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It's best to forget the more southern destinations of Anchorage and Juneau, which see dramatically fewer displays. If you can find dark and clear skies, be on alert from dusk onwards and you might get to see an aurora. According to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the best time to see the aurora is around midnight, give or take an hour. 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.
Aurora Photography Tips
This 14-day adventure includes scenic cruising of the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and College Fjord, with stops in the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Whittier and Seward. You’ll then have nearly a week on land in Anchorage, Denali National Park & Preserve and Fairbanks to go aurora hunting. If you spend an extra night or two in Fairbanks at the end of the trip, you’ll be in town for the autumnal equinox, maximizing your northern lights viewing opportunities. The best time to visit Alaska for Northern Lights is winter, or early spring. As far as cruises go, Alaska cruises in September is a good pick because the nights are long and dark.
Find a Northern Lights Tour
9 Best Alaska Cruise Lines - TravelAwaits
9 Best Alaska Cruise Lines.
Posted: Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
There’s no other experience on Earth quite like witnessing the northern lights. Also known as the aurora borealis, this spellbinding phenomenon — when brilliant hues of green, yellow and purple dance across the night sky — is visible in Alaska from late August to late April. Clear, dark evenings away from the ambient light of cities provide prime viewing opportunities.
How to See the Northern Lights in Alaska
Lines cruising in these regions include Hurtigruten, Silversea, Lindblad Expeditions, Viking Cruises, Quark Expeditions, Adventure Canada, and others. The conditions must be just right, but it's highly likely to see this magical and sometimes elusive scientific phenomenon on a Northern Lights cruise sailing the Arctic Circle during the long, dark winter nights. You’ve got your camera, a snack, and a heart full of patience, just in case you don’t see anything that night. The less-fun news is that there’s no guarantee you’ll see the lights— the show could easily be upstaged by a cloudy sky, a full moon, or even a weaker solar cycle. The fresh arctic air and the bright night sky alone will likely fill your cup.
How to See the Northern Lights in Alaska Holland America Line
Plan to stay a few evenings in Anchorage with a multiday guided aurora tour, or reserve a spot on an evening outing in search of the northern lights. If you’re interested in a cruise-only option and would prefer to arrange the land portion independently, consider this seven-day voyage on Nieuw Amsterdam. Although the full viewing season spans from March to September, you'll have the greatest chance of witnessing the Borealis' emergence in September, when skies are so much darker than during the summer cruise season.
Fairbanks is the best place to see northern lights in Alaska for visitors. It consistently tops the list of places in Alaska and the world to catch the dazzling display and it’s not because the dancing green lights just happen to favor this gold rush boomtown. Fairbanks is located inside the Auroral Oval, the geomagnetic North Pole.
It’s essential to wear layers, including thermal underwear, a warm middle layer, a waterproof and windproof outer layer, insulated boots, gloves, a hat, and a scarf. But as we’ve explored, the Northern Lights are but one facet of the allure these destinations offer. From Alaska’s towering glaciers and rich indigenous culture to Norway’s picturesque coastal towns and the untouched beauty of Greenland, the journey to see the aurora can be as rewarding as the destination itself.
Spanning 13.2 million acres, this national park is the largest protected reserve in the United States. Travelers can bed down at the 14-person Ultima Thule Lodge for a wild adventure filled with glacier trekking, rafting, fishing in Tebay Lake, and (of course) waiting for the northern lights to flicker across the sky. The northern lights occur because of solar activity, so during the early part of the solar cycle, known as solar minimum, there is a smaller chance of experiencing a full-on auroral storm. As we move toward solar maximum, which returns in 2025, the odds of seeing the northern lights will increase.
What Are The Best Cruise Lines That Sail Northern Lights Itineraries?
While the Northern Lights are a year-round phenomenon, not all times are ideal for viewing. Like other natural occurrences, the Aurora Borealis come out to play when they feel like it. That said, being in the right place at the right time of year increases the odds. One of the best viewing locations is Fairbanks, Alaska, which is why this landmark is one of the central highlights of a Norwegian Cruise Line tour.
While you want to bring short and long sleeves, bring more long sleeves than short ones, especially if you visit Alaska in late September. Expert guides double as concierges, tailoring a plan the day before based on your interests and preferences—and you’re free to join in on as many or as few activities as you please. Onboard dining is a highlight, with meals crafted from locally sourced, sustainable ingredients. Guests enjoy unlimited access to a variety of meals throughout the day, including early-riser breakfasts, lunches, dinners with multiple entrée options, and snacks in between. The beverage selection is also unlimited, featuring fine wines, craft beers, and signature cocktails, ensuring guests can savor their favorite drinks or try something new without any additional charges.
The surprising takeaway from a recent study on the best time to cruise to Alaska - Cruise Blog
The surprising takeaway from a recent study on the best time to cruise to Alaska.
Posted: Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Be sure to notify your hotel that you’d like a wake-up call or a knock on the door if the northern lights are on display. While cruises offer a unique perspective, many land-based locations in Alaska, such as Fairbanks, offer excellent opportunities for aurora viewing, often paired with other activities like hot springs or dog sledding. Yes, several cruise lines offer itineraries specifically tailored for aurora viewing, often incorporating experts, lectures, and workshops related to the phenomenon. Although the full viewing season spans from March to September, you’ll have the greatest chance of witnessing the Borealis’ emergence in September, when skies are so much darker than during the summer cruise season.
You could also visit the impressive collection of antique cars and clothing at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, or take a walk with the reindeer into the woods at Running Reindeer Ranch. The second day in town includes a Riverboat Discovery ride and a tour of the city, as part of the cruisetour. The 10-Day On Your Own cruisetour with Princess Cruises begins with three nights on land, including overnights in Fairbanks, the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. While at the Mt. McKinley resort, be sure to check out the lodge’s treehouse. Designed by Pete Nelson of Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters,” this vantage point offers impressive views of Denali — the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet above sea level. Holland America Line recommends booking a cruise or cruisetour (a combined sea and land package) during the autumnal equinox, or the official start of autumn, which falls around Sept. 22 in the Northern Hemisphere.
No cruise can guarantee sightings as the aurora is a natural and unpredictable phenomenon. However, cruises specifically tailored for aurora viewing will optimize the chances by choosing routes and timings with historically higher success rates. While cruises optimize the chances by navigating to areas with minimal light pollution and frequently clear skies, the Northern Lights remain a natural and unpredictable phenomenon. It’s never a guarantee but following expert predictions and being prepared can enhance your chances. The northern lights and aurora borealis are one and the same — most people call them northern lights, while the scientific name is aurora borealis. The northern lights happen when charged particles from the sun enter the atmosphere and collide with gas atoms in Earth's atmosphere.
Dedicate at least 3 nights to looking for the lights, so that you, too, will have a 90% chance of seeing them. It can work as a three- or four-day trip centered on a weekend, but then you will need to be more focused. After an overnight at the lodge, your tour moves on to Denali, where you can search for wildlife by day and look for the aurora at night. Another evening on land at Hotel Alyeska in the remote town of Girdwood affords more opportunities to chase the finnicky lights before heading to Seward to board your ship, Radiance of the Seas.
