Booking choice: The minibus chase, from $257 per person. Check dates Tour details
Visit Tromsø says it is often possible to see the northern lights in downtown Tromsø, even from your hotel room window. Two things stand in the way: city light, and cloud over the island that the guide on a chase could drive away from.
This guide covers what you can do on your own for free, and what a tour adds.
The quick answer
You can see the aurora from Tromsø on clear nights with good activity; Visit Tromsø suggests darker spots such as Prestvannet lake. City light makes faint aurora harder to see, and if Tromsø is under cloud you cannot move. A chase tour drives to clear sky, often far out of town, which is what you pay for.
Can you see the northern lights from Tromsø city?
Yes, sometimes: Visit Tromsø says the aurora is often visible in downtown Tromsø on clear nights, including from hotel windows.
You need a clear sky over the island, active aurora and a spot away from bright lights. Visit Tromsø still recommends heading out of the city to areas with little or no artificial light.
Cloudy over the island tonight? The minibus chase drives to where the sky is clearer.
Check dates for the minibus chaseWhere is the best place to see the aurora in Tromsø town?
Visit Tromsø names Prestvannet, a lake in Tromsø, as one of the darker places where the aurora may be visible on clear nights.
That is on the Visit Tromsø northern lights FAQ. The first tip from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center is just as short: get away from city lights.
Why do tours drive out of the city?
To escape city light and, above all, to find clear sky: the guide drives to wherever the clouds are breaking.
The University of Tromsø describes the coast as mild and the inland as colder but less cloudy. The Chasing Lights minibus chase may explore the coast one night and drive deep inland, sometimes into Finland, the next.
Want someone else to read the clouds? The minibus chase includes a winter suit, a meal and the photos.
Explore the minibus chase Tour detailsIs it worth paying for a tour if you can see it from town?
It is worth it when Tromsø is cloudy or you have few nights, because a guide can drive to clear sky; on a clear, active night, town can be enough.
A tour also brings warm gear, a meal and photos taken by the guide, and the minibus chase includes tripods. The trade-off is cost and a late night: the minibus chase returns between midnight and 03:00, and there is no refund if you see no lights.
What about the northern lights cruise?
The cruise is a middle way: two to three hours on the fjord from the pier behind Nerstranda, leaving at 21:00.
The boat cannot drive away from cloud like a minibus can. Its listing offers a second trip if you see no lights, and it has only three reviews so far.
Prefer a short night on the water? Check dates for the northern lights cruise.
Check dates for the northern lights cruiseWhen should you look up from town?
Between about 20:00 and 02:00 is often the most active time, according to Visit Tromsø, from late August to early April.
NOAA notes that a full moon diminishes the apparent brightness of the aurora, so dark, moonless nights help most in town. See the best time to see the northern lights in Tromsø.
How do you know if tonight is worth it?
Check the auroral forecast and the cloud forecast; the University of Tromsø also points to all-sky cameras online during the dark season.
Forecasts give activity as a Kp index from 0 to 9 (NOAA). A good forecast with cloud over the island is exactly the night a chase tour earns its price.
Good forecast, cloudy town? Check dates for the minibus chase.
Check dates for the minibus chaseFrequently asked questions
Can you see the northern lights from your hotel in Tromsø?
Sometimes: Visit Tromsø says it is often possible from downtown, including from hotel windows, on clear nights with good activity.
Is Prestvannet good for the northern lights?
Visit Tromsø names it as one of the darker spots on Tromsø island for looking up on clear nights.
Do I need a tour to see the northern lights in Tromsø?
No, but a tour helps on cloudy nights, because the guide can drive to clearer sky and away from city light.
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Northern Lights Minibus Chase
- Professional photographer guide and a dedicated driver
- Winter suit and boots, if you send your sizes after booking
- A warm meal, snacks and hot drinks
Northern Lights Cruise from Tromsø
Northern Horizon Small-Group Chase
Thermal suit, campfire and a portrait for the lowest price here
