Norrsken. Foto av photobigben.com.
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World's best chance to see the northern lights? Take the tour and find out.

During the winter season, ICEHOTEL offers its guests guided northern light tours every night at 9 pm. No matter where we go, we will be back at ICEHOTEL no later than 12.30 am. You can only book this tour on site at ICEHOTEL until 7 pm the day of departure. The tour is only available to ICEHOTEL guests.

<p>Northern lights (Aurora Borealis)&nbsp;can be&nbsp;described as an interaction&nbsp;between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field.&nbsp;Particles and atoms collide,&nbsp;transforming kinetic energy into visible light.</p>  

Northern lights (Aurora Borealis) can be described as an interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field. Particles and atoms collide, transforming kinetic energy into visible light.

Photographer: Peter Grant
<p>The many locations around Jukkasjärvi where you can see the Northern lights.</p>  

The many locations around Jukkasjärvi where you can see the Northern lights.

Photographer: ICEHOTEL
<p>The&nbsp;night sky is dark enough for the&nbsp;Northern&nbsp;lights&nbsp;to be seen from about mid-September to early April.&nbsp;</p>  

The night sky is dark enough for the Northern lights to be seen from about mid-September to early April. 

Photographer: Peter Grant
         

The bus will take the guests to the place that offers the best chance to see the magical phenomenon. It may be a place close to Jukkasjärvi or in the area of Abisko National Park, Nikkaluokta or Vittangi, locations about one hour’s bus ride from ICEHOTEL.

  • ICEHOTEL is located in the middle of the ring-shaped area known as auroral oval, the area around the Earth's magnetic north pole where Northern lights mainly appear.
  • The so-called sunspot cycle, the approximately eleven year long cycle when the number of sunspots varies widely, is during the next two to four years predicted to reach its maximum, which increases the chances of northern lights in the auroral oval in the coming years.
  • ICEHOTEL is located in the Swedish district that during the month of January has the highest number of clear days and in percent the lowest average cloudiness, the essential precondition to be able to view the northern lights.
  • A short distance from ICEHOTEL there are a variety of different climate zones which increases the chances of finding good weather in the auroral oval. Abisko National Park for example, located about one hour's bus ride from ICEHOTEL, is one of Sweden's sunniest places and also has the country’s lowest annual rainfall.

Facts/source: Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 

Booking: Can only be booked on site in the hotel reception at ICEHOTEL until 7 pm the day of departure.
Gathering: 9:15 pm in the hotel reception.
Departures: Daily.
Price: 895 SEK per person.
 

Info: At the gathering the guide announces the plan for the evening. If the weather conditions and probability to see northern lights are better at another location we travel by bus to that resort. However, this is no guarantee that we will see northern lights when conditions can change rapidly.

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