Plan Your Nordic Journey – Essential Travel Guides

Start here for practical advice, seasonal planning, sustainability information and general Nordic travel inspiration.

• Why choose the Nordic countries for your next travel destination
• There is a reason the Nordic region feels different
• Important information about Scandinavian holidays, hotels and service
• Month by month guide to the Nordic region
• Best time to travel in Norway
• New Scandinavian tours & itineraries
• Scandinavia tours from Australia
• Why book with 50 Degrees North
• Our Climate Action Plan
• Sustainable travel in the Nordic region
• Travel that means something: 6 Nordic journeys rooted in place, people, and culture

Norway Travel Guides – Fjords, Rail & Coastal Voyages

• Norway tours overview
• Which ‘Highlights of Norway’ trip suits you?
• Norway in a Nutshell® Explained – and how it fits into Highlights of Norway journeys
• The Flåm Railway
• Oslo to Bergen Railway
• Norway’s best train journeys
• Pre and post cruise extensions
• Norway’s most popular fjord views
• Norwegian fjord cruises explained
• More Norway related inspiration, including articles on Norwegian Coastal Voyages

Northern Lights – Where, When & How

• Best time for Northern Lights
• Where to see the Northern Lights
• Northern Lights tours – FAQs
• Northern Lights in Finland
• Best time for Northern Lights in Norway
• Best time for Northern Lights in Iceland
• Aurora photography tips
• Best month to see the Northern Lights
• More Northern Lights and Aurora Borealis articles by our Destination Specialists

Lapland, Christmas & Winter Experiences

• Think Santa Lives Only in Santa Claus Village? Think Again.
• White Christmas in Finland
• White Christmas holidays
• Lapland Christmas holidays explained
• Which Christmas in Lapland tour suits you?
• Christmas at Tivoli, Copenhagen
• Tallinn Christmas Market guide
• Snow clothing essentials
• How to pack for a winter holiday
• More inspiration articles on Christmas in Lapland, Nordic Christmas, and family travel

Glass Igloos, Snow Hotels & ICEHOTEL

• Top 10 Ice, Snow and Glass Igloo Hotels
• Finland’s glass igloos explained
• Guide to sleeping at ICEHOTEL
• ICEHOTEL Sweden – restaurants and entertainment
• ICEHOTEL 365 Art Suites

Iceland Travel Guides

• Iceland tours overview
• Iceland self-drive tours – what to include
• Preparing for your Iceland tour
• Pre and post cruise extensions in Iceland
• Ultimate guide to Reynisfjara Beach
• More inpiration articles on Iceland

Sweden & Denmark

• Things to do in Stockholm
• Things to do in Copenhagen
• Copenhagen city guide
• Touring Sweden – off the beaten track
• The Scandinavian art of hygge
• More inspiration articles related to Sweden and Denmark

Finland Beyond Lapland

• Top things to do in Helsinki
• Our guide to restaurants in Helsinki
• Magical Midsummer in Finland
• Seeing the Midnight Sun in Finland
• More inspiration articles related to Finland

The Baltics – Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

• A perfect day in Vilnius
• Treasures of the Baltic States
• Off-season magic in the Baltic countries
• Tallinn Christmas Market
• More inspiration articles related to Estonia and the Baltic States

Greenland & The High Arctic

• Greenland travel ideas
• Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord
• Arctic cruise travel guide
• Spitsbergen cruises
• Polar bears in Norway
• Guidelines for viewing Arctic wildlife
• More inspiration articles on Greenland, Faroe Islands, Svalbard and polar bears!

Travelling with Children & Multi-Generational Travel

• Things to do in Helsinki with kids
• Top things to do on Scandinavian holidays with kids
• Travelling in Scandinavia with younger children
• Multi-generational Scandinavian travel
• More inspiration articles on family travel

Culture, Film and Nordic Noir

• Nordic noir filming locations: the real places behind the stories
• Danish crime series: visiting the real locations in Copenhagen
• More inspiration articles related to the Nordic Capitals

More inspiration and news can be found at fiftydegreesnorth.com/articles/news

Iceland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights, and there are a few ways to do it with us: on a small group tour, on an independent trip based in Reykjavík, or on a private journey of your own. The season runs from late September to early April, when the nights are long and dark enough for the aurora to show. The lights can never be promised, so the surest approach is to travel in season, give yourself several nights, and stay somewhere you can reach dark, clear skies.

Ways to see the Northern Lights in Iceland

Small group tour

Our six-day small group tour, Icelandic Lights, travels from Reykjavík through the Golden Circle and along the south coast to the glacier country around Jökulsárlón, with three evenings set aside for guided Northern Lights searches, on foot and by coach. You stay with the same guide and small group throughout, so the driving and the planning are taken care of and you can watch the sky rather than the road. It runs from October to March and ends with a soak in the Blue Lagoon.

Independent trips from Reykjavík

If you would rather travel at your own pace, we have several winter trips based in Reykjavík where everything is arranged for you, your accommodation, transfers and a series of guided day and evening tours, which you join as an individual rather than as part of a set group. Fire, Ice and the Blue Lagoon is a five-day trip with a Northern Lights focus, South Iceland Landscapes and Northern Lights spends six days in the south of the island, and Golden Circle and Northern Highlights is our longest at seven days.

A private journey

For a trip that is yours alone, the Premium Private Iceland adventure spends six days seeking the aurora with private guiding, at a more personal pace.

Wherever you stay, be ready to take part. If you are not booked on an evening tour and the sky clears, step outside and look up.

A soak at the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is an easy addition at the start or end of a trip, since it sits close to Keflavík International Airport, and it features on our Icelandic Lights tour. It is open year-round, though in the aurora season the hours are shorter than in summer, running roughly 08:00 to 22:00 from late August to the end of January and 08:00 to 20:00 from February onwards, with guests asked to leave the water shortly before closing. Entry must be booked in advance, as walk-ins are not accepted.

For dinner, Lava Restaurant serves Icelandic cooking inside an 800-year-old lava cliff beside the water, and the Retreat's Moss Restaurant holds a Michelin star under chef Aggi Sverrisson. One note of realism on the lagoon and the lights: the aurora can appear above the lagoon on a clear night, but it closes before the darkest hours and the sky still has to cooperate, so treat a soak as a relaxing bookend to the trip rather than a reliable place to see the lights.

The Blue Lagoon is on the Reykjanes peninsula, which has seen volcanic activity and occasional closures since 2023, so it is worth checking it is operating before you book.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to see the Northern Lights in Iceland?

Late September to early April, with the strongest odds from about October to March, when the nights are longest and darkest.

How many nights do you need?

Allow several nights rather than one or two. The sky has to be both dark and clear, so more nights give you more chances.

Can you see the Northern Lights from Reykjavík?

Occasionally, on active clear nights, but the city's light pollution washes out weaker displays. Guided evening tours take you out to darker skies for a better chance.

What's the difference between a small group tour and an independent trip?

On a small group tour you travel with the same guide and group throughout, following one itinerary together. On an independent trip everything is organised for you, your accommodation, transfers and guided day and evening tours, but you join those tours as an individual and keep more flexibility over your days.

Are the Northern Lights guaranteed?

No. The aurora is a natural event that depends on darkness, solar activity and clear skies on the night. Travelling in season and allowing several nights is how you improve the odds.

Plan your trip

Browse our Northern Lights tours, or get in touch and our specialists will help match the season, the route and the way you like to travel.

About the author

Jayde Kincaid is the co-founder of 50 Degrees North, which she built with her Norwegian husband out of a love for his homeland. Australian by birth, she has lived, worked and travelled extensively across the Nordic region, and after 15+ years in outdoor education, leading tours around the world, she has spent much of the last two decades exploring the north on the ground. She writes on the company's story and its approach to Nordic travel. Read more about Jayde Kincaid.