Tromsø aurora tours

Are northern lights tours in Tromsø worth it?

For most visitors, yes. The lights are often overhead, but the coast is often cloudy, and a tour is the easiest way to get to clear sky.

Tromsø sits under the auroral oval, so activity is common. Cloud is the problem: on long-term averages the coastal sky is clearer only about a fifth to a quarter of the time in midwinter (WeatherSpark). Guides read satellite cloud maps and drive inland, towards the Finnish border or into Finland, sometimes two to three hours each way.

Without a car you can't do that. With a rental car in the dark, on snowy roads, you probably shouldn't on your first night. That is what you are paying a tour for: the driving, the knowledge, the warm gear and a hot drink while you wait.

What kinds of northern lights tours are there in Tromsø?

Two kinds: chases, which move to clear sky, and fixed-site evenings, where you wait at one place. Chases give better odds; fixed sites give a fuller evening.

Every tour on this site, sorted by kind:

Camp Tamok and the Lyngen basecamp sit inland or in the mountains, which can help, but on a night of thick cloud they can't move. A boat can't drive away from a cloud at all.

Minibus, big bus or small group: which chase should you book?

A minibus for the best balance, a small group if you want the guide to keep driving, a coach if you want a free second try or a toilet on board.

• The minibus chase runs in poor weather too, with a guide who briefs you on the night's conditions, hot chocolate by a fire and a photographer who takes portraits. A minibus turns around faster than a coach. Not for children under 10.
• The Northern Lights Safari is the big operation in town: guides in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, a vehicle with a toilet, an Arctic camp stop and a full meal. Ages 5 and up.
• The no-limit chase and the all-inclusive small group cap the group at 15. The first has no distance limit on its 6 to 8 hour option; the second is adults only and says it will cross into Finland or Sweden if necessary.
• The bus tour with free repeats is a coach with a toilet and a return guarantee, plus audio guides in seven more languages.

A guide who reads the cloud maps, a fire to wait by, and your portrait under the lights, then a drop-off at central hotels.

★ 4.8 · About 6 hours

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How far do Tromsø aurora tours drive? Do they go to Finland?

Some nights they stay within an hour of town; on cloudy nights the chases can drive two to three hours each way, into Finland. A long night runs six to nine hours.

Guests on the Safari describe driving about 2.5 hours to Finland to find clear sky. The no-limit chase lists no set limit on distance or time on its long option, and the all-inclusive tour lists Finland and Sweden as fair game. Inland air is drier and often clearer, and also a good deal colder.

Two practical notes. The minibus listing asks you to use the toilet before leaving, as there are none at remote spots, while the Safari and the free-repeats coach have one on board. And eat first: on a long chase, dinner might be a hot dog by a fire at midnight.

What happens if you don't see the northern lights on a tour?

Usually nothing: the photography tour and the Safari state there is no refund if the lights don't show. The free-repeats coach is the exception, and every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before.

The aurora can't be guaranteed, and most operators say so plainly. The bus tour with free repeats is built around this: if no qualifying photo is taken, you can rejoin another night free while you are in Tromsø, get a partial refund if you can't come back, and later tours come at a discount after a successful night. The Safari also sells an option labelled Unlimited for extra tours during your stay; read its terms at checkout.

Weather cancellations are a separate thing. The all-inclusive small group gives a full refund if it cancels for bad weather, and the Camp Tamok night reschedules, offers an alternative or refunds. The easiest protection is timing: book your first chase on night one or two.

Is a dinner cruise or reindeer camp a good way to see the lights?

Yes as an evening, less so as a sighting plan. You wait in one place, so a cloudy night stays cloudy.

The aurora dinner cruise is three hours on a quiet hybrid-electric catamaran with a three-course Arctic dinner, passing the Arctic Cathedral. The reindeer camp evening takes you to a Sami camp with a herd of about 300 reindeer, a sled ride, dinner in a warm hut and a joik, the traditional Sami song. The Crystal Lavvo overnight gives you a whole night under a glass roof in the Lyngen Alps.

Our take: do one of these on a clear-forecast night, or as a gentle first evening while you are jet-lagged, and keep a chase for the nights when you need to move.

Feed the herd, ride a reindeer sled, eat dinner in a warm hut and watch the sky above the camp.

★ 4.6 · 4.5 hours

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What is included on a Tromsø aurora tour, and what should you wear?

Most chases include a thermal suit, hot drinks, a fire and photos. Wear wool layers underneath, warm boots with grip, a hat and two pairs of gloves.

• Suits: included on the minibus chase, the Safari (with boots, gloves and hats), the no-limit chase, the all-inclusive tour (with boots), the photography tour, the lavvo and Camp Tamok. The free-repeats coach rents them separately: reserve one ahead.
• Food: a full meal on the Safari, soup on the photography tour, reindeer sausages on the all-inclusive tour, hot dogs on the long no-limit option, a three-course dinner on the cruise and at the reindeer camp.
• Photos: almost every chase sends you photos of the night, from next-day delivery to a few days later.
• Bring: ice cleats for town (the free-repeats listing asks for them), a hat, spare gloves and a charged phone kept in an inner pocket.

Which northern lights tour should you book?

First trip: the minibus chase. Kids aged 5 to 9: the Safari. Adults who want a small group: the no-limit chase or the all-inclusive tour. Keen photographers: the photography tour.

• Short stay, two nights or less: the free-repeats coach, or a chase on the first night.
• Family with children: the Safari from age 5, the no-limit chase from 7, the photography tour from 8, the minibus chase from 10.
• Couples and friends: the adults-only small group.
• Once in a lifetime: the Crystal Lavvo overnight, and for adults 16+, the Camp Tamok night.
• A night on your own: the Fjellheisen cable car to Storsteinen on a clear night. See seeing the lights without a tour.

For timing, read the best time to go; for nights and order, planning your trip.

Frequently asked questions