From Glacier Climbing to Ice Hotels, These Are the 10 Best Arctic Adventure Vacations

The aurora borealis (i.e. the northern lights) is, along with its counterpart in the South Pole, Mother Nature's greatest light show. Caused by electrically charged particles from the sun colliding with Earth's atmosphere, the result is rippling curtains of green, pink, blue, and violet lighting up the night sky. Tour companies across the Arctic Circle offer light-hunting expeditions. You can opt for a single-day excursion, like this new trip from Off the Map that claims to be the most environmentally friendly northern-lights holiday in the world, or embark on a multiday adventure to several locations, like this 11-day expedition through Norway and Swedish Lapland from Vacations by Rail.