Can you see the northern lights in Narvik tonight?

Visit Narvik says the season normally lasts from September to April, when the evenings and nights are dark enough for the aurora to be seen. You can reach the town by SJ's daily train from Stockholm Central that arrives the next day, or fly to Harstad/Narvik Airport Evenes about an hour away. The area offers varying weather between the fjord, the valleys, the mountains and inland, giving options to adapt when one place is cloudy.

When to see the northern lights in Narvik

According to Visit Narvik, the region lies at 68 degrees north under the northern lights oval, where the aurora is often active. The season normally lasts from September to April, when evenings and nights are dark enough for the aurora to be seen. December and January have the most dark hours, but Visit Narvik says good displays also happen in autumn and towards the end of winter, meaning no single month is always best. If you are comparing places, look at our guide to the best places to see the northern lights.

To see the aurora you also need darkness and clear enough skies. Visit Narvik says cloud cover can matter at least as much as the aurora forecast. Weather can differ by the fjord, in the valleys, in the mountains and further inland. When one place is cloudy another may be clearer, and the short drives between them make it easier to adapt to the evening's weather.

No one can guarantee the aurora on a particular evening. Some evenings it comes early, sometimes you wait a long time for the clouds to open, and some evenings it does not come at all. Visit Narvik says a longer stay gives more evenings to try. Narvik has no full polar night, but in December and January daylight is limited to a few hours in the middle of the day. Visit Narvik says winter temperatures are often between -5 and -15 degrees, and some periods are colder, especially inland and in the mountains. Because an aurora chase often means standing still outside for a long time, Visit Narvik advises layers, with wool next to the skin and warm mid-layers under windproof outerwear, plus a hat, mittens and warm winter shoes.

How to get to Narvik

Visit Narvik says the region can be reached by plane, train, bus, car and cruise ship; the E6 runs through it, Harstad/Narvik Airport Evenes has daily flights, and the Ofoten line connects it to Sweden. You can also compare this with other destinations for northern lights in Norway.

Harstad/Narvik Airport Evenes is about 57 km from Narvik city centre, around an hour's drive. SAS, Norwegian and Widerøe fly direct to Oslo daily, in under two hours. The airport operator, Avinor, lists 5 airlines at Harstad/Narvik Airport: Norwegian, SAS, Widerøe, Danish Air Transport and Edelweiss Air. Car hire at the airport includes Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Enterprise and Sixt.

For winter 2026/2027 Visit Narvik lists direct flights to Evenes from Frankfurt with Discover Airlines from December 20, 2026, weekly on Saturdays, and from Zurich with Edelweiss from December 20, 2026 to March 28, 2027, twice a week.

The airport bus meets most arrivals and departures and is the most popular way between Evenes and Narvik. It stops at several places in the centre and at some hotels, and tickets are sold on board or at flybussen.no. Avinor says that when flights are delayed the airport buses to Narvik and Harstad wait until after the last arrival. Between Evenes and Narvik you can also take regional buses 200 and 300, a taxi or a rental car; bus tickets are sold in the Reis app or on board by card.

SJ's train between Stockholm and Narvik runs daily, leaving Stockholm Central and arriving in Narvik the next day, with stops including Arlanda Airport, Uppsala, Umeå, Boden, Kiruna, Abisko, Björkliden and Riksgränsen. Narvik is the end of the Ofoten line and Norway's northernmost train station, with the station in the city centre following a 1456 km journey through forests and mountains. Tickets are booked on SJ's website; Visit Narvik recommends booking well in advance, especially in winter, in summer and around popular periods for northern lights and skiing.

Where to stand to see the aurora

Visit Narvik says the best place can change from night to night. Look for clear skies, little artificial light and a good view of the sky, and you do not necessarily need a specific northern lights spot. Visit Narvik says the aurora can often be seen from the centre of Narvik in clear weather, but recommends areas with less light pollution. Visit Narvik says it is a short distance from the city and towns to darker areas with open skies and views of mountains and fjords.

Northern Norway's tourism board says Narvik's aurora guides read the wind direction to find clear skies:

• If snow clouds loom in the north-west, it may be clear in Skjomen.
• If a southerly wind blows cloud over the city, it may be clear north of Gratangsfjellet.
• In mild south-westerly weather, Sweden may be the answer.
• With cold snow from the east, you can stand on the beach just outside the city and see the aurora above the peaks across the fjord.

The northern lights train runs from Narvik station along the historic railway to Katterat, a station with no road connection, where guests wait for the aurora by a bonfire and lavvu while the hosts serve hot drinks. On the boat Ofotr you go out on the fjord in the dark; when conditions are right the aurora can appear over the peaks and be reflected in the water. Visit Narvik says local guides follow the weather, cloud cover and aurora activity and can adapt the route, and many tours help with photography.

Going on your own, Visit Narvik advises checking the weather forecast, cloud cover and aurora forecast before you go and choosing a safe place where you can park and move about without blocking traffic. Visit Narvik advises drivers never to stop in the middle of the road to take pictures, to wear a reflective vest outside the car and to watch for reindeer and moose; braking distances on snow and ice are much longer than many people expect.