We frequently receive emails, to the tune of several each week, asking where the best place in Europe to see Northern Lights is. The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights as they are more commonly called, truly is one of the greatest natural phenomena on Earth and we absolutely think seeing them should be on every traveler’s bucket list. As we encourage in our most popular post ever, 10 Things No One Ever Tells You About the Northern Lights, you should pick your destination based on the other activities you want to do as there is never any guarantee you’ll actually see the Northern Lights. But if the true draw for you is to watch the green curtain billow across the sky, we’re here to tell you why we think Abisko is the best place in Europe to see Northern Lights.
Where is the best place to see Northern Lights?
The fact of the matter is that there is no easy answer to the question “Where is the best place to see Northern Lights?” That question isn’t as black and white as it may appear. Northern Lights most typically occur in the aurora zone between 65° and 72° North; however, big geomagnetic storms can push that zone lower. This is what happens when the Northern Lights are seen in places like Scotland or Michigan.
A lot of conditions all have to line up perfectly for Northern Lights to occur and be seen. When Northern Lights appear, they do so in what is called the auroral oval. This is a 3 – 6 degree-wide band that can stretch hundreds of kilometers east to west. So, if Northern Lights are appearing in one town located at 68° North, then they are appearing in many more towns also located at 68° North. You just might not be able to see them because of weather conditions, namely cloud cover.
That means that some places are good places to see Northern Lights because they are perfectly positioned in the aurora zone and have auroras more frequently. Other places are good because they are easily accessible, like Reykjavik with direct flights from a number of European and US destinations. Some places are good because they are so scenic that Northern Lights just make an already spectacular setting utterly phenomenal.
Why Abisko?
Abisko is the best place in Europe to see Northern Lights because it has conditions that line up and make the Northern Lights appear on average 159 nights (of the approximately 212 nights that are dark enough for Auroras to be seen) each year, according to scientists. Abisko is known as a Polar desert and is located in the middle of the auroral zone at 68° North and 200 kilometers above the Arctic Circle. Protected by the peaks of the mountains surrounding Abisko National Park and coupled with the fact that Abisko receives the least amount of precipitation than anywhere else in Sweden, it statistically has the most nights of clear skies of anywhere else in Europe.
Dark, clear nights is one key ingredient in the recipe to a successful Northern Lights sighting. That Abisko also lies in the middle of the aurora zone means it also is statistically most often located in the 3 – 6 degree-wide latitude that the auroral oval occurs in. In the simplest terms possible, if you stay in Abisko for three nights you have an 80% chance of Northern Lights making an appearance.
The Reality of Seeing the Northern Lights
That’s a whole lot of numbers I just tossed around, and as we’ve said in every single response we’ve ever given to anyone asking us what their chances of seeing the Northern Lights is, it’s like rolling the dice in a game of craps. We spent three nights in Abisko recently and the Northern Lights appeared on two of our three nights there. By comparison, I spent 22 nights in Iceland in September and the Northern Lights appeared on four of those 22 nights there.
10 Things No One Ever Tells You About the Northern Lights
Our very first night in Abisko was also the coldest we spent with temperatures dipping to -25°C (-13°F) and a slight wind. Just a quick walk to scout spots to shoot and our nose hairs were frozen, my face was stinging, and I had a massive headache while walking in to the wind within seconds. We’d also just spent 12 hours traveling door-to-door. I was honestly in bed by 8pm and because I was too tired to put the effort in to bundling up and going back out in to that cold, we missed a Northern Lights display that was dancing faintly in the sky by 8:30pm and continued until around 10pm.
Our second night was a frustratingly long night of waiting out completely cloudy skies for five hours at the Aurora Sky Station on the mountain above the village of Abisko. At 11:30pm we gave up that the sky was going to clear and made our way down to the village again. We spent several more hours setting the alarm clock to check before finally giving in at 2am.
Our third and final night in Abisko was turning out to be frustrating as well. We went out on a Northern Lights nightly photo tour with Lights Over Lapland and the crystal clear skies were promising. We spent three hours photographing the mountains and Sami structures around an outdoor museum while waiting for the Northern Lights. Again, we finally gave in at 11:30pm and our group headed back to the hotel. Tim and I had just changed into our pajamas and popped our heads out just to check one more time. There directly above us was the white wispy cloud-like band that is the beginning of Northern Lights.
Tips for Photographing the Northern Lights
Sometimes Northern Lights can last 15 minutes and other times they can dance around the sky for hours. You just never know, so I threw on my coat and boots, grabbed my hat and gloves and was out the door. At first I thought it was going to be a quick show, but waiting outside paid off. The Northern Lights finally danced across the sky and continued to do so for an incredibly cold three hours I spent outside in not much more than a pair of pajamas – my nice warm Icelandic wool thermals sitting inside a hotel room.
Two days later I got an email from one of other couples that had been in our Lights Over Lapland tour group that night. They had taken a cab back to their hostel in the village right after we’d all come back to the STF Abisko Mountain Station and gone to bed. Our photos, which they’d come across on Instagram, were the only Aurora sighting they had for their trip.
I tell this tale because I think most people think they they just need to go to a destination where you can typically witness the Northern Lights and it’s as easy as that. Sometimes it is because the Northern Lights happen to appear exactly during a scheduled tour or you’re lucky enough to be staying at a hotel that offers a Northern Lights wake-up call. But the reality is that Northern Lights photographers spend a lot of long, chilly nights doing nothing other than waiting for a natural phenomenon to occur so that they can capture it on film.
Northern Lights Photo Expeditions
Lights Over Lapland offers 5-day Northern Lights photo expeditions with expert photography instructions from owner and world-famous Northern Lights photographer Chad Blakely. We have gotten to know Chad and Lights Over Lapland over the years online before spending a bit of time with him in Abisko. He’s a passionate Northern Lights photographer and his multi-day photo expeditions have a great success rate with 98% of his guests having seen and photographed the Northern Lights on at least one night of the trip. Lights Over Lapland’s expert low-light photography instruction will help you to perfectly capture auroras in the best place in Europe to see Northern Lights.
Know Before You Go
Our Aurora Odyssey trip to Swedish Lapland was provided by Abisko Aurora with the support of Lights Over Lapland in order to bring you this story. However, Luxe Adventure Traveler maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site. As always, all thoughts, opinions, and enthusiasm for travel are entirely our own. This article contains affiliate links. When you book on Booking.com or Manawa through our affiliate partner sites, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Suze says
I hadn’t heard of Abisko, so this was a fascinating article – thank you! I’d love to see the Northern Lights one day
Juliet says
Can you see the lights in July?
Jennifer Dombrowski says
No, you can’t because there is nearly 24 hours of daylight in July.
Laura says
Stunning photos! It sounds like an amazing (albeit freezing) experience. I hadn’t realized how unpredictable trying to catch the Northern Lights could be.
Kenin Bassart says
We saw the lights once in Alaska but they weren’t anywhere near as clear as when you saw them. Definitely something we want to try to do again.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
How the photographs look is often different than what it looks like to the naked eye. The camera can do long exposures to bring in more of the light and our eyes can’t. These particular photos were only shot on 3 or 5 second exposures though because of the full moon, so what we photographed is actually pretty close to how it looked to the naked eye.
laura says
sounds fantastic! we went to Rekyavik looking for the Northern Lights but were unsuccessful. I would love to go and combine with a stay in the glass igloos in Rovaniemi.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Reykjavik is such a hard place to catch the Northern Lights. There is a ton of light pollution since 60% of the entire population lives in the capital. The weather on Iceland’s south coast is also the rainiest and most unpredictable of anywhere in Iceland. We’ve seen the Northern Lights in Keflavik, but had the best luck in Iceland in the north.
Dawn Bentley says
I went northern lights chasing in Rovaniemi and Iceland in January 2017. On my first night 3 January 2017 I went out in a bus from Rovaniemi and climbed up a snow hill with the group and, yes, the lights came out and there were a lot of white streaks and bright stars. Later a smallish light green patch appeared and suddenly the pale green whooshed right across the sky and then broke into rectangles. On my second night I stayed in an ice igloo at Arctic Snow Hotel in Rovaniemi. At about 8 pm a wide white stripe was across the sky. About 2 hours later the bright greens appeared and I saw a downward spiral happen and then part of that whooshed across the sky with the borders you see in photos (different shades of green). There was also a very bright green/yellow light narrow on the ground and widening out at the top. I tried to take a photo but my iphone had frozen in the minus 37 temperature. The lights also came out at that hotel on 2 January and 4 January 2017 but I wasn’t there.
Tip – When I was there beside the ice hotel and towards the frozen lake they had built a snow ramp up and I think they had a little fence there. When I came out to check what was happening (from the small room at back of reception and large restaurant where breakfast is served with the open fire) and walked towards the lake I looked up and couldn’t see anything but as I walked towards the lake someone called my name and said to come up the snow ramp and when I did I was shocked to see the bright green lights and what I have described above. So the point of all this is I am not sure you would see it from the position of your glass igloo. They do have aurora alerts but you have to walk around yourself. I also went to Iceland for six nights straight after and on my last two nights I saw non-moving wide green band that went for kilometres and we got to a viewing spot and you could see the lights as if on stage waiting to perform but they did not. I went from Grindavic with Travice in a heated 4 wheel drive so I didn’t have to get out while searching. I would have if it had been spectacular. I spent a lot of time last year trying to work out where to go and chose places with other interesting activities so it would not be time and money wasted on a long trip from Australia. So having been blessed to see one spectacular display which should be enough to satisfy me, I am bemused to find myself trying to decide where to go next to try and see the northern lights.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Dawn! Generally,
You make a really good point that people think you will see them all over the entire sky like stars, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Northern Lights will start in the northerly direction. Locals also see them so often, that they will know which direction to point you to look so it’s always good to ask.
And we agree. We haven’t specifically stayed in the glass igloos there in Finland, but we have stayed in other similar type accommodations like the bubbles and such. We think they’re really convenient for keeping an eye on conditions, but you don’t necessarily see the Northern Lights right from your bed. It’s always good to have a periodic look around outside when keeping watch for the Aurora.
Don says
Laura, there’s no guarantee of seeing the northern lights in Rovaniemi either. Last year, we stayed at the Northern Lights Village in Saariselka. The NLV was awesome but we didn’t see the lights.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Thanks for sharing your experience Don! It’s true that there just isn’t a guarantee ever of seeing the Northern Lights. Sometimes when all the conditions line up, you still don’t see them. It’s why the Northern Lights remain nature’s phenomenon.
Heather says
I have GOT to get up there while I’m living in Riga!!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
You really do Heather! What’s great about your location is you can practically plan your trip when there is a geomagnetic storm happening to almost guarantee you will see the Northern Lights.
Lindsay says
This is so gorgeous! I love your selfie. Hope to see the Northern Lights myself one day!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Thanks Lindsay!
Katie says
Holy!!!!! Wow! These photos are so absolutely incredible! This is on my 2015 bucket list and after seeing your pics I think I need to bump my trip up sooner!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Thanks Katie! 2015 has already been an amazing season with many Northern Lights photographers and tour providers saying these has been some of the best displays they’ve ever seen. Maybe there really is something to all that hub-bub about the solar cycle. Hope you make it there this year!
Deborah says
This is so on my bucket list. Amazing!!
Dan says
We came so close to seeing the Northern Lights while we were staying in Skogar. Crisp clear night in late November but unfortunately they just didn’t appear.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
That’s such a bummer, especially when you have clear skies! It’s almost more frustrating than when there is cloud cover you are hoping will clear up. I guess that mystery is what adds to the allure of the Northern Lights and makes them so special. Even on a clear night, all of the other conditions necessary to make the Northern Lights visible also have to line up. Hope you get to see them one day!
Debbie Cavero says
What can a person do during the day in Abisko while waiting for nightfall to see the lights? Your article mentions to head for a destination rather than the lights so you won´t be overly disappointed if you don’t see the lights. However Abisko seems to be in the middle of nowhere so what do most hunters do during the day (kindof on a low budget though!)
Jennifer Dombrowski says
There’s plenty to do in Abisko; however, a Northern Lights trip isn’t really a low budget trip in any destination. You can go dog sledding, Abisko has a ski resort where you can ski, there’s ice climbing, you can take an excursion to Norway, go snowmobiling or you can take the train to Kiruna and visit the Ice Hotel to name a few options.
Liz williams says
What is the best way of getting to Abisko from the UK?
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Liz, you can fly to Kiruna. From Kiruna, you can take the train to Abisko, rent a car or hire a taxi.
Azka says
Hello!
What time of year was it that you visited Abisko? We have from Dec 31 to January 6, 2017 and I am trying to decide between Tromso and Abisko. I was looking at the average weather in Abisko for our dates and it appears there is a possibility of cloud cover.
If there is only a slight chance of catching the Northern Lights, I wonder if I should just go to Iceland instead and have lots of other things to do? When you were nt waiting for the light show in Abisko, did you have plenty of other activities?
Thanks for any insight! And thank you for such useful info on your blog!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Azka,
We were in Abisko the first week of January and we were in Tromso the first week of March. The thing is that with the Arctic, it’s impossible to predict the weather and it changes from year to year because of a lot of factors. We were in Abisko specifically for a Northern Lights trip, so we didn’t mind resting during the short daylight hours as we’d be awake the better part of the long night to shoot the Northern Lights. There are still things to do, though admittedly not as much to do as there is in Iceland. Some of the things you can do are take day trips to the Ice Hotel and Narvik, Norway. Things like ice climbing and snowmobiling in Abisko National Park are also available.
It really just depends on the what you want out of the trip. If you’re looking for an almost guarantee of seeing the Northern Lights, Abisko is the choice. If you want a variety of things to do and breathtaking landscapes, Iceland is the better choice.
Azka says
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond in such detail! I appreciate your feedback.
Kevin Watson says
What is the best way to travel to Abisko, coming from USA?
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Kevin,
You will fly to Kiruna Airport and then either take a taxi or the train from the airport to Abisko.
Trystan Locksmith says
THANKS
Peeyush says
Hello,
Thanks for the article.
I am planning to go to abisko national park in January 2018 (2nd January – 5th January 2018). I know that no one can give 100% guarantee about northern lights apperance.
1 .But can you please suggest me that is it a good time to see the northern lights?
2. What about the weather during theses day ? I saw the forecast and it says that it will be dark throughout the day.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Peeyush,
It’s impossible to answer your questions because it’s impossible to predict the weather. Historical weather shows that January tends to have about 15 days or roughly half the month that precipitation falls. However, the weather changes so fast in the Arctic that you could have heavy snowfall and clear skies all inside of an hour. Since it is dark for more than 18 hours of the day, your chances are pretty good of seeing the Northern Lights if you spend at least 3 nights.
Peeyush says
Thanks a lot for your reply. 🙂
Peeyush Chandel says
We visited Abisko from 2nd-5th January 2018 and we saw them on the last night.
It was spectacular view. As you said percepitation is the key thing.
Thanks 🙂
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Peeyush,
We’re so happy to hear that you did get to see the Northern Lights on your trip! Thanks for following up to let us know how it went.
suresh sanyasi says
Hey Jennifer,
great informative on the lights… i’m from India and planning a trip durning dec 2017 sometime after the 15… need your (we are a group of 4 adults and 2 kids – 12 and 8 yrs old)
1. experienced advice of visibility of the lights in abisko (i understand theres no guarantee – but the chances – had travelled to iceland in April 2017 – but did not get to see the lights – hence this plan now!!)
2. best way to travel from Stockholm
3.suggestion for hotels or homestays
4. must to things ..
5. any other info to help me plan my trip..
appreciate all the help and a huge thank u in advance
regards
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Suresh,
Traveling in April is a bit late in the Aurora season, though sometimes still possible to see late season displays. Traveling in December is right during the season, but the Arctic destinations receive the most snowfall in December and January. There is never any guarantee, but generally if you spend at least 3 nights in Abisko, you have about an 80% chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
We suggest you stay right in Abisko National Park to be away from the light pollution of the village of Abisko. The only hotel option in the National Park is Abisko Turiststation. http://www.booking.com/hotel/se/stf-abisko.html?aid=1143113
To get to Abisko from Stockholm, it’s best and fastest to fly. You’ll fly to Kiruna and either book a taxi or transfer from the airport to Abisko.
There’s quite a bit to do in Abisko and Kiruna. You can book a variety of tours like dog sledding, snowmobiling, a day tour to Norway, or visit the world famous Ice Hotel in Kiruna. We’ve written about these experiences here: https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/winter-adventures-in-swedish-lapland/
Manoj Kumar Agrawal says
Hi Jennifer and Tim,
We are planning for northern lights vacations from 28th Jan 2018 for 5-6 days. What is the best destination from where we can see this along with other attractions/activities.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Manoj,
As we explained, Abisko has the best chances of seeing the Northern Lights with at least a 3-night stay at around 80% chance of viewing them at least one of the nights. In Abisko, you can do snowmobiling, dog sledding, visit or stay overnight in the Ice Hotel, visit the Aurora Sky Station and all the other same activities that are available basically anywhere in Lapland.
The only difference is that Abisko is a village and much more remote than staying someplace like Tromso, where you will need to get out of the city each night for optimum Northern Lights viewing opportunity. Somewhere like Tromso offers many more restaurant and city activities though. So you just need to decide what the priority is – having easy access to many restaurant options, shopping, ect or the ability to literally step outside your door and see the Northern Lights.
In both cases of these destinations, you’ll need to book excursions for the activities like dog sledding, snowmobiling and the like.
Azka Mahmood says
Hi Manoj!
Based on this blog post and further research on the information provided here, my husband and I travelled to Abisko in February 2017 for four nights. We booked with Lights Over Lapland and saw the northern lights every single night. Some nights they were stronger than others but we were very happy we went to Abisko. Around the same time, we had friends who were visiting Iceland and Tromso in Norway who also saw the lights. However, I would still take the high probability of being able to see them in Abisko over other places that may have some other pros. An added bonus is that Abisko is very charming and is not overrun by tourists since there is literally very limited capacity for the number of visitors that can stay overnight. We booked other activities for the day time and had a wonderful time. Our trip was bookended by 2-day stays in Stockholm. I highly recommend booking with Lights Over Lapland, and visiting Abisko.
Good luck!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Azka,
So glad that you got to see the Northern Lights each night and that you had a great experience with Lights Over Lapland! Chad and the team there are really great.
Shilpa says
What an amazing article.
So we have a choice of visiting Abisko in December last week 201i combining it with lapland else econdweek of February 2019.
So I had a few queations:
1. What would u suggest is a better time to do the northern lights?
2. How many days do you suggest as minimum stay so we have a good chance of spotting them.
3. Some of the comments mentions that NL will be diminishing soon. Would 2019 Feb still be a great time to visit it or would it be just a few stro pea of green here and there kinda viewing.
I\’m truly look g for the magical auroral experience and don\’t mind spending more days or walking that extra mile to view it
Thanks in advance for taking out the time to respond.
Shilpa
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Shilpa,
If we could choose between December and February, we’d choose February only because the majority of snow in the Arctic falls in the months of November and December. That means more unpredictable weather and cloud cover.
Staying a minimum of 3 nights in Abisko typically gives people an 80% chance of seeing the Northern Lights during their stay. Obviously, the longer you stay the better. But between one full week in Abisko and Lapland, you should see the Northern Lights at least once.
The Northern Lights are not diminishing. In fact, they’re even there in summertime but cannot be observed because this part of the world experiences nearly 24 hours of daylight. The strength and colors that the Northern Lights appear are entirely dependent on solar activity. Increased solar activity produces stronger Northern Lights. It’s impossible to predict if, when and what intensity you could see the Northern Lights. Beyond planning a trip during the Northern Lights season and being diligent about looking for them, there’s nothing you can do to guarantee you’ll see them. That’s why we really encourage people to plan Northern Lights trips for the destination and other activities, treating the Northern Lights as a bonus if you do get to see them.
Hope that helps!
Matt says
Hi there. Great article and thanks for taking the time to answer everybody’s questions.
Looking to do 3-4 weeks. Originally was set on Tromsø, however after reading this article leaning towards Abisko. My questions are: ny info on getting from Tromsø to Abisko should I decid to split my time and also any tips on navigating these countries asa Vegan?
Jillian Myers says
Is March during a new moon phase a good time to go to Sweden to see the NL?
Thanks
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Jilian,
The phase of the moon won’t make any difference. March is typically a good month as most of the snow has already fallen for the season, so you have more clear nights. But the other factors still have to line up with the sun emitting gases. Best of luck Aurora hunting!