Aurora Borealis hunt from Tromsø: Small-group chase with guide

Chase the Aurora where the clouds break, not where the tour schedule says

A small-group Northern Lights hunt from Tromsø that chases live forecasts into the Arctic wilderness instead of following a fixed route. Your guide reads the night sky, picks the best location for clear gaps, sets up a campfire and serves a warm meal while sharing stories about the region and the aurora phenomenon. Thermal suits, snacks, tea and professional photos of you and the landscape are included. Hotel pickup is available on request. The tour runs 5 to 8 hours and there is no guarantee of seeing the lights, though joining multiple evenings increases your chances.

Step-by-step itinerary

Aurora Borealis chase and campfire

• Leave Tromsø for Aurora hunt
• Travel to best Aurora viewing spot
• Set up cosy campfire
• Enjoy homemade warm meal
• Listen to guide's regional stories
• Learn about Aurora Borealis phenomenon
• Guide takes professional photos
• Relax by fire with hot tea
• Return to hotel in Tromsø

The Experience

You arrive in Tromsø with a free evening and no plan to chase the Northern Lights, or you've booked a few nights hoping to catch them. This tour skips the fixed itinerary. Instead, your guide monitors the aurora forecast and cloud cover throughout the day, then picks the location (coastal Kvaloya, inland valleys, or occasionally across the border into Finland), where you have the best shot at clear skies. You leave the city's light pollution behind and drive into the Arctic wilderness, stopping where the guide decides conditions are right.

Once you arrive, the guide sets up a campfire and serves a homemade meal while explaining how the aurora forms and what you're looking for in the sky. You'll be dressed in thermal suits, so the cold becomes background noise rather than the point. The guide takes professional photos of you and the landscape throughout the evening (portraits by firelight, the sky if it appears), and you get those images in web resolution after the tour ends. Between the meal and the waiting, you have time to sit by the fire with hot tea and listen to stories about the region.

There's no guarantee you'll see the lights on any given night. The aurora is a weather phenomenon and some evenings stay cloudy even in the best locations. What changes the odds is repetition: booking multiple evenings gives you more chances and more nights for the guide to read conditions correctly. The tour runs between 5 and 8 hours depending on where the chase takes you and how long you stay at each location.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Tromsø island (on request).
• thermal suits for warmth.
• a homemade meal served at the campfire location.
• snacks and hot tea or coffee.
• professional photographs of you and the landscape in web resolution after the tour.

Days and timesDaily · 17:30

Ages18 to 70 years · Under 18 — No ticket type: can't be added to a booking

Meeting point and pickupNo pickup · ends where it startsMeeting point, per the operator: “Please wait outside the Scandic Ishavhotel.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Wandering Owl

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English, so you'll follow the commentary and the stories about the region without translation. Book this if you want to chase based on real-time forecasts rather than a fixed route, and you're willing to spend multiple evenings if the first night stays cloudy.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

Can the guide pick up my hotel if I'm staying in Tromsø?

Hotel pickup is available on request from multiple drop-off locations on Tromsø island. Confirm your accommodation when you book so the driver knows where to collect you.

What happens if the sky stays cloudy all night?

The aurora is never guaranteed, even with the best forecast. Your guide will still take you to the clearest location available, set up the campfire and serve the meal. If you don't see the lights, you can book another evening to try again.

Will I be warm enough in the Arctic for 5 to 8 hours?

You'll wear a thermal suit provided by the tour, and you'll spend much of the evening sitting by a campfire with hot tea and food. The guide chooses locations and timing to balance your comfort with the best chance of clear skies.

What is Kvaloya and why does the guide sometimes chase into Finland instead?

Kvaloya is the coastal and inland region near Tromsø where the guide usually finds the clearest skies. On nights when clouds cover Norway but forecasts show better conditions across the border, the guide may drive into Finland: only when the chance of seeing gaps in the clouds is substantially higher there.

Do I get photos from the tour?

Yes. Your guide takes professional photos of you, other guests and the landscape throughout the evening. You receive the images in web-sized resolution after the tour ends, at no extra cost.

Is this tour suitable if I'm not very fit or I've never chased the aurora before?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You spend most of the evening sitting by a campfire, and the guide handles the driving and the forecasting. No experience with the aurora is needed. The guide explains the phenomenon and what to look for.