You Can Go on a 24-Hour Hunt for the Northern Lights in Norway
It's safe to say Svalbard isn't the most popular of vacation destinations — it could have something to do with the fact that polar bears outnumber residents or its freezing temperatures. But it's an incredible place for travelers interested in dark skies, and the place to go if you want one of the best Northern Lights shows in the world.
That's why luxury travel company Off the Map Travel has developed a 24-hour tour called All Day Aurora that gives travelers a great chance to experience the aurora. Available from November through January, this tour takes place during a season that sees dark skies 24 hours of the day. But you won't just be standing around waiting for the Northern Lights to show up.
During the aurora hunt, visitors will snowshoe to nearby ice caves, learn how to dogsled and ride on Snowcats. While resting up for the remainder of the search, guests will stay at the Funken Lodge, which just completed a substantial renovation in 2018.
Svalbard's location at 78-degrees North means that, during the winter, the sun remains at least six degrees below the horizon at all times. "To have the best chance of seeing [the Northern Lights], you need a setting without any light pollution and you will more than double your chances of getting that when the sun never rises above the horizon," said Jonny Cooper, Off the Map Travel founder and Arctic travel expert.
Despite its name, this 24-hour Northern Lights hunt actually takes place over the span of four days. That's close to 100 hours of twilight and utter darkness during which your odds of spotting the shimmering auroras are pretty high. On the first day of the tour, travelers arrive and settle into the hotel. On the second day, they embark on a dog-sledding adventure. Day three is dedicated to snowshoeing, and the final day ends with a Snowcat ride.
Prices for this experience start around $1,600 per person (not including flights). Into it? You can read more about the All Day Aurora tour and how to book your own vacation on the Off the Map Travel website.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
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- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
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- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
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- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month