--- title: "Northern Lights, the 10 best places to see them | Wimup" description: "Ten places to see the northern lights, ranked on aurora odds on a clear night and ease of access, from Fairbanks and Yellowknife to Tromsø and Lapland." url: https://wimup.com/northern-lights type: Themed list updated: 2026-10-22 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Northern lights, where the odds are best. By Wimup desk · 10 picks · 2 vlogs · ≈ 4 min read Ten places to see the aurora borealis, ranked on how often it fills a clear night sky and how easily you get there, from Alaska and Canada's north to Lapland and Iceland. The aurora needs two things: a place under the auroral oval and a clear, dark sky. We ranked these ten on how often the lights are overhead on a clear night in the dark season, then on how easily you reach the place and stay there. Seasons follow the tourism boards where they publish one. ## Northern lights, where the odds are best. ### 1. Fairbanks, United States Interior Alaska · USA The best documented odds on this list: Explore Fairbanks counts the aurora on four of five clear, dark nights between 21 August and 21 April. Stay three nights or more and drive out of town, away from the city's glow. - **Best for:** Proven odds - **Latitude:** 64.8°N - **Season:** 21 Aug–21 Apr Links: [United States guide](https://wimup.com/country/united-states.md) ### 2. Yellowknife, Canada Northwest Territories · Canada Directly under the auroral oval on a flat, dry plateau, with up to 240 viewing nights a year by Destination Canada's count. Book a lakeside aurora camp out of town, where a heated cabin waits between displays. - **Best for:** Aurora camps - **Latitude:** 62.5°N - **Season:** Mid-Aug–mid-Apr Links: [Canada guide](https://wimup.com/country/canada.md) ### 3. Tromsø, Norway Troms · Norway The largest town this far north sits inside the aurora zone, with a busy airport and every kind of chase on offer. The coast brings cloud, so book a guide who drives inland to the clearest sky rather than one fixed spot. - **Best for:** Town + Arctic - **Latitude:** 69.6°N - **Season:** Sep–early Apr Links: [Norway guide](https://wimup.com/country/norway.md) ### 4. Abisko, Sweden Swedish Lapland · Sweden The mountains around Lake Torneträsk often hold a gap in the cloud over the village, which is why the STF Aurora Sky Station stands on the slope above it. Take the train in from Kiruna and stay at least two nights. - **Best for:** Clear skies - **Latitude:** 68.4°N - **Season:** Aug–Apr Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/kiruna.md) · [Watch the Kiruna vlog](https://wimup.com/watch/kiruna.md) ### 5. Saariselkä, Finland Finnish Lapland · Finland A small fell village in northern Lapland, where the Finnish Meteorological Institute puts the odds of aurora on a clear night at one in two or better. Ivalo airport is about half an hour away, and glass-roofed cabins nearby let you watch from bed. - **Best for:** Glass cabins - **Latitude:** 68.4°N - **Season:** Sep–Mar Links: [Finland guide](https://wimup.com/country/finland.md) ### 6. Churchill, Canada Hudson Bay · Canada Under the auroral oval on the shore of Hudson Bay, with aurora on up to 300 nights a year by Travel Manitoba's count. Access costs it a higher rank: no road reaches the town, so you arrive on a Calm Air flight or a long VIA Rail journey. - **Best for:** Remote tundra - **Latitude:** 58.8°N - **Season:** Best Jan–Mar Links: [Canada guide](https://wimup.com/country/canada.md) ### 7. Lofoten Islands, Norway Nordland · Norway Peaks rising straight from the sea under the aurora zone, the most dramatic foreground on the list. Coastal weather turns fast, so stay several nights; the ferry from Bodø to Moskenes takes about three and a half hours. - **Best for:** Mountain views - **Latitude:** 68.2°N - **Season:** Sep–early Apr Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/bodo.md) ### 8. Rovaniemi, Finland Lapland · Finland The easiest aurora trip in Finland, with an airport, a night train and the Arctic Circle on the edge of town. Odds on a clear night are lower than further north, so take a tour that drives out into the dark forest. - **Best for:** Easy access - **Latitude:** 66.5°N - **Season:** Late Aug–early Apr Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/rovaniemi.md) ### 9. Akureyri, Iceland North Iceland · Iceland North Iceland's main town, at 65.7°N, with dark sky a short drive from the centre. Its cloud cover is no better than Reykjavík's, so watch the Icelandic Met Office cloud forecast and drive to the gap. - **Best for:** Dark skies - **Latitude:** 65.7°N - **Season:** Sep–Apr Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/akureyri.md) ### 10. Reykjavík, Iceland Capital Region · Iceland The easiest start of all: a transatlantic airport and tours leaving most nights. It ranks last because city light and frequent cloud cut the odds, so head out to Grótta lighthouse, one of the darkest spots in the capital area. - **Best for:** Short breaks - **Latitude:** 64.1°N - **Season:** Sep–Apr Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/reykjavik.md) · [Watch the Reykjavik vlog](https://wimup.com/watch/reykjavik.md) ## FAQs ### When is northern lights season? In the far north the aurora shows whenever the sky is dark enough, roughly late August to early April. From mid-April to mid-August the midnight sun keeps the sky too light, wherever you go. ### Why do Yellowknife and Churchill rank so high when they are further south than Tromsø? The aurora circles the magnetic pole, not the geographic one, and the magnetic pole lies toward northern Canada. That pulls the auroral oval south in North America, so Yellowknife at 62.5°N sits under it as squarely as Tromsø at 69.6°N. ### How many nights should I plan for? At least three. Cloud is the bigger risk than a quiet sky, so every extra night is another chance; Explore Fairbanks says three nights out late lifts the odds there above 90 percent. ### Can I see the northern lights from town? On a strong night, yes, but streetlights wash out fainter displays. Head a short drive out of town, turn off your headlights, and give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark. ### Do I need a tour? No, but a good guide reads the cloud forecast and drives to the clear patch, which matters most on the coasts of Norway and Iceland. On your own, check the local cloud forecast and NOAA's aurora forecast, then head away from lights. ## Sources - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.