Without fail, every year when Autumn/Fall comes around, there is one question from readers that always stands out to me; namely what is the best time to see the Northern lights in Norway this year.
I may have mentioned before that I get a lot of questions via email and DMs from people traveling to Norway. This is the main reason I created my Norway Facebook group (so that I can answer people’s questions quicker and more easily).
There’s definitely a spike in searches for “Northern lights Norway” in the group and on this blog every year.
The northern lights questions shows up without fail every year, and with good reason. I know most people who are planning a winter trip to Norway want to know when they should plan their trip to maximise their chances of seeing the northern lights.
So, I’ll answer it clearly below!
Table of Contents
Keep this in mind about the northern lights in Norway
Bear in mind, that there is one big thing affecting your hope to see the Northern Lights in Norway, and it’s one that we can’t define in advance; the weather.
On my trip to Lofoten, for example, I was caught in a blizzard when I tried to see the Aurora Borealis on my first try (you know, the fancy name for the Northern Lights), and ended up seeing nothing at all (not even the road in front of me).
Luckily, I know how to drive in winter conditions, and got us out of there safely. But it was pretty scary at one point. So, if you’re planning a Lofoten road trip in the winter, please keep an eye out on the forecast.
I advise you to keep this in mind when planning your Northern Lights trip to Norway because no one can control the weather (and it can make or break your trip).
Seeing the Northern Lights is never guaranteed, whether you are in Norway, Sweden or Finland (or anywhere else, for that matter).
Side note: this guide covers the best time to visit Norway for the Northern Lights. However, you could consider it a guide to the best time to see Northern Lights in general, as I believe the advice (timing-wise) would be similar for all countries where the Northern Lights can be seen (such as Finland or Sweden).
Packing for your trip
Before you go, make sure to pack well, and dress even better. Seeing the Northern Lights is a waiting game, and you need to be prepared for hours of waiting if it comes to it. Read and bookmark my packing list for winter in Norway before you go to ensure you have everything you need!
To take the packing list a step further, here is my guide to the best Scandinavian and Norwegian sweaters for your trip (or just to get some extra ‘hygge’ in the winter).
Once that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the guide! By the end of it, you should have made up your mind for when to visit!
Fun fact: The photo below was featured on the Conan O’Brien travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go“, and I couldn’t be more proud!
Where to go in Norway to see the northern lights?
Below I will get into detail on how to figure out the best month and time of year to visit Norway in order to see the northern lights.
But first things first; what are the best places in Norway to visit in order to get the best northern lights show?
Even though in recent years we have been lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis dancing above us in the south (I’ve seen them at home in Bergen and even by the fjords recently!), the north is still your best bet.
If you hope to see them in Bergen, check out my guide to this here.
The further north you go, the higher your chance of getting a strong show of northern lights.
Destinations such as Tromsø and Alta are ideal. Tromsø is a hub for dog sledding, northern lights tours and other fun activities, whilst Alta is one of my favourite places in northern Norway.
The Lofoten islands are also a popular destination for northern lights chasers, with photography tours taking you around the region to shoot the lights.
Out of the three, Tromsø is the easiest to reach, with frequent flights from Oslo and Bergen. In addition to having loads of tours and activities, it is the largest city in northern Norway, with plenty of restaurants and hotels to choose from.
See my mini Tromsø travel guide below and keep reading for the best time to see the northern lights in Norway this year!
Quick Tromsø Travel Guide
Where to stay: Tromsø is a small and walkable city, so you’ll find that there are lots of hotels close to the city center. My personal favourites are Clarion The Edge, the Scandic Ishavshotel and the Radisson. Most northern lights tours will actually pick you up from outside the latter two (the hotels are right across the street from each other). More budget-friendly accommodation includes the Tromsø Activities Hostel and the Comfort Xpress. I’ve written a guide to my favourite hotels in Tromsø here.
Where to eat: I have many favourite restaurants in Tromsø, and am particularly fond of La Famiglia (Italian), Restaurant Lotus (international) and Bardus Bistro (Norwegian). I have heard great things about Restaurant Skirri as well (seafood). All are within walking distance in the city center. For after-dinner drinks, the Tromso Ice Bar is a fun experience.
Top activities and tours in Tromsø
- Tromsø Arctic Reindeer – Sami experience
- Polaria Museum
- The Tromsø Cable Car (and mountain top)
- Tromsø University Museum
- Dog Sledding (check out my guide to the best ones here)
- Whale Watching (winter months only)
- Northern Lights Tours (of course – here are my favourites)
Guide: The Best Things to do in Tromsø
Packing for Tromsø: Tromsø is a popular winter destination in Norway, and packing for Norway in winter is no joke. Think layers, layers, layers – and always wear a thin layer of wool underneath your clothing on the coldest days.
Getting to the city center: If you are flying into Tromsø airport (TOS), you can book a private transfer to your hotel in advance here. Alternatively, the airport express bus leaves several times a day, and is usually timed with the arrivals.
The Best Time to see the Northern Lights in Norway
So, what is the best month to see Northern Lights (in Norway)?
First things first; the Aurora Borealis are there whether it’s light or dark. This often comes as a surprise to people.
However, we cannot see them during the daylight (duh), so it is necessary to travel during the darker months in order to see them properly. In the summer, when the midnight sun is up 24 hours in Northern Norway, there is no chance of seeing the Northern lights.
Luckily, Norway has a lot of darker months (like a lot), and so anytime from September to April will give you the chance to see the Northern Lights in Norway. In September, the sun sets at around 8pm in Tromsø and the Lofoten area.
Naturally, the darker, the better, so I would advise that you narrow it down to October-March for some really good Northern Lights action.
In late October, the sun sets in Tromsø as early as 4pm, which gives you a lot of time to catch a glimpse of the lights dancing across the sky. Come Daylight Saving (usually around the end of October), it sets an hour earlier.
So even though you do have a chance to see the Northern lights in September and April, I would advise you to keep your travel window in the October-March period.
Planning to visit Norway but are unsure of where to start? Head this way for my 8-step guide to planning a trip to Norway!
Now, let’s get more detailed!
Seeing the Northern Lights in Norway: How to find the best time
As mentioned, the weather affects how easy it is to see the Northern Lights, and so, we need to consider it.
Of course, you will have followed my winter packing list and have dressed incredibly warm for the cold, but you may still be miserable when the wind is howling and the snow is preventing you from seeing anything.
In order to plan this like a pro, use the graphs from Yr (a Norwegian weather service), where they share the statistics for the last 12 months.
Here is the overview for Tromsø, for example.
Let’s test my method out for Tromsø and the Lofoten Isles, and figure out the best time of year to see the northern lights in those places.
Read later: How to photograph the northern lights with an iPhone
The best month to see the northern lights in Norway
From the graph, we can see (or, I can translate), that the rainiest winter months in Tromsø in the past year were October, February and March. This leaves November, December and January as the drier months.
Now, when I say “rainy”, I mean all kinds of things falling from the sky, as in Norway we often call it “nedbør” whether it’s snow or rain. And, since the average temperature in for those months were just around freezing (0 degrees Celsius), we can trust that it was most likely snowing.
This means that the chance of cloudy, snowy skies are high during those months.
As a result, we can say that November to January may be the best months to see the Northern Lights in Norway if you are thinking of a trip to Tromsø.
Now, let’s also check the Lofoten islands. This is also a very popular destination in Norway, especially in the winter.
I personally visited for a week in March and took some incredible photos to prove it (check them all out here). In spite of the snowstorm that hit us one day, I say visiting Lofoten in March is fine (and we got an amazing display of the Northern Lights).
Now, Lofoten is a lot more “weather-y” than Tromsø, and so there is bound to be more rain or snow in the area. Find the graph here, and take note of the “Nedbør Totalt” column.
This is the total amount of water (in liquid or snow form) falling from the sky that month. We quickly see that October, November and December had less than January, February and March.
Still, if you notice the average temperature during these months, you’ll also see that before New Year’s, it would have been warm enough for it to rain (and not snow). Which we don’t want, because it is miserable.
So, January, February and March are also the best months to see the Northern Lights in Lofoten.
Read next: the best time to go to Norway (my complete guide)
Tips for seeing the Northern Lights in Norway
After I have answered the question above, I often get asked: “what else do we need to know about seeing the Northern Lights in Norway?”
Well, the first thing that is important to stress is that you are not guaranteed to see them. Ever. This is sad but true.
However, if you travel far enough North (at least to Lofoten, I say, but ideally to Tromsø or Alta), and ensure you have enough dark hours in the day when you are visiting, you greatly increase your chances of experiencing the Aurora Borealis in Norway.
Second, I also remind people that it is not possible to forecast the Aurora several weeks (or even days) in advance. The only forecast that can be trusted can show a few hours ahead (usually 3 or 4), so it is not possible to plan your trip around this (and don’t trust anyone who says you should).
I use this forecast when I travel up north. It’s in Norwegian, but still has a nice map that shows you clearly where you can see the Northern Lights that evening.
It is updated several times a day, and also includes a button called “Vis Skydekke” in the lower right corner. Here, you can turn the clouds on and off on the map, to give you an idea of where the clouds will be as well. This makes it much easier to plan for seeing the Northern Lights in Norway!
“Vis Skydekke” translates to “Show Cloud Cover”.
That’s the next thing I want to point out. Clouds. Regardless of whether you are far enough north, and the weather is on your side, you can’t see the Northern Lights through a bunch of clouds. So you really need a lot of factors to be alligned in order to see them.
Not that I am trying to discourage you, I am just trying to keep it realistic. Knowing how many things need to be in motion to see the Northern Lights also makes it so much more special when you do!
Read next: What is Norway famous for?
Frequently Asked Questions about seeing the Aurora Borealis in Norway
In case you scrolled down to the FAQ instead of reading the guide, let me sum it up for you: the best time to see the Northern Lights in Norway is October-March. Then it depends on your destination. I recommend January-March for the Lofoten islands, but November-December for Tromsø.
First of all; it’s the most incredible experience and I hope you get to see them in Norway! Second, you’ll be surprised to hear that sometimes they are there, but you can’t see them. That’s where having a camera comes in, and you’ll find that on some evenings, your camera can capture the Aurora Borealis, but your eyes can’t see them. I recommend this (affordable) camera.
NO! As mentioned above, I recommend the Canon EOS M3, a hybrid camera that I use.
BUT, I was also super excited to see that my GoPro (which I don’t consider fancy at all) also captured AMAZING photos of the Northern Lights (the photo at the top of this article, for example). I used this GoPro and even wrote a guide on how to take photos of the Northern Lights using only a GoPro (including the exact settings, to make it super easy for you).
I always say that this isn’t necessary, because you can find some great spots to see the Northern Lights on your own, simply by reading blogs and asking locals you meet. However, by joining a tour you get the knowledge and qualifications of a guide, so if you are unsure (and feel safer in a group), this can be a great way to do it. Especially if it’s your first time seeing the Northern Lights. I’ll link to some of my recommended Northern Lights tours in Norway below!
As mentioned above, I always recommend you travel as far north as you can. However, I have experienced the Northern Lights by the fjords! This has only happened 5-10 times as I can remember, so that’s in 15 years or so.
To answer the question, when the Northern Lights are strong you can see them quite far south, but it is very rare. This post is all about increasing your chances of seeing the Northern Lights in Norway (through finding the best time to go and knowing what to look for), so I wouldn’t recommend hoping to see them in Bergen, for example.
Anywhere north of the Arctic Circle! Of course, certain areas are better than others, because tourism has made the Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights more accessible. Tromsø is a popular destination/hub for anyone wanting to head out to see the Northern Lights in Norway, whilst I had great luck seeing them in Lofoten. I also highly recommend Alta for anyone traveling up north.
I have recommended a few below!
Several places! We got very lucky in Hamnøy (all though the street lights made me wish we had driven away from civilisation).
You can see the northern lights from anywhere as long as the lights are strong enough. The best way to see them is to get away from the light pollution of the city, or by joining a tour.
Yes, you can see the northern lights in Norway.
When the northern lights are strong, it is really easy to see them. You can see them from your window if they are strong enough. But the best thing to do is to travel out of the city and go somewere dark and remote.
The winter months are the best, with November to January being the absolute best months for Tromsø.
Northern Lights Tours in Norway I recommend
As mentioned in the FAQ, for your first time in Northern Norway, joining a Northern Lights tour is a great option, especially if you are unsure of all the logistics that go into it.
Then you don’t have to worry too much about the best time to see the northern lights in Norway, because someone else has already worked it out for you.
By joining a tour, you get the expertise of someone who can find the best spots, know how to read the (short) forecast, and who can help you with your camera settings.
Many of the tours also include a Northern Lights guarantee, meaning that if you don’t see them during your chase, you automatically get tickets to their next chase! Thus, I highly recommend joining a tour on your first night in Norway, so that you can take advantage of this and get more chances during your stay.
Below are some recommended Northern Lights tours in Lofoten, Tromsø and other locations, depending on where you travel. The top 5 northern lights tours from Tromsø are also included.
There you have my two cents on what the best time to see the Northern Lights in Norway is. Of course, there is no exact science to it, but hopefully, this guide will make it a little easier for you to plan your trip.
Of course, if you are visiting Norway anytime soon, I recommend you read my Norway Travel Guide before you get to planning (and join my Facebook group).
Northern Lights in Norway: More Resources
- Packing list for visiting Norway in the winter
- Norwegian (and Scandinavian) knitted sweaters you need for your trip (or just to create some “Hygge” at home)
- How to take photos of the Northern Lights with just a GoPro
- The GoPro I used to take my Northern Lights photos
- The camera I used (without the lens)
- 25 Things to do in Lofoten in the winter (from my March trip)
- 17 Epic things to do in Alta
- The best things to do in Tromsø
- Self-drive Lofoten Itinerary for a 7-day trip
- Self-drive Lofoten Itinerary for a 6-day trip
- Self-drive Lofoten Itinerary for a 5-day trip
- 10-day Norway itinerary for both winter and summer
