The 15 Best Evening Aurora Experiences in the World

1.Northern Lights Night Tour from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 1,921 reviews · 3 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $63Our pick

Leave Reykjavik’s city glow behind on a 3 to 5-hour Gray Line Iceland coach tour. Guides explain the science and folklore of the aurora, choose the night’s best viewing area, offer camera tips, and provide a free repeat trip if no lights appear.

“We were originally booked on 9/26/24. The excursion was canceled due to weather conditions. We rescheduled for 9/27/24. This time the trip wasn't canceled even though it was 100% cloud cover. We didn't see the northern lights and we requested a refund...but no one responded to my request.”

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2.Evening Aurora Cruise (dinner optional)

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,570 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $100

Sail from central Tromsø at 8 p.m. with Polar Adventures, searching the fjords and Arctic sea for the Aurora Borealis. Your English-speaking crew, including guides such as Ken, Holly, Thomas, and Hans, helps with camera settings while you warm up with hot chocolate, coffee, cookies, and indoor seating.

“Real 10 out of 10. super friendly guides. The atmosphere was cosy and happy.”

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3.Night Tour in Search of the Aurora with BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 390 reviews · 4 hours · from $68

You travel from Rovaniemi to three dark Arctic locations with guides such as Daria, stopping for aurora viewing, photos, and a Lapland BBQ. Expect sausages, pastries, cookies, marshmallows, and hot berry juice by the fire, plus hotel pickup and drop-off during this four-hour evening tour.

“We had the most amazing experience and got to see the Aurora Borealis vividly in both spots! Our tour guide Daria was great! She took pictures of everyone with her iPhone and sent them to people individually! She was also very knowledgeable and friendly. A lovely BBQ wity sausages, pastries, cookies and marshmallows were also served around a campfire. I highly recommend this experience!”

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4.Night Reindeer Sledding with Camp Dinner and Chance of Northern Lights

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 165 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $225

Meet up at Tromsø’s bus terminal at 6 p.m. for a short ride to a Sami reindeer camp. Feed the herd, take a 15 to 20-minute sleigh ride, then enjoy dinner in a candlelit gamme with joiking, stories, and Sami culture. Aurora sightings are possible, but never guaranteed.

“We loved it. The Sami were lovely friendly people and the reindeers lovely. Great experience and lots of happy memories”

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5.Northern Lights and Chena Hot Springs Night Tour from Fairbanks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 115 reviews · 10 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $240

Ride from Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs with a driver-guide such as Ed, Paul, Jake, or Randy. Visit the Ice Museum, soak in the rock lake pool or indoor pool, and wait for the aurora until about 2 a.m. The group is limited to 12 people.

“We had a wonderful time and our guide was excellent! He was very kind and informative. The springs were very relaxing. You have to take off your shoes in the lobby, so I would suggest bringing flip flops or some type of shower shoes, or else you have to walk from the pool house lobby and through the locker rooms barefoot. The description for this tour says the ice museum is closed until Summer 2024, but it is open. Admission to the ice museum is not included in the price of this tour, and you can buy tickets online before going.”

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6.Yukon: Aurora Borealis Late Night Viewing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 78 reviews · 4h 30m · from $122

Meet at the Sternwheeler Hotel for a 270-minute late-night Aurora Borealis outing. A bilingual English and Spanish guide drives you to a private viewing site with a warm cabin, restrooms, snacks, hot drinks, and photography help.

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7.Arctic Day: Aurora Viewing Tour | late night

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 76 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $125

Leave Whitehorse at 11:20 pm for a four-and-a-half-hour aurora hunt at Arctic Range Adventure’s dark-sky viewing center. Expect hotel pickup, warm cabins, hot drinks, snacks, fireside time, guide support, and possible camera help from staff such as Eli, Akino, Kei, or Jessica.

“It's awesome but all dependent on the weather so pick the evening carefully. We were very fortunate to see what we had seen. The photos were taken by the guides so have many taken and pick that perfect photo which is well worth buying. Tripods were available for time lapse photography to capture the light so bring a real camera if you have one. :earn to take time lapse photos before going. It's very very cold out so make sure you dress for it. Many thanks to Pascal for taking that perfect photo of us.”

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8.Northern Lights Night Adventure By Snowmobile

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 58 reviews · 4 hours · from $278

Ride from Alta into the Beskardes mountains along the old postal road. You will learn to drive a snowmobile, share it with a passenger, and stop in the dark Arctic wilderness for coffee, snacks, and possible northern lights. Guides such as Roger and John are praised for patient instruction and warm care.

“Had never been on a snowmobile before, but the guide was very patient and checked regularly that I was OK. It was a brilliant experience, especially at night with the snow falling. We stopped off for a short break by a fire and it was magical. Highly recommend the whole experience.”

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9.Night Snowshoeing Adventure under the Northern Lights

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 50 reviews · 3 hours · from $123

Join a professional English-speaking guide for three hours of night snowshoeing near Rovaniemi. Walk through forests, across frozen waterways, or toward a hilltop, then warm up with hot drinks and a Finnish campfire snack. Guide Jordi has led especially personal tours for very small groups.

“Belle activité. Ciel magnifique. Guide génial. Bémol, l'activité raquette est un peu courte et assez simple : balade dans une forêt à peine 1h. Le temps de trajet vers le lieu d'activité est de 35'. Le temps de trajet est plus long que l'activité. Le réconfort près du feu est intéressant mais se fait à la fin dans un yourth sur le parking...”

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10.Evening dinner cruise with possible northern lights

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 45 reviews · 3 hours · from $103

Sail from Tromsø aboard MS Tromsø, a polar adventure ship, from 6 to 9 p.m. Hear Arctic stories from the captain, visit the wheelhouse, enjoy a light meal, and search the sky for Northern Lights. A welcome drink is included, while the onboard bar sells extra drinks and snacks.

“There was 2 trips on this boat, it had a king crab thing going on, so the people who brought it to hopefully see the lights was a big shame. We didn’t see any lights. We went to get the crabs and went back. Tbh I am actually really gutted. Their lite meal was a paper cup of soup! They left 15 mins late, and arrived 10 mins early. On the app it says starts at 5, I arrived they said they changed it to 6 so I had to sit and wait for over an hour”

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11.Evening Lava Tunnel and Northern Lights Hunt

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 44 reviews · 4 hours · from $189

You’ll walk through Raufarhólshellir with a certified caving guide, seeing mineral colors formed by an eruption more than 5,000 years ago. Then your English-speaking guide searches the countryside for the aurora, with hot chocolate, blankets, Wi-Fi, free photos, and a free retry if clouds win.

“This was a super interesting tour! I highly recommend! Our guide was fantastic and very insightful. We didn’t get to see the lights sadly but you’re able to rebook for free! Try to do this tour early in your trip in case visibility is bad so you can have time to rebook”

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12.Evening Lava Tunnel Tour and Northern Lights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $195Top rated

Travel by minibus from Reykjavik to Raufarhólshellir, Iceland’s fourth-longest lava tube, for a guided one-hour walk with helmets and torches. Then chase the Northern Lights for up to two and a half hours, with hot cocoa, blankets, Wi-Fi, and a free retry if the aurora stays hidden.

“Interesting and beautiful lava cave. Good explanations and storytelling, and we got to see some Northern Lights. All around a fun excursion.”

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13.Evening Cruise with Northern Lights Opportunity

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 36 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $128

From Tromsø’s pier, you’ll spend about three and a half hours on an evening boat ride with Polar Adventures, watching the sky for the Aurora. Guides such as Ken, Isabel, and Christina help with photos and camera settings. Thermal suits, hot drinks, biscuits, and an onboard restroom are included.

“V cramped boat. They encouraged people to move around the vessel but the railings were v low, felt someone could go overboard quite easily in the dark and icy deck. Nice crew and plenty of hot drinks and biscuits available.”

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14.Evening Tour and Aurora Borealis Sightseeing in Norway by ATV

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $257

Leave Alta by minibus for Kviby, then ride an ATV through the dark countryside toward Leirbotn and fjord viewpoints. Finnmark Adventure supplies fuel, helmets, boots, gloves, and warm overalls. Guides such as Oscar and Marius may stop for photos and hot drinks, but auroras depend on clear skies.

“A great tour. Picked up from ship port in a clean bus. Our tour guide was the driver ! A small Family business so everyone is multi skilled. Provide with warm weather kit including boots and protective head gear. Instructions on ATVs which has 2 passengers. Hot drink and snack provided. No time constraints as the whole group off the same Cruise ship. Had several stops - always checked on every ATV and its passengers to ensure we’re happy and warm. Escorted by a mini bus for anyone who was getting cold ( not used) and found the northern lights ! The only improvement would be a bit more information…”

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15.3 Hours Snowmobiling under Auroras and Night Sky

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $162

Ride about 30 km through Levi’s snowy forests on a shared snowmobile, stopping at a Sami-style tipi for sausages, marshmallows, coffee, and juice. Guides such as Antonin and Emme lead the group in English. Children ages 3 to 12 ride safely in a sleigh pulled by the guide.

“O local para assar as salsichas (campfire) é excepcional. No entanto não é uma caçada à aurora boreal, e sim um bom posicionamento para isso. Sugiro olhar bem a previsão do tempo para d fazer o passeio com tempo limpo e ficar de olho no aplicativo da aurora boreal.”

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