Experience the northern lights and midnight sun

Have you ever wanted to see coloured ribbons dancing across the night sky? Imagine lying down in the snow and witnessing nature’s incredible light show right above your head. Words alone cannot describe the majestic Northern Lights. See them for yourself in Nunavut.

Much of Nunavut experiences extremely short days between October and February, with only four hours of daylight. Not so good if you’re afraid of the dark, but perfect for viewing the aurora borealis in action.

Known as “aqsarniit” in the local Inuktitut language, the Northern Lights, and their dancing red, blue, and green streaks, can be seen throughout the territory during the autumn and winter months, with almost no light pollution to contend with. Your hotel window in the capital city of Iqaluit turns into your TV screen, as you enjoy the ‘fireworks’ playing out overhead.

In Nunavut, the Midnight Sun is the yin to the yang that is the aurora. During the summer months, the days stretch on forever. The summer solstice is marked by up to 21 hours of continuous sunlight in Iqaluit, and nearly 24 hours in more northern communities.

When you would normally be sleeping, you can instead spend your time fishing, wildlife viewing, hiking, and exploring national parks. You could even run a midnight marathon for the ultimate story to tell back home.