Northern Lights

With minimal light pollution there's a good chance to witness the Northern Lights at Hotel Ranga in winter and it features in our Northern Lights Safari across Iceland. During these months the hotel provides Aurora forecasts and wake up calls so guests don’t miss out on viewings. Witness the Northern Lights and Midnight Sun from the glass walled restaurant, the balcony from your room or suite or even from one of the geothermal powered hot tubs between the hotel and its namesake, the River Ranga.

What could be better than an African-style tented camp experience in the wilds of Swedish Lapland from where you can sit back and watch the Aurora Borealis in all of its glory? Run by acclaimed photography, Fredrik Broman, you’ll get top tips on how to capture that perfect image of the Northern Lights. Sit around the camp fire, snuggled under reindeer furs, looking out over stunning views of the adjacent lake before trying activities such as husky sledding, snowshoeing, snowmobiles and ice fishing.

The area around Bjorkliden provides some of the best chances to see the Northern Lights in Sweden – and these luxury cabins are the best you will find in the region. Each cabin comes with four bedrooms, so ideal if you are travelling as a family. For those who enjoy skiing there are a multitude of options in the area, as well as superb heli-skiing, and they also offer a wide range of traditional winter activities. You can also take the unforgettable journey for a night at the Låktatjåkko Mountain Lodge – only accessed via snow-cat.

Beana Laponia in Meltaus offers a wilderness hideaway with a private feel and the promise of adult only accommodation for couples and friends. Stay in remarkable Lappish surroundings with a private toboggan slope, husky sledding tours and the chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis from the outdoor hot tub with a drink in hand.

Make the most of your trip to Finnish Lapland by sleeping in one of the Golden Crown Glass Igloos. With the northern skies above you, should the dancing lights appear you will have front row seats from the comfort of your own motorised bed to optimise viewing. As daylight breaks the igloos also offer magnificent views across undulating fells and snow covered trees..

Head to southern Iceland and stay at the unique Hotel Ion located in remote UNESCO World Heritage Site Thingvellir National Park. During the day, see lava fields, waterfalls and geysers all within easy reach of the hotel. At night, its isolated location makes it a superb place to embark on a Northern Lights hunt after an underworld adventure in a lava tube cave and a fabulous langoustine dinner.

Combine two totally unique hotels; one the designer Treehotel, and the other the legendary Icehotel in Sweden’s Lapland – with a multitude of activities on offer during the day, it won’t all be able seeing the Northern Lights, and meeting with the local Sami people is a real highlight. The two are linked by a lovely train journey through the snowy wonderfulness of wintery Sweden. Maybe combine your stay with a few nights in Stockholm.

Lyngen Lodge is possibly the most luxurious lodge you can find so far north in the Arctic Circle. You will fly to Tromso in Norway and drive across to Lyngen Fjord where the lodge is positioned. With a hot tub, fine dining and wonderfully comfortable rooms, you might think you are in a Scott Dunn chalet in the Alps – but look up and hopefully see the Northern Lights appear over the Fjord. There is a multitude of winter activities on offer, and if you like off-piste skiing you are in for a treat.

Rebuilt from blocks of ice each year in November and decorated with snow and ice sculptures, the Snow Hotel is located just outside the town of Kirkenes and delivers an experience that's impossible to forget. Here you have a magical opportunity to view the Northern Lights from this remote part of Norway during winter months from rooms made of snow or wooden cabins with floor to ceiling windows.

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel is located in Alta in northern Norway, and is in our opinion the best ice hotel in Scandinavia. They have a range of activities on offer, but you must try the Northern Lights husky ride in search of the Aurora Borealis. You can easily combine a night here with the superb luxury Lyngen Lodge which is also has a fantastic location from which to see the Northern Lights.