The Northern Lights have been glittering above the UK recently, with sightings from the Scottish Highlands to the Welsh Borders.
This stunning sight is a rarity in the UK and takes a lot of planning (and even more luck) to catch.
For the best chance of spotting this incredible phenomenon, travellers should head north to the Arctic on a specialist trip with Newmarket Holidays, where expert guides know the tips, tricks and locations to give guests the best chance of catching a display. What's more, the escorted tour operators' Norway and Iceland escapes are now available to book with discounts.
Newmarket Holidays' three-night tour to Tromsø in Northern Norway, travels more than 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and includes a night-time excursion to a rural Aurora Base Station, with guides checking local weather conditions to pick the location most likely to provide a successful sighting. Daytime highlights in colourful Tromsø include a museum and aquarium dedicated to Arctic life, the world's most northerly brewery, and a cable-car ride to the top of Mount Storsteinen.
Optional excursions include husky dog-sledding, snowmobiling, and a meeting with the indigenous, reindeer-herding Sami people. Reykjavík is one of Europe's most surprising cities, and a five-day escorted tour with Newmarket Holidays packs in many of the most incredible sights, with a nighttime journey to find the glistening Northern Lights among the highlights.
Before then, guests are given a guided tour of the city and the option of a dip in the mineral-rich warm waters of the Blue Lagoon, and a Golden Circle tour to see Þingvellir, the dramatic open expanse where Iceland's ancient assemblies came to set the laws of the land. The final day of activity includes the option of a tour to the southern coastal lowlands where a giant lava flow, towering volcano and mighty river showcase Iceland's rugged beauty.
