Dreaming of an aurora adventure? If you’re planning a trip to see the aurora from the USA, you can find plenty of flight options to Europe’s best northern lights destinations.
Four of the best places to see the aurora — Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland — are all within reach, with direct and connecting flights available from airports across the country.
While flights aren’t included in Aurora Nights holiday packages, our team of Arctic travel specialists can help you find the most convenient routes for your trip.
So whether you want to reach the aurora zone as quickly as possible, pair your northern lights adventure with a city break or embark on a multi-destination holiday, we’ll help you shape your dream vacation.
The information below was correct as of September 2025.
The best northern lights airports in Europe
So where should you fly to see the aurora in Europe? Here are the best northern lights airports in Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland:
- Iceland: Reykjavik is the easiest northern lights airport to get to from the USA.
- Norway: Tromsø in the north, either direct or via a stopover in Oslo.
- Sweden: Kiruna or Luleå in Swedish Lapland, usually via a stopover at Stockholm Arlanda.
- Finland: Rovaniemi, Kittilä or Ivalo in Finnish Lapland, often via a stopover in Helsinki.
Many of these northern lights airports are accessible on direct flights — or flights with one stop — from major US hubs. There are generally lots of flights to choose from during the aurora season, which runs from September to March.
Iceland northern lights flights from the USA
So what are your flight options when planning a northern lights trip to Iceland?
Reykjavik, the capital city, located in south Iceland, is one of the easiest northern lights destinations to get to from the USA. Icelandair provides a huge range of direct flights from across the country.
We’ve listed these direct flights below. Flights from any other US airports require a stopover.
From the Northeast
- New York to Reykjavik — daily direct flights from JFK and Newark
- Boston to Reykjavik — daily direct flights
- Washington D. C. to Reykjavik — daily direct flights
From the West
- Denver to Reykjavik — daily direct flights
- Portland to Reykjavik — direct flights, around four times per week
- Seattle to Reykjavik — daily direct flights
From the Midwest
- Detroit to Reykjavik — direct flights, around three times per week
- Chicago to Reykjavik — daily direct flights
- Minneapolis to Reykjavik — direct flights, a couple of times per week
From the South
- Orlando to Reykjavik — direct daily flights
- Raleigh-Durham to Reykjavik — direct flights, most days of the week
- Nashville to Reykjavik — direct flights, three times a week
Norway northern lights flights from the USA
On a northern lights trip to Norway, you fly to Tromsø, usually with a stopover in Oslo or another Nordic city.
Tromsø, nicknamed the Paris of the North, is the world’s most northerly city. It acts as a gateway to the Arctic — and travelling to this region of Norway gives you the best chance of seeing the northern lights.
The country’s capital, Oslo, is further south, and the aurora rarely makes an appearance here. However, Oslo is a beautiful city break destination. So you can choose to fly to Oslo and spend a few days here before flying on to the Arctic north.
Here are the best flights currently available from the USA to Norway.
From the Northeast
- New York to Oslo — direct flights from Newark on Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), available most days of the week
- New York to Tromsø — SAS via Copenhagen or Oslo, Finnair via Helsinki
- Boston to Oslo — SAS via Copenhagen, Icelandair via Reykjavik, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt, Austrian Airlines via Vienna
- Washington D. C. to Oslo — Icelandair via Reykjavik, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt
- Philadelphia to Oslo — Lufthansa via Frankfurt, British Airways via London Heathrow
From the West
- Los Angeles to Tromsø — SAS via Copenhagen, Finnair via Helsinki, Lufthansa via Frankfurt, Aer Lingus via Dublin
- Los Angeles to Oslo — SAS via Copenhagen, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt, British Airways via London Heathrow, KLM via Amsterdam
- San Francisco to Oslo — SAS travel via Copenhagen, Lufthansa via Frankfurt, KLM via Amsterdam
- Seattle to Oslo — Icelandair via Reykjavik, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt, British Airways via London Heathrow, KLM via Amsterdam
- Salt Lake City to Oslo — SAS via Newark, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, KLM via Amsterdam
From the Midwest
- Detroit to Oslo — Icelandair via Reykjavik, KLM via Amsterdam, Delta via London Heathrow
- Chicago to Oslo — SAS via Copenhagen, Icelandair via Reykjavik, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, KLM via Amsterdam
- Minneapolis to Oslo — Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, KLM via Amsterdam
From the South
- Orlando to Oslo — Icelandair via Reykjavik, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, KLM via Amsterdam
- Miami to Oslo — SAS via Copenhagen, Finnair via Helsinki, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, KLM via Amsterdam, Swiss Air via Zurich
- Dallas to Oslo — Finnair via Helsinki, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa via Frankfurt
- Atlanta to Oslo —SAS via Copenhagen, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, KLM via Amsterdam
Sweden aurora borealis flights from the USA
Most trips to see the northern lights in Sweden start with a stopover in Stockholm Arlanda. This is Stockholm’s main international airport.
You can stay to enjoy a city break in the Swedish capital — or jump straight on a flight to Swedish Lapland, in the north of the country.
In the Arctic north, you’ll find airports in Kiruna (close to the Ice Hotel and around an hour’s drive from Abisko) and Luleå (close to the Tree Hotel). Any of these destinations provides the perfect base for your northern lights vacation.
So how will you get there? Here are the best flights currently available between the USA and Stockholm.
From the Northeast
- New York to Stockholm — direct flights from Newark provided by SAS on most days of the week
- Boston to Stockholm — SAS via Copenhagen, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt, British Airways via London Heathrow, KLM via Amsterdam, Austrian Airlines via Vienna, Swiss Air via Zurich
- Washington D. C. to Stockholm — Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Lufthansa via Munich, KLM via Amsterdam, Austrian Airlines via Vienna, Swiss Air via Zurich
From the West
- Los Angeles to Stockholm —SAS via Copenhagen, Finnair via Helsinki, Lufthansa via Munich, British Airways via London Heathrow, KLM via Amsterdam, Swiss Air via Zurich
- San Francisco to Stockholm — SAS via Copenhagen, Lufthansa via Munich, British Airways via London Heathrow, Swiss Air via Zurich
- Portland to Stockholm — Icelandair via Reykjavik, British Airways via London Heathrow, KLM via Amsterdam
- San Diego to Stockholm — Lufthansa via Munich, British Airways via London Heathrow
- Salt Lake City to Stockholm — Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, KLM via Amsterdam.
- Seattle to Stockholm — Lufthansa via Frankfurt, British Airways via London Heathrow, KLM via Amsterdam
From the Midwest
- Detroit to Stockholm — Icelandair via Reykjavik, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa via Frankfurt, KLM via Amsterdam
- Chicago to Stockholm — SAS via Copenhagen, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Lufthansa via Munich, KLM via Amsterdam
- Minneapolis to Stockholm — Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, KLM via Amsterdam
From the South
- Miami to Stockholm — SAS via Copenhagen, Finnair via Helsinki, Lufthansa via Munich, Swiss Air via Zurich
- Dallas to Stockholm — Finnair via Helsinki, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, British Airways via London Heathrow
- Atlanta to Stockholm — SAS via Copenhagen, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, British Airways via London Heathrow, KLM via Amsterdam.
- Raleigh-Durham to Stockholm — Icelandair via Reykjavik, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Flights to Finland to see the northern lights from the USA
Planning an aurora holiday to Finland? Let’s take a look at your flight options.
There are direct flights to Finland’s capital, Helsinki, from New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. There are also some direct flights from Miami to Helsinki from December to March. All other flights involve a stopover.
In Finnish Lapland, where you have the best chance of seeing the aurora, airports include Rovaniemi, Ivalo and Kittilä. There are regular flights from Helsinki to all three destinations.
During peak northern lights season, there are also flights to Rovaniemi from Copenhagen, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam, Istanbul and Zurich. So you may be able to head straight to the Arctic without travelling via Helsinki.
Take a look at the flights below to start planning your trip.
From the Northeast
- New York to Helsinki — direct flights with Finnair from JFK with multiple flights per week
- Boston to Helsinki — SAS via Copenhagen, Finnair via JFK, British Airways via Dallas Fort Worth or JFK
- Washington D. C. to Helsinki — Icelandair via Reykjavik. Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt, KLM via Amsterdam
From the West
- Los Angeles to Helsinki — some direct flights from LAX on Finnair
- Seattle to Helsinki — Icelandair via Reykjavik, Finnair via Dallas Fort Worth, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt, KLM via Amsterdam
From the Midwest
- Detroit to Helsinki — Icelandair via Reykjavik, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa via Frankfurt, KLM via Amsterdam
- Chicago to Helsinki — SAS via Copenhagen, Icelandair via Reykjavik, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Lufthansa via Munich or Frankfurt, KLM via Amsterdam
From the South
- Dallas to Helsinki — direct flights with Finnair
- Miami to Helsinki — direct flights with Finnair up to three times a week from December to March
- Orlando to Helsinki — Icelandair via Reykjavik, Finnair via Dallas or JFK, Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle
- Atlanta to Helsinki — SAS via Copenhagen, Finnair via Dallas, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Lufthansa via Frankfurt, KLM via Amsterdam
Planning a northern lights tour from the USA
Travelling to the Arctic from the USA is easier than ever, with many major airlines offering routes into northern Europe. It’s even possible to find direct flights to top northern lights destinations, particularly during the aurora season from September to March.
Rest assured that when you travel with Aurora Nights, you don’t need to plan your trip alone. While flights aren’t bundled into our aurora holiday packages, our team will advise on the most convenient options from your regional airport. You can then choose the airlines, times and fares that work best for you.
Beyond flights, our team will work with you to create the tailor-made northern lights holiday you’ve been dreaming of. You can count on:
- A choice of unique accommodation — from boutique hotels to glass igloos to cosy log cabins.
- Expert northern lights guides who can read the aurora forecast and know the best local viewing spots.
- Carefully crafted itineraries that balance aurora hunting with unforgettable adventures — think husky sledding, snowmobiling, wilderness dinners and whale watching tours.
- Local knowledge and insider tips from our Arctic travel specialists, who have personally tried and tested the experiences we recommend.
- Relaxation and reassurance — whether you book a short break, an escorted tour, a self-drive trip or a luxury northern lights holiday, we plan logistics and provide support every step of the way.
Ready to start planning your aurora adventure? Explore our northern lights holidays.
