Looking for a Northern Lights tour in Tromso? If you are going on a winter holiday in Tromso, you probably want to go on at least one Northern Lights trip during your stay. There are different ways to chase the lights, and one tour is not necessarily better than the other – it really boils down to your own preferences and how you want to explore them. We have a wide selection of some of the best excursions in Tromso and in this article we’ll highlight the details of each tour to hopefully make it easier for you to make a choice.
The tours have limited capacity, so it’s wise to book in advance to secure a spot. Booking between one week to two days in advance is ideal, especially for our smaller tours.
This trip takes you on a four hour scenic boat ride on the fjords of Tromso islands. Joining a cruise is a very comfortable and relaxing way to chase aurora borealis. All you have to do is sit back and relax, and the guides will take care of everything else. This trip starts at 7 pm from the quayside of Kystens Hus in the centre of Tromso and lasts for about four hours.
At the start of the trip our knowledgeable English-speaking guide will welcome you aboard the ship. You will be shown the ship's amenities, the deck and indoor space, lavatories, and safety equipment. You will then be invited to the lounge to listen to a presentation and stories about the Northern Lights. You also have the freedom to roam around the spacious outdoor deck or relax inside with a hot drink. During the tour the guides will help you set up your camera and offer to take photos for you to help ensure you get the million dollar shot. The photos/portraits taken onboard will be sent to you within 72 hours. Standing out on deck on a winter evening in Tromso might be a cold experience, but weather appropriate clothing is your friend. We can offer you a thermal suit and hot drinks to help you keep warm. Hot coffee, water, tea and biscuits are included in the price for this tour.
Note: If you don't see Northern Lights on this cruise, you can book a second tour for free. (Subject to availability on the next tour).
Ready to set sail towards the Green Diva? Book your Northern Lights Photo Cruise!
Details: Season: November – April Departure: 19:00 Duration: 4 hours Price: From 990 NOK
Northern Lights Chase by Bus: This is a budget friendly tour that gives you a chance to experience the lights without breaking the wallet. You will be picked up in the centre of Tromso for a 6 pm departure and brought back to Tromso around midnight. The guides will take you on a 2,5 hour journey away from the city centre to escape the light pollution and find clear skies. Hot drinks and biscuits will be served while you wait for the green lady to show up, and portrait photos are included in the trip.
Note: In case you do not see aurora on your bus tour, you may book a second tour at 50% discount.
Want to catch the next Northern Lights bus? Book your tour here.
Details:
Season: 1st November – 31st March
Departure: 18.00
Duration: 6-7 hours.
Price: From 950 NOK
Camp Tamok is our wilderness centre located in an area with optimal conditions for experiencing the Northern Lights. Although Camp Tamok is located only a 75-minute drive from downtown Tromso, it is in a different and drier climate zone, with clear inland mountain weather. The dry climate generates many cloud-free night skies in winter, as well as during summer
This tour is quite similar to the bus trip above, but here you will be in a smaller group offering a more intimate setting. On thi strip the guides will drive up to 2.5 hours (300km) away from the city centre to escape the light pollution and find clear skies.
Once we have found the right location and clear skies, we set up a basecamp for you where we will make a fire and cook a warm stew, have hot drinks and sharfe stories around the fire. This way you are able to stay warm and comfortable waiting for Aurora.
When the lights show themselves our trained and skilled guides will take photos so that you can have some beautiful shots to show for your trip.
The minibus tour lasts for around 6-8 hours and we will transport you back to Tromso after the completion of the trip. This is by far the most popular Northern Lights tour in Tromso! A minibus allows us to reach much more exclusive places and settings to have the perfect frame with our guests under the Aurora, such as Otertinden in Signaldalen or the dreamy beaches of Sommarøy!
NB Places are limited and run out real quick on this trip! Book now to secure a spot!
Details:
Season: 15. October – 31. March
Departure: 18:00
Duration: 6-8 hours
Price: From 1350 NOK
As an alternative to chasing the Northern Lights by bus or other forms of transportation we also offer a Northern Lights evening at Camp Tamok for a chance to get a comfortable, personal and authentic experience within a fixed timeframe.
This is an evening tour picking you up from the centre of Tromso and taking you to Camp Tamok, our wilderness centre, 75 minute outside the city. At Camp Tamok, we will provide you with warm winter clothing and give you a presentation about Aurora Borealis and how to photograph this natural phenomenon. If the sky is clear Camp Tamok, we will take you on a short hike in the nearby areas for a better view and the chance to photograph the Northern Lights.
If the sky is cloudy or there is no sign of the Northern Lights, we will enjoy the dark and silent surroundings in a genuine Arctic atmosphere. If spotting the Northern Lights is your main aim, you might be better off booking an overnight package tour where you stay at the camp overnight and combine the experience with other activities.Ready to meet the green lady? Book your Northern Lights visit here.
Details: Season: 15. November – 31. March Departure: 17:00 Duration: 7 hours Price: 1150 NOK
Vegetarian options are available upon request, just make sure to notify us about dietary requirements in advance so we can cater to your needs.
This tour combines a Northern Lights chase by bus with a visit to an Aurora base camp. We set off by bus from Tromso at 6 pm to start the chase. Should you require warmer clothes to brave the Northern Norwegian winter, we have warm thermal suits to lend you.
The direction we go in will depend on the Aurora and the weather forecast. Our experienced guides know exactly where to go and where to stop for the best photo opportunities with scenic backdrops. Tripods are available to borrow to help you keep the camera still during your photo session. The guides are also professional photographers and can help you with the camera settings so that you get your million dollar shot. We decide which camp to go to as late as possible so we can see where the green lady is dancing.
After about two hours you will be transported to one of our exclusive Aurora Camps. Each camp has two comfortable lavvus (Sami tents). At the basecamp we split into two smaller groups where each group will have their own designated lavvu and guide. There will be max 20 guests per group and you will have access to toilet facilities on the bus. At the camp we’ll let you warm up with hot drinks and a warm stew with fish cakes or sausages over the open fire.
The tour lasts for up to 8 hours including a transfer back to Tromso after completion of the tour. Ready to catch the lights? Book a private aurora camp visit here.
Details: Season: November 1 – March 31 Departure: 18:00 Duration: 8 hours Price: From 1350 NOK
On this cruise you’ll enjoy an Arctic Tapas dinner in our 360-degree panoramic lounges. You will be picked up in Tromso city centre at 6:45 pm for a 7 pm departure. Here you can enjoy the Arctic landscape around you as we serve you a modern Arctic Tapas dinner. The food is catered by award-winning Mathallen Restaurant. Based on locally-sourced, seasonal and fresh ingredients, the dinner is a modern twist inspired by traditional Northern Norwegian culinary dishes.
During the evening the guides will launch an underwater drone, bringing you closer to the rich marine life of Tromso. The crew will also share their knowledge about the local history and tell stories about the mysterious deep waters and the landscape surrounding us.
If luck is on your side, the Green Lady will appear and blow up the sky in beautiful colours.Please note that it can be cold standing on the deck waiting for the Northern Lights to appear. We recommend dressing to the season and in layers so you can adjust your clothing to the weather conditions. If you need an extra layer, we can lend you a thermal suit. The warm, indoor lounges with panoramic windows provide exceptional views of the coastal scenery of Arctic Norway.
Details: season: October 1 – March 31 Departure: 19.00 Duration: 3,5 hours Prices: From 1490 NOK
Note: As the lights are a natural phenomenon, we can’t offer any guarantees, but our experienced guides will do what they can to help you get a successful chase. Regardless of the Green Lady’s appearance we always try to ensure our guests get the best experience possible.
One January we had experienced a lot of bad weather, so it wasn’t a good time to chase the lights. The best product around this time was a Camp experience where our guests could enjoy a laid back experience around a campfire in a traditional Lavvo listening to stories about Northern Lights and life behind the polar circle, from folklore to history.
The following tours are not focusing on chasing the Northern Lights, but they take place in the evening, meaning they could appear during your tour if you're lucky.
Dog sledding is a unique form of transportation in Northern Norway and our evening tour takes you on a snowy adventure along the scenic fjords and Arctic mountains. This is a self-drive tour allowing you to mush your own husky team. You don’t need any previous experience to take part in this activity – all you need is to be in a decent physical condition and be eager and willing to learn something new. You will be picked up from Tromso city centre at 5 pm and taken to the Camp Tamok wilderness centre. At the camp the guides will take you through the safety instructions and give you a practical demonstration so you’ll know what to expect. You will also be provided with warm clothes to be able to withstand the cool Tromso weather. We will provide you with warm winter overall suits, boots, hats and mittens – when you are ready you’ll set off on your adventure on the 12 km dog sledding trail.
There will be two people sharing a sled and a dog team. One will take on the role as the “musher” (driver) while the other sits back and enjoys the ride. You can switch places mid trip so you both have a go at both experiences. It takes about 1 hr 30 min to complete the dog sledding route (the duration can vary depending on snow conditions).
Once the dog sledding adventure is completed, we will serve you a hot meal in a tradition around the open fire in a reindeer herder’s tent giving you yet another authentic Northern Norwegian experience. After a bit of leisure time we will take you back to Tromso city. Want to know more about dog sledding tours in Tromso?
Ready to mush your own husky team? Book easily here!
Details: Season: 15.11. - 31.03. Departure: 17:00 Duration: 7 hours Price: From 1895 NOK
The snowmobile is the perfect way to travel in the snow. In the vast Arctic areas of Northern Norway the snowmobile is as common as a car. In Tromso you can go on an unforgettable snowmobile adventure above the Arctic Circle. You will be picked up in the centre of Tromso at 5 pm and transported to Camp Tamok, our wilderness centre 75 minutes outside of the city. Upon arrival you will be provided with warm clothes and shoes for the day. Before you set off on your snowmobiling adventure the guides will go through the safety instructions and provide a practical demonstration.
On the snowmobile tour you will drive in pairs, one being the drive and one being the passenger. There will be plenty of opportunities to switch drivers during the excursion. Lake Finn marks the halfway point of our snowmobiling adventure and is a good place to take photos and play in the snow.
The snowmobiling adventure ends back up at the camp where we will serve you a hot meal around the open fire in the reindeer herder’s tent. After a bit of leisure time giving you time to relax and warm up, we will take you back to Tromso where you can tick another adventure off your bucket list!
Ready for an Arctic snowmobile adventure? Book your Snowmobiling Evening tour here.
Details: Season: 01.December – 31. March Departure: 17:00 Duration: 7 hours Price: From 1895 NOK
This is a true Northern Norwegian cultural adventure including reindeer sledding, introduction in lasso throwing, storytelling about the Sami culture and reindeer feeding. Reindeer sledding is the oldest form of transport in the north and for this evening trip you will be picked up in Tromso city centre at 5 pm and taken on a 75 minute scenic drive to Camp Tamok where you will get warm winter clothes and boots for the day. The adventure begins with a short transfer with a minibus to the Sami Camp to explore the ancient Sami culture and go for a sledding adventure.
After this memorable encounter with the indigenous Sami people, we will take you back to Camp Tamok and serve you a hot meal around an open fire in a reindeer herder’s tent. After a bit of leisure time we will transport you back to Tromso.
Want to try a cultural Northern Norwegian experience? Book your Reindeer sledding Evening Tour.
Details: Season: November 15 – March 31 Departure: 5pm Duration: 7 hours Price: From 1795 NOK
The Snowmobiling, Reindeer and Dog Sledding evening tours are not focusing on catching the Northern Lights, but they could appear during the tour if you are lucky.
Once after some very snowy days in Tamok the sky was still partially covered. We were on a snowmobiling tour and when there is this much snow, you sometimes have to slow down and take it easy. This gave us the chance to notice something green through the gaps in the sky. On our way back the sky opened up completely and the Aurora was so strong that it illuminated the whole Tamok Valley. The guests were so happy they started dancing.
Tips when chasing the lights for the first time: Bring woolly socks and a bit of patience. Like all things in nature, Northern Lights can be very unpredictable, and we are so lucky to be in the middle of an increase in Solar activity! This winter we already observed a lot of Solar Storms ( this activity will grow until 2025 as it is 10 years cyclical). This is great news for anyone who wants to meet the Green Lady.
Norwegian Travel is a premium brand aiming to offer high-quality experience-based tourism in selected unique destinations in Norway. From the fjords to the mountains. From the sandy beaches to the rough cliffs. From urban buzz to the massive stillness of the old mountains. We wish to inspire people to explore the treasures to be found in Norway. At our destinations you can explore amazing nature, good food and exciting activities all year round.