How Much Does It Cost to See the Northern Lights? Tour Prices Compared

A northern lights tour costs from about US$32 to US$1432 per person on the tours compared on this site, with the middle of the range around US$157 (October 2026). The cheapest are bus tours from Kiruna and Reykjavik; the dearest are full-day trips to the Arctic Circle from Fairbanks and private or snowmobile nights. The tour is the one cost this page can compare honestly: flights and hotels change by the day. A middle-of-the-range pick with a second chance built in is Northern Lights Safari Tromsø, from US$70, with an Unlimited option.

Check dates for the Tromsø safari →

Tour prices by destination

Per-person from prices of the tours compared on each destination page, as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Private tours price per group.

What the price buys

The cheaper tours are buses with a guide and hot drinks. The price climbs with a smaller group, longer chases (the Levi guarantee tour has no time limit, typically six to ten hours), thermal suits and boots, professional photos of you, dinner, or a snowmobile, sled or boat. The no-lights policy is part of the price too: a free retry in Iceland, a camera-checked refund in Rovaniemi and Levi, an Unlimited option in Tromsø, nothing at all on some tours. The comparison tables on each destination page list it.

What the price does not include

Flights, hotels, food and clothing hire on tours that rent rather than lend it. Northern Lights Safari Tromsø, for one, lists winter suits as a rental option. Book the tour early in your stay, so a cloudy night still leaves room for the retry or the second night you paid for.

The free option

The aurora costs nothing to look at, and on a clear night you can see it from the edge of town. What you pay a tour for is the drive to the clear sky, the guide who chooses it, the warmth, the photos and the second chance.

See also the cheapest place to see the northern lights.