From September through to March each year, Aqua-Firma provides opportunities to see the Northern Lights as part of some highly inspiring wilderness and wildlife adventures in dramatic Arctic locations including:

Greenland
Iceland
Spitsbergen
Northern Norway

Whilst the Northern Lights may be the driving force behind your visit, it is worth taking full advantage of the natural surroundings, ensuring that should the Aurora borealis fail to perform or cloud cover get in the way, you come back home with wonderful memories of where you have visited regardless. With a wide choice of both land and boat based trip options, daylight hours can be utilised for such activities as marvelling at the natural wonders of Iceland, dog sledding or snowmobile (skidoo) expeditions in Spitsbergen, onshore trekking or exploring by small ship or yacht, otherwise inaccessible areas on our polar voyages.

Northern Lights: Iceland

The Aurora borealis is a remarkable spectacle to witness under any circumstance, but combined with some of Iceland's most fascinating volcanic features and wondrous landscapes, the country makes way for an even more inspiring Winter getaway.  Our 6-day Northern Lights and Natural Wonders of Iceland by day will take you to the exploding geysers and cascading waterfalls of the Golden Circle, and to explore some fascinating lava caves and relax at the Blue Lagoon.

Alternatively, we also offer a 7-day Northern Lights, Orcas, Whale Watching & Natural Wonders of Iceland itinerary which combines potential Northern Lights sightings with going in search of whales.  A total of 23 species of cetacean are known to frequent Iceland's waters, making it one of the best places in the world for encounters.  We will take you whale watching from both Reykjavik and Grundarfjörður, where orcas are high on the list for likely sightings. Since the best opportunities to encounter the Northern Lights are in areas away from artificial light, an overnight expedition to remote areas optimises chances for observing this incredible natural light display.  You will also get the opportunity to visit the magnificent iceberg studded Jökulsárlón Ice Lagoon and the beautiful Crystal Ice Cave - a day full of photograph opportunities.  There will also be opportunities to explore Iceland's fascinating geology and volcanic landscapes, with the added option of an additional day of Dog Sledding to enhance your wilderness experience further.

If you only have 5 days to spare, we have a great 5-day Northern Lights, Orcas, Whale Watching & Landscapes of Iceland experience, where you will spend 2 days whale watching from both Reykjavik and Grundarfjörður and one further day of glacier hiking. This also includes a night of chasing the Northern Lights.

For hiking and nature enthusiasts, our 6-day Trekking, Northern Lights & Natural Wonders of Iceland offers a great opportunity to spend your days hiking through some of Iceland's most spectacular volcanic landscapes. Spending 3 nights in a remote mountainside cabin offers a true taste of the Icelandic wilderness and potentially fantastic chances to observe the auroras.

Spitsbergen Dog Sledding & Snowmobiling Adventure

Our High Arctic Snowmobile & Dog Sledding Adventure takes you about as close to the North Pole as you would ever hope to get in the Winter and early Spring.  These Expeditions can be enjoyed from 7^th March to early May, for which the very earliest periods are ones to choose for Northern Lights opportunities.

Your adventure will begin in Longyearbyen, where a team of eager Alaskan huskies await you for an exhilarating Dog Sledding journey through the Arctic wilderness.  Your snowmobile expedition target is one of the northernmost wilderness cabins in the world, located deep inside Spitsbergen at the foot of Nordenskiöld glacier.

Arctic Sailing in Spitsbergen

In late September, our Spitsbergen Tallship Sailing Photography Voyage takes us along the western coast to the northern tip of the island.  As night and day cycles return and since we are within about 11 degrees of the North Pole, we can expect reasonable Aurora borealis sightings. If lucky we may enjoy sightings of polar bears, walruses, Arctic fox, reindeer and resident birdlife. September is also a good time to spot whales in Spitsbergen, including the ghostly white beluga.  With the expertise and guidance of an onboard photographer, you can hope to leave the Arctic with precious memories as well as some inspiring photographic mementos.

Northern Lights Expedition Cruises: Greenland

When our summer ice ship voyages to Spitsbergen come to an end in August, we follow the southern extent of the Arctic sea ice to the world's largest national park on our Spitsbergen & North East Greenland Voyages.  We experience some of the most dramatic mountains and largest icebergs in the Arctic, Inuit culture and wildlife such as musk oxen, polar bears if we are lucky, walruses. We often enjoy encounters too with marine life which can include huge pods of white beaked dolphins and humpback whales. Northern Lights seem to appear early in East Greenland and voyages dedicated to the area (East Greenland Voyages) start and end in Reykjavik, Iceland - itself a superb location to explore.

Lyngen Alps, Northern Norway

High above the Arctic Circle, our Lyngen Alps Northern Lights & Wilderness Adventure combines combines winter sports with potential Northern Lights sightings.  Nestled amidst untouched Norwegian wilderness, free from artificial light, your base is a luxury lodge situated beside the Lyngen Fjord.  During daylight hours you can engage in a full range of quintessential polar sports, including snowmobiling, dog sledding, cross country skiing and snow shoeing.

Sailing Beyond the Arctic Circle in Norway

From November to March we offer one week small ship sailing voyages to some of the best locations in Scandinavia to see Orcas and Whales … as well as the Northern Lights on our Orcas, Humpbacks & Northern Lights Sailing Voyages. We also offer private sailing charters to the islands and fjords anywhere between Bodø, the Lofoten Islands and North Cape. By special arrangement, these can also be arranged into Arctic Russia.  The Lofoten Islands provide a stunning setting for which to seek out the Northern Lights.