Travel tips: Which country is the most affordable to see the Northern Lights?

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This was published 6 years ago

Travel tips: Which country is the most affordable to see the Northern Lights?

By Michael Gebicki
A reflection of northern lights over Annie Lake, Yukon.

A reflection of northern lights over Annie Lake, Yukon.Credit: Jonathan Tucker

IN TERMS OF BUDGET AND EASE OF TRAVEL, WHICH COUNTRY IS MOST AFFORDABLE AND SUITABLE TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS? WE DO NOT WISH TO DRIVE AND WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE OTHER ATTRACTIONS. S. TAM, BERALA, NSW

The places that qualify are Canada's Yukon, Alaska and northern Scandinavia, although that last option is more expensive. Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon, has reasonably frequent air connections with Vancouver. Since the city is relatively small and light pollution is low, you can see aurora borealis putting on an amazing show. However, winter here means only about six hours of thin and pale daylight in January, and, apart from the northern lights and possibly snowmobiling and dog mushing, there's not a great deal to do. You can also see the northern lights in Canada's more southerly latitudes and the Rocky Mountains region of Alberta might be a better choice. Ski towns such as Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper are lively throughout the winter, the scenery is astonishingly beautiful and you still have a good chance of experiencing the northern lights in all their multicoloured glory. Anecdotal evidence from locals suggests February to April is prime time.

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