Your Guide To Planning a Luxury Northern Lights Getaway
Imagine venturing into the heart of the Sub-arctic, where the skies dazzle with mesmerizing colors, and nature unveils its most awe-inspiring sights. This is not just a trip, it’s an experience that will leave you breathless and rejuvenated. We’re happy to provide your guide to planning a luxury Northern lights getaway with tips on when and where to go and what to look for in a Northern lights adventure vacation.
When To Go
The magic of the Northern lights, or Aurora borealis, comes alive in Canada’s vast, unspoiled northern wilderness. Aim to visit between early August and early April. These months serve as a window to the sublime when the nights grow longer and the skies turn into a canvas painted with vibrant hues of green, purple, and pink. The peak periods, August thru October and February to early April, offer the peak periods of the calendar year, and clear skies present more often than not.
The 11-year solar cycle influences the intensity of the northern lights. We’re on the brink of an astronomical crescendo, with solar activity expected to peak in 2025. Peak solar activity provides a heightened opportunity to view the amazing natural phenomenon that occurs when solar particles collide with the molecules of the earth’s atmospheric gases, exciting those molecules to fling particles of light into the sky.
You should also consider subarctic weather. Clear, crisp weather can provide the best opportunity for an unobstructed auroral spectacle. While it’s impossible to predict weather months ahead in your planning process, a review of historical weather patterns will give you a clue that early August thru the beginning of October can be wonderful times for viewing the northern lights under clear skies while temperatures are still moderate.
Where To Go
You’ll have the best chance of seeing the northern lights if you head—you guessed it—north to a destination underneath the auroral oval. This is an oval-shaped arctic zone teeming with auroral activity. Places within the auroral oval, like the enchanted expanse of Canada’s remote wilderness, offer front-row seats to nature’s most breathtaking light show.
Manitoba’s Sub-arctic zone lies underneath the auroral oval 100 percent of the year. Remote locations far from the interference of city lights provide a deep, velvety darkness so pure that the shimmering sheets of light that make up the aurora can be seen clearly and sometimes in a variety of colors.
Plan To Stay Several Days
To increase your chances of seeing the Northern lights, we highly recommend dedicating at least four days to your adventure. This isn’t just about maximizing opportunities to see the lights—it’s about immersing yourself in the rhythms of the sub-arctic wilderness, where every evening brings a new hope of the skies coming alive with vibrant colors.
Accommodations and Activities
Choosing the right spot for your northern lights adventure involves thinking about what you’ll do during your daytime hours as well as how and where you’ll view the Northern lights at night. Visiting a remote wilderness area to see the aurora doesn’t necessarily mean roughing it. Quite the contrary—luxury accommodations, gourmet dining opportunities, and guided daytime adventures await you in our all-inclusive northern lights vacations in Canada.
Imagine waking up in a luxurious lodge nestled in the heart of the Canadian wilderness, where comfort exists in the midst of the untamed beauty of the sub-arctic. Fill your days with awe-inspiring wildlife observations or enjoy world-class angling on a pristine Sub-arctic lake. Hike along unique glacial sand eskers and learn about the culture and history of Indigenous peoples of the First Nations of Canada. Learn from knowledgeable guides who weave stories of the past into the fabric of your adventure, creating a deep, personal connection to the land and its legacy.
With packages that include everything from delectable meals and transportation to a perfect aurora viewing spot to an excursion to the shores of Hudson Bay to view polar bears and beluga whales in Churchill, Manitoba, an all-inclusive trip ensures your adventure is hassle-free. Experienced guides, attuned to the whims of both weather and wilderness, will ensure your Northern lights safari is infused with the magic of discovery and exploration. Here, under the vast sub-arctic sky, Gangler’s anticipates your every need and provides every comfort necessary, allowing you to surrender fully to the breathtaking beauty of the Northern lights by night and the untamed wild of the sub-arctic wilderness by day.
Getting There: Pack Light but Warm
Traveling into the subarctic wilderness means venturing to areas with no roads or trains. The only way to get to Gangler’s luxury wilderness lodges is on their private charter. These modern aircraft whisk you away from Winnipeg into the serene expanse of Canada’s untouched wilderness, landing in only a few hours on Ganglers private runway.
But the path to this paradise comes with a few rules of its own in the form of weight restrictions. Once there, you will experience the floatplanes that are designed to glide gracefully into the most remote locations, which means packing light and smart is necessary. Gangler’s charter allows a limit of 65 lbs. per person and laundry facilities are available onsite to ensure your comfort.
From early August thru early October, the night temperatures can vary between warm and chilly in northern Manitoba. As you pack for your adventure, think of efficient, smart layering with garments that can do double duty both indoors and outside. Pack thermal undergarments, fleece mid-layers, and insulated outerwear that shield you from the frosty kiss of the Canadian wilderness while ensuring your agility and comfort.
This guide to planning a luxury northern lights getaway is an introduction to what to expect from an all-inclusive adventure to Canada’s Sub-arctic region under the Auroral oval. At Gangler’s Subarctic, nature’s grandeur meets comfortable luxury, and every moment is infused with the promise of discovery and adventure.
