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Ice crampons may come in handy, especially in ports where walkways may be icy or slick. On some active excursions, outfitters provide weather appropriate gear, but you can’t always count on that. "Cruising is a nice way to see a lot of places, but in particular the Northern Lights," says Stephanie Goldberg-Glazer, owner of Live Well, Travel Often, a boutique travel agency. "Cruise ships are able to be out at sea where it is dark for optimal viewing," she says, and when in port, they can create opportunities for guests to access optimal viewing sites outside of cities and their lights.
Aurora Expeditions’ “Northern Lights Explorer” cruise
Expedition staff and guides offer support and guidance, ensuring a safe and enjoyable journey for everyone. Activities and excursions cater to various interests, allowing participants to customize their experience. From informative lectures to adventurous shore landings, there’s something for everyone, making these expeditions inclusive and suitable for individuals, families and groups with diverse backgrounds and preferences. Our Journey Planners have designed this special cruise to Northern Norway at the optimal time to spot the elusive Northern Lights. Clear skies are required for witnessing the lights, and Northern Norway's long, dark winter nights create the ideal environment for you to see the Aurora Borealis dancing across the sky. With calls to destinations deep within the Arctic Circle, such as Tromsø and Alta, you will be perfectly placed to go in search of the mysterious Northern Lights.
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Rather than travelling large distances, our aim is to ensure you see as much as possible. We paddle between 5 to 15 kilometres (2 to 4 hours) per outing, often taking a snack and a flask of hot chocolate to enjoy on our excursion. Led by experienced guides, you and your small group of like-minded adventurers will paddle between ice floes, brash ice and icebergs of all shapes and sizes. Paddling is one of the best ways to access and intimately explore the beautiful coastlines we visit and therefore make the most of your time in the wild and remote destinations we visit. Enjoy the crossing to Jan Mayen, accompanied by seabirds as we search for whales.
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The absence of sunlight allows passengers to fully immerse themselves in the captivating light displays against the Arctic or sub-Arctic landscapes. Aurora Expeditions carefully schedules these voyages to coincide with peak Northern Lights activity, ensuring passengers have the best chances of experiencing this celestial spectacle in its full splendour. Dedicated trips in search of the aurora borealis include a 13-night round-trip expedition cruise from Amsterdam on MS Maud. It features a day on Senja, one of the most ruggedly beautiful and lesser-visited Norwegian islands. Sailing to and from Southampton, P&O runs dedicated northern lights cruises on its adult-only ship Aurora. During these 12-night sailings you’ll sail along the dramatic coast of Norway to the fringes of the Arctic Circle and also visit the country’s beautiful fjords, including 550m-deep Romsdalsfjord.
The best Northern Lights cruises for 2024 - The Independent
The best Northern Lights cruises for 2024.
Posted: Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Sea Kayaking
Iceland, Greenland and Arctic Canada are visited by some expedition ships during northern lights season (but mostly early in the season in August and September) by such brands as Quark Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions and Lindblad Expeditions. Tromso is another Norwegian destination known as a hub for aurora borealis viewing. In late January, there's a northern lights arts festival featuring top artists in various musical genres.
Other high points include slipping through the fjords of the Stavanger region to see the iconic Lysefjorden. In the city of Stavanger, muse over the magic of the unlikely tropical landscape at Flor og Fjære Gardens and at Jernaldergarden, step back in time at a reconstructed farm from the Iron Age. Immerse yourself in a true north adventure on this 21-day excursion with Aurora Expeditions (the name says it all!). Sail all the way from Reykjavik, Iceland to St John's, Canada, while taking in stunning, one-of-a-kind panoramas that will leave you breathless. This adventurous expedition spans three incredible coastlines where guests can experience Inuit culture, the Viking history of the North Atlantic and (weather willing) the northern lights.
On an exclusive 24-hour you will journey to the heart of the Arctic to find the best Northern Lights viewing spots. As you go straight through the Auroral Oval Zone you will find the prime spots to spot the lights should they appear. Those multi-colored, otherworldly starry streamers are Mother Nature’s very own disco. There’s just something about the juxtaposition of floating on the ocean—the planet’s still unknowable, final frontier—while staring upwards towards the heavens that intensifies the aurora experience.
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Passengers can enjoy nightly Aurora photography sessions, guided by expert photographers, to capture the ethereal displays. Onboard, expect to learn all about our surroundings from our expert expedition team. Additionally, cultural interactions with local communities will enhance your Arctic experience. The vessels are equipped with observation decks, ensuring optimal Northern Lights viewing.
While this phenomenon happens constantly, they’re only really visible mostly between September and April in the best places to see the Northern Lights. And this is especially true in the Nordic region when the nights are at their longest. The auroral oval, a band that hugs the northernmost latitudes where auroral activity has the highest concentration, covers most of Alaska and Iceland, southern Greenland, and the northernmost parts of Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
One of the highlights is visiting the Inuit village Ittoqqortoormiit, the region’s most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement, with its gregarious locals and scores of Greenlandic sled dogs. The new kid on the block along the Norwegian coast is Havila Voyages, which has a fleet of four eco-friendly ships that launched in 2022. The line has a variety of options to sail part or all of the way along the classic route from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, with the round trip taking 11 nights. Observation lounges have glass roofs and reclining chairs to view the Arctic sky and you can push a button on the cabin telephone to be woken up in the night if the lights appear. It also has a northern lights promise — if the phenomenon doesn’t appear during a 12-day sailing, passengers get a free week-long voyage.
The islanders still make houses for the birds to nest in and in return, the ducks provide valuable down when they and their chicks leave the nests to continue their lives at sea. The archipelago reflects a traditional way of life that has not changed for more than 1,500 years. On nearby Torget Island, we plan to land and hike to Torghatten, a fascinating rock formation with an equally interesting legend describing the hole in the mountain as having been created by a troll’s arrow. This evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners, friendly expedition team and crew at the Welcome Dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure.
The Northern Lights are most frequently visible in high-latitude regions in the Arctic, but most accessible between 10° and 20° of the North Pole in a band called the ‘auroral zone’. To increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights, be prepared to venture into the heart of the Arctic, to destinations such as Greenland, Iceland, Northern Canada and Northern Norway. While aurora activity happens year-round, the best time to witness the Northern Lights is during the long winter months, when the windows for viewing them each night are longer. Besides a down coat, warm hat, and gloves, be sure to pack wind and waterproof pants (i.e., ski pants or rain pans), thermal long underwear, wool socks, and winter boots for walking on snow and ice.
Aurora Expeditions carefully plans itineraries to position their vessels in prime locations, away from light pollution, providing passengers with the best chances of witnessing the spectacular light display. With longer hours with dark skies and clear night skies, the Westfjords and North Iceland are the best regions to head to if you want to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. There are many fantastic remote locations in South Iceland where you can witness the aurora, including the popular Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. The Seltjarnarnes peninsula is a prime viewing area as there is minimal light pollution. There are also plenty of places near Reykjavík you can head to if you’re short on time, including Thingvellir National Park. An aurora is a natural light display that can appear as brilliant green, yellow, red, blue and purple light patterns, spirals or dynamic flickers covering the night sky.
Take a polar plunge in the icy waters of the Arctic Circle, or stay above the water on a Zodiac cruise through the fields of icebergs. Zodiac cruises allow you to get closer to some of the wildlife and landscapes you’ll see throughout your Northern Lights tour. If you have the necessary experience you should also consider adding sea kayaking to your Northern Lights itinerary. There is no best place to witness an aurora which, in our opinion, only adds to the mystery and appeal surrounding them. This is why Aurora Expeditions’ Northern Lights tours don’t focus on one spot or location.
Cunard’s Norway and Northern Lights cruise is a 12-day roundtrip along Norway’s coastline from Southampton, England on Queen Mary 2, or Queen Victoria ships. Guest speakers, astronomers and award-winning photographers are usually on board to join guests on deck to each evening to scan for and enjoy the northern lights show. Vesterålen This archipelago is a peaceful, beautiful region to discover and it also offers great viewing conditions for those colourful skies. Join a Northern Lights safari for the best chance of seeing the magic, but even if you don’t, you won’t mind too much. Because Vesterålen is also a fantastic place to go whale watching at any time of year.
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