The best Northern Lights holidays and packages for 2023

One of the most impressive wonders of the natural world, the Northern Lights are on many people’s bucket lists as a must-see natural event.

Alongside sights such as the Grand Canyon or Victoria Falls, the aurora borealis is one of the most famous natural phenomena, attracting thousands of visitors to countries in the Arctic Circle in hope of seeing the elusive spectacle.

While sightings are possible further south – and recently even as far south as Wiltshire – heading north to countries such as Finland, Iceland or Norway is your best bet if trying to see the lights.

However, with sightings also possible in more far-flung countries such as Canada and the US, choosing which once-in-a-lifetime Northern Lights trip is right for you can be tough.

We’ve rounded up some of the best holidays, short trips and packages on offer to give you the best experience possible (and the best chance of seeing the hard-to-catch lights!).

Best for budget: Reykjavik, Iceland

Perhaps most well-known for its affordable flights, Jet2 is also a big player in the package holiday market, with Which? consistently scoring it as the best provider in the UK. The company has over 20 package breaks that include Northern Lights tours, with all of them based in Reykjavik.

Running from September to April, all its packages contains special three-hour Northern Lights tours on one of the nights during your stay. Accommodation at the Grandi by Center Hotels is one of the best-value packages. The hotel is located near the centre of Reykjavik, just 1km from the main shopping street and the city’s art museum – perfect for exploring the Icelandic capital once you’ve got your Lights fix.

Four nights’ accommodation, B&B, including Northern Lights tour and return flights from £719pp; jet2holidays.com.

Best for sustainable travel: Saariselka, Finland

A company that prides itself on trips that “support communities and preserve nature”, Responsible Travel provides trips to every corner of the world while minimising the impact of travel on the environment and local community. Its website contains several incredible-looking trips, but our favourite is the tailor-made, four-night trip to Saariselka in Finnish Lapland.

Flights,…