Tips & Tricks: Dressing for Northern Lights Viewing

When an activity has a dress code, you may, like me, start thinking of black tie or cocktail attire. But if you sport a sleeveless satin number out on a Nordic winter's eve in hopes of spotting the northern lights, not only will you look kinda silly, but you're likely to catch a chill.

So, to keep things crystal clear and to keep you comfortable when venturing out into the cold, dark night in hopes of catching a glimpse of the aurora borealis we've surveyed the knowledgeable staff at Nordic Visitor for their personal tips and tricks for dressing smart for northern lights viewing... and we interspersed all the helpful tips with some more stunning photos of the northern lights.

The northern lights dance over Tromso, Norway. Photo taken December 2014 by Nordic Visitor traveller Sitthivet Santikarn.

"Layers!"

-- Silja, travel consultant

Nordic Visitor's founder, Ásberg Jónsson, checks out the aurora just outside Reykjavík.

"If you're hoping to take pictures of the northern lights, wear gloves with separated fingers so you don't have to take your mittens off."

-- Catharine, content writer (and author of this post!)

A emerald swirl of northern lights over central Reykjavík. Photo taken by Nordic Visitor employee Marco.

"WOOL is your best friend. Wool base-layer pants and shirts are a must have."

-- Þóra, sales director

Nordic Visitor traveller Matt Hicks captured these stunning aurora during his Iceland Full Circle tour in September 2015 -- early in the season for such an impressive display!

"Something warm, but also a little bit stylish if you take some selfies with your friends, maybe the traditional Icelandic lopapeysa and some nice winter boots."

-- Lilja, marketing team staff

The northern lights dancing over Lapland in 2013.

"Keep your head and feet warm, if your head or feet are cold, you will feel it everywhere."

-- Anna, DMC project manager

Nordic Visitor traveller Julien Vivenot spotted these northern lights over the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in November 2014.

"Good gloves and socks. You will have to warm your fingers after trying endlessly to take a good pictures of the lights on your smart phone."

-- Klara, travel consultant

Would you like the chance to see the northern lights for yourself? While spottings cannot be guaranteed, there are fewer places your chances of a sighting are better than in the Nordics during the winter months.

Check out some of Nordic Visitor's winter travel packages or contact a travel consultant to build a custom package just for you.