• By: admin
• Oct 05, 2026
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The sky is putting on its best show in years, and the season just started. If seeing the Northern Lights has been sitting on your bucket list, this is the winter to finally do it.

Here’s what’s happening, where to go, and how to give yourself the best chance of seeing that green glow with your own eyes.

Why 2026 is such a good year

The Northern Lights (also called the aurora borealis) happen when tiny particles from the sun crash into the gases high above the Earth. The gases light up, mostly green, sometimes purple, pink or red.

The sun runs on an 11-year cycle. It recently hit its most active point, called the solar maximum. You’d think the best auroras would be at that exact peak. But scientists say the strongest displays usually come a few years after. That puts this season, and the next couple, right in the sweet spot.

When to go

• Season: late September to late March.
• Best hours: roughly 10 pm to 2 am local time.
• Best nights: clear skies, close to a new moon, away from city lights.

The aurora can be out all summer too. You just can’t see it, because the Arctic barely gets dark. That’s why winter is the season.

Where to go

Abisko, Sweden

Abisko in Swedish Lapland is often called the number one place on Earth to watch the lights. It sits in a small pocket of clearer weather, so you get more cloud-free nights than many nearby spots. The national park and the lake give you a dark, wide-open sky.

Tromsø, Norway

Tromsø is a proper city above the Arctic Circle, with restaurants, hotels and lots of aurora tours. If the sky is cloudy in town, guides drive you inland or towards the Finnish border to chase clear patches.

Other great choices

• Iceland: easy to combine with waterfalls, glaciers and hot springs.
• Finnish Lapland: famous for glass igloos where you can watch from bed.
• North America: Fairbanks in Alaska, and Yellowknife or Whitehorse in Canada.

How to get there from the Gulf

From Doha or Dubai, the usual route is a flight to Oslo, Stockholm or Helsinki, then a short domestic flight north to Tromsø, Kiruna (for Abisko) or Rovaniemi. Many travellers do a 4 to 5 night trip, which gives you several chances at a clear night.

Tips that actually help

• Stay at least 3 nights. Weather is the biggest risk. More nights means more chances.
• Check the aurora forecast. Apps and websites show activity levels and cloud cover in real time.
• Use your phone’s night mode. Put the phone on something steady and hold still for a few seconds. Your camera often sees more colour than your eyes.
• Dress in layers. Thermal base layer, warm mid layer, windproof jacket, hat, gloves and warm boots. Standing still at minus 15°C gets cold fast.
• Be patient. The lights can appear, fade, and come back stronger an hour later.

Quick facts

• The aurora happens 100 km or more above the ground.
• Green is the most common colour, made by oxygen.
• The same thing happens near the South Pole, where it’s called the aurora australis.

Your challenge

Can you answer this without Googling? What causes the Northern Lights? Moonlight on snow, particles from the sun, volcano gases, or city lights on clouds? Drop your answer on my latest post on Instagram @explor_shan.

And if you want to see yourself under the aurora before you book, try my AI prompt challenge in the same post. Paste it into your AI image app and tag me in the result.

FAQ

Can you guarantee seeing the Northern Lights?
No. It depends on solar activity and clear skies. Staying several nights in a good spot gives you the best odds.

What’s the best month?
Anywhere from late September to March works. Many people like the months around the equinoxes (September/October and February/March) for milder cold and good activity.

Do I need a fancy camera?
No. Most recent phones can capture the aurora in night mode if you keep them steady.

Save this for your winter plans, and send it to the person you’d stand in the cold with.

Explore with me every day. Follow @explor_shan on Instagram for the daily challenge, and comment EXPLORE on any post to get the guide in your DMs.