Arctic Breeze · Tromsø, then wherever the sky is clear
A guide from Arctic Breeze checks the cloud and aurora forecasts, picks the spots and drives a small group out of Tromsø in a minibus, with thermal suits, a fire and a photographer along. Pick it for the all-round package: the chase, the warmth and a portrait of you under the sky, with nothing extra to book.
Arctic Breeze is a local Tromsø company, and this is its evening chase. You meet guides in orange jackets outside The Dock Hotel, get a briefing on the night's conditions, and climb into a Mercedes minibus. The team has already looked at the weather models and the aurora activity, and the plan is simple: drive to wherever the cloud breaks. Some nights that means a fjord twenty minutes away. On others you spend a long stretch on the road towards the inland valleys.
Once you stop, it's thermal suits on, a bonfire, hot chocolate and waiting. A photographer takes portraits of the group with the lights behind, and these are included. The guide will also help you set up your own camera, which matters more than people expect: a faint aurora looks pale grey to the eye and much greener on a long exposure. Guests mention guides who tell stories about Sami myths and the science of the solar wind while you wait.
Two things to know. The tour runs in poor weather too, because the point is to find a gap, but nobody can promise one. On a heavily clouded night the lights may only show faintly or on camera, and one guest wrote that two minibuses travelled together, which made the stops busier. Book it early in your stay so a cloudy first try leaves room for another night. The return is a drop-off at hotels in the city centre.
Look for guides in orange jackets outside Scandic The Dock hotel in the city centre. Use a toilet before you leave: the listing says there are none at the remote spots.
A briefing on the weather and the aurora forecast, then the drive towards the clearest sky the team can find.
Thermal suits on, the bonfire lit, hot chocolate poured. The guide watches the sky and the data.
The photographer shoots group and personal portraits, and the guide helps with your camera.
Drop-off at hotels in central Tromsø. The tour lasts about 6 hours, longer or shorter depending on the drive and the lights.
★★★★★Mateo was well prepared and delighted us with stories regarding mythology and science!
★★★★★he knew where to drive to get the best chance of seeing the lights.
★★★★★They made this experience so easy, fun and cozy!
★★★★★The guides also provide unlimited photo taking with their own camera equipments
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About 6 hours, according to the listing, but it depends on how far the guide has to drive for clear sky and on how long the lights stay. Expect a late return on cloudy nights.
Yes. A photographer takes professional photos and portraits during the night, included in the booking. The guide can also help you with your own camera settings.
Outside The Dock Hotel (Scandic The Dock) in central Tromsø. The guides wear orange jackets. At the end you're dropped at hotels in the city centre.
The tour still runs, and the guide drives to wherever the forecast shows a break in the cloud. The aurora is not guaranteed, though. Read our guide to the best time to go to plan nights with better odds.
Ready to book
A guide who reads the cloud maps, a thermal suit, hot chocolate by the fire and your portrait under the lights. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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