Northern lights from India: where and when to go

Seeing the aurora is less about luck than about where, when and how long. From India, four countries put it within reach, and each offers a different kind of winter.

The aurora needs long, dark nights, so all four are at their best for it in the colder half of the year. Darker skies away from town lights and a few nights in one place give you more chances; no one can promise the sky, and we never will.

Norway

Norway changes completely with the season. Summer brings fjord cruises and endless light; winter brings the aurora over Arctic islands. We plan around the version you want, with stays that frame the view.

Best months: Jun–Aug; Sep–Mar (Northern Lights). Visa: Visa Required. Getting around: drive yourself or be driven.

Sweden

Sweden is calm, stylish and close to wild nature. Stockholm's islands in summer, Lapland in winter for snow and the northern lights. It suits families and couples who want a different kind of Europe.

Best months: Jun–Aug; Dec–Mar (Northern Lights). Visa: Visa Required. Getting around: drive yourself or be driven.

Finland

Finnish Lapland in winter is one of the world's great experiences: husky trails, saunas and the northern lights. Summer brings lakes and endless days instead. We plan for the best chance of clear skies, without promising the sky.

Best months: Jun–Aug; Dec–Mar (Northern Lights). Visa: Visa Required. Getting around: drive yourself or be driven.

Iceland

Iceland is made for the road. The Ring Road in summer, the south coast and the aurora in winter, hot springs whatever the weather. We plan driving days with room to stop, and stays where the landscape is the view.

Best months: Jun–Aug; Sep–Mar (Northern Lights). Visa: Visa Required. Getting around: drive yourself or be driven.

All four need a visa applied for in advance by Indian passport holders. We plan the timing so the paperwork never becomes the stressful part.