Alta looks small on the map. That’s deceptive.

Yes, it’s compact. Yes, the airport is close. But once you start planning northern lights nights, winter activities, or trips beyond town, the car vs tours question becomes very real — and the answer isn’t the same for everyone.

We’ve done Alta with and without a car, in different seasons. Here’s the honest breakdown.

So you want to catch the Northern Lights? Smart move. But here’s the thing — the aurora doesn’t just show up on demand like a Netflix show (or, as a local joked in Alaska, by activating a switch). Timing is (almost) everything. Get it right, add a pinch of luck, and you’ll be under a sky on fire. Get it wrong and… well, you’ll just be staring at some very expensive clouds or, at least, a stunning starry sky.

This guide covers the best months and seasons to see the Northern Lights (in Europe, North America, and even the Southern Hemisphere), plus a few insider tips — and some gear recs — to up your odds...

We love Alta because it doesn’t try to impress you. It just hands you a quiet fjord, a forest trail, a sky that changes every five minutes, and lets everything unfold naturally.
On our last trip, we realised Alta’s wild side is exactly what keeps pulling us back—fewer people, bigger spaces, and that steady feeling that you’re finally breathing again.

This guide is all about outdoor adventures that don’t overlap with the general “what to do” list—real places, real trails, and seasonal nature experiences you can’t get in the bigger, more touristy Arctic cities.

There aren’t many hotels in Abisko — and that’s exactly why we love it!
You’re staying in the middle of a national park under one of the clearest aurora skies on Earth. No city glow, no chaos, just snow, mountains and open sky.

Keep reading to find your perfect Abisko hotel — we promise you an unforgettable Swedish Lapland experience!

And if you’re here for the aurora, you’ll find our best proven tips, the science, season-by-season breakdowns, and photography settings in our full Northern Lights Hub.

We’ve chased the aurora across every corner of the Arctic — Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Alaska — and Abisko is the one place where we show up relaxed. Clear skies are simply more common here. Locals from Kiruna drive to Abisko when it's cloudy. Photographers love it. And if you’re tired of stressing about forecasts, this is where you go to calm down and actually enjoy the night.

Rovaniemi is lovely.
It’s iconic.
It’s Santa’s “official” hometown.
It’s also… completely flooded from November to early January.

Families, buses, long lines, sold-out activities, €450 reindeer rides, and prices that make reindeer reconsider their life choices.

If you're dreaming of Christmas magic without the stampede, Scandinavia is full of places that feel just as magical — sometimes more.

We’ve spent winters all over the Arctic — Kiruna, Abisko, Luleå, Alta, Tromsø, Svalbard, and Finnish Lapland (outside Rovaniemi) — and there are SO many places where the Christmas vibes are strong, the Northern Lights are bright, and the prices are (slightly) less terrifying.

And if your kids are begging for Santa, we’ve included a bonus a bit further away… but definitely off the beaten path!

Here are the best Rovaniemi alternatives, and what makes each special.

Alta is the kind of Arctic destination that sneaks up on you. One minute you’re staring at a map thinking, Why go that far north?
Then you get here, step into the silence, watch a curtain of green auroras fall over the fjord, and suddenly everything makes sense.

But here’s the thing: Alta in winter is cold. Really cold.
And the magic hits even harder when you can end the night in a steamy sauna, thawing your eyelashes while the snow quietly piles up outside. If you’re brave, you can even go for a dip in the frozen water or roll in the snow. That’s our favorite thing to do, and we can’t imagine a Nordic stay without it!

So we made your life easy — here are the best hotels with sauna in Alta, all perfect bases for northern lights hunters, winter road trippers, and anyone who believes warmth is half the adventure.

Norway is where the Northern Lights feel bigger, sharper, and somehow more alive. Yes, you can see aurora all across Lapland — Sweden, Finland — but, while we love every corner of Sápmi, Norway has something the others don’t: those insane fjords and steep mountains that turn every aurora into a full-blown cinematic event.

When the sky clears (and it does, especially in Alta and Finnmark), the lights don’t just appear overhead — they spill across ridges, dance along black-water fjords, and frame themselves perfectly behind peak after peak. It’s why so many aurora photographers swear by Norway. You don’t just see the lights here. You get foregrounds that make your jaw drop.

We’ve watched the aurora across the whole Arctic — Kiruna, Abisko, Iceland’s coast, Greenland’s wild ice — and nowhere gives you scenery like Norway on a clear night. This guide breaks down exactly where to go, when to go, how the weather works, and how to make the most of the landscape that makes Norway the superstar of aurora chasers.

Alta has this calm magic to it.
No huge cruise ships.
No chaos.
No crowds fighting for a patch of darkness.

Just a dry valley, open sky, and some of the most reliable aurora weather in northern Norway.

We’ve chased the Northern Lights all over the Arctic — Svalbard, Lofoten, Swedish Lapland, Greenland, Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Churchill — but Alta remains where the sky has surprised us the most. Not once. Repeatedly.

This is the full guide to seeing the aurora in Alta: where to go, when to go, how to chase it, and how to give yourself the best possible odds.

If you want the science behind the aurora, photography settings, how colors work, or where else in the world to go, you’ll find everything neatly gathered in our Northern Lights Hub.

Now let’s get you under that green sky.

Kiruna in winter feels like stepping into its own Arctic dimension — blue-hour days that stretch forever, forests that glow with frost, and nights where the sky tears open in green. We’ve returned here many times, and every time it reminds us why Swedish Lapland hits differently: it’s calm, quiet, and somehow deeply personal.

If you’re heading north, here are the winter experiences that make Kiruna unforgettable.

Alta in winter feels like the Arctic at its most honest — long blue hours, slow mornings, and skies that come alive at night.
Alta isn’t just “another Northern Lights town” — we actually compare Alta vs. Tromsø here— It’s calmer, smaller, and beautifully authentic.

You don’t come to Svalbard for fancy hotels — you come for silence, polar light, and the shock of realizing humans aren’t the main characters here.

But when the wind howls outside and you’re sipping hot chocolate under a reindeer pelt? Comfort matters.

If you're planning a winter trip to Lapland, you're probably torn between magical Rovaniemi, the "official" hometown of Santa Claus in Finland, and Kiruna, Sweden's Arctic gem. But wait — there’s more! Other Lapland destinations like Tromsø, Norway, and other less known towns, might also be calling your name. So, which icy wonderland should you choose? Let’s break it down.

When we got to Alta, locals kept asking us: “Why Alta”?

Indeed, many visitors skip Alta on their way to the North Cape, or just stop in Tromsø. And you know what? They’re missing out. Big time.

Alta might not be plastered all over Instagram, but that’s the beauty of it. And, as you know, our kind of destinations at Penguin Trampoline!

Interestingly for us, Arctic addicts, Alta is considered the northernmost city in the world with a population surpassing 10,000.

So, keep reading to find out why visit Alta, Norway!

Summer crowds have gone home (and we, penguins, rejoice). Temperatures are down (again, we rejoice). Winter hasn’t yet wrapped everything in snow. And in between, fall (or autumn, depending on where you’re reading this from) quietly transforms Europe’s wildest corners into glowing forests, aurora skies, and solitude you didn’t know you needed.

If you’ve ever wanted to trade pumpkin spice lattes for misty valleys, or swap city noise for the crunch of leaves under your boots, this is your season. Here are five wilderness escapes we’ve loved (or are about to explore) where fall feels like nature’s secret handshake.

Take a deep breathe in… and fall for nature with us!

If you’re yearning for the perfect fall escape, Finnish Lapland is your dream come true. Vast toundra and taiga landscapes stretching as far as the eye can see, vivid fall colors, cozy log cabins with crackling fireplaces, warm saunas, cold lakes, and the northern lights dancing overhead.

Whether you’re an intrepid adventurer or someone who just wants to snuggle up with a good book and hot cocoa, Finnish Lapland offers the perfect blend of wild and warm.

You’ve seen the photos: glass igloos glowing under green skies, cozy cabins deep in Lapland, snow hotels made entirely of ice. It all looks unreal — and it is, until you find yourself standing outside at midnight, in –25°C, watching the aurora swirl above your room.

We haven’t stayed in every one of these hotels (we’re working on it, promise), but we’ve researched them, seen many in person, and talked to travelers who’ve frozen in all the right places. Here’s our handpicked list of the best hotels in Europe to see the Northern Lights in 2025, from Norway to Finland to Sweden — plus a few bonus picks in Iceland worth every chill.

So why Nuuk, Greenland? Because it’s not trying to impress you. Nuuk doesn’t show off. It just is. It’s a capital without the stress, and without the tourist groups of Ilulissat. A city that feels like a village — if that village had sushi, mummies, arctic fjords, and some of the most grounded, generous people you’ll ever meet.

We had seen Nuuk in Conan O’Brien Must Go, we knew about the new airport, and we landed here with a few vague expectations about “Arctic vibes.” What we got was something else entirely: a crash course in Greenlandic calm, a boatload of icebergs, and an accidental royal sighting (more on that later). And honestly, we were very surprised on many levels.

Nuuk is not just a place. It’s a reset button. And we can’t shut up about it.

The Lofoten Islands are a stunning playground for hikers. So picture-perfect, in fact, that the first time you’ll go there, you’ll have a hard time believing it’s a real place — and not something out of Arendelle!

If you’re physically able to hike, that’s how you’ll breathe and feel the Lofoten Islands. And forever fall in love.

While increasingly popular, these gems are still not crowded with tourists. But hurry, it won’t last long.

So, put on your hiking shoes and follow us on our favorite trails!

Spoiler alert: Anytime is a good time to visit Iceland!

And it’s because Iceland isn’t just another travel destination; it’s like visiting an entirely different world — or even planet. I (Eli) had always dreamed of venturing through its surreal landscapes, and after experiencing it twice, I’m convinced Iceland is a place everyone should see at least once.

From surreal black-sand beaches to incredibly blue glaciers, every turn will leave you in awe. Keep reading to know more!