Barn ved bål en vintersdag i Lyngenfjordregionen, Nord Norge
©Jean Noel Herranz

Polar night season in Northern Norway

Imagine not seeing the sun for almost two months! When the sun is below the horizon from the end of November untill mid-January we experience the polar night season. A period of twilight and amazing colours in the sky during polar night. Many enjoy this as the best time of the year, because of the magical light.

Polar Night Experiences

Amazing colours in the sky during the polar night

In polar night season in clear weather we often experience a colourful sky, something like a long sunset or sunrise. Looking towards the south you can see great sunsetcolours, while the sky towards the north is dark blue. Especially the days and weeks around the time the sun barely rises above the horizon are colourful.

Here in the Lyngenfjord region we are so lucky that we have a few hours of daylight or twilight every day. The special blue light we experience when the light is reflected by the blue ocean, the white snow and the landscape around us is often called the blue hour. This we experience as long as there is snow on the ground and twilight, but the timing of the blue hour occurs later in the day when the days grow longer.

When the nights grow longer...

Even if the nights are up to 20 hours, it is not dark the whole time during the polar night. A starry sky and northern lights creates its own magic. Sometime we can experience northern lights as early as around 17 in the afternoon. Check out our northern lights packages further down for tips on an long weekend full of experiences.

Photos: Martin Hagan, Svartfoss Adventure, Jean Noel Herranz and Riverland Husky

Winter solstice and brighter days

Around 21.Desember it is winter solstice and this means days are getting brighter and longer. Around the 15. January the sun is above the horizon again, but the mountains decide when the first sunrays shine on the villages around the fjords. The ones most impatient to see the sun knows which peak to ski to and enjoy a summit to ski experience, while others might plan a drive up the Skibotn valley to the border of Finland and Kilpisjärvi where the sun returns 17. January.

It is something quiet special to see the sun again after two months.

What do we do during the polar night season?

For us who live her, it is "business as usual". It's just how it is. For many it is important to get outside during the daylight hours, but otherwise this is a time for enjoying the indoors. The christmas celebrations creats light and joy for many during the polar night season.

As a visitor you can enjoy activities such as dogsledding, snowmobile safaris, whalesafari, snowshoeing, iceclimbing and more. What little we have of daylight is taken advantage of as much as possible. For afternoon and evening activities you will get a headlamp.