I was fortunate to see a full display (dancing with several colors) of Northern Lights several years ago in Abisko, Sweden (review). It was during the first week of December and that night was mesmerizing even though the display lasted only for a few minutes.
Since then, I have made three more attempts to see them in Talkeetna (Alaska), Saariselka, Finland and again in Abisko, Sweden, but without much luck.
Talkeetna, Alaska
Talkeetna has several reasonably priced accommodations (Booking.com) and is a two-hour drive from Anchorage airport. I highly recommend staying at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, which has a nice lounge seating area and a large patio with heaters and breathtaking views of the Denali mountains. The site also offers a free Northern Lights alert service where they send a text to your registered cell phone.
Saariselka, Finland
Saariselka is a small town near the Ivalo (IVL) airport in Inari and it is a popular place for winter activities (skiing, sledding, northern light viewing etc.,).
Award booking flights to Helsinki
It’s easy to use points (Star Alliance with LifeMiles or Aeroplan) to book flights to Helsinki. I recommend staying a few nights at Hilton Helsinki Airport, where the service is wonderful and you can easily get suite upgrades with Hilton Gold or Diamond status. The suites are beautifully designed, the bathrooms have a built-in sauna and they serve breakfast from 4am which is convenient for early flights. It is a bit of a walk under a covered walkway, but you will have a memorable stay.
Helsinki to Ivalo-Saariselka
Finn Air has daily nonstop flights (Google) and can be booked with British Avios when there is available award space.
Saariselka Accommodations
Saariselka has various accommodation options ranging from low-cost to very expensive igloos (Booking.com). Once you choose a place that suits your budget, there’s no shortage for several day time activities, fine dining and northern light tours. We took ski lessons for a very reasonable price at Saariselka ski school (90 minute beginner alpine skiing group lesson including equipment and lift pass for the day can be booked for 134 Euros).
Viewing the Northern Lights with a camera vs naked eyes
If you travel as far as 68 degrees north, there is always the northern lights and several northern light viewing webcams will reveal them in a beautiful display (webcam link). However, it is important to understand that you may not see the same display with naked eyes unless the aurora is powerful. I personally don’t like seeing northern lights under a camera lens and like spending hours waiting in the midnight cold weather. It is fun to wear heated socks and gloves (in minus 10 degrees F) and it is all worth it if we get to see a full dancing display of northern lights.
Does wintertime travel increase your chances of aurora viewing?
Northern lights are typically visible between the months of September and April after sunset (between 9pm and 3am). These viewing hours and chances remain the same even when you visit Lapland during the dark winter months without any sunlight. Unless you are interested in other winter activities (e.g., skiing, dog sledding), I recommend visiting in September-October when there is also plenty of sunlight for hiking.
Do you need a high KP index to see the Northern Lights with naked eyes?
KP measurements range from 0 to 9, with higher numbers indicating stronger atmospheric interactions with solar particles. If you are in the Lapland region, you don’t need a high KP index to see the northern lights in a powerful display. You just need three main factors to see the aurora: darkness, a cloud-free sky and solar activity. In fact, the KP index was a very low (0-1) when we first saw the northern lights in Abisko.
Conclusions
Despite three recent failed Northern Lights trips, I will continue to make plans to visit the Lapland region every year between September and April. I encourage all interested readers to do the same, since 2024 is expected to have powerful solar flares.