Northern Lights April 2025 — Here’s Where You Need To Go To See Them

Getting a chance to witness the northern lights has driven people to travel to the far reaches of the world. Not only is the light show a sight to behold, but depending on where you are when you see it, you can experience a range of beautiful colors in the night sky that just aren't available anywhere else.

Solar storms are behind the pinks, yellows, and greens that paint the sky during this celestial phenomenon, which can make them a little unpredictable.

That being said, travelers will have a better chance of seeing them if they're in the right place at the right time. Here's where you need to go if you want to see the northern lights. Trust us, you're going to want to take these travel opportunities if they ever present.

People who are located closest to the Earth's magnetic poles will have the best chance of witnessing the aurora borealis, which is another name for the northern lights. That includes locations across Asia, Europe, and North America. For U.S. residents, that would mean heading to Alaska to catch the show.

For those who aren't afraid to go jet-setting in search of the lights, that could mean hitting up an area known as the Aurora Zone.

According to the Aurora Zone blog, that means heading to cities in Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Finland, Greenland, and Norway.

If you want to get a bit more specific, you can follow the advice of the Veranda blog, which says that cities like Yellowknife, Canada, Rovaniemi, Finland, and Reykjavik, Iceland offer especially wonderful views, especially during nights with low cloud cover and in areas that are far from the lights of cities and neighborhoods.

In April 2025, those in Oregon might get a chance to witness the Northern Lights due to a solar storm,.

"The aurora may become visible over many of the northern states and some of the lower Midwest to Oregon," the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center shared per CNN.

Aside from waiting for nightfall, you'll need to wait for the right time of year if you want to take in Mother Nature's best show. The Discover the World blog says that may mean waiting until late August to mid-April.

The blog says that November through February offer the absolute best chances, since this is when the nights are longest, and the skies are darkest.

As for the time of night, peak viewing hours will occur between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. Otherwise, it may be too light thanks to the rising or setting sun.

Of course, the very best time will be when the sun is in solar maximum, which is the peak of the solar cycle. This is when the sun is most active, which Space.com happens approximately every 11 years. Most recently, the sun was in solar maximum in 2014 and again in 2024, which means the next period of peak activity should hit around 2034.

So, if seeing the northern lights in all of their glory is at the top of your wish list, you may want to start planning a trip to one of those prime locations. Just remember, Mother Nature doesn't perform on demand, and just because the conditions are right, and you're where you should be, it doesn't mean you're guaranteed to get to witness an aurora borealis, so remember to keep your expectations in check.