The Best Locations in Canada To View Northern Lights

For experiencing Mother Nature’s awe-inspiring light show, the aurora borealis, few places can compete with Canada. The best locations in Canada to view the northern lights boast clear nights free of light pollution. They range from national parks to remote towns. These selected spots offer a great chance to see the lights against abundantly starry skies.

First, a Refresher: What Are the Northern Lights?

The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, are one of the most breathtaking natural phenomena you can witness. This celestial ballet of light dancing across the night sky is the result of charged particles from the sun blasting toward Earth and colliding with particles of oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth’s atmosphere. The type of gas the sun’s particles collide with determines the colors of northern lights you see.

The most astounding light shows occur in an area known as the auroral oval, a ring-shaped region around the magnetic north pole where the aurora is the brightest. If you position yourself beneath this spectacular halo, you have very good odds of seeing the aurora’s awesome display. The best viewing times are during the long, dark nights from late September to October and again from January to late March. However, some inland locations offer excellent viewing during warmer weeks in August and September.

Do You Need Any Special Equipment To Observe the Northern Lights?

You don’t need a telescope or any special equipment to observe the dance of the northern lights. You can see them marvelously well with the naked eye if they’re strong enough. However, the aurora will almost always appear brighter in photos due to cameras’ enhanced light sensitivity, and weak auroras are sometimes only visible through a camera’s lens.

Still, viewing the aurora with the naked eye is entirely possible, utterly stunning, and highly likely under the right conditions. Usually viewed as greenish yellow, the aurora borealis can also flaunt a stunning array of other colors across the night canvas. From passionate purples to blush pinks and deep blues, these colors are a result of collisions with different types of gas particles. Oxygen molecules, about 60 miles above our planet, give us the common green and rare red auroras, while nitrogen produces blue or purplish-red auroras. Every occurrence is unique.

The Best Places in Canada To See the Northern Lights

In your quest to witness the northern lights, one factor you must consider is light pollution. City lights, car headlights, and other sources of artificial light can significantly diminish the visibility of this spectacular show. That’s why you need to venture into the heart of nature, far away from the bustle of city life and the glow of civilization. The darker the skies, the brighter the auroras appear!

Your odds of experiencing this celestial spectacle are even better if you happen to be beneath the auroral oval. By positioning yourself under this ring, you’re placing yourself at the heart of the action, where the aurora borealis bursts into the sky with unrivaled vibrancy. The Aurora oval is not as large as many expect; the hotspot can be just 200 miles from North to South. Below are several Canadian locations that boast ideal aurora-viewing conditions.

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories, is often touted as one of the best places on Earth to take in the surreal beauty of the northern lights! Located directly under the auroral oval, Yellowknife boasts more than 240 days a year of stellar light shows. Its crystal-clear, light-pollution-free skies make it an unparalleled platform for stargazing and aurora viewing. Go in the fall or winter to avoid interference from the summer midnight sun.

Jasper, Alberta

Jasper, Alberta, is in the second largest dark sky preserve in the world, offering unobstructed and awe-inspiring views of the captivating aurora borealis. The lack of artificial light pollution allows for an immersive and breathtaking experience of the cosmic ballet.

Banff, Alberta

Nestled among the majestic peaks of the Canadian Rockies, Banff offers a unique northern lights spectacle. Combining the rugged drama of towering mountains with the ethereal beauty of the aurora borealis, the nighttime view here is nothing short of sublime.

Iqaluit, Nunavut

Venture into the truly remote and unspoiled beauty of Iqaluit, Nunavut. This location gives northern lights viewing a whole new meaning. Its far northern location offers some of the most intense and frequent aurora displays.

Churchill, Manitoba

On the shores of Hudson Bay, Churchill, Manitoba, offers an opportunity to combine northern lights viewing with wildlife observation. Although its proximity to Hudson Bay may limit aurora visibility during warmer months due to cloud cover, the tradeoff is that summer visitors may be able to observe polar bears and migrating beluga whales.

Two hundred miles west, away from Churchill’s lights and the Hudson Bay weather and deeper into the wilderness, summer visitors have a great chance of seeing the northern lights on a luxury vacation to Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge, where the mostly unobstructed skies offer incredible displays. Ganglers has a 97% success rate for guests viewing the Northern Lights.

Northern Lights Safaris

For those seeking a truly unforgettable encounter with the northern lights, there’s nothing quite like the northern lights safari tours offered by Gangler’s Subarctic Adventures. With all-inclusive northern lights vacations in Manitoba, Canada, you’ll stay in your own private cabin at our luxury North Seal River Lodge, nestled in the raw beauty of subarctic Canada. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the subarctic tundra by floatplane, view wildlife in its natural habitat, and try your hand at trophy fishing. An added bonus is the Auroras reflecting off the surrounding lakes at Ganglers. Plus, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, birding, Indigenous history, and photography opportunities are all around you at our North Seal River location.



Gangler’s also offers combination tours that pair northern lights viewing with wildlife observation in Churchill, along with specialty tours of glacial eskers and learning about First Nation history.

An adventure into the heart of the wild is much more than a vacation; it’s a life-altering luxury journey that will be etched in the memories of those lucky enough to experience it. It’s a bucket-list adventure that, once ticked off, just might find its way back onto your list, just like many of Gangler’s repeat guests have shown.

While there are many great places across Canada to witness the aurora, few can match the vibrant displays of the locations we’ve spotlighted. Be warned—once you’ve experienced the magic of Canada’s sparkling skies, you may find yourself devoted to returning again and again.