Support truly
independent journalism
Ribbons of brilliance, dazzling displays and ethereal stargazing – the Northern Lights are a lifetime highlight for those lucky enough to witness the intriguing spectacle.
Famously, orchestrating a glimpse of the elusive celestial ballet requires that a lot of factors fall into place. Clear viewing conditions, a great vantage point and a lot of patience are a must to watch the lights dance at their most visible between September and March.
To maximise your chances of a rare Northern Lights sighting, you’ll need to head for locations with the latitude to host nature’s best performance, and chances of a successful sighting soar on the remote Arctic Ocean.
Forget shivering on city-side snowscapes you were ferried to by coach, and instead float far from light pollution, gliding past giant ice cubes on luxury vessels beneath the dramatic backdrop of the aurora borealis.
With cruises bound for Norway, Iceland, Canada and Greenland chasing the cosmic whisps of purple and green, here’s our guide to the sailings primed for illuminated skies.
Read more on cruises:
- The best winter cruise holidays for winter sun, city breaks and the Northern Lights
- Best Caribbean cruises for a holiday on the water
- The best river cruises in Europe, from the Douro to the Danube
Best for: Aurora guarantee
The North Cape Line, Hurtigruten
Departs: Oslo, Norway
Arrives: Bergen, Norway
Hunting the aurora borealis with Hurtigruten entails a journey from capital Oslo to North Cape on the Arctic Norwegian coast, in the hopes of watching the ultimate light performance. Think frost-tipped mountains, icy fjords and some serious snow with stops at Tromsø, aurora hotspot Alta, and Honningsvåg, Norway’s northernmost city, along the way.
A voyage on the 14-day The North Cape Line costs from £1,851 pp, with multi-course dining, flights, port transfers and on-board activities – such as photography workshops – on MS Trollfjord included in the price. The cherry on top of the cake? Hurtigruten promises an additional six- or seven-day Norway voyage free of charge if the Northern Lights don’t put on a show during your original cruise of 11 nights or more.
Departures from 9 December 2024
Best for: Illuminating science
Greenland and Iceland, Celebrity Cruises
Departs: Reykjavik, Iceland
Arrives: Boston, Massachusetts
For a surreal sea voyage across the Northern Hemisphere’s wild terrain, Celebrity Cruises provides a slice of volcanic Iceland with six ports, including Greenland and Nova Scotia. At Reykjavik’s Northern Lights Center, you’ll also learn the science behind the spectacle and its cultural significance on a cruise that could yield a sighting of the unpredictable aurora.
Spend 12 nights onboard the decadent Celebrity Eclipse from $1,423pp (£1,115). Cruise in style on the ship complete with a European shopping piazza, yoga studio and a martini bar that boasts a whole portfolio of vodkas.
Departing 16 August 2024
Best for: Cruising and perusing
Iceland and Greenland Cruise, Royal Caribbean
Departs: Southampton, UK
Arrives: Boston, USA
To peruse eight port cities during a round trip of the Arctic Circle’s Norweigan aurora belt, Royal Caribbean’s 15-night Iceland and Greeland cruise to Reykjavik, Qaqortoq and Nuuk provides the ideal glide through remote dark skies.
It’s £1,640pp for an interior cabin including daring dining from sushi rolls to plates of steak and glasses of fine wine. Entertainment-wise, musical performances, rock climbing walls and mini golf fill days anticipating nature’s displays after dark.
Departing 30 August 2024
Best for: Sustainable sailing
Norway Round Voyage, Havila Voyages
Departs: Bergen, Norway
Arrives: Bergen, Norway
This coastal express cruise by Havila Voyages visits 34 Norweigan ports across 12 days including travel wish-list staples such as the Lofoten archipelago and the sensational North Cape landscape. There are few places better to watch the lights dance.
Lucky travellers will be able to watch the sky illuminate in secondary colours through the glass ceiling of the ship’s observation lounge as they sail sustainably by battery for up to four hours of silence – a Northern Lights promise also applies to this magical £2,347 pp voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes. If spectacular green light does not dance across the night sky during your trip, you get a new six or seven-day voyage
Departing 3 October 2024
Best for: Exhaustive expeditions
Greenland, Canadian Arctic and Atlantic, Seabourn
Departs: Reykjavik, Iceland
Arrives: Bridgetown, Barbados
Onboard Seabourn’s Venture ship, this 25-day journey starts with the Northern Lights and then ends up with the heat of Puerto Rico and Barbados. There’s a constellation lounge with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, which offer views of penguins and killer whales by day and the light’s wonders by night when the boat sails past Kangerlussuaq, Jakobshavn and Uummannaq in Greenland.
The cruise costs from £15,698 for a veranda suite; not cheap, but not many cruises combine the glacier-carved Canadian Arctic with the warm waters of the British Virgin Islands, Martinique and Barbados
Departing 12 September 2025
Best for: Intimate adventures
East Greenland Explorer Fly & Cruise, Secret Atlas
Departs: Reykjavik, Iceland
Arrives: Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
To explore Greenland’s breathtaking Scoresby Sund fjord, the colossal ice columns of Viking Bay and the remote settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit, Secret Atlas has an impressive East Greenland cruise. Groups of just 12 intrepid travellers can board MV Vikingfjord to reach Greenland’s mammoth fjord, from €9,900 (£8,579) for eight days of lectures, zodiac shore landings with polar bear protection guides, and full-board dining.
An on-deck sauna, comfortable cabins and an open-plan observation lounge primed for photographing the Northern Lights complete the intimate adventure. Float to the northern wilderness in September when there is little light pollution to get the best chance of being mesmerised by the vivid aurora.
Departing 4 September 2024
Best for: Starting and ending in the UK
P&O Cruises Norway 12-night voyage, Aurora
Departs: Southampton, UK
Arrives: Southampton UK
If you want to start and end your holiday in the UK, P&O Cruises can take you to magical places like the Arctic beauty of Tromsø to the dramatic landscapes of Stavanger without the need to get on a plane. The 12-night Norway Cruise is exclusively for adults and there’s plenty to keep travellers busy while they’re waiting for the lights to show, including three swimming pools, a sports court and gym, all for £1,099 pp.
The boat stops in several ports in the northern area of Norway, including Tromsø and Alta, offering the best chance to witness Mother Nature’s very own mystical light show. In Alta, a Northern Lights expert will board the ship and talk to passengers about how to best photograph the Northern Lights as they wait for them to dance in the sky.
Departing 9 December 2024
Best for: Over 50s
Saga Norway and the Northern Lights, Spirit of Discovery
Departs: Portsmouth, UK
Arrives: Portsmouth, UK
This 16-night cruise around Norway and the Arctic Circle stops for a night in Tromsø in the Aurora Belt, to maximise the chances of seeing the Northern Lights. Excursions are included when the boat stops in Tromsø , Alta, Honningsvåg and Bergen so you can see picturesuqe villages, the globe monument of the North Cape and scenic railways up the majestic mountains.
The £5,975pp cost includes all meals and planned excursions. The main lounge has a glass ceiling, so you can relax in comfort with a drink, and admire the spectacular panoramic views.
Departing 24 February 2025
Best for: Affordable luxury
Cunard Norway and the Northern Lights, Queen Mary 2
Departs: New York, USA
Arrives: New York, USA
If the idea of a city break to New York before you leave civilisation for the middle of the Arctic Circle floats your boat, then Cunard offers a 26-night cruise that starts and ends in New York City. With prices from £2,599pp on the Queen Mary 2, it works out as excellent value per night. And with a two-night stop in Tromsø, you can enjoy Scandinavian nightlife and tour distilleries while you’re waiting for the lights.
On the cruise, each evening brings theatre, food and music to keep you busy while you’re sailing towards the glacier views. See a stage show, watch a live band or dance into the early hours.
Departing 31 October 2025
Best for: Animal lovers
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines in search of the Northern Lights, Balmoral
Departs: Newcastle, UK
Arrives: Newcatle, UK
With 710 cabins accomodating up to 1,325 guests, the Balmoral is small enough to navigate Europe’s most picturesque waterways so guests can enjoy hours of scenic cruising. There is plenty of open-deck space so that everyone can go outside when the Northern Lights make an appearance during the 10-night Northern Lights cruise. If you want to admire them from your cabin, ocean view rooms start at £1,499 pp.
When the cruise crosses into the Arctic Circle, guests are invited onto deck to celebrate. This could be with a ceremonial ritual, such as a ‘baptism’ where ice-cold water is poured down your back. As well as potentially seeing the Northern Lights, you may encounter whales who visit the seas around Tromsø in winter in search of food and breeding grounds. You can also do husky dog excursions or reindeer sledding during certain stops.
Departing 10 October 2024
Best for: On-board entertainment
Ambassador Cruise Line Norway’s land of the Northern Lights, Ambition
Departs: Newcastle, UK
Arrives: Newcastle UK
This 14-night cruise takes in three different countries and has 10 ports of call, giving you a lot of time to immerse yourself in Norwegian culture in places like Alta, Tromsø and Trondheim. But while you’re sailing, there’s some top class entertainment to enjoy each night on board the Ambition, with special appearances from comedians Rudi West and K-Lo. During the day, ocean conservationists will on the deck, showcasing the incredible diversity of wildlife that can be spotted from the deck, helping everyone learn more about the marine environment around them from whales and dolphins to porpoises.
Ocean view cabins start at £1,616 per person, which includes full-board, a captain’s gala dinner and a Baked Alaska parade, where the desert comes to the table on fire.
Departing 7 November 2024
Read more on the best cruises for 2024
