5 Best Tromso Northern Lights Tours + Tips (2024-2025)

I have seen the northern lights in Tromso a handful of times – often on tours but more often than not on my own. As someone who lives in the Arctic, I get excited when someone books a trip up north and gets to check ‘seeing the aurora’ off on their bucket list!

In this guide, I list the best northern lights tours in Tromso, Norway. I also give some of my best tips for taking a Tromso northern lights tour at the end of this guide – so be sure to scroll down and check it out!

In addition to the tips at the end of my Tromso aurora guide, I will list a few things to bring with you on your tour as well as a quick and no-nonsense guide to photographing the aurora.

If you have any questions at the end of this guide, please reach out to me!

Northern lights tours in Tromso book up pretty quickly, so be sure to get your tours booked well in advance. Thanks!

Why I Recommend Taking a Tromso Aurora Tour

Can you see the northern lights on your own? Yes. But, if this is your first time in Tromso, I highly recommend taking a northern lights tour.

First of all, seeing the northern lights in Tromso (or anywhere) is dependent on conditions. Cloud coverage, location, and light pollution all play a key factor in seeing the aurora.

Since Tromso is on the coast, clouds tend to hover around more than they do inland. A guide will drive you inland and around to where cloud coverage is more minimal, giving you a better chance of spotting the aurora!

Secondly, the northern lights can be hard to spot if you have never seen them before!

They can appear as a white streak if the solar winds are not active and you may just pass them off as a cloud. Having an expert spotter makes identifying them MUCH easier if the solar winds are not overly active.

💥 PRO TIP: I encourage you to book your northern lights tour for the first or second night of your trip. If you do not see it, it will allow you to rebook and (hopefully!) you will not be left disappointed.

If you are visiting Tromso on a budget, you can always set out on an aurora tour your first night and if you see them, try venturing out on your own the next few nights to capture them independently.

Picking the Right Northern Lights Tour in Tromso

Before breaking down each of these tours, I want to give a quick overview and comparison of these tours depending on your travel group and style:

Dedicated Vs. Combo Northern Lights Tour

Throughout the guide, you will see me refer to a ‘dedicated’ northern lights tour and a ‘combo’ northern lights tour.

While these are names I kind of made up, they have very specific meanings (to me!):

Dedicated Northern Lights Tour

This is a northern lights tour whose sole mission is to see the northern lights. You might have a fire and hot drinks somewhere.

These tours are usually small groups (sometimes a larger bus depending on demand) and will drive to a few locations with an expert guide.

Combo Northern Lights Tour

These are usually an activity that takes place at night that also allows you to see the northern lights.

The main mission of the activity is that you will do something and because you’ll be outside, you can see the aurora if conditions are right!

Some examples of these are nighttime boat tours, husky farms, and reindeer farm / Sami cultural experiences (taking place at night). These tours are fantastic because if you don’t see the aurora, at least you feel like you tried a new experience.

Without further ado, here are the best northern lights tours in Tromso, Norway (with a bit of info about each!).

Best Tromso Northern Lights Tours

1. Best Tromso Northern Lights Tour (My Top Pick; Offers Guarantee)

Duration: 7 hours
Languages: English
Meeting Point: Polar Adventures office at Tromso Harbor
Wheelchair-accessible: No
➡️ CHECK PRICES HERE

Go hunting for the lights across the Arctic Circle traveling as far east as the Finnish and Swedish borders! The seven-hour northern lights tour will take you out into the Arctic to hunt down the ever-elusive aurora with a small group in a minibus.

The experienced tour guides and northern lights hunters will take you as far as possible to see the lights so make sure you take your passport with you (good for check-in and just in case you end up outside of Norway).

The tour lasts for around 7 hours, although this may change depending on the time of year. During these 7 hours (give or take), you will have a campfire at one of your stops and a chance to pose for photos that you will receive after the tour is complete.

At your stop, you can meet other travelers, roast marshmallows, and have a hot drink. This tour does offer thermal suits in case you get cold (many people put them on during my tour!).

The reason this tour is my top pick is because they offer a discount for a follow-up tour if you don’t get lucky enough to see the northern lights.

This is MAJOR. I always recommend booking your tour at the beginning of your trip so that you have as many chances to see them as possible!

2. Aurora Borealis Tour from Tromso (Another Small-Group Option)

Duration: 6 hours
Languages: English
Meeting Point: Scandic Ishavshotel in Tromso
Wheelchair-accessible: No
➡️ CHECK PRICES HERE

Operated by Arctic Breeze, this Tromso northern lights tour is one of the most booked experiences in the city. It gets phenomenal ratings and lasts for 6 hours on a minibus tour.

Your English-speaking guides will take you by bus through the Arctic wilderness to hunt for the aurora and find places where you can relax and photograph it when it does make its appearance.

The bus will be comfortable and the guides will help you set up a tripod (and adjust your camera settings) to get the best photos possible from your adventure!

They have thermal suits and winter gear if you didn’t pack the right stuff! Hot drinks are included.

3. Reindeer Ranch and Northern Lights in Tromso (Best Combo Tour)

Duration: 4.5 hours
Languages: English
Meeting Point: Beside Radisson Blu in Tromso (closer to the Rorbua Pub)
Wheelchair-accessible: Yes (let them know beforehand just for the heads up!)
➡️ CHECK PRICES HERE

Wrap up warm and head out to a reindeer camp for dinner, storytelling, and (hopefully) the northern lights!

The northern lights have played a huge part in the Sami culture and there are few better ways to experience them than hanging out with the Sami and their reindeer.

During the five-hour activity, you will head out to a camp, feed the reindeer, enjoy a traditional three-course meal, and have the chance to see the spectacular lights.

During the evening, you will also learn in-depth about the Sami way of life which until recently, was kept under wraps.

Dinner is a traditional Sami stew that is normally served at weddings and you will eat it while you hear traditional songs. Vegetarian options are available (give a heads up though!).

Please note that the tour that I am recommending does not include reindeer sledding as I don’t personally find it ethical. If this is something you want to enjoy with your children, you can also take an evening tour (fingers crossed for the aurora!) that includes it!

4. Tromso Northern Lights Chase by Electric Catamaran

Duration: 3.5 hours
Languages: English
Meeting Point: Brim Explorer (Kaigata 6)
Wheelchair-accessible: Yes
➡️ CHECK PRICES HERE

Brim Explorer offers fantastic tours on their beautiful electric catamaran tours through the fjords of Tromso – and this tour is an evening one that includes dinner and an opportunity to see the northern lights!

While I have not taken this northern lights tour (I usually do the Sami reindeer ranch tours or ones including combo activities since I live in the Arctic), I have been on this boat a few times (and even once in the Lofoten Islands). I just took day tours instead!

On this aurora boat trip around Tromso, you will get a chance to see famous landmarks around the island while you enjoy a dinner of Arctic tapas and drinks (alcoholic ones must be purchased). Vegetarian options are available but please notify in advance.

The boat is stunning. It is modern, has a bottom and top floor, and is wheelchair accessible on its first floor (including restrooms and viewing platforms). There is also a bar area where you can purchase additional snacks and beverages.

5. Tromso Aurora Tour and Husky Visit (with Dinner)

Duration: 4 hours
Languages: English
Meeting Point: Radisson Blu
Wheelchair-accessible: No
➡️ CHECK PRICES HERE

This tour is unique from some of the others in that you get a chance to hang out with huskies while witnessing the northern lights over Tromso!

You will head out to the Tromso Villmarkssenter with an English-speaking guide where you will have a relaxing northern lights experience as you get to cuddle the dogs and hear stories from locals.

The evening will feature a campfire where you will get a chance to roast marshmallows and you will also have a delicious meal of Norwegian stockfish from cod with tomato sauce (bacalao).

This tour is chilled out and for all ages – there will be no dog-sledding, however. Warm clothes are included if you need them.

What to Wear on a Northern Lights Tour

Northern lights tours can get cold! If you’re visiting in the middle of winter, here are some things I recommend wearing or bringing on your tour:

• Winter parka
• Wool sweater
• Mittens/gloves: I like mittens as they keep you warmer, but can make photography challenging – so go with what feels best for you. I actually have a pair of photography gloves from Vallerret, a Norwegian brand that specializes in cold-weather photography accessories.
• Wool hat: I wear ones from Haddock, a Lofoten brand that you can also purchase at Intersport in Tromso… but any will do
• Thick socks with snow/winter boots (I wear Fubuki boots – can see a pair below!)
• Base layers: Kari Traa (women only) and Devold are great brands to check out
• Hand Warmers: Some people may argue the need for these – but if your hands are cold, your hands are cold! You can bring along one-time-use ones (can find them all over Tromso center) or rechargeable ones. The rechargeable ones must be packed in your carry-on luggage.

Tips for Photographing the Northern Lights

Over the years, I have abridged this section to be as detailed, but short as possible!

I realize that I live in the Arctic and have seen the northern lights more times than I can count and that the average traveler is just looking for some quick info to bring home some gorgeous photos as a trip souvenir and memory!

You will need three essential things to photograph the northern lights if you do not want to use your phone:

1. Camera that you can switch to manual and adjust the settings on (you can see my exact camera below)
2. Wide-angle or prime lens (I use a 20mm)
3. Tripod

Once you have your camera, you must adjust a few settings. While these settings will differ based on aurora activity and your camera, I am going to give some baseline settings so that you can get started:

• ISO (the higher the ISO, the more light will be let in and the grainier the photo will be – start at 2000 and try to decrease)
• Shutter speed (the longer the shutter speed, the more light that will be let in – start at 3 seconds)
• F stop (how wide the lens is open – go as low as you can with the number as this means more light is allowed in)
• Manual focus (on the side of the lens you should see a small toggle between AF and MF. Move it to MF (just remember to toggle back after your aurora tour!)

The next steps are to use these settings and see how it works for you. Then adjust accordingly. The more ISO you have, the more ‘noise’ you will have in the photo. So try to decrease.

📸 PRO TIP: Do practice with the manual settings in your hotel room before your tour so you feel comfortable out in the field. It will be cold and every time you remove your gloves, you will let more cold air into them!

I find that the trickiest part is the manual focus setting. You will have a blurry photo if you do not adjust this. Try to focus to infinity (ask your guide for help if you need to!) and pick something in the scene as your guinea pig.

I usually use stars (make them as small as possible) or a tree (make sure it is crisp and detailed as possible). This should give you a fairly clear picture!

My Camera Gear

• Here is the Sony camera that I used for the northern lights (this is not a beginner’s camera) – an iPhone (or other newer phone) also does pretty good these days!
• Here is the wide-angle lens I use. It is a 20mm, F1.8
• Definitely don’t forget a tripod! This is my tripod. You can find cheaper versions like this one from K&F (that will work just fine if you’re a beginner).
• Also, don’t forget a camera remote or intervalometer. You can use your camera’s timer if you forget.
• Bring a headlamp or flashlight if you want a photo of yourself in front of the lights (I sometimes use the flashlight on my phone which can also work well).
• Spare batteries are lifesavers in the cold, Arctic weather. If you’re using your phone for photography, bring a power bank!

Seeing the northern lights in Tromso is something that should be on everyone’s list when visiting the capital of Northern Norway. 

I hope that these Tromso northern lights tours give you a good starting point for your journey to seeing one of the most magical phenomena on Earth.

More Tromso Travel Guides

• What to know before visiting Tromso
• Tromso snowmobile tours
• Tromso airport to city
• Best Tromso museums
• Best ice hotels in Norway
• Tromso budget tips and costs
• Best day trips from Tromso
• How to book a husky safari in Tromso
• Reindeer and Sami experiences in Tromso
• What to do in Tromso in winter
• The Perfect Tromso Itinerary (2-5 day options)
• Ethical whale watching tours in Tromso
• What to pack for winter in Norway
• Best coffee shops in Tromso, Norway
• Tromso in summer travel guide
• Best hotels in Tromso
• Tromso camping guide

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Megan Starr

Megan is a travel blogger and writer with a background in digital marketing. Originally from Richmond, VA, she now lives in Finnish Lapland after previous stints in Norway, Germany, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. She has a passion for winter travel, as well as the Nordic countries, but you can also find her eating her way through Italy, perusing perfume stores in Paris, or taking road trips through the USA. Megan has written for or been featured by National Geographic, Forbes, Lonely Planet, the New York Times, and more. She co-authored Fodor’s Travel ‘Essential Norway’ (2020) and has visited 45 US states and 100+ countries.