"The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and there is no guarantee you will see them on a tour - however the Atlantic Breeze guide knew the best direction to head in our 15seater mini bus. We were rewarded with 3hrs of continuous lights that even amazed our guide Brynjar. Yes it was freezing but the fire and hot chocolate helped warm us up."
CHECK THE SKY
Cloud and darkness decide the night
—
Cloud over tonight’s dark hours
—
Kp forecast tonight (NOAA)
—
Moon tonight
—
Dark enough tonight
A forecast, not a promise: cloud for Tromsø from MET Norway, Kp from NOAA SWPC · Tromsø chases drive inland, some as far as the Finnish border, to find gaps in the coastal cloud. · month by month · checked
Geomagnetic latitude
66.9°
Corrected geomagnetic latitude (IGRF-13) of the nearest observatory, Tromsø, published by ISGI, adjusted for the distance to Tromsø. Source, checked October 2026.
Kp that brings the oval overhead (est.)
Kp 0 estimated
NOAA SWPC’s rule of thumb: the oval’s edge sits near 66° geomagnetic at Kp 0 and moves about 2° per Kp step. Source, checked October 2026.
Dark enough for the aurora
September to March
Months with at least 4 hours a night of the sun 12° or more below the horizon; May to August is too light. Computed with JPL DE421, checked October 2026.
Best months, on clear dark hours
November, December and January
Dark hours a night times the share of cloud-free night sky (NASA POWER, 2001–2025), checked October 2026.
Clear dark hours in November
≈ 2.2 h a night
An average, not a forecast: 14.1 h of darkness with 84% typical night cloud. Checked October 2026.
Tromsø, Norway · against Abisko, Sweden
Tromsø or Abisko for the Northern Lights: Cloud, Darkness and the Tours
Tromsø has the most northern lights tours of any town in the world, and the cloudiest coast of the places on this site. Here is how it compares with Abisko, across the mountains in Sweden, and why the Tromsø chases drive inland.
From
US$137
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.8 / 5 6987+ Reviews
- 10 Aurora Destinations Compared on This Site
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Arctic Breeze Minibus Tour Includes
Arctic Breeze's northern lights tour by minibus from Tromsø.
Highlights
- A minibus chase out of Tromsø to the clearest sky of the night
- Thermal suits lent for the night
- Hot chocolate around a bonfire
- Professional photos and portraits of you, included
- Drop-off back at your hotel
What's Included
- Transportation
- Minibus
- Thermal suit
- Hot chocolate drink
- Professional photos
- Portraits
- Hotel drop-off
How a Night Works
From booking to the lights.
Book an Early Night
Book the first or second evening, so a cloudy night still leaves room to try again.
Meet in Tromsø
The chases leave from the centre in the evening; check the meeting point on your voucher.
Chase the Gaps
Guides pick the direction from live cloud data, and some drive far inland or across the border.
Camp and Wait
At the spot, a fire and hot drinks while the guide watches the sky and takes your photos.
Photo Gallery
On the Tour
Photos from the tour's own listing.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
What the Tour Brings, and What You Bring
Arctic Breeze AS includes
- Transportation
- Thermal suit
- Hot chocolate drink
- Professional photos
From the tour’s GetYourGuide listing, checked October 2026. Check dates for this tour →
Bring
- Layers under a windproof shell, a warm hat and gloves: you stand still for long stretches on an Arctic night
- Warm, waterproof boots with good grip on snow and ice
- A charged phone and a spare battery: cold drains batteries fast
- A head torch with a red light, so you keep your night vision
Month by month
When Tromsø Is Dark and Clear Enough
Night cloud, hours of darkness and how often the Kp index reached 3 or more in the dark hours, month by month at Tromsø.
| Month | Dark hours a night | Night cloud | Clear dark hours (est.) | Dark hours with Kp 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January best | 15.1 h | 83% | 2.6 h | 18% |
| February | 11.9 h | 83% | 2 h | 26% |
| March | 7.7 h | 87% | 1 h | 28% |
| April | 1.1 h | 84% | 0.2 h | 26% |
| May | Too light | 83% | — | — |
| June | Too light | No night | — | — |
| July | Too light | 77% | — | — |
| August | Too light | 76% | — | — |
| September | 5.6 h | 81% | 1 h | 30% |
| October | 10.6 h | 84% | 1.7 h | 26% |
| November best | 14.1 h | 84% | 2.2 h | 24% |
| December best | 16 h | 85% | 2.4 h | 21% |
Night cloud: NASA POWER climatology (CLOUD_AMT_NIGHT), January 2001 to December 2025, at the Tromsø grid cell. Darkness: computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield (sun more than 12° below the horizon), averaged per night. Kp 3+: share of the 3-hour Kp windows from 2015-01-01 to 2025-12-31 that fell in the dark hours here, from GFZ’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0); September and March run higher, the equinox effect NOAA describes. Clear dark hours are an estimate, dark hours times the cloud-free share. Checked October 2026.
Looking north
The Sky Over Tromsø, Facing North
Computed charts of the stars where the aurora usually appears, on a new-moon night. The aurora itself is not drawn: no chart can forecast it.
Tour or on your own?
Tromsø on Your Own, or With a Tour?
- Do you have a car that can handle icy Arctic roads in the dark, for hours?
- Can you read the cloud radar and decide whether the coast, the fjords or the Finnish border is clearest?
- Will you stand outside in sub-zero wind until the lights build, without a thermal suit?
Yes to all three
Go on your own
On a clear night the lights can appear over the town itself; walk away from the street lights and look north and up.
No to any of them
Book the tour
A guide who reads the live cloud data and drives to the gaps, a thermal suit, a fire and hot drinks, and photos of you under the lights.
Check dates →The Top Three Side by Side
Prices as listed on GetYourGuide, October 2026.
| Feature | TOP PICK Northern Lights Tour with Minibus, and Free… | Northern Lights Safari with Expert Guides… | Northern Lights Chase - We Drive Until We… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From US$137/per person | From US$70 (Oct 2026) | From US$122 (Oct 2026) |
| Rating | 4.8/5 (6,987 reviews) | 4.6/5 (8,784 reviews) | 4.9/5 (1,973 reviews) |
| Operator | Arctic Breeze AS | Northern Lights Safari Tromso | Snow-travels |
| Free Cancellation | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead | Yes, up to 24 hours ahead |
| Check Availability | View This Tour | View This Tour |
Other Tromsø Northern Lights Chases
The most-booked safari, the best-rated chase that drives until it finds the lights, and a chase that lends thermal suits.
MOST BOOKEDTromsø: Northern Lights Safari with Expert Guides and Photos
Trusted by over 55,000+ travelers in 2025
BEST RATEDTromsø: Northern Lights Chase - We Drive Until We Find Them
Small group experience (maximum 15 guests)
THERMAL SUITSNorthern Lights Chase + Photos, Snacks, thermal suits
Search for the Northern Lights around the Tromsø area with an expert guide
The Tromsø or Abisko Guide
Which One to Choose
The coast against the valley, on the data and the tours.
If you want the most choice of tours, pick Tromsø; if you want the best odds of a clear sky, Abisko has the numbers. NASA’s night-cloud climatology puts typical night cloud over Tromsø at 83% in January, against 73% at Abisko, so on our measure Abisko averages about 3.9 clear dark hours a night in January to Tromsø’s 2.6. Both sit under the auroral oval (66.9° and 65.6° geomagnetic latitude), so cloud, not the aurora, is what you are choosing between. Tromsø answers the cloud with the chase: the best-reviewed tours drive inland, some all the way to the Finnish border. The pick for the job is Arctic Breeze’s minibus chase, from US$137 as of October 2026, with thermal suits and photos included.
Check dates for the Arctic Breeze chase →
Tromsø against Abisko
| Tromsø, Norway | Abisko, Sweden | |
|---|---|---|
| Night cloud, January (NASA POWER) | 83% | 73% |
| Clear dark hours, January (est.) | 2.6 h | 3.9 h |
| Dark hours, December | 16.0 h | 15.6 h |
| Geomagnetic latitude | 66.9° | 65.6° |
| Northern lights tours on GetYourGuide | 149 | 57, with Kiruna |
| Getting there | Direct flights to Tromsø | Fly to Kiruna, then road or rail west |
| Tours | Compare the Tromsø chases | Compare the Abisko and Kiruna tours |
Cloud and darkness checked October 2026; tour counts from the GetYourGuide catalogue, 18 October 2026.
The Tromsø chases compared
| Tour (operator) | From | Rating (reviews) | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minibus chase with photos (Arctic Breeze) | US$137 | 4.8 (6,987) | Thermal suits, bonfire, photos and portraits |
| Northern lights safari (Northern Lights Safari Tromsø) | US$70 | 4.6 (8,784) | The most booked; may cross the border; an unlimited option |
| We drive until we find them (Snow-travels) | US$122 | 4.9 (1,973) | The best rated of the big sellers |
| Chase with thermal suits (Polar Adventures) | US$94 | 4.5 (3,631) | May cross into Finland; 30% off a new tour if no lights |
| Small group, all-inclusive (Northern Horizon) | US$173 | 4.8 (1,815) | A smaller group with more included |
| Reindeer sled and dinner (Tromsø Arctic Reindeer) | US$223 | 4.6 (2,809) | A Sami dinner with a chance of the lights |
Prices in US dollars, ratings and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026; they change with the date you pick.
So which?
Choose Tromsø if you want a city break with the most tours, flights and hotels, and are happy to let a guide drive you to the gaps. Choose Abisko if clear sky is all you care about and you do not mind the extra journey; see the Abisko and Kiruna tours. For a single page on Tromsø’s own tours, tromsonorthernlightsexcursions.com compares them in more detail.
No tour can switch the aurora on, and the cloud forecast is free. What a Tromsø chase adds is the reach: guides who watch the live cloud data and drive for hours if they must, to the clear side, a thermal suit for the wait, and photos of you when the lights come.
Guest Reviews
What Recent Guests Say
4.8/5
from 6987 verified reviews
"Excellent experience, thank you our guide “Oscar”👍🏻"
"Wow is how I’d sum it up! Oscar (who runs the company with Brynjar) was our guide and he was simply amazing! He drove safely and took us far from Tromso and despite cloudy conditions - we saw the beautiful lights for nearly 2 hours! I couldn’t be happier."
"Our guide Vini was insightful and knowledgeable. He was able to share about the northern lights and was able to find us a perfect spot to view them. He’s a professional photographer and shared the best settings to use for the camera to capture the northern lights, he even followed up to check if the photos were good."
"It was great! Brynjar was super knowledgeable and optimistic! His energy was superb and at the end we got to see the Aurora!"
"Very comfortable minibus, relaxing activity on a very cloudy evening. When we had given up all hope, after our guide took us to a second spot, we were able to see an incredible show!"
"Going out for our Northern Lights Tour was for our family of 4, all the way from South Australia. Having Brynjar as our guide I knew it was a sign we would see the lights, my son is Bryn! His driving was calm and careful and his knowledge as a local Tromso person showed in his ability to have success for our group. Brynjar treated everyone with respect and showed kindness to accommodate each person’s needs, which is a tuff gig with many nationalities! Thank you for helping us tick this experience off our lists! Jess, Andrew Girolamo"
"The guide was very experienced and provided us with a lot of information about the Northern Lights. The Kp index was very low on the day we went aurora hunting. We thought we wouldn't be able to see them. The guide took us to three viewing spots, and we saw the aurora at two of them."
Read all 6987 verified reviews
See All ReviewsPick a Night, See the Price
Most northern lights tours on this site cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, and several offer a free second tour or a refund if the lights do not show. Check the terms of the tour you pick before you pay. Starting from US$137 per person.
Check AvailabilityFAQ: Tromsø or Abisko
The tours, the odds and the season, with figures checked October 2026.
Abisko for clear sky, Tromsø for choice of tours. NASA's climatology puts January night cloud near 83% over Tromsø and 73% over Abisko; both sit under the auroral oval. Tromsø's chases make up for the cloud by driving inland. Data checked October 2026.
Some do, when the forecast calls for it. Northern Lights Safari Tromsø and Polar Adventures both say they may drive across the border to find clearer sky, as listed in October 2026.
It depends on the tour. Northern Lights Safari Tromsø says refunds are not offered if the lights are not seen but sells an unlimited option; Polar Adventures offers 30% off a new tour. Check the terms in the booking calendar.
September to March, when the nights at Tromsø get at least four hours of nautical darkness. Darkness, not the aurora, sets the season this far north: from May to August the sky never gets dark enough. Computed with JPL DE421 via Skyfield for the town, checked October 2026.
November, December and January, on this site's measure: the most dark hours that are also cloud-free on average. That is the night length times the share of clear nights in NASA POWER's 2001-2025 night-cloud climatology. September and March also see more Kp 3+ activity, the equinox effect NOAA describes. Checked October 2026.
About Kp 0 (the oval is often overhead) brings the edge of the auroral oval over Tromsø, an estimate. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center puts the oval's edge near 66 degrees geomagnetic latitude at Kp 0, moving about 2 degrees per Kp step; Tromsø sits near 66.9 degrees geomagnetic. Higher Kp means brighter, more active displays, and cloud matters more than the number on most nights.
Still have questions? Email us at info@northernlightsdestinations.com
Kp index: GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (Matzka et al. 2021), CC BY 4.0 · Oval rule of thumb: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center · Geomagnetic pole: NOAA NCEI (WMM2025) · Night cloud: NASA POWER Project, January 2001 to December 2025 · Tonight's cloud: data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0); Kp forecast: NOAA SWPC · Sun and moon: JPL DE421 via Skyfield · Aurora data checked October 2026.