As astrotourism booms around the world, northern lights viewing is becoming more popular than ever. And aurora chasers are in luck: We’re currently in the middle of an astronomical phenomenon known as the solar maximum, the peak of a roughly 11-year cycle that has been causing above-average chances of seeing the dazzling after-dark display. There are plenty of ways to increase your likelihood of catching the aurora (downloading forecaster apps like My Aurora Forecast & Alerts or Aurora Forecast, getting far away from light pollution, staying up late), but even in the most ideal conditions, there’s often quite a bit of hurrying up and waiting.
A perfect night of looking for the northern lights, therefore, should involve doubling up on activities and doing something else while you bide your time. And there are few experiences lovelier than taking in the dark winter sky from the comfort of one of these scenic northern spas, which range from stylish geothermal lagoons and architecturally stunning destination retreats to rustic hot springs that have been attracting visitors for more than a century. And if by some chance you don’t see the northern lights, feeling utterly relaxed and rejuvenated is an incredible consolation prize.
It has been 120 years since a pair of miner brothers discovered the Chena Hot Springs outside of Fairbanks—and travelers still flock here to soak in the healing waters.
Photo by Pung/Shutterstock
Chena Hot Springs Resort
Fairbanks, Alaska
Thanks to its location under the “auroral oval,” Fairbanks is widely considered one of the best places in the USA to see the northern lights. For even less light pollution, head 60 miles northeast of downtown to this hot springs resort, which comprises lodge rooms and suites, cabins, yurts, and camping and RV spots. Two gold-mining brothers discovered these natural hot springs in 1905, and, oddly, the healing mineral makeup is closer to what you’d find in springs in the Czech Republic—which is known for its UNESCO-designated historic spa towns—rather than elsewhere in the United States.
Adults over the age of 18 can enjoy the outdoor spring lake, which averages around 106 degrees Fahrenheit year-round and is open until 11:45 p.m., but there are also hot tubs and an indoor pool open to all. Many guests choose to nap after dinner and then camp out at the 24-hour activity center, killing time chatting with other aurora hunters as they wait for the big event. For the ultimate adventure, book a spot on the Aurora Snow Coach up to the top of Charlie Dome mountain, which is equipped with Mongolian-style yurts where you can warm up with hot drinks, oatmeal, or ramen.
The Sky Lagoon offers one of the most dramatic spots in Iceland to take in the northern lights.
Courtesy of Sky Lagoon
Sky Lagoon
Kópavogur, Iceland
Iceland’s centuries-old bathing culture means there are plenty of picturesque places to take in the island’s healing geothermal waters. But few are as accessible and scenic as the Sky Lagoon, which is located a quick, 15-minute drive south of Reykjavík’s city center. Built into the side of a cliff with materials like lava rock, turf, and volcanic ash, the spa is centered around a roughly 245-foot infinity-edge lagoon overlooking the harbor: During the summer midnight sun, you can scan the horizon for landmarks like the cone-shaped Keilir mountain or the official residence of the president; during the winter, the northern lights often dance overhead. (Depending on the time of year, the lagoon stays open until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m.) As part of the seven-step Skjól Ritual, visitors dip in the lagoon, take a cold plunge, sweat in the sauna, and more, before finishing up with a rejuvenating shot of crowberry juice.
The MS Vulkana offers awe-inspiring views over coastal Tromsø and the surrounding fjords.
Photo by muratart/Shutterstock
MS Vulkana
Tromsø, Norway
The MS Vulkana lived many lives before becoming a floating spa in extreme northern Norway, 200-plus miles above the Arctic Circle: It launched in 1957 as a fishing boat and later became a whaling vessel, before two entrepreneurs bought it in a spur-of-the-moment, middle-of-the-night decision during the Tromsø Film Festival in 2007. With the help of Finnish architect Sami Rintala, they began the painstaking process of restoration and transformation, and now the Vulkana is home to a Japanese-inspired lounge, a Turkish hammam, a Finnish wood-fired sauna, and a hot tub up on the deck that looks out over the fjords.
While the boat is docked in the Tromsø harbor, you can book one- or two-hour spa sessions or add on a three-course Norwegian dinner. Or, better yet, set sail on a fjord sightseeing cruise, a ski-and-sail expedition to the Lyngen Alps, or a northern lights excursion, which involves a bracing dip in the sea and time with a guide who will teach you legends, scientific facts, and photography tips. There may be no more magical feeling than catching sight of the aurora borealis while dressed in a bathrobe and slippers on a boat.
A cold plunge pool sits at the center of the architecturally stunning Arctic Bath in Sweden; the nestlike structure sits atop a frozen river during the winter months.
Photos by Viggo-Lundberg (L) and Emil Wallin (R)
Arctic Bath
Harads, Sweden
This architecturally adventurous hotel in Swedish Lapland comprises a collection of Scandi-minimalist cabins—some floating atop the Lule River, others at the edge of a forest that’s frequented by moose. But the show-stopping centerpiece is undoubtedly the ring-shaped spa, which is designed to look like a logjam; it sits atop the river during warmer months and freezes into its surface when winter comes. Built with pine walls and Baltic gray limestone floors, the spa includes two dry saunas, a steam sauna, outdoor hot tubs, and treatment rooms where you’ll often hear soothing Sámi joik music—plus an invigorating cold plunge pool in the center. If you visit during the fall or winter to maximize your aurora-viewing potential, you can spend your extra time snowshoe-hiking, snowmobiling, ice-fishing, or meeting reindeer during a Sámi camp visit.
Blachford Lodge in Canada’s Northwest Territories is both rugged and ultra-exclusive.
Photo by Martina Gebarovska
Blachford Lodge by Arctic Kingdom
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Only reachable by a 20-minute bush-plane flight from Yellowknife, this luxury lodge in the remote Canadian wilderness is more of an adventure hub than a wellness resort, with experiences that include cross-country skiing, fat-tire biking, ice-fishing, and canoeing. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some exceptionally scenic ways to relax once you’ve worked up a sweat: In addition to a traditional cedar sauna, you’ll find a hot tub perched on the edge of a vast wintry expanse, from which you can watch the aurora as you listen for the howling of resident wolf packs. Just remember to pack a beanie with your bathing suit.
One of the coolest ways to witness the northern lights over Finnish Lapland is on a nighttime snowmobile safari.
Courtesy of Apukka Resort
Apukka Resort
Rovaniemi, Finland
Finnish Lapland is such a winter wonderland that the town of Rovaniemi has even been named the official home of Santa Claus. Embrace the whimsy at this glass igloo hotel, where accommodations were specially designed for panoramic sky views. This being Finland, saunas are of course baked into the experience, including a sauna that floats on a lake and a mobile “sauna carriage” that you can have transported to your cabin on skis ($130 for 90 minutes). While the northern lights are visible from the resort itself, there are more adventurous ways to see them: After dark, depending on the season, guests can hunt for the aurora borealis via car, snowmobile, horse-drawn carriage, reindeer sleigh, or even a train that whisks folks out to a wilderness camp in the woods.
