Dress for the Northern Lights

A visit for Northern Light means that you are travelling into the arctic zone in Autumn or winter months. Expect it to be cold – very cold. And be prepared to dress for it. Adequate protection from cold ensures you can enjoy the best Northern Lights trips without the temperature interfering with your holiday.

When you enter the arctic zone by end of September, expect a daytime temperature of 0 Celsius and a low of -3 at night. By end of October, the day temp may drop to -3 and nigh temp may touch -10 Celsius. For sub-arctic zones, the autumn could be between 3 to 5 , falling down to subzero at nights.

What do I wear when on a Northern Lights Trip?

As the climate changes fast (especially if you are visiting the shores of Iceland), it is possible that you will experience all four seasons in one day. We, therefore, recommend that you wear layers, so that you can layer up or down depending the weather you face on a particular day. While visiting a volcano or glacier high up in Iceland, you may experience high wind chill – be prepared with extra protection.

The Three Layer principle

For those embarking on a Northern Lights holiday in the colder months, you need to adopt the 3-layer clothing principle:

An inner layer

Thermal base layer in synthetics, Merino wool or a woollen mixture. Pure cotton is not preferred since cotton clothing cools down if it becomes wet.

A middle layer

To strengthen the heat insulation, wear woollen sweater/shirt, or thermal sweater.

An outer layer

An additional layer of woollen jumpers/sweaters. We advise you carry a Parka as the outer layer. A parka is simply a large windproof jacket that comes with a hoodie. Incidentally, Parka originally meant ‘animal skin’, which was customary outer layer in the region.

What else do I need?

Outdoor waterproof pants – some parts could be super windy and a good pair of water and windproof pants will protect against rain and damp weather
Woolen socks – you will definitely need good quality socks to keep your feet warm. Carry at least two pairs in case one might get damp. At nights, you may even need two pairs.
Walking boots – we recommend carrying walking boots over a pair of your usual sneakers. These will make a difference when you walk on snow or beaches
Crampon – these are spikes that you can strap on your boots. These are essential for having a tight grip on snow, which will be everywhere when you are inside arctic circle
Warm gloves – carry the thick variety that will protect you from subzero temperature
scarf and a warm headwear – protect your head and your ears and nose
sunglasses – as the sun can be very bright on some days
Camera Tripod – those looking for serious photography need to carry a tripod. Your fingers will shake in the cold outside, and you will need this support – especially while clicking those long-exposure aurora shots.

What do I carry in Hand Luggage

All  our tours go via Helsinki or Stockholm, so it is advised to carry a base layer of thermals in your hand luggage. That way you can change into them at the airport as your flight out. 

How you can Enjoy the best Aurora Borealis with TravelLive?

We are offering 2 different tours centered around the phenomenon of Aurora Borealis.

Aurora Express – covering Sweden, Finland, and Norway

Heavenly Hues of Iceland & Lapland – covering Sweden, Finland, and Norway