The best places to see the northern lights in 2026

If seeing the aurora borealis (northern lights) is one of your dream trips, quickly turn your attention skyward: forecasters say that early 2026 may be the best chance to spot the elusive light show until the 2030s.

The natural phenomenon is usually observable around the Arctic Circle, but since the sun entered its solar maximum in 2024 – the most active peak of its 11-year solar cycle – people as far south as Florida have reported seeing the ethereal display.

Here’s everything you need to know about catching the northern lights before heightened solar activity fades.

What is the aurora borealis?

"Auroras happen because charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field," says Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. "This process excites gas atoms in our atmosphere that release light as they calm back down." Different gases result in various colors, setting the stage for psychedelic ballets that might appear green, purple, blue, red or yellow.

This phenomenon occurs in an area called the auroral oval or auroral zone. In the northern hemisphere, the region usually encompasses high latitudes like Alaska, northern Canada, Russia and the Nordics. But the zone shifts depending on the strength of solar storms, which release huge amounts of charged particles.

A walkway passes red buildings on a hillside with a big sky of northern lights shining overhead. — Wrangell-St Elias National Park in Alaska, USA. David Pastyka/Shutterstock

What's unique about the northern lights in 2026?

Although NASA scientists announced that the sun reached its solar maximum in late 2024, the years immediately following a peak can still see volatile solar flares. Colorful magnetic storms may surprise sky watchers throughout 2026, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center’s solar cycle chart.

The biggest storm on record is still the Carrington Event in 1859. "It was strong enough for the northern lights to be seen as far south as Mexico," says Schmoll.

If the sun replicates this solar flare, aurora lovers are in for a treat. But solar activity is erratic. There's no light switch for the aurora borealis, and hopefuls in lower latitudes shouldn't spend sleepless nights staring skyward.

How to see the northern lights in 2026

Even if you join a luxury aurora expedition, there's no guarantee that you'll see a solar show. But according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), several tactics can increase your chances.

Get out of the city

Avoid bright lights. Shining cities drown out the aurora, so your best bet is to find an International Dark Sky Place with exceptionally inky skies. In the USA, you could find luck at Montana's Glacier National Park or Maine's Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Both are far enough north that this year's solar storms might make a surprise appearance.

It's also helpful to travel outside of a full moon. Consult the moon calendar for 2026, and plan a trip when the moon is a crescent.

A starry sky with the visible Milky Way and the colors of the northern lights on the horizon over a still lake surrounded by mountains. — Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. FloridaStock/Shutterstock

Choose the right season

It's imperative to consider timing. Spotting the aurora is a night owl's quest, with peak viewing usually between 10pm and 2am, though this changes seasonally. The best months to spot a celestial performance are near the spring and fall equinoxes (March 20 and September 22), when solar winds tend to be strongest. In summer, the Arctic's midnight sun will thwart your efforts.

Check the local weather

Seeing the northern lights calls for clear skies and a solar storm – circumstances that are impossible to control. Consulting weather authorities like NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center or the My Aurora Forecast and Alerts app can help, but don't expect 100% accuracy. Forecasting storms brewing over 90 million miles away from Earth is notoriously tricky, even for experts.

Pick the best locations

The most important factor (aside from plenty of patience) is location. "While seeing them further south is more likely during solar maximum, heading north is always going to give you a better chance," says Schmoll. You can cross your fingers for an aurora in Ireland or Idaho, but if you really want to see the phenomenon, start planning an Arctic adventure – and stay several nights to increase your odds.

Where to see the northern lights in 2026

The northern lights over a hill and sea are visible with sunlight still on the edge of the horizon; there are rocks in the foreground. — Westfjords, Iceland. Krzysztof Baranowski/Getty Images

1. Visit the Westfjords in Iceland

Located on the southern edge of the Arctic Circle, Iceland regularly delivers lights for aurora chasers visiting its remote towns. Most travelers attempt their sightings in the country's south, where they might capture the green glow through ice boulders on Diamond Beach.

Head north and your likelihood increases. Iceland's Westfjords, on its northernmost peninsula, experiences longer nights and less cloud cover than much of the country. There's also little light pollution in the tiny, secluded villages shadowed by steep hillsides. For jet black skies, head to Bolafjall, a 635m-high mountain above the peninsula's unofficial capital, Ísafjörður. Book a nighttime viewing tour with Wild Westfjords, led by a local who navigates country roads outside Ísafjörður while searching for the aurora.

Where to stay: If you’re sticking to the south, choose chalet-style Hotel Rangá, where receptionists call interested guests when the aurora appears. If you're big on Bolafjall, base yourself just outside of Ísafjörður’s light-polluted streets. Book a room at Holt Inn, 15 minutes from town, in a rural school turned hotel tucked between the mountains and a fjord.

When to visit: The best time to visit Iceland for an aurora viewing trip to the Westfjords is between late September and early April.

The northern lights in the sky are reflected on the surface of a calm lake in Alaska. — Chena Lake in Fairbanks, Alaska. Dr_Yu/Shutterstock

2. Beat the cold in Fairbanks, Alaska

No need to trek into the Alaskan wilderness for the northern lights. The small interior city of Fairbanks has minimal light interference, and its location beneath the auroral oval makes it a top destination for aurora viewing. According to local guides, if you spend three nights in town, there’s a 90% chance you’ll see a stunning show.

Where to stay: At the Aurora Borealis Lodge, 30 minutes south of Fairbanks, guests can see the skies from cozy cabins, hot chocolate in hand. At the resort in Chena Hot Springs, 1 hour east, you can soak in geothermal waters after a chilly aurora expedition.

When to visit: Aurora season in Alaska generally runs from late August to late April. For the best opportunities, plan a trip between November and February, when the nights are longest.

Huge streaks of green northern lights over a dark landscape with the silhouette of a photographer and equipment in the lower left. — Abisko, Sweden. SHansche/Getty Images

3. Feast your eyes on the blue hole over Abisko, Sweden

Located 200km north of the Arctic Circle, two mountains hug Abisko to create a cloud-free microclimate at night. The result? A "blue hole" with exceptional clarity for sky gazing. Climb into the back seat with Lights Over Lapland for an aurora-chasing tour in a winter-ready 4WD vehicle, or head to the lookout tower at Aurora Sky Station, where the northern lights appear approximately 70% of the nights it's open.

Where to stay: Get cozy at the Abisko Mountain Lodge, with a main hotel and a selection of four-person cabins. Book an aurora-chasing tour with the hotel staff, then warm up in the on-site sauna after catching the lights. Abisko Guesthouse, split between self-catering apartments, offers aurora tours accompanied by a professional photographer.

When to visit: Abisko’s northern lights season runs from late September to March.

A photographer at a tripod looking at a conical Indigenous-style tent under a dark starry sky with green streaks of the northern lights overhead. — Yellowknife in Alberta, Canada. wanderluster/Getty Images

4. Cuddle up in a tipi near Yellowknife, Canada

The Indigenous Dene people, who live in Canada's Northwest Territories, have another name for the northern lights: ya'ke ngas, which means "sky stirring." If you spend time near their home in Yellowknife – located at the auroral oval's center – there's a strong likelihood that you'll see the sky stir too. According to Northwest Territories Tourism, a 3-night stay in the area gives you a 98% chance of spotting the light show.

Where to stay: Book a 3-night experience at Aurora Village to split your time between viewing the electrified sky and staying warm inside a wood-stove-heated tipi.

When to visit: The best time to visit Canada for the aurora is between mid-August and late September for mild weather or mid-November to early April for dark skies.

Greenish northern lights in a dark sky over a mountain with lights along the shore. — Tromsø, Norway. Danny Lockwood/Lonely Planet

5. Join a guided expedition in Tromsø, Norway

Norway straddles the Arctic Circle, so it’s best to push north for an aurora expedition. In the Svalbard archipelago, winter’s polar night gives visitors extra time to see solar storms blaze above the tundra. You’ll likely spot polar bears, too – this is their home turf.

If you prefer slightly more civilization, there’s Tromsø, Norway's largest city north of the Arctic Circle. Urban lights aren’t always an aurora deterrent here. You may spot the so-called "dancing green lady” while traipsing between a dinner reservation and your hotel room. But for optimal light viewing, consider hiring a local guide, like Espen Minde of Legendary Adventure. He can't promise you'll see the northern lights, but he can provide plenty of insight while searching the skies.

Where to stay: Gaze across the water from a room at the quayside Scandic Ishavshotel. It’s centrally located, making it easy to join sky-watching tours.

When to visit: The best time to visit Tromsø and experience the northern lights is from mid-September to mid-April.

The northern lights over red cottages with snow-covered roofs. — Lapland, Finland. Kuznetsova Julia/Shutterstock

6. Try to spot Santa Claus in Rovaniemi, Finland

The capital of Finnish Lapland may be best known as the supposed home of Santa Claus, but as locals can attest, seeing is believing. And thanks to Rovaniemi’s location a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, you’re more likely to spot the northern lights than Kris Kringle. Experience the celestial magic while ice floating in a full body suit with Safartica or perhaps while savoring a Finnish dinner inside a private cabin at Happy Fox.

Where to stay: Stargaze within the comfort of a glass-roofed igloo at Apukka Resort, or lean into childlike wonder at the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel, its cabins designed with floor-to-ceiling windows.

When to visit: You might see the northern lights starting in late August, but peak season to visit Lapland is October to March. Avoid Christmas – it's the high season for tourists, and lodging is more expensive.

The Big Dipper over a lake with the northern lights along the horizon. — Miner's Beach, north of Mackinaw City on Lake Superior in Michigan, USA. John McCormick/Shutterstock

7. Stay in the lower 48 in Michigan's Dark Sky Park

Several miles west of Mackinaw City, Headlands International Dark Sky Park is Lake Michigan’s prime perch for aurora spotting. The 600-acre preserve safeguards the pitch-black skies essential for viewing – even flashlights must be tinted red to protect the darkness. Join one of the park’s free astronomy programs, or go solo, following trails to the water’s edge for a night sky panorama. You might not see the aurora, but you’ll still be treated to a milky sea of stars.

Where to stay: Lodging within the park is limited, so unless you can score the cottage near McGulpin Point’s historic lighthouse, sleep in Mackinaw City. Keep it quaint (and light themed) by booking a room at the family-owned Lamplighter Motel.

When to visit: October, November and April are Michigan’s peak months for seeing the northern lights.

Ancient standing stones on a dark landscape with pink and green northern lights against clouds overhead. — The Ring of Brodgar in Orkney, Scotland. Cavan Images - Offset/Shutterstock

8. Feel the magic in Orkney, Scotland

Locals in Orkney, an archipelago off Scotland’s northeastern coast, have their own name for the northern lights: “merry dancers,” derived from the old Scots word mirrie, meaning “to shimmer.” You may be less likely to spot the aurora here than in the Arctic Circle, but there are several ways to improve your chances. Join Facebook’s Orkney Aurora Group for updates on potential displays (it is less tourism website and more local astronomy club) and pick a legendary location. Search for the aurora around the ancient Standing Stones of Stenness or above the 5000-year-old Wideford Hill cairn, both providing a mythical backdrop for cosmic choreography.

Where to stay: Check in at one of the seaside rooms at Anderson’s Harbour Cottages, located along a private pier where you can see aquatic birds and seals.

When to visit: October through March is the best time for Scotland's northern lights. It’s also Orkney’s low season, translating to lower hotel rates.

The northern lights shine over a red wooden cottage in a open field. — The Arctic Circle Trail near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Jiri Soural/Shutterstock

9. Discover clear skies in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

Kangerlussuaq, a fjord-side town in western Greenland, delivers the aurora trifecta: it’s just north of the Arctic Circle with barely any light pollution and 300 nights of clear skies per year. Though it looks remote on a map, Kangerlussuaq is one of Greenland’s most accessible destinations – its international airport receives direct flights from Copenhagen.

While visiting, tack on some wilderness exploration, be it walking on the Greenland Ice Sheet, joining a dogsledding tour or spotting musk ox.

Where to stay: Hole up near the airport at Hotel Kangerlussuaq, equipped with a cafeteria and bar. Expect spartan accommodations – you’re coming here for nature, not amenities.

When to visit: You might spot the aurora between late August and April, but you can improve your odds between November and February, when Kangerlussuaq plunges into darkness for nearly 24 hours per day.