FAQ: NORTHERN LIghTS IN NORWAY

Absolutely. There are days when you can see the aurora right from the city center without needing a tour. However, there’s a reason why northern lights tours in Tromsø are so popular, with more and more popping up every season—and despite that, they still get fully booked. A tour significantly increases your chances when the sky isn’t clear in Tromsø.

We’ll go over the reasons why booking a tour can make a difference in the next question!

Booking a northern lights tour in Tromsø is well worth it for a few solid reasons:

👉 Expert Guides: The Tromsø guides are pros at reading local weather patterns, and they know exactly where to go for clear skies when Tromsø itself is cloudy. They’ll drive wherever it takes—sometimes up to three hours one way—to get you a great view.

👉 Safe Driving: The drivers (or the guides themselves) are experienced with northern Norway´s tough winter conditions.

👉 Trained Eyes: Guides have an eye for spotting even faint auroras that many first-time visitors wouldn’t notice. They’ll point out the subtle green glow that might seem like nothing to an untrained eye.

👉 Photography Pros: They’re also skilled photographers who know how to get you a beautiful shot under the northern lights, making sure you go home with stunning photos of the experience.

Now, just to give you a rough comparison: during September and the first half of October, we’ve put our 360-degree camera out every single night here in western Lofoten, and it’s picked up some aurora activity about 50% of the nights. But guides in Tromsø report a success rate of over 90%, thanks to their flexibility and dedication to chasing clear skies—even when that means long drives.

For example, this September and October were really challenging weather-wise in Tromsø, with plenty of rainy, cloudy nights. Despite that, tour guides were reporting successful aurora sightings nearly every night.

And yes, there are times like October 6, when auroras were visible as far south as Europe—yet Tromsø, ironically, was completely clouded over! When that happens, operators will either cancel the tour or give you the option to cancel. Some tours still run for those who just want a nice night out by a campfire.

So, while you can certainly see the northern lights without a tour, booking one with an experienced guide really ups your chances, especially when conditions aren’t ideal.

We get it! With so many northern lights tour providers in Tromsø, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. Plus, tours aren’t cheap, so it’s worth booking with an experienced guide and a trusted company to make sure you’re getting the best experience.

To make things easier, we’ve put together a list of 10 top northern lights providers. These companies offer a variety of tours to suit different preferences:

👉 Small, intimate groups (up to 8 people) for a more personal experience

👉 Active tours with snowshoeing (up to 6 people) for those looking to mix in some adventure

👉 Minibus tours (up to 18 people) for a balance of comfort and group size

👉 Affordable large-bus tours (up to 50 people) for budget-friendly options

We believe there’s no one-size-fits-all northern lights tour. Some travelers prefer a smaller group and a personal approach; others might prioritize onboard comforts (like a restroom!). Some are focused on photography, while others are simply looking for the most affordable option. Our list covers a range of options, so hopefully, you can find one that fits your style.

We wrote a detailed article on how to choose the best Northern Lights tour for your needs, and we also recommend some top-notch tour providers.

However, if you’re just looking for a quick list of trusted companies, I’ll save you the trouble and name them here.

Most of these companies we know personally, and we can confidently vouch for their excellent service:

👉 Wandering Owl (Minibus tours up to 15px)

👉 Northbound (Small groups up to 8px)

👉 The Green Adventure (Minibus tours up to 15px)

👉 Northern Shots (Big coaches up to 45px)

👉 Guide Gunnar (Minibus tours up to 15px)

👉 Green Gold of Norway (Small groups up to 8px)

👉 Arctic Photo Guide (Small groups up to 6px)

👉 Arctic Circle Tours Tromsø (Minibus tours up to 15px)

👉 Greenlander (Small groups up to 8px)

👉 Best Arctic (Basecamp concept, up to 44px)

How do we pick the companies we recommend?
Ideally, we have direct experience with the companies—meeting the owners, joining their tours, or knowing the guides who work with them. We also read through reviews to make sure each company consistently receives positive feedback.

Lastly, we only recommend companies registered in Norway to support the local economy and ensure they’re operating above board. We hope this list makes it a little easier to find the right northern lights tour for you!

If you’re thinking about booking a Northern Lights tour in Tromsø, don’t wait too long—especially if you’re looking for a smaller group experience. Many of the small, top-rated companies sell out several months in advance. As of now, at the end of October, Northbound and Greenlander are fully booked until January, and Arctic Photo Guide has only a few scattered spots left for the rest of the season. Even tours with minibuses like Wandering Owl, The Green Adventure, and Arctic Circle Tours have limited availability left for November and December. So, to get a spot, it’s best to book ahead!

Now, let’s address why some people prefer to wait. Many want to see what the weather and aurora activity will be like closer to their date.

First, aurora activity: You can see the northern lights almost every night in Tromsø. There are very few nights where the sky is clear and there’s no aurora at all (it does happen, but not often). A lot of people get fixated on the Kp index and want to book when it’s high, canceling if it’s low. In Tromsø, it’s not about Kp! You can get amazing displays with a Kp of 0—really, it’s more about clear skies than Kp.

Weather: This is exactly why you book a tour! The guides are experts at reading local weather forecasts and know how to find the best spots with the clearest skies at the right times. So, checking Tromsø’s forecast isn’t that helpful because tours may go as far as Sommarøy, Ringvassøya, Skibotn, or even into Finland if that’s where the clear skies are. Recently, we’ve had challenging weather in Tromsø—lots of rain and clouds all over the region. But the tours are still coming back with happy guests and incredible photos most nights.

Another reason people hold off on booking is the hope of seeing the northern lights on their own, for free. Fair enough if you’re happy to see it just once! But every single night under the lights is different—shapes, colors, intensity, and duration vary so much. We’ve seen the aurora hundreds of times and still can’t get enough. When you’ve come all this way and maybe have only this one shot to experience it, personally, I’d go for it! (And I’d pick a tour that can capture amazing photos for me, too.)

It depends on how old your kids are. Most northern lights tour companies have a minimum age limit, usually between 5 and 13 years. Here’s why:

Northern lights tours often involve long drives, sometimes up to 3 hours one way, in search of clear skies. For younger kids, these long drives in cold, dark conditions can be tough. Then there’s the wait once you reach the viewing spot. Patience is key, as the aurora doesn’t always appear immediately or consistently, and it can get quite chilly while you wait.

Safety gear like thermal suits and boots is typically available in adult and youth sizes (S, M, L, XL), but most companies don’t carry gear for smaller kids, meaning it can be tough to keep them warm on these long tours. Additionally, guides aim to create the best possible experience for all guests, balancing comfort and focus, which can be challenging with younger children on board.

If you’re traveling with smaller kids, small group tours might not be the best option due to these factors. A private tour could be a great alternative!

With minibuses, you have a few more options. Arctic Circle Tours takes kids as young as 8, and Wandering Owl allows children from age 6. For toddlers or preschoolers, your best option is to go with a larger bus tour—either a northern lights chase (like Northern Shots) or a northern lights camp (like Best Arctic). These buses are heated, have toilets on board, and are generally comfortable, allowing you and your kids to warm up and take breaks as needed.

Best Arctic has several northern lights camps around the city, choosing the location based on the weather forecast. At the camp, there’s a bonfire, providing a cozy setup while you wait for the lights, and toilets are available too.

Please remember to contact the companies about child seats!

Another option is to try evening activities that keep kids engaged while you’re hoping for a northern lights sighting. Tromsø Arctic Reindeer Farm offers a family-friendly evening tour, and Vilmarkssenteret has an Aurora Husky Visit—both of which are great for kids and offer a chance to see the aurora.

In Tromsø, most companies can’t promise a second chance or refund because of limited availability. Small group tours, like Northbound, Arctic Photo Guide, and Greenlander, book out several months in advance. They simply don’t have extra seats available to offer a free spot on a following tour.

It’s a similar story with the minibus tours, even though they have more seats than minivans. However, Arctic Circle Tours offers a 50% discount on a second tour if you don’t see the northern lights the first time (subject to availability).

Northern Shots (big bus tours) also offers a northern lights “warranty,” allowing you to book a second tour at 50% off if the lights don’t show up on your first trip. To consider the lights as “seen,” Northern Shots requires that the lights be visible with the naked eye for at least 5 minutes. If the lights are only visible through a camera lens or appear for less than 5 minutes, they won’t count them as “seen,” making them a budget-friendly option in Tromsø if you want that extra chance without paying full price again.

Sometimes, the Northern Lights tour providers cancel a tour because of bad weather, while others decide to give it a shot. It’s a gamble either way.

Greenlander Tromsø, one of the top providers of small-group northern lights tours, offers valuable insight into the unpredictable nature of aurora hunting. “As a provider of these tours myself, we never know beforehand how the evening will turn out,” they explain. “During 11 years of Aurora guiding, I’ve learned that sometimes it all seems hopeless, yet there’s a wonderful outcome. Other times, we have 100% clear skies, but the activity never picks up, and we return to Tromsø empty-handed. A good guide can explain all this, and you should understand that luck often plays a big role—something impossible to predict ahead of time.”

They shared an example of a particularly tricky evening: “A couple of years ago, the forecast was dismal—clouds, a full moon, and low aurora activity. I had a private tour with a couple and gave them the option to cancel, but it was their last night, and they wanted to try. We drove toward Finland despite the weather forecast showing 100% clouds there, too. We spotted some stars through the haze less than an hour into the drive. We stopped, took what we could get, and suddenly, the skies cleared, and the aurora activity ramped up. It turned into one of the best shows of the season.”

On that same night, another provider, looking at the same forecast, decided to cancel. “A few days later, they received a one-star review. At first, the guests appreciated the honesty, but after seeing photos of the auroras from that night, they were upset they missed out.”

It’s a delicate balance for providers, as Greenlander explains: “Based on my experience, guests are often more frustrated when tours are canceled, taking away even that slim chance, than when they go out and return without seeing the auroras. It’s never an easy call, but that’s the nature of chasing the northern lights—sometimes luck makes all the difference.”