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Each destination has its own northern-lights-viewing schedule, which takes into account the region’s geography and weather patterns, both of which influence when the skies will be darkest and clearest. Watching the aurora borealis is a bucket list item for many travelers and the perfect excuse to get away and explore faraway places. At Windstar Cruises, we take our guests to some of the best regions in the world to view the northern lights, including Alaska, Greenland, Iceland and others. You can book a nine-night sailing on Balmoral out of Newcastle — a shorter than typical trip due to the closer proximity of the departure point to Norway. Depending on where you live, there are also convenient sailings with longer voyages from Southampton, Portsmouth and Newcastle.
Oceanwide Expeditions: East Greenland Scoresby Sund - Aurora Borealis
Explore Scoresbysund, the world’s largest fjord system and a favourite hunting ground of the local Inuit. Massive glaciers flow into this fjord, the birthplace of hundreds of majestic Greenland icebergs. North of Scoresbysund lie Kong Oskar and Kaiser Franz Josef fjords, two of the most significant fjord systems in Greenland, each one encompassing several smaller fjords and sounds.
Alaska Cruises to See The Northern Lights
To maximise your chances of a rare Northern Lights sighting, you’ll need to head for locations with the latitude to host nature’s best performance, and chances of a successful sighting soar on the remote Arctic Ocean. The Northern Lights but may unpredictable but the demand to see them is not – cruises to the "prime zone" in the Arctic are selling fast, but there’s more choice this winter – and the following two winters, than ever before. The advantage of being at sea is that we can quickly sail clear of cloud cover that might be blocking your view of a Northern Lights display.
Unveiling Iceland’s Secret Treasures – Beyond the Golden Circle
An on-deck sauna, comfortable cabins and an open-plan observation lounge primed for photographing the Northern Lights complete the intimate adventure. Float to the northern wilderness in September, when there is little light pollution and the best chance of being mesmerised by the vivid aurora. It’s £1,478pp for an interior cabin including daring dining from sushi rolls to plates of steak and glasses of fine wine. Entertainment-wise, musical performances, rock climbing walls and mini golf fill days anticipating nature’s displays after dark.
In French Polynesia, Every Day is Earth Day with Coral Gardeners
There will be ample space on the 1,085-foot, 13-deck ship to find quiet areas to see the nighttime show. The next day will be in Narvik, a fishing village that can trace its history to the Stone Age but that has held township status only since the early 20th century. There travelers can ride the Ofoten Railway for a day trip to Sweden, hike to Frostisen Glacier, or ski at the Narvikfjellet ski resort. The final port town on the itinerary is Stavanger, where the most popular attractions relate to the community’s maritime history. After departing Southampton, the first stop on this cruise will be in Ålesund, Norway, to spend a day exploring its art nouveau architecture.
Best Time to See Polar Bears in Svalbard – Wildlife Guide
This Cruise Line Just Appointed Its First-ever 'Chief Aurora Chaser' — and Has a Northern Lights Guarantee - Travel + Leisure
This Cruise Line Just Appointed Its First-ever 'Chief Aurora Chaser' — and Has a Northern Lights Guarantee.
Posted: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
These 14-day itineraries cruise from Iceland to Greenland and back from September into early October. As the majority of the voyage takes place above the Arctic Circle, the odds of seeing the northern lights are high, especially as solar activity tends to peak around the autumnal and vernal equinoxes in September and March, respectively. And if they don't show, well, you still get to explore Iceland's Westfjords and Greenland's eastern shores — and that's a worthwhile journey in itself. Search for the northern lights in style aboard Cunard’s stylish Queen Anne, the line’s first new ship in 12 years. The 12-night, round-trip Southampton sailing includes several days at sea to explore the 3,000-passenger vessel and indulge in the signature afternoon tea served by white-gloved waiters. You’ll visit Narvik, one of the world’s most northerly towns, where a ride on the cable car is the best way to experience breathtaking views over the fjords and Arctic landscape.
Aurora Expeditions’ “Northern Lights Explorer” cruise
Head to the very top of the world to set sail into one of the most unexplored regions on the planet with Silversea. Cruise from the isolated Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard to Tromsø, the north-most tip of mainland Norway (and a popular aurora site), via Bear Island. Gaze on alien landscapes of towering mountains, fjords and snow-filled wonderlands. The abundance of wildlife—like birds, polar bears, walrus and more—won’t fail to astonish. Throughout the journey, guests will learn about the land, wildlife, botany, culture and history of this unparalleled region thanks to special lecture presentations by knowledgeable onboard Expedition Team members. Depending on weather, walking excursions, Zodiac cruises and even kayaking may be possible.
Sea Kayaking in Norway
Another option might be to stay in Alaska after your cruise, at which point you can follow the instructions above and drive as far north as you can. To explore Greenland’s breathtaking Scoresby Sund fjord, the colossal ice columns of Viking Bay and the remote settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit, Secret Atlas has an impressive East Greenland cruise. Groups of just 12 intrepid travellers can board MV Vikingfjord to reach Greenland’s mammoth fjord, from €9,900 (£8,579) for eight days of lectures, zodiac shore landings with polar bear protection guides, and full-board dining. Hunting the aurora borealis with Hurtigruten entails a journey from capital Oslo to North Cape, on the Arctic Norwegian coast, in the hopes of watching the ultimate light performance. Think frost-tipped mountains, icy fjords and some serious snow with stops at Tromsø, aurora hotspot, Alta, and Honningsvåg, Norway’s northernmost city, along the way. A traditional Norwegian fjords cruise combined with an aurora hunt is an enticing prospect from Marella.
If the weather is friendly, we will try to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island’s west coast. This is one of the landings used to supply the Norwegian weather station at Olonkinbyen, a settlement situated on the eastern side of the island. Hurtigruten is so sure you will see the lights on the October-through-March sailings of its year-round 11- and 12-day Norwegian Coastal Express itineraries that the company has a guarantee called the Northern Lights Promise. If the deck's officers don't announce to all on board that the northern lights are happening, you can get a six- or seven-day Norwegian Coastal cruise for free. If you have a goal of seeing the aurora borealis in any of the destinations mentioned here, you are best off booking as far into the fall as you can find a cruise.
You should be fit enough to paddle for up to three hours and climb between moving Zodiacs on the water. Regular exercise is recommended, because the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the experience. Each small group of kayakers (up to 10 per guide) will have their own intimate exploration of the small hidden bays and coasts that are inaccessible to Zodiacs. Of course, we also make time for your own shore excursions and wildlife encounters.
Hurtigruten Northern Lights cruise: A bucket list experience - Good Housekeeping uk
Hurtigruten Northern Lights cruise: A bucket list experience.
Posted: Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Deep fjords and narrow channels, flanked by sharp ice-clad peaks soaring up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet), and glaciers birthing gigantic icebergs that drift throughout the fjord system, combine to create breathtaking scenes. Crossing south of the Arctic Circle, we visit the Vega archipelago, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Vega Island is fantastic for birdwatching and here eider ducks are the main attraction, where they are raised for their down, which at one point accounted for one third of the islanders’ income. 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.
The arctic viewing season for northern lights cruises is from late September to late March/early April, though the best months are December through March, when there are the longest hours of darkness and many clear night skies. Generally, skies are clearest near the spring and fall equinoxes in later September and March. Some late September/early October Alaska cruises can include northern lights sightings as well. From there, it’s onward to Rørvik, an ancient fishing town, and then Lødingen, a village known for its place amongst the fjords. There, guests can take an excursion to visit a Sámi village and learn about the Indigenous and semi-nomadic reindeer herders. Then it’s back down to Tromsø, where guests can visit the Polar Museum, go snowshoeing, or try one of the world’s northernmost breweries, Mack Bryggeri.
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. You can also see the lights in Canada's Yukon, including in the gold rush town of Dawson City, which is visited on some Holland America cruisetours. In Iceland, you’ll stop in Akureyri and overnight in the capital city, Reykjavik.
Late December and early January are best because they're the darkest times of the year, but the northern lights can appear as early as September or as late as March. Onboard Seabourn’s Venture ship, a 23-day journey across the Northwest Passage floats from Iceland to Greenland, Canada and Alaska and the kaleidoscope of colourful houses typical of Scandinavian towns extends above to the night skies. There’s even a constellation lounge with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, which offer views of penguins and killer whales by day and the light’s wonders by night. For a surreal sea voyage across the Northern Hemisphere’s wild terrain, Celebrity Cruises provides a slice of volcanic Iceland with six ports, including Greenland and Nova Scotia.
The alternative viewing spot is a longer trip to a camp site to look for Mother Nature’s marvel. In other cities, Viking offers late-night excursions that take passengers deeper into the countryside to darker spots with clearer skies to help increase the likelihood of spotting the elusive aurora. The following two days are at sea, taking in the beauty of the Norwegian coast as the vessel makes for its disembarkation city, Bergen. Seeing the ethereal display, also known as the aurora borealis, is a bucket list experience for many travelers.
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