Where to Sleep Under the Aurora: the 15 Best Camps and Glass Igloos

1.Reindeer Camp Dinner with Chance of Northern Lights

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 806 reviews · 4h 30m · from $163Our pick

From Tromsø, take a 30 to 35-minute bus ride to a nighttime reindeer camp. Feed a herd of around 300 reindeer, then warm up with hot drinks and a three-course meal of salmon salad, Sámi bidos, and chocolate cake. Guides such as Inga, Ulle, Isat, and Thor share Sámi culture, reindeer life, and joik. Aurora sightings are possible, not promised.

“Well organized activity, good amount of time for each part of it, nice people explaining the Sami culture and good dinner. We have been lucky enough to see the Aurora too.”

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2.Mountaintop 360° Best Alaskan Cabin with Photography @Aurora Camp

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 322 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $99Best value

At Aurora Camp near Murphy Dome, Joy and David host a 4.5-hour Northern Lights watch from a warm cabin and 10-acre yard. You get 360-degree sky views, hot drinks, snacks, live aurora monitoring, a certificate, postcard, and help taking photos. Transfers from Fairbanks are available, usually around 9:00 to 9:45 p.m.

“The camp was great. Had good snacks and hot drinks. Joy suggested us to wait another 30 minutes and the wait finally paid off. We saw amazing auroras”

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3.Northern Lights Viewing at Murphy Dome

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 289 reviews · from $120

Leave Fairbanks around 10 p.m. for Murphy Dome, a high former Air Force site with wide sky views. Your guide, possibly Gina, Jacob, Chris, or another Alaska Wildlife Guide driver, watches for clear skies and aurora activity. You get hotel pickup, hot drinks, snacks, and about five hours on the road. The lights are never guaranteed.

“This was a great tour! Jacob, our guide, was super! He was knowledgeable, friendly, provided lots of extra details and made super hot chocolate! The lights showed up and showed out! This was an awesome experience! I would definitely do this tour again and I highly recommend it! Dress warm!”

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4.Aurora Viewing – Aurora Husky Lodge , Great view from top of the ridge

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 283 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $130

Ride from a major Fairbanks hotel to Aurora Husky Lodge, where Michi and Keiko host a warm night of Northern Lights watching from a ridge-top cabin. Expect hot drinks, snacks, wide sky views, dog-mushing stories, camera help, and time outside on the deck from about 10:30 PM to 2:00 AM.

“Excellent effort to see the Northern Lights. Nice ride, beautiful cabin and our hosts were generous and educational. Thank you!”

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5.Intimate Aurora Tours Cozy Cabin Bucket List

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 277 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $107Top rated

Tracy hosts this four-hour Yellowknife aurora outing at a private cabin in the boreal forest. After hotel pickup, you settle beside a wood stove for fish chowder, fresh bannock, hot drinks, stories about the Northwest Territories, games, s’mores, and possible Northern Lights. Fur coats and hats are available for photos, and the team may take pictures of you outside.

“Tracy and her cozy cabin just oozed a genuine warmth! To start, her tour bus was the most comfortable one I had been in Yellowknife. Her chowder and bannock were delicious and she entertained us throughout the night with stories. She took her time and equally spoke with every individual guest all the while cooking and cleaning all at the same time. She was so organized, set everyone’s expectations on how picture taking was going to be once the aurora came out. She also provided ingredients for s’mores that you could make in the fire pit outside. There were a plethora of fur coats that you could try on and…”

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6.Aurora Viewing Lodge

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 276 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $170

Ride from your Fairbanks hotel in a heated van to a warm Alaskan log lodge for an evening of aurora watching. Guides such as Kathy, Gina, Nicole, and Siena help with the science and photography. You can warm up indoors with drinks, cookies, games, Wi-Fi, and a fire outside while you wait.

“It was a new experience for us Arizonans and though we didn’t see too many colors it was still nice to see and capture. It was very relaxing and a nice ambiance at the lodge. Thank you for a great experience. I’d love to go again to see about capturing more pictures of the northern lights”

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7.Snowtrain to Northern Lights Camp

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 181 reviews · 3 hours · from $132

You’ll ride from Apukka Resort in a Snowtrain to a northern lights camp, where an English-speaking guide shares Arctic stories around a fire. Hot drinks, snacks, winter clothing, and transfers from central Rovaniemi or Santa Claus Village are included. Guide Sergio has received special praise for his aurora help.

“excelente serviciodeloperadordelavisita,susguas sensacionales y en especial sergiovimos aurorasy estuvieronsensacionales”

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8.Night Reindeer Sledding with Camp Dinner and Chance of Northern Lights

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 165 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $225

Meet up in central Tromsø at 6 pm for a short ride to a Sámi reindeer camp. Feed up to 300 reindeer, take a 15 to 20-minute sleigh ride, then eat a three-course dinner in a candlelit gamme. Sámi hosts share stories, joik, and cultural traditions. Warm clothing is essential, and the Northern Lights are never guaranteed.

“I gave this outing 4 points only because in the description additional info it stated what’s included it mentioned warm overalls and boots if required. Well that evening it was a very wet snow at our 6pm tour. Even though my husband and I were properly dressed, it was never mentioned nor was asked if anyone needed the items mentioned above. Other wise I would have given this tour a 5 star. Lecture, food was great.”

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9.Northern Lights Lodge Viewing in Fairbanks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 117 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $160

Travel from Fairbanks to a dark, open viewing site with a heated yurt, guide commentary, hot drinks, campfires, and room for up to 12 people. Guides such as Paul, Joseph, Joshua, and JT have helped with aurora facts, Alaska stories, and camera settings. Pickup begins around 10 p.m., with return near 3 a.m.

“The light show was amazing. In the lulls, our guide ,Paul, started a camp fire and told stories about Alaskan history, showed us artifacts and gave ideas for other things to do. Paul is a super guide!”

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10.Aurora Chasing + Aurora Lodge

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 112 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $102

Spend about four hours at Madeline Lake Lodge near Yellowknife, stepping outside for aurora views and returning indoors for heat, snacks, games, and hot drinks. Guides such as Mo, Tina, Peter, and Leon have helped with photography and sky watching. If clouds settle in, a warm bus heads to another territorial park.

“Mo is so professional for making good images for the aurora. He shared lots of photos for that night. Even if you don’t have good equipments for taking aurora photos, don’t worry. He’ll make photos and videos to share to make sure catch the moment.”

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11.Northern Lights Lodge & Chase Tour from Fairbanks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 109 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $325

Michael, a native Alaskan with more than 20 years of aurora experience, takes you from Fairbanks into the interior in a heated van for a night beneath the northern lights. A private lodge offers a fireplace, panoramic windows, hot drinks, snacks, and restrooms, while mobile chasing keeps the group moving if clouds spoil the view.

“My Dad wanted to see the Northern Lights, and so we came to Alaska just to try. This was the only excursion we booked for that purpose, and we were not disappointed. The guide is a great photographer, knows a lot about the science of the lights and how best to see them, and it was a great experience. He just makes this perfect. You have a cabin to rest/warm up in in between the Aurora movements, and he will radio in if it starts to look like something is happening. It was amazing.”

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12.Reindeer Camp Dinner with Chance of Northern Lights in Tromso

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 86 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $210

Leave Tromsø at 6 pm for a reindeer camp about 35 minutes away. Feed a herd of more than 200, warm up with coffee and cookies, then eat smoked salmon salad, reindeer stew, and chocolate cake in a lavuu. Sámi guides share local traditions and joik, followed by a chance to watch for the Northern Lights.

“Great experience to feed the reindeer and learn about Sami culture! Great Sami host and we even saw the northern lights”

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13.Northern Lights Murphy Dome Viewing in Fairbanks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $120

Ride from a Fairbanks hotel to Murphy Dome, a former Air Force radar site and high aurora viewpoint. Your guide handles the late-night drive, explains the science, and serves hot cocoa, tea, and coffee. Expect a small group of up to 12, a heated van, and several hours outside when the sky is clear.

“Technically, I didn't go on this tour as I was upgraded to the yurt tour by this company. The company was very responsive and timely with notification. I highly recommend this company.”

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14.PRIVATE Party dinner in a Glass Igloo Under Northern Lights

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 68 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $323

You’ll be picked up anywhere in Rovaniemi and taken to a forest-side glass igloo beside a frozen lake. Enjoy a three-course dinner by the fire, then ride snow scooters with a private guide. Andrew, Andrei, and other guides are praised for friendly service, local stories, and taking photos. Northern lights sightings depend on weather.

“Spectacular setup and view. We loved it so much. It was perfect for celebrating our 10y wedding anniversary.”

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15.Aurora Borealis Tour with Cozy Cabin Base

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 65 reviews · 4 hours · from $103

Tracy and Derrick take you from Yellowknife to a warm bush cabin about 15 to 20 minutes away. You can step outside for Aurora photos, warm up by the stove, enjoy fish chowder and bannock, and borrow northern parkas and fur coats. Small groups, guide-taken photos, and flexible viewing time make this a relaxed choice.

“This tour is an absolute must. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but we were beyond thrilled with the overall experience. Our tour guide/Owner, was such an absolute gem, and her cooking skills are par none. From stories of growing up around Canada, to having the northern lights show her Herself, it was more than we could’ve expected. We will absolutely be back. if I could give more than five stars, I would.”

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