Witness the Northern Lights with the best cruises around Norway in 2024
SEEING the Northern Lights is at the top of many travellers’ bucket lists, and these cruises might be the best way to experience them.
As the best time to witness Northern Light approaches, we’ve found the best cruises around Norway in 2024 that start from £84pp a night.
Why go on a Northern Lights cruise?
Cruises allow for easier and more accessible travel to your chosen destination and provide a front-row view of the natural phenomenon.
The main draw is the chance to witness the spectacular natural light display.
The cruises will take you to some of the best arctic destinations in Norway and Iceland, and you might even be able to witness arctic wildlife and participate in activities like dog sledging, riding on snowmobiles, and ice fishing.
To make it an even more memorable experience, the cruises are usually led by knowledgeable guides who understand when and where to look for the Northern Lights. They will be offering insights about the phenomenon, history, and science.
What are the Northern Lights?
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, happen when electrically charged particles from the sun collide with gas particles in the atmosphere of our planet.
This solar flare is frequently accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (massive plasma expulsion from the sun’s outer layer).
The massive burst of material from the sun causes a storm, which brings the aurora to lower latitudes.
The solar storms then produce bright, colourful, dancing lights in white, green, pink, and purple hues illuminating the sky.
What are the best Northern Lights cruise deals?
Norway, Iceland and Sweden are considered the best countries to visit to witness the Northern Lights.
There are plenty of cruises to Norway as it’s considered the prime spot, and the best time to visit is between October and March.
These are the best Northern Lights cruises to book next year:
- Fred Olsen ‘In search of the Northern Lights’ cruise – 14 nights from £1,999pp
Visiting: Ålesund, Narvik, Tromsø, Alta, Bodø and Stavanger
- Fred Olsen ‘Norwegian Fjords & Autumn fruit harvest’ cruise – 7 nights from £969pp
Visiting: Olden, Bergen, Ulvik and Stavanger
- P&O Cruises ‘Norway & the Artic Circle’ cruise – 16 nights from £1,335pp
Visiting: Åndalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Honningsvåg, Alta, Tromsø and Stavanger
- P&O Cruises ‘Aurora’ cruise – 12 nights from £999pp
Visiting: Åndalsnes, Tromsø, Alta and Stavanger
- Ambassador Cruises ‘Treasures of Norway & Denmark’ – 11 nights from £860pp
Visiting: Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Oslo and Copenhagen
For more cruise deals, we’ve revealed the perfect first-timer-friendly mini cruises to Amsterdam, Paris and Hamburg.
If you’re in a festive mood, there are also some short Christmas cruises to enjoy this winter.
And for somewhere closer to home, we rounded up the best Christmas city breaks across the UK from £25 a night this December.
