Northern Lights are the most sought-after global experience of 2024

Due to an auspicious solar cycle, 2024 is expected to bring increased opportunities for travellers to glimpse the Northern Lights.

According to a survey commissioned by Expedia, almost three-quarters of Canadians (71%) aspire to see the Northern Lights in their lifetime but haven't yet crossed the item off their bucket-list. Travelling to see the Aurora Borealis is more in-demand than going on an African Safari (44%), exploring Japan during cherry blossom season (43%), or visiting Machu Picchu in Peru (38%). Expedia searches are skyrocketing for winter trips to Northern Lights "capitals" like Lapland in Finland, Churchill, Manitoba, and Alta in Norway.

"Planning your Northern Lights adventure might feel like navigating uncharted territory, but we've made it easy for travellers to make this trip a reality," said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations. "From Canada to Norway, the free guide shows where to stay for under $200 a night or how to bundle a whole trip together for under $2000. There's even a photography guide to make sure you know how to capture the memory."  

Here are the most popular places to chase the aurora borealis this year, based on Expedia traveller data:

Finland: For Canadian aurora hunters, Finland is an extremely popular destination with hotel searches increasing 197 per cent in 2023 versus 2022. The Finnish Lapland region is most popular (+328%), home to popular Northern Lights locales Rovaniemi (+313%) and Levi (+128%), among others.

Canada: Top Canadian destinations for Northern Lights tourism included Churchill, Manitoba boasting a 173 per cent increase in hotel searches in 2023 compared to 2022. Whitehorse, Yukon (+20%) and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (+18%) also saw increases.

Norway: Norway's Northern Lights season stretches from fall to spring, but statistically the best times to see the lights are in March/April and September/October. Top destinations included Kirkenes (+189%), Tromsø (+109%) and Alta, the second northern-most city in the world (+115%).

U.S.A.: America's largest state, Alaska, saw an increase of 104 per cent with Fairbanks being the most popular destination (128%). Visit in late August through mid-April for the best chance of spotting the Northern Lights.

Top Ten Trending Northern Lights Locations Worldwide: Based on year-over-year search growth, these are the destinations expected to be popular among tourists in 2024.

1. Lapland, Finland (+370%)

2. Churchill, Canada (+110%)

3. Alta, Norway (+100%)

4. Narvik, Norway (+90%)

5. Banff, Canada (+80%)

6. Kalfafell, Iceland (+80%)

7. Jasper, Canada (+75%)

8. Isle of Skye, UK (+70%)

9. Abisko, Sweden (+65%)

10. Kiruna, Sweden (+55%)