The northern lights are a stunning natural phenomenon, producing surreal colours that swirl through the sky. Every year people fly to Norway to catch a glimpse of this spectacular light show.

When looking for the northern lights, there are all sorts of different activities you can take part in. You could try dog sledding near Narvik, reindeer sledding or if you’d prefer to handle a motor then why not try snow mobiling.

Where to find the northern lights

The northern lights can be seen all over northern Scandinavia, but coastal areas are usually better than inland areas due to clearer skies. The best places are above the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia.

Fly SAS to all of the areas in Norway where you can spot the northern lights.

• Alta
• Bodø
• Kirkenes
• Narvik
• Tromsø
• Longyearbyen

Best seen at around midnight, the lights are at their peak between September to March, but have been known to be visible in April. It has been predicted that 2012 will see a peak in solar activity, the results of which may be seen in the sky over Norway.

Summer in Norway

During the summer, above the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway you can experience the unique midnight sun. This means that the sun doesn’t dip below the horizon so if there’s good weather, then the sun is visible for 24 hours. With SAS and its partner airline Widerøe, you can fly to Northern Norway and see this amazing sight.

This of course isn’t the only activity for the summer, SAS Group fly all over Norway. You could visit the beautiful city of Bergen located by the Norwegian fjords providing breath taking scenery, explore Svalbard and visit the polar bears or fly to Oslo and take in the atmosphere of a city surrounded by the beauty of a fjord.

The best way to travel and see the northern lights

You can fly to Norway from the UK with SAS or its partner airline Widerøe. SAS values its customers and provides various benefits depending on the class you travel in, but as standard free 23kg baggage, online check-in and free seat reservation are included within fares. SAS has also many check-in options, including check-in from your mobile where you can download your boarding pass, saving time at the airport.

Check out also routemap to see airlines' other destinations.

*Source: Flightstats.com 2009, 2010 and 2011.