.
Tips to Experience Northern Lights with Kids
There are a few pointers that you need to take note of before you plan a trip to see the Northern Lights with kids.
Best Places to See Northern Lights with Kids
Remember that seeing the lights isn’t guaranteed as it depends upon several elements like a clear sky, solar activity, moonless night, and others.
Though choosing the right place and the right season can increase your odds dramatically. We have rounded up the best places to see Northern Lights with kids to help you plan an unforgettable Northern Lights holiday.
Tromso, Norway
Editor’s Pick
Fondly known as the Arctic Capital, Tromso, at about 70° north, is the best place to see the Northern Lights in Norway, or rather, Europe.
Tromso promises higher chances of spotting the Northern Lights as it’s located right in the center of the Aurora Oval.
Plus, warm waters of the Gulf Stream, Tromso enjoys milder temperatures even in the winter, making it a perfect destination to see the Northern Lights with kids.
When to go: September to April
Best Spots: Fjellheisen, Ersfjordbotn
Where to Stay: Tromsø Ice Domes
Best/Recommended Tour: Northern Lights Adventure with Greenlander
Getting There: Almost all the international flights to Tromso involve a transfer at Gardermoen, Oslo.
Forecast Resources: NorwayLights
Expert Tip: If you happen to visit in January, you must attend the annual Northern Lights Festival
Other Kid-Friendly Day Activities: dog sledding, reindeer sledding, whale watching, seeing the seals at Polaria, experiencing the Sami Culture
Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland is magical, with or without the Northern Lights! Of course, the dancing lights in the sky make it otherworldly. With a bit of luck, you can even witness this natural phenomenon in the capital city of Reykjavik.
But, many amazing locations near Reykjavik promise better chances of Aurora viewing.
Apart from Reykjavik, Þingvellir National Park, Kirkjufell, Jökulsárlón, Vík, Reynisfjara, and Ásbyrgi Canyon are some of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Iceland.
You can rent a car (if you’re used to driving in winter conditions) and chase the Northern Lights on your own, or join an organized tour to have a worry-free Northern Lights hunt.
When to go: August to April
Best Spots: Grótta lighthouse, Öskjuhlið, Lake Kleifarvatn
Where to Stay: Reykjavik Residence Hotel, Brekka Lodge, The 5 Million Star Hotel (an hour outside the city in Skalholt)
Best/Recommended Tour: Northern Lights Night Tour from Reykjavik by Gray Line Iceland
Getting There: Fly into Reykjavik and rent a car
Forecast Resources: Icelandic Met Office
Expert Tip: Plan to stay for at least a week and try to get away from the city to maximize your chances of catching the Northern Lights.
Other Kid-Friendly Day Activities: Enjoy the Icelandic horse riding family tour with Ishestar, take a Golden Circle Tour, swim in a geothermal pool or Blue Lagoon
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Kay of The Awkward Traveller
If you’re wondering where to see the Northern Lights in the USA, Alaska is your answer!
It’s the Aurora capital of the United States of America. Fairbanks, in particular, is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights because of its close proximity to the Arctic Circle. The city itself has small-town charm, but hosts numerous events and festivals throughout the winter season, the perfect daytime activity to entertain yourself until the Northern Lights come out.
And once the sun goes down, there are countless vantage points and areas to view the Northern Lights, ranging from highly accessible to absolutely remote, and all still driving distance from the city. Plus, it’s in the perfect location for day trips to Denali National Park and the North Pole.
Fairbanks is a destination itself, with cute boutiques, unique restaurants, and incredible museums, all of which are just an added bonus on top of the strong Northern Lights activity.
When to go: Winter (November – February)
Best Spot: Chena Lake Recreation Area
Where to Stay: Bridgewater Hotel (inside the city, locally owned and operated) or Borealis Basecamp (outside the town)
Best Northern Lights Tour: Alaska Aurora Adventures (family-owned)
Getting There: Fly into Fairbanks and rent a car
Forecast Resources: Geophysical Institute
Expert Tip: Make sure to book tours and accommodations in advance!
Other Kid-Friendly Day Activities:
Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland
Kat of Wandering Bird
If you’re looking for somewhere to take your kids (and possibly see the Northern lights), Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland is a great option. It’s one of the best cities to visit in Europe in winter. Well, a trip to Lapland is magical for kids, be it summer or winter.
Rovaniemi, being the official hometown of Santa, is also one of the most kid-friendly places in Europe. If you plan to visit Rovaniemi during December, kids will be able to celebrate Christmas with Santa and see the Northern Lights too.
Best Time of the Year: November to March
Best Spots: Arktikum Park, the island of Koivusaari, Ounasvaara fell, Lake Norvajärvi, and if you can go further away from Rovaniemi center, Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park with huge skies and limited light noise is one of the best places to see the Northern lights in and around Rovaniemi.
Where to Stay: Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos or Arctic TreeHouse Hotel
Best/Recommended Tour: Northern Lights Tour Small Group – Including Photographs by Explore Lapland
Getting There: Fly into Helsinki and then take a flight or the Santa Claus Express Night Train to Rovaniemi
Forecast Resources: Rovaniemi Aurora Alert, Northern Lights Alert
Expert Tip: Don’t build your kids up ONLY to see the Northern lights because they’ll be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.
Other Kid-friendly Day Activities:
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
Mikaela of Voyageur Tripper
Nunavut is a fantastic place to see the northern lights. Many communities in the territory provide excellent viewing; however, Iqaluit (the capital city) is the easiest as there are direct flights from Ottawa or Montreal.
Because the northern lights are most prevalent between latitudes 60 and 75 degrees N, Iqaluit is great because it sits in the middle of that at 64 degrees N. Second, the open tundra and lack of light pollution give you an expansive sky to see the northern lights.
There are also awesome activities to do in Iqaluit during the day when the northern lights aren’t out. My personal favorites are snowmobiling and dog sledding, but ice fishing, igloo building, and snowshoeing are other available activities.
If northern lights are your primary reason for visiting Iqaluit, I’d recommend going with a guide. They can bring you to the best locations and will run you through a Northern Lights workshop.
When to go: October and November / February and March
Best Spots: Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park or Road to Nowhere
Where to Stay: Accommodations by the Sea
Best/Recommended Tour: Northern Lights Getaway by the Arctic Kingdom
Getting There: Direct Flights from Ottawa and Montreal
Forecast Resources: Space Weather Prediction Center
Expert Tip: Bring a floodlight and find a frozen lake. Illuminating the
Other Kid-friendly Day Activities:
Yellowknife, Canada
Jyoti of Story at Every Corner
Yellowknife is located right under the Aurora Borealis ring, so the dancing lights in the sky are present all year long. Since winter nights are long, the opportunity to see the northern lights is many, especially in the middle of winter when it’s dark nearly 24 hours a day.
August nights are shorter, but it’s a great time to visit because it’s not too cold and one can spend more time outside. Also, in August, one can go for wildlife viewing, which is not possible in winter.
Best Time of the Year: August to March
Best Spot: Anywhere! We saw the northern lights from the living room. But it’s visible pretty much everywhere where there’s ambient light at night.
Where to Stay: Hacho House
Best/Recommended Tour: North Star Adventures
Getting There: Almost all the airline carriers, from Air Canada, WestJet, Air North, First Air, to Northwestern Air, have direct flights to Yellowknife from the major Canadian cities of Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, and Alberta.
Forecast Resources: Astronomy North
Expert Tips:
- Plan to stay a few nights in Yellowknife because the northern lights are not visible every day due to clouds and other atmospheric phenomena. Any clothes you possess will likely not keep you warm in temperatures of -40 degrees C or lower. You need to rent local Canadian parkas, pants, and boots. We carried thermal underclothes and borrowed our friends’ outerwear, but I saw tour operators provide outerwear for rent.
- Take an excellent camera and tripod to take amazing pictures of the aurora borealis in Yellowknife.
Other Kid-friendly Day Activities:
Swedish Lapland
Bradley of Dream Big Travel, Far Blog
Swedish Lapland is a magical place filled with beautiful scenery, amazing people, delicious food, and memorable activities. Because Swedish Lapland is located in the Arctic part of Sweden and is home to Abisko, Kiruna, and other magical places, it’s in the perfect position to catch the Northern Lights.
Naturally, the further north you are, the higher the chance of seeing the Northern Lights because the Aurora activity is more vigorous. Abisko is a popular place to see the lights because of its unique climate, which keeps the skies almost clear, and the light pollution is minimal.
Best Time of the Year: September to March
Best Spot: Abisko National Park is one of the most popular places in Swedish Lapland to see the Northern Lights, but essentially any great lake or forest area with no light pollution will make a good spot!
Where to Stay: We recommend wild camping either via campervan or tent to give yourself a superb chance to see the Northern Lights, or a stay at the famous Ice Hotel in Sweden is not only great fun, but also located in a brilliant place to see the Northern Lights!
Best/Recommended Tour: You can create your own itinerary if you’ve got your vehicle, or a popular tour is the Great Aurora Chase by Visit Abisko, which is held in the Abisko National Park.
Getting There: Fly into Stockholm and then take a train, bus, or flight to Kiruna.
Forecast Resources: We used My Aurora Forecast as it gives you an indication of the likelihood of the Northern Lights being out and gives you an alarm if they’re around and you haven’t checked!
Expert Tip: If you want to get a cool family picture of you and the Northern Lights, then don’t forget to bring a tripod with you!
Other Kid-friendly Day Activities: Swedish Lapland isn’t just an excellent place to see the Northern Lights; there are so many other brilliant things to do with kids. You can visit a moose farm and feed them carrots whilst learning all about their lives, or you can go dog-sledding for an adrenaline adventure, or why not learn more about the Sami Culture on a tour with the local Sami people?
Murmansk, Russia
Ellis of Backpack Adventures
Murmansk in Russia is one of the best places to see the northern lights with kids. With a long and cold winter, the aurora borealis is visible from August till April, but the best chances are during the polar nights in winter from 8 PM till 2 AM. Chasing the northern lights in Murmansk is still relatively cheap, especially compared to the neighboring Scandinavian countries.
Murmansk is the northernmost city in Russia and one of the largest cities, above the Arctic Circle. The town has some interesting attractions, such as a nuclear icebreaker, as well as all the facilities you need, including kid-friendly accommodations and restaurants.
Visit Murmansk organizes tours in the evening to bring you out of town and away from the light pollution. The guides use the latest forecasts to predict where exactly they have the most significant chance of seeing the northern lights and where there are clear skies. If you want to go on your own, you could contact the Polar Geophysical Institute (PGI) in the Kola Peninsula.
Best Time of the Year: August – April
Best Spot: Teriberka
Where to Stay: Aurora Village (glass igloos outside of Murmansk, where you can spend the night for a chance to see the northern lights from your bed.)
Best/Recommended Tour: Visit Murmansk
Getting There: To reach Murmansk, you can either fly from Moscow or take the scenic Arktika Express from St. Petersburg.
Forecast Resources: North For You
Expert Tip: Make sure you wear enough warm clothes, including thermal underwear and woolen socks, as it gets very cold.
Other Kid-Friendly Day Activities: Besides chasing the northern lights, there are other kid-friendly activities in the area, such as visiting a Sami village, feeding reindeer, snowmobiling, and husky sledding.
Ilulissat, Greenland
Why Greenland? It is sparsely populated and thus has minimal pollution and artificial light, which makes it a perfect destination to witness elusive lights. During the season, you can see them everywhere, literally everywhere, even in the center of Nuuk, Greenland’s capital city.
Home to the UNESCO World Heritage Ilulissat ice fjord and Disco Bay (massive icebergs), Ilulissat is among the best places to see Northern Lights in Greenland.
Besides Northern Lights, Ilulissat has plenty of other activities for kids to enjoy in winter. Blanketed in the snow with gigantic, clear blue icebergs wherever you look, the town looks like something dreams are made of.
When to go: September to April
Best Spot: Disco Bay
Where to Stay: Hotel Icefiord
Best Northern Lights Tour: Ilulissat Adventure
Getting There: Fly into Iceland (Reykjavik) or Denmark (Copenhagen) and arrive in Ilulissat via Air Greenland from Keflavik International Airport or Air Iceland Connect from Reykjavik Domestic Airport, or via Air Greenland from Kastrup International Airport.
Forecast Resources: Northern Light Aurora Forecast
Expert Tip: If you are coming from Copenhagen, Kangerlussuaq is your best bet to see the Northern Lights.
Other Kid-Friendly Day Activities: dog sledding, reindeer sledding, snowshoeing, skiing, snowmobiling, whale watching, seeing the seals at Polaria, and experiencing the Sami Culture
Malin Head, County Donegal, Ireland
Emer and Nils of Let’s Go Ireland
Northern lights in Ireland are a rare but unbelievably special sight to behold. Unlike the countries of the north, where the northern lights are often seen overhead, the northern lights in Ireland are usually seen on or slightly above the horizon.
This interaction of color, light, and water reflections is particularly phenomenal. The remote location of Malin Head and the surrounding headlands along the Wild Atlantic Way coastal route are great places to observe the northern lights when the right weather and solar conditions coincide.
These stunning headlands are located far away from major towns and receive minimal light interference, resulting in very dark skies. Other areas along the Wild Atlantic Way coastal drive route, such as the International Dark Skies Reserve in County Mayo and County Kerry, are renowned for their lack of light pollution and are superb locations for stargazing.
Best Time of the Year: November – March
Best Spot: Malin Head
Where to Stay: Barney’s Cottage (a cozy cottage, complete with a stove)
Best/Recommended Tour: Self-guided tour
Getting There: Personal or rental car
Forecast Resources: Space Weather Prediction Center, Space Weather, Aurora alert Ireland
Expert Tip: Even with the right conditions, you may still need considerable patience. As the weather is likely to be cold, don’t forget to wrap up warm. Wear an extra pair of socks or even bring a hot water bottle in the car to warm up afterward.
Other Kid-friendly Day Activities: Bundoran in County Donegal is the surfing hotspot in Ireland and a highly suitable place for kids to learn to surf. There are surfing lessons all year round for all skill levels. Donegal is also a good place to go whale watching. View the famous Slieve League cliffs by boat as well to get a completely different perspective of one of Ireland’s best highlights.
Hope our list of the best places to see the Northern Lights with kids helps you plan a perfect Northern Lights vacation with family. Which one of these places would you like to go to for Northern Lights viewing?
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