Small group
Northern lights chase in a small group
A guided chase by minibus in a small group, with photos of your evening included.
4.7 (2,849) · GetYourGuide
From €122.73
Book TicketNorthern Lights Tours from Tromsø
Aurora chase by minibus · Late August to early April
4.8 (7,079 reviews · GetYourGuide)
A guided northern lights tour by minibus from Tromsø, with photos of your evening included. Darkness and a clear sky decide whether the aurora shows; no tour can guarantee it.
from €117.63 / person
Duration, date & travellers are chosen in the next step at GetYourGuide.
- Photos of your evening included
- Season late August to early April
from €117.63
Check availabilityMore northern lights tours
Minibus, campfire or cruise
The same sky, different evenings. Pick a small group, a campfire stop or a quiet cruise on the fjord.
Local guides
Minibus chase with local guides
Hot drinks, local snacks and homemade cake on the way, plus photos of your evening.
4.9 (675) · GetYourGuide
From €131.68
Book TicketCampfire
Northern lights tour with campfire
Winter suits, a bonfire with grilled sausages and hot drinks while you wait for the sky.
4.8 (1,613) · GetYourGuide
From €96.26
Book TicketCruise
Aurora dinner cruise
A three-course meal on a quiet hybrid-electric catamaran around Tromsø Island, with a chance of northern lights.
4.3 (776) · GetYourGuide
From €191.55
Book TicketCruise
Electric northern lights cruise
An evening on the fjords around Tromsø on an electric boat, with guides telling the story of the aurora.
4.2 (373) · GetYourGuide
From €124.17
Book TicketWhat to expect
An evening out for the aurora
Tours differ in how they look for the lights and how they keep you warm:
By minibus
A minibus chase can leave the city lights behind and head for a clearer patch of sky.
By boat
Evening cruises sail quietly on electric or hybrid boats, one of them with a three-course dinner.
Campfire and winter suits
Some tours include winter suits, a bonfire and hot drinks for the long, cold wait.
Photos included
Several tours include photos of your group under the sky, taken by the guides.
Good to know
Before your northern lights tour
Table of Contents
Season and darkness
Northern lights season in Tromsø runs from late August to early April. The aurora needs darkness and a clear sky, so the dark months are the heart of the season: during the polar night, from about 27 November to 15 January, the sun stays below the horizon all day. No tour can promise the lights. Clouds decide, and a good forecast gives you a chance, not a sighting.
Minibus or boat
On a minibus tour the guides take you out of the city, away from the street lights; where the evening goes depends on the weather. A cruise stays on the water around Tromsø. It cannot drive away from the clouds, but it gives you a quiet evening on the fjord, and on the aurora dinner cruise a three-course meal on board.
What to wear
Arctic evenings are cold, and you spend a good part of the tour outside, waiting and looking up. Dress in layers, with warm boots, a hat and gloves. Some tours provide winter suits; the tour description in the booking window says what is included.
Photos and planning
Several tours include photos taken by the guides, so you can watch the sky instead of your camera settings. If the aurora does not show on your first evening, plan another one later in your stay: the more evenings you have, the better your chance.
Combine it with a day tour
The northern lights are an evening activity, which leaves the day free. In the twilight hours you can go dog sledding or meet the reindeer on a reindeer sledding tour; the evening reindeer tour also comes with a chance of northern lights.
Questions about northern lights tours
Will I definitely see the northern lights? +
No. Darkness and a clear sky are essential, and the weather decides. No tour can guarantee the aurora; the booking window shows the terms of each tour.
When is the northern lights season? +
From late August to early April. The darkest weeks fall in the polar night, from about 27 November to 15 January.
Minibus or cruise? +
A minibus chase can look for clearer sky away from the city. A cruise stays on the fjord and gives you a calm evening on the water, on the dinner cruise with a three-course meal.
Ready to look for the aurora?
Choose your evening, book the tour and bring warm clothes.