Northern Lights Chase, Tromsø
Nordlys
Tromsø is Europe's most reliable base for watching the northern lights. Aurora chase tours drive out every night to chase clear skies, and on clear nights you can also watch from the seaside outside the city.
Tromsø lies directly beneath the auroral oval. Combined with the relatively mild climate brought by the warm currents and convenient transport, it has become one of the world's most popular aurora cities. The aurora season runs from late September to late March, and in theory you can see the lights on any clear night. From late November to mid-January is the polar night, when the sky stays dark for long stretches, though coastal cloud cover is high. February and March have more clear skies and more beautiful snowy scenery. The easiest option is to join an Northern Lights Chase tour. Tours leave the city between 18:00 and 19:00, and guides drive for one to three hours to reach clear skies, which may mean traveling to the Finnish border or to a seaside spot. They provide insulated suits, hot drinks and campfires, and return around 1:00–2:00 a.m. Prices are about 1,200–1,800 NOK. There are also boat trips and dog-sled tours to watch the aurora. To observe on your own, you can rent a car and drive to bays such as Sommarøy or Ersfjord, far from city lights, or take a cable car up a mountain, but be mindful of road conditions. For photography, bring a tripod, a high-ISO camera and spare batteries. Newer phone night modes can also capture the aurora. Do not rely too heavily on the Kp index in forecasts, as cloud cover is the key factor. Plan at least three nights to improve your chances. Never stop on the road to watch the aurora, and be careful of icy roads in winter.
Opening hours
Night 18:00–02:00 (aurora tours), late Sept–late March
Nearby sights
- Storgata & Old Town
- Tromsø Cathedral
- Winter Whale Watching
- Northern Norway Art Museum
- Perspektivet Museum
- Mack Brewery & Ølhallen
- Polar Museum
- Polaria