At Finland’s Levin Iglut resort, travelers can curl up in bed under a glass dome to watch the northern lights.
The ancient Greeks thought the northern lights were created by a chariot racing across the sky, alerting the sun and moon gods to the new day. To the Vikings, the dancing lights were reflections bouncing off the Valkyries’ armor as the female warriors traveled through the heavens, while the Finns thought the squiggles were the tracks of Arctic foxes, running so fast their furry tails left vibrant streaks of color in their wake. To modern-day travelers, the aurora borealis is a bucket-list item, an elusive natural phenomenon typically glimpsed by only the most dedicated of stargazers.
This year, those seeking out Mother Nature’s most spectacular light show are in luck: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the sun is approaching the apex (called the solar maximum) of its roughly 11-year cycle. The months of increased solar activity leading up to the peak—expected in late 2024 through early 2025—will give travelers the best chance to see the lights in the past two decades, and hotels and tour operators are rising to meet the demand of those seeking celestial experiences.
The unique design of the main building at Sweden’s Arctic Bath hotel and spa protects the open-air cold pool.
While the lights have been spotted in Montana and Wisconsin, and even as far south as Arizona, areas north of the Arctic Circle remain the safest bets for securing the once-in-a-lifetime experience—with the lights visible in some parts of the region for upwards of 200, or even as many as 300, nights per year. Nordic countries are seeing an increase in light hunters as a result, according to Torunn Tronsvang, founder of the tour company Up Norway. But she says her clients are not “merely ticking off destinations—they are seeking to craft enduring memories and share unique stories,” citing tours that include photography lessons, surf instruction, dogsledding, and ice fishing. (Up Norway even offers a package inspired by Frozen.)
Iceland’s Hotel Rangá has a wake-up service to alert guests at the first sign of (northern) light.
There are a variety of luxe options for travelers seeking adventures as unique as the lights themselves. Deep in a Swedish forest is the Treehotel, an icon of alternative design known for its artfully designed treetop cabins. Sign up for ice dining and enjoy a three-course meal in a tent on the ice under the northern lights. Or check into a floating cabin at Arctic Bath, a hotel and spa on Sweden’s Lule River.
And don’t miss the Icehotel, also in Sweden, which is, yes, made of ice and rebuilt every winter with rooms sculpted by artists. There you can ride a snowmobile well beyond any light pollution to enjoy a dinner (like reindeer stew) under the aurora borealis. Also away from it all is Norway’s Arctic Hideaway, which sits on an island an hour west of Bodø where you’ll find 11 hilltop cabins designed to immerse their occupants in the surrounding natural environment. (“There are no cars or shops on the island,” they say, “but you won’t miss a thing.”)
Finland’s Arctic TreeHouse Hotel has cozy suites made for stargazing.
Levin Iglut also offers a Northern Lights House with a landscape window to maximize views.
Seeing the lights thankfully needn’t involve frigid temps. At Levin Iglut, a small boutique resort in Finland’s Lapland region, guests can cozy up in bed under a glass dome or take in the views from a hot tub on a private terrace. Also in Lapland, the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel and Octola private wilderness hotel both offer villas and suites that include fireplaces, private saunas, Jacuzzis, and private chefs, while at the Instagram-famous Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, you can choose between bedding down in a glass igloo or grabbing a down sleeping bag and spending the night in an igloo made from real snow.
Levin Iglut also offers private terraces with hot tubs for light gazing.
In Greenland, you can book a tour with Albatros Arctic Circle to camp on the Greenland Ice Sheet (one of two in the world) to watch the lights—an experience typically reserved for researchers. If you prefer a hotel setting, several locales in Iceland, including Hotel Rangá, a four-star resort on the southern part of the island, offer a northern lights wake-up service wherein hotel staffers will alert guests at the first sign of (northern) light.
While the harsh weather conditions in the Arctic mean there is no way to guarantee you’ll see the aurora borealis, searching for the famed lights from inside a cozy, warm glass igloo is surely what they meant when they said the journey is often its own reward.
This story appears in the June/July 2024 issue of ELLE.
Kayla Webley Adler is the Deputy Editor of ELLE magazine. She writes and edits cover stories, profiles, and narrative features on politics, culture, crime, and social trends. Previously, she worked as the Features Director at Marie Claire magazine and as a Staff Writer at TIME magazine.