This post is sponsored by Hotel Fjället, but the opinions expressed are my own.
Let’s be honest, the goal of my trip was to see the Northern Lights. Seems like everybody has been to Iceland for the lights or has seen the Aurora Borealis somewhere…everyone but me. Those eye-catching and breathtaking images are all over Instagram too. Can’t get away from it. Can’t avoid it. So, I wanted to be in the bandwagon of course. Come on, it’s the Northern Lights!
Originally, Iceland was the first choice but as the holiday season was fast approaching, it was becoming more and more expensive to go there and to only have a 50/50 chance of seeing the lights. And so I did my research and found two areas in the Arctic Circle that have a higher chance of seeing the elusive lights: Tromso, Norway and the Swedish Lapland.
Since I haven’t been to Sweden and the Arctic Circle yet, I decided to hit two birds with one stone.
Where To Go
Swedish Lapland is the land of eight seasons, the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun. There are three cities in North Sweden where you can see the lights: Kiruna, Abisko and Björkliden. Any of these places would pretty much guarantee you a Northern Light sighting, if weather permits. I must warn that getting to these cities was not an easy feat. You can either fly to Kiruna, as it has the closest airport or take the train from Stockholm, which I did. Oh, it only took me about 17 hours. Facepalm. If I ever go back to the area, I will definitely choose to fly to Kiruna even though the fares are ridiculously expensive. Transportation is a little challenging with limited train schedules and no Uber, but it is still manageable. And quite honestly, I think Abisko and Björkliden are the best places to see the northern lights.
Where I Stayed
As I would be spending two nights in the Arctic Circle, below zero degrees, while chasing the northern lights, hotel accommodation would be crucial to this adventure. I partnered with Lapland Resort’s impressive Hotel Fjället in Björkliden, and it was the best decision I made. The hotel was perched on a hill away from bright city lights, the perfect location to view such fickle lights.
As soon as I got to my hotel, I immediately checked the northern lights tracker that my friend Kara, who was my official photographer for this trip, downloaded during our long train ride from Stockholm. According to it, it was going to be a clear night with a 70% chance of seeing the lights at 9:00pm and there will be high activity where we were by midnight. I mean, how accurate can this app be?!
Pretty accurate, apparently.
Meeting Aurora
So there we were having a fine prefix two-course meal at the hotel’s Restaurant Lapporten, and as soon as we finished, one of the staff asked if we have seen the lights yet as they were visible right outside at the moment. With our cameras on hand, we made a dash for it.
At first there was a faint green beam across the dark sky and I thought to myself, “This is how it’s gonna be. We will literally be going to chase these lights for two nights?!” We also did not book a northern lights excursion, so all our hopes and dreams are dependent on this chase. I had to admit though, the thought of the chase was exciting enough since I haven’t gone on a real adventure for awhile!
But even though my first glimpse of the elusive Aurora Borealis was a faint streak of light, I was still ecstatic as ever that our chase did not go in vain. Little did I know, Aurora had BIG plans for us.
Dancing Queen
As the night grew deeper, the forces of nature also grew kinder to us. Not only did we see the lights three more times on the first night, but we saw the lights on the second night as well. For the WHOLE night, it filled up the WHOLE sky…..DANCING ABOVE US, just steps outside our hotel. I still couldn’t believe our luck. There was even a point where we stopped taking photos and just enjoyed the incredible phenomenon above us. It was too good to be true!
We may be one of the lucky ones who didn’t have to pay for an excursion or hike to a remote frozen area to see the lights. We didn’t even have to chase them, they literally showed up on our front step. I know our story may sound unbelievable to others. I’ve had a few people ask me how literal my statement was. Trust me, I meant it literally.
This was definitely one of my favorite trips and an epic one to boot.
It was the best way to end the year indeed.
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Jen is a Chicago-based traveler and creative. She is a full-time development & communications executive specializing in non-profit organizations. Originally from the East Coast, she created The Jetsetter as a place to share her travel stories and photos with friends and family. Now, it is a place for adventurers and dreamers. Its purpose is to inspire and encourage busy professionals to see the world and achieve a better work-life balance.
Damn Northern Lights..they allude me. I went to Iceland several years ago to backpack the entire suderland in the peak of the Aurora but apparently I brought clouds with me like charlie brown cause I backpacked for literally 2 weeks and never saw them.
So I guess I need to go like you and head to the Laplands of Sweden to catch them. However, you look so cold in that one pic and this little cuban cant handle the cold too much.
I would’ve been so bummed if I didn’t see the lights the whole time! And yes, that pic was taken when it was around -5 degrees.
The northern lights looks amazing! I was in Alaska for two times before I saw the northern lights, and it is amazing that the lights just showed up without you looking and waiting for them. The hotel workers are really attentive to inform you about the lights too!
I saw the Northern Lights in the arctic circle years ago and LOVED it so I completely understand why it was the best way to end the year!
Awesome pictures and an exciting story. I lived most of my life close to the Arctic Circle but have never seen the Northern Lights. It’s on my bucket list now. Thank you for sharing.
can’t believe you haven’t seen the lights even though you live close!