There is a very small list of natural phenomena that can truly awe and inspire as well as capture the imagination like witnessing the Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights are really something everyone should see in their lifetime. The astonishing natural phenomenon only appears at high latitudes on dark nights from September until March and only in certain parts of the world.

Those who are lucky enough to be able to witness the magic of them can see anything from an amazing green glow on the horizon to mystical scarlet streaks across flying through the night sky. Countries throughout Scandinavia, as well as Alaska, Russia and Canada the best locations to be able to see this rare seasonal spectacle and thousands of star gazing tourists travel from all around the world in the hope of catching a glimpse of the spectacular Northern Lights.

Luckily for those who intend to travel over the next couple of months, the busiest phase of the 11-year solar cycle currently under way. This means that now, more than ever would be the time to travel to one of the prime locations throughout the world to be able to witness this solar miracle. Here are some of the best packages and ways for festive star gazers to visit if they are intending of catching a glimpse of the stunning Northern Lights.

The Aurora Bubble

The Aurora Zone (aurorazone.com) offers a very unique twist on the normal on the northern lights experience. Instead of staying in a generic hotel room, they offer visitors the chance to the stay in one of their “Aurora Bubbles”. The futuristic ides consists of a heated pod with a double bed that gives star gazers the opportunity to witness the breath taking aurora borealis in utter tranquillity and peace. The Aurora Zone also offers its guest a wide range of activities to keep them occupied during the day such as snowshoe hikes, cross-country skiing, and a husky safari. The Muotka Northern Lights Adventure packages will set you back €1,887 and in order to book a night in one of the “Aurora Bubbles” you will be required to pay another €160 per person.

Tromso’s Northern Lights Activity Package

Project Travel (project-travel.ie) is offering a four night Tromso Package in Norway that offers customers excellent opportunities to view the Aurora Borealis with one scheduled activity each day of your stay. A fantastic Northern Lights dinner cruise, dog sledding (by day or night), and a night an evening spent gazing up at the Northern Lights. A four night stay will cost €1,489 (plus air taxes) per person sharing. The offer runs from November until the middle of March.

Build your own igloo

Going to bed for the night in a hotel is fine for some. However, the more adventurous traveller may wish to make their own. Believe it or not the concept of igloo-building is one of the activities on offer by Walks Worldwide (walksworldwide.com) as part of its eight-day Call of the Wild package. Priced from €2,030 the tour involves staying in a log cabin in Finland, located just south of the Arctic Circle and exploring the forests and frozen lakes of the Taiga. Here you can see stunning views of the northern lights in utter peace and quiet.

Highlands’s highlights

There are also packages on offer to view the northern lights that are located much closer to home. Wilderness Scotland (wildernessscotland.com) offers a four-night stay in the Scottish Highlands. This tour offers visitors activities including walks through the vast forestry and along lochs all with an expert aurora borealis tour guide. You can view the northern lights from the comfort of the Rua Reidh lighthouse. The Winter Highlands package is priced from €769 and that includes travel from Inverness.

Geothermal Pools

The North of Iceland is infamous for its geothermal pools. Therefore why not experience a sighting of the aurora by gently immersing yourself in one of them, lying back, and hoping for a “complete field reversal” of the sun’s polar magnetic fields. Mountain Kingdoms (mountainkingdoms.com) offers four-night trips, timed to avoid strong moonlight, that involve walking, trekking and taking the plunge. Prices for this package are from €2,417.

Stay with the indigenous Sami people

There can surely be no better way to see the wonderful northern lights than to be shown them by people native to the region you are visiting. Taber Holidays (taberhols.co.uk) offers a tour with a difference for the more adventurous traveller. Their tour involves spending time with a Sami family in northern Sweden learning about how they live their live and about the significant role played in it by reindeer and then sitting down for a traditional Sami feast in a wooden teepee around a camp fire. The four-night adventure package will cost from €2,363.