How I Saw Northern Lights for Free; Why Many Tours Are Bad Deals

• I spent $170 on four failed northern-light tours, then saw the lights while waiting at a bus stop.
• My experiences taught me that not all tours are created equally and it’s important to do research.
• I use the Aurora app to try to find opportunities for northern-lights sightings.

So far, I’ve spent about two years trying to find the best northern lights.

During this period, I’ve spent $170 on four failed tours and gathered plenty of intel on the dos and don’ts of spotting them. I’ve also found that many of these tours are bad deals for the average tourist.

My most memorable experience was in December 2022, when I took three northern-lights tours from Reykjavik, Iceland. About 200 of us travelers would come in on buses and head to predesignated dark-sky spots where we’d sit tight and cross our fingers.

In my opinion, the guides didn’t even seem to be northern-lgiht experts. On this tour, our sharp-tongued leader curtly informed us it was “impossible to see the northern lights from the city center.”

We didn’t see the lights on that tour and I thanked my lucky stars that I’d worn multiple Merino-wool layers as we stood outside from 7 p.m. until nearly 1 a.m.

The next day, while waiting at a bus stop in the city center, the northern lights appeared in colorful irony. Albeit faint with the light pollution, they danced around the sky for 10 minutes.

On other occasions in Reykjavik and Tromsø in Norway, I boarded tour buses driving away from the cities only to hear they’d appeared just hours after we’d left. It made me wonder if there was any method behind this supposed magic.

Now, I look for tours that seem to provide a good value

I wouldn’t rule out northern-lights tours, but it’s important to be picky about which you choose and when you book them if you want the best value.

Firstly, look for tours reframing the “chasing” narrative. Most tours don’t “chase” — instead, they find areas with low cloud coverage, meaning if the lights appear, you see them clearly.

Tours that reframe the chasing aspect usually focus more on photography and have experienced photographers as guides. Whether you see the northern lights or just stars, you’ll likely at least leave with dark-sky-photography knowledge.

One other sign of a good tour is if guides offer to rearrange them if there are low chances of a sighting. Many northern-lights tours I’ve seen aren’t transparent about your actual chances of seeing them and will run even if the odds are super slim.

To set yourself up for success, do your own research, too. If you’re planning trips centered around seeing them, travel during peak seasons.

You should also look at Kp Index predictions before committing to certain tour days. This can be checked a few days in advance and help you estimate where the northern lights may be visible near you.

Also, keep an open mind when choosing a travel destination. Iceland may be the most famous option, but you can see the northern lights in all sorts of places, even the US. Your chances just might vary.

There are ways to try to see the northern lights even if you skip tours

I’ve had the best success rates for spotting northern lights using the Aurora app, which can send notifications when the Kp Index is high enough for possible sightings near you.

When that happens, I’ll head to areas with minimal light pollution, such as lakes, national parks, and suburban beaches.

Lastly, if you’re traveling to see the northern lights I’d recommend maximizing the number of nights you stay in your place of choice. You’ve got to be in it to win it, after all.