Aurora destination guide

An Arctic city right under the auroral oval, with plenty of flights and tours. An easy first base, but the coast is often cloudy, so plan to chase clear skies inland.

Finnmark's gateway, branded the "City of the Northern Lights" since 2000. Quieter than Tromsø, set slightly back from the open coast, with easy access to wide inland valleys.

Sharp peaks rising from the sea, beaches and red fishing cabins: one of Europe's most striking aurora photo settings. The trade-off is frequent cloud and wind, and logistics that are hard without a car.

Norway's second-largest island: Lofoten-style drama with far fewer people. Superb dark skies, but access and weather are challenging.

A small village on Lake Torneträsk inside the national park of the same name. The rain shadow of the Norwegian mountains and the Aurora Sky Station make it one of Europe's best-known aurora spots.

Sweden's northernmost town, built on mining and now moving because of it. The Icehotel, Esrange space centre and nearby Abisko make it a solid base for an aurora trip.

Lapland's capital on the Arctic Circle and the only aurora gateway with a non-stop flight from Turkey. Easy to reach, lots of packages, but noticeably lower aurora odds than places further north.

A small fell village on the edge of Urho Kekkonen National Park, famous for glass igloos. About 260 km north of Rovaniemi, with clearly better aurora odds.

Finland's biggest ski resort, a comfortable base with restaurants, activities and a nearby airport at Kittilä. Better aurora odds than Rovaniemi, but you need to get away from the slope lights.

A small, remote village at Finland's northwestern tip beneath Saana fell. FMI statistics give it the highest aurora probability in the country; services are limited in return.

Iceland's capital and the easiest base for aurora tours, car hire and day trips. Close to the auroral oval, but ocean weather brings frequent cloud and storms.

A lake in inland north Iceland, surrounded by volcanic craters and geothermal fields. Much darker than Reykjavík and, from midwinter on, statistically a little clearer.

A settlement at 78°N in polar bear country. During the polar night aurora can appear at any hour, even at noon; but the highest latitude does not mean the best odds.

A small airport settlement at the head of a long fjord near the Greenland ice sheet. Known for clear skies thanks to its continental climate, but one of the hardest destinations for access and visas.

Capital of the Northwest Territories; flat, lake-studded continental terrain and relatively clear winter skies make it one of the world's most consistent aurora spots. The price is severe cold and a long trip from Turkey.

Yukon's capital, a small city ringed by mountains, lakes and hot springs. More scenic and a little milder than Yellowknife, but further from the auroral oval.

A small town on Hudson Bay with no road access, famous for polar bears and belugas. Its geographic latitude looks low, but geomagnetically it sits under the auroral oval.

The largest city in interior Alaska; its continental climate and relatively clear skies make it one of the most consistent aurora places. Hot springs, aurora cabins and easy driving help; the US visa is the main hurdle.

An island off Scotland's west coast known for dark skies and dramatic coastlines. Aurora here is not nightly but appears when geomagnetic activity is elevated; a fine mid-latitude option if you go knowing that.

Australia's southern island state and the country's best place for the southern lights (aurora australis). Here the aurora shows on the southern horizon, usually only when activity is elevated.

A lakeside village inland on the South Island, inside the world's largest gold-tier dark sky reserve. Superb for stargazing; aurora is an irregular, hard-to-predict bonus.