Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
As the Aurora Borealis moves across the sky, it leaves behind an atmosphere of mystery, beauty and wonder. If you’ve ever had the chance to watch the Northern Lights, you know just how captivating they can be, and if you haven’t, well…it’s hard to describe unless you see them with your own eyes.
To help you do that, we compiled a list of our top 7 most picturesque hotels in places where you can catch an impressive view of the Northern Lights. They are all stunning, though getting to them can be a bit difficult without a car – so these Northern lights vacation packages might also be a good option to consider.
In no particular order, here they are.
1) The Ion Luxury Adventure Hotel, Iceland
The Ion Luxury Adventure Hotel is one of the most picturesque hotels to see the Northern Lights and offers its guests the opportunity to see these spectacular natural phenomena in Iceland. The hotel is located in Akureyri, Iceland. Akureyri is situated on the banks of Eyjafjörður, which makes it a perfect place for viewing this natural phenomenon.
The Ion Luxury Adventure Hotel has very close proximity to the Arctic Circle, and the Aurora Borealis can be seen from there. The dramatic setting of this hotel and its proximity to nature enables it to offer its guests many other attractions, including hiking trails, snowmobiling tours, horseback riding tours and hunting excursions.
2) The Radisson Blu Saga Hotel Reykjavik, Iceland
Located at 101 Reykjavik’s Laugavegur Street, the Radisson Blu Saga Hotel Reykjavik is one of the most picturesque hotels to see the Northern Lights and has been known as one of the best hotels in the world.
There are many things that make this hotel special such as it’s a 4-star hotel; rates include breakfast and dinner; location near most tourist attractions; all rooms have their own bathtub; the staff is polite and friendly; it offers more than 120 guests rooms; amenities include room service, spa services and 24-hour business center.
3) The Alta Igloo Hotel, Norway
The Alta Igloo Hotel in Norway is a cozy place where you can see the incredible northern lights in their full and unabated glory. The hotel has been around for over 100 years, and it’s a traditional Norwegian-style building with an igloo-shaped exterior.
It’s housed in a snowy valley surrounded by some of Scandinavia’s most impressive snow-covered mountains. The hotel is located at an elevation of 1,600 meters (5,250 feet), and guests have access to horseback riding, skiing and hiking trails on site. Guests can also enjoy activities like snowmobile trips, ski lessons and ice skating on frozen lakes near the resort.
4) The Aurland Fjordhotel, Norway
A three-hour drive from Oslo will take you to Aurland Fjordhotel on the west coast of Norway. The hotel offers panoramic views of the breathtaking scenery that surrounds it – aurora borealis included!
The Fjord Hotel is located in the tranquil Aurland municipality’s city center, next to a lagoon that’s perfect for picnics and a chilly dip in the summer and winter, as well as a gastropub, a grocery store, a cozy old-fashioned movie theatre, a church, and the famed Aurland shoe economusee. You can use the recently renovated community swimming pool and sauna if you’d rather swim in a heated pool.
One of the few ecological agriculture schools in Norway is located in the Aurland Municipality. You may buy ecological goods at the farm store across the street from the swimming pool. You can also find breathtaking scenery in Aurland when you’re looking for peace and the ideal sunset selfie.
5) The Snowhotel Kiruna, Sweden
Nestled in a snowy hillside overlooking Kiruna City in Sweden, The Snowhotel Kiruna is one of the world’s most iconic hotels. Made from snow and ice, it has been built every winter since 1997.
The Snowhotel is one of Sweden’s most popular tourist attractions, and you’ll be able to spot the northern lights from its bedrooms. If you’re lucky enough, your room will even be chosen for an exhibition at the hotel’s art gallery!
6) The Glass Igloo Kakslauttanen, Finland
A trip to Finland is not complete without seeing the northern lights. One of the most popular places for this experience is in a glass igloo with a bed and a hot sauna.
One such hotel is Kakslauttanen, which is located in Lapland, Finland – about three hours north of Rovaniemi. The Glass Igloo has a private bathroom and shower. The hotel also features a wooden cabin with eight beds and a shared bathroom, which is nice for those who want more space but don’t want to be alone.
The igloos are made from 4-inch thick blocks of ice that have been cut by a diamond saw. They are insulated with cork tiles and lined inside with sheepskin rugs to ensure you won’t be cold. There is an outdoor wood-fired sauna and an outdoor fire pit for cooking dinner or warming up after sitting outside all night looking at the sky. Can you see now why it is certainly one of the most picturesque hotels to see the Northern Lights?
The igloos are heated by electric heating units that keep it around 45 degrees Fahrenheit inside no matter what time of year it is, so they’re perfect for both winter nights or summer nights spent watching the lights dance across the sky. Guests are encouraged to bring their own sleeping bag or blankets to snuggle up in during their stay–or they can rent one there if they forget theirs!
7) The ICEHOTEL, Sweden
The ICEHOTEL, Sweden, is one of the most picturesque hotels to see the Northern Lights and an award-winning hotel in its own right that’s made from snow and ice. It is located next to the Torne River in Jukkasjarvi, just two hours’ drive from Kiruna airport. The hotel provides a great opportunity for you to see one of nature’s most breathtaking displays – the northern lights.
The ICEHOTEL is open each year between November and April, with guests staying on average 3 nights, with a stay during December being around €100 per night, including breakfast. This destination has been visited by over 1 million people since opening in 1989 and was awarded Hotel of the Year at the World Travel Awards 2007.
Located in the small town of Vimmerby close to Kalmar and Borås, this family-friendly resort offers accommodation in cabins as well as rooms, all within walking distance of Lake Vänern. With plenty of activities on offer for children, this resort provides families with everything they need to explore Nordic culture together.
