5 best northern lights cruise deals from the UK 2023 & 2024 – save up to £270!

Northern lights cruise holidays get you closer to a light show as you’ve never seen before – and the good news is, you don’t need to break the bank.

Ambassador Cruise Line is offering an array of amazing northern lights cruises 2023 and 2024 to both Norway and Iceland in search of this colourful, magical display – and there are some amazing deals on offer to help the price light too.

Ambassador’s no-fly northern lights cruises from the UK stop at highlights of the Norwegian fjords en route to the aurora borealis on Norway cruise itineraries.

Ports of call include such gems as Alesund (the gateway to Geirangerfjord, one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the world), Trondheim (the former Viking capital), Tromsø (the perfect place for an Arctic adventure) and Bergen (the gateway to Sognefjord, the country’s longest and deepest fjord).

Meanwhile, Iceland cruises for the northern lights stop at the Orkney Isles as well as Torshavn (the capital city of the Faroe Islands) and Icelandic capital Reykjavik.

Intrigued by the incredible savings on offer for Ambassador northern lights cruises from the UK? We’ve rounded up some of the very best northern lights cruise deals you can nab in 2023 and 2024. Remember, these adult-only cruise fares include all food, accommodation and entertainment to ensure your getaway is also, as the youth say, lit.

A no-fly northern lights cruise from Tilbury, in Essex, this sailing is the earliest one you can embark on in 2023 and you can save up to £430pp! What’s more, you can bag up to 15 percent off with the Saver Discount! See, early birds really do get the worm!

While sightings of the aurora borealis can never be totally guaranteed (mother nature is a fickle beast) Tromsø is one of the best places to see the northern lights; the town is almost 220 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Yup, better pack a few jumpers.

Traditional winter activities in Tromsø include dog and reindeer sledding (and, if you feel particularly bold, reindeer steak eating) while riding the Fjellheisen Cable Car up Mount Storsteinen affords breathtaking views. Simply cruising the fjords and enjoying the scenery from the comfort of your ship is also a well worthwhile experience, too (and can be done with a drink in hand!).

Another great option for those looking to get their northern lights cruise from the UK in early next year, this cruise spends an overnight in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Incredibly, Reykjavik is the only capital city besides Nuuk in Greenland where you can see the stunning light display. The aurora is usually visible above a latitude of 60 degrees north and Iceland sits at a latitude of approximately 64 degrees north – perfect!

Escaping out of the city on an excursion is still the best way to view the northern lights as getting away from the city glare will help you enjoy the show to its fullest. They can occur at any time so keep an eye out no matter what the time of day!

As with the Norway northern lights cruise, holidaymakers can save up to £420pp and get up to 15 percent off with the Saver Discount.

This Norway northern lights cruise 2023 takes place towards the end of the year, for those who love really planning ahead. It’s also the cruise itinerary with the greatest savings to be had next year!

You can save up to £1,170pp as well as get your hands on a bonus five percent discount when booking an ocean view, balcony or suite cabin, 20 percent off Ambassador’s top two drinks packages, savings on all-inclusive Ambassador Fares and free matchday tickets to Essex Cricket. Talk about a goody bag.

Highlights (no pun intended) on this no-fly cruise to the northern lights are Alta and Leknes. The former has been dubbed the “town of the Northern Lights” and nature’s colourful display here even inspired Alta’s modern architectural landmark, the Northern Lights Cathedral.

What’s more, the world’s first permanent northern lights observatory was built in Alta in the 1800s! As for activities, give dog sledding or snowmobiling a go!

Leknes, in the Lofoten Islands, is also north of the Arctic Circle. In fact, it’s located just beneath the auroral oval, a belt of light that encircles the geomagnetic poles, making it one of the best places in the world to see the display.

Lofoten is home to Viking ancestry, majestic landscapes, soaring mountains and beautiful white sand beaches. Indeed these remote shores are some of the best places to see the aurora borealis!

As for Leknes itself, biking is a fab way to get around and if you fancy some culture, call at the Sund Museum where you can learn about local life and see blacksmiths at work. Sea kayaking, mountaineering and surfing are popular adventurous activities in the area. Fun fact: the world’s largest deep coral reef can be found off nearby Røst.

Another perk of this Ambassador cruise from the UK is that it’s onboard the line’s new ship Ambition, set to sail from May 2023.

The best savings of all Ambassador Cruise Line’s northern lights cruises can be found on this early 2024 cruise on which you can save up to £1,250pp!

As with the 2023 itinerary, you can also get a bonus five percent discount when booking an ocean view, balcony or suite cabin, 20 percent off Ambassador’s top two drinks packages, savings on all-inclusive Ambassador Fares and free matchday tickets to Essex Cricket.

The sailing calls at Bodø, situated between the Arctic Circle and the Lofoten Islands. The town was established in 1816 but the first settlers came as early as almost 10,000 years ago, drawn in by the surprisingly abundant supplies of fish and seabirds at the Saltenfjord. Bodø’s position just above the Arctic Circle makes it a great place to spot the northern lights, too, although always remember patience is key!

This Ambassador itinerary also stops at Rotterdam and cruises the Nieuwe Mass – a 24km-long distributary of the Netherlands’ Rhine River. Passengers will take in the city’s skyline, lovely waterfront houses and the iconic Erasmusbrug Bridge.

Just as with the Iceland northern lights cruise in 2023, this cruise stops at Reykjavik as well as the Orkney and Faroe Islands.

Perks of the sailing? You can save up to £920pp plus nab a bonus five percent discount when booking an ocean view, balcony or suite cabin 20 percent off Ambassador’s top two drinks packages, savings on all-inclusive Ambassador Fares and free matchday tickets to Essex Cricket.

Many folk might well forget about the Orkney and Faroe Islands when it comes to the aurora borealis, but when the sky is clear and the temperatures around or below freezing, you can indeed spot the Norðlýsi (as the lights are called in Faroese) in the Faroe Islands as the archipelago is located on 62° N on the south edge of the Arctic Circle.

Tórshavn is also an appealing Nordic city in itself – it’s named after Thor, the hammer-wielding god of thunder (not just a Marvel character!). It boasts gloriously colourful houses, with some buildings dating back to the 16th century complete with turfed roofs, making the buzzing old town charming to wander around.

As for northern lights viewing on the Orkney islands, the archipelago is one of the best places in the UK to spot them thanks to unobstructed views and low levels of light pollution. Fun fact: in Orkney, the northern lights are known as the merry dancers!

The bustling town of Kirkwall also has Viking origins, with the name coming from the Norse ‘Kirkjuvagr’, meaning ‘Church on the bay’. St Magnus Cathedral is magnificent, the harbour is delightful and there are a plethora of restaurants, bars and cafes.