✓Free cancellation availableCancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund
✓Secure bookingPay safely through the GetYourGuide checkout
✓5 to 8 hours (evening)Check availability to see starting times
✓No hidden fees: pay at GetYourGuide checkoutThe price you see at checkout is the price you pay
The Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour is a small-group minibus tour out of Tromsø, Norway, built around one idea: rather than driving a fixed loop and hoping, the guides track live cloud radar and a network of cameras across the region and drive to wherever the sky is actually clear, even as far as the Finnish border on longer nights. It is the flagship pick on this site because it is the most flexible aurora-hunting format available in Tromsø right now, and it comes with professional photos included rather than as a paid add-on.
What makes the Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour different?
Most Tromsø aurora buses run a set route and turn back after three or four hours regardless of conditions. This operator instead offers a genuinely unlimited 6 to 8 hour option: the minibus keeps moving until it finds clear sky, and on cloudy coastal nights that has meant crossing into Finland. A shorter 5 hour version exists for travelers who cannot commit to a full night out. Group size is capped at 15, which is small enough that the guide can actually help everyone with camera settings rather than herding a 50-seat coach.
What to expect on the night
You are picked up in central Tromsø in the early evening and immediately fitted with a thermal suit, since the wait for the lights happens outside. The guide spends the first stretch of the drive watching satellite and camera data rather than following a script, so the route genuinely changes night to night. Once a dark, clear spot is found, the group stops: chairs, a bonfire, hot chocolate and grilled hot dogs come out while you wait. When the aurora appears, the guide shoots professional portraits of the group with it overhead, delivered digitally within about 10 hours on the longer tour.
Is the Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour worth it?
If your main goal is maximizing the odds of an actual sighting during a short Tromsø stay, yes: the unlimited driving range is a real structural advantage over fixed-route buses, and the operator's own figures put its historical success rate at 98.1% across more than 27,000 guests. It is less worth it if you are only in Tromsø for one night and have an early departure the next morning, since the 6 to 8 hour option can put you back at your hotel well after midnight.
What does the Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour include?
Both options include your guide's local knowledge, thermal suits and foot warmers, hot drinks and snacks around a bonfire, and professional photography with same-trip or next-day delivery. The unlimited 6 to 8 hour tour adds a bonfire cookout with hot dogs and tripod use for your own camera. Not included: hotel pickup itself (you meet at a central point) and drop-off outside Tromsø Island.
Who should book the chase tour over other Tromsø options?
This is built for travelers who have one or two nights in Tromsø and want the single best shot at seeing the lights, and who do not mind a late, open-ended evening. If you are traveling with young kids, on a tight schedule, or simply want a lower-cost first attempt, the Tromsø Northern Lights Safari covers similar ground at roughly half the price with a fixed group departure and an onboard toilet for the long drive.
Prices and what is included on the Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour
Pricing starts from €123 per person for the shorter option, discounted from a €176 list price at the time this page was checked. Prices on GetYourGuide can move with season and demand, so treat this as a guide and check the live price before booking. Free cancellation policies and exact terms are shown at checkout, not repeated here since they can change without notice.
Getting there and meeting point
The tour departs from a central Tromsø meeting point that is confirmed on your booking voucher, an easy walk from most city-centre hotels. If you are staying outside the centre, check the pickup details on your confirmation, since drop-off is guaranteed only within Tromsø Island proper (the Moxy Hotel is a stated exception on the return leg).
Insider tips for the Tromsø aurora chase
I would book this on the first clear-looking night of your trip rather than saving it for the last, since a genuinely flexible chase tour is exactly the kind of experience you want a backup night for if weather cancels the first attempt. Bring your own tripod if you shoot on a phone with manual controls, since the operator's tripods are set up for their own camera gear first. Layer up under the provided thermal suit: Arctic wind at a bonfire stop cuts through jeans and sneakers fast, and warm feet matter more than a warm jacket on a night that can run past midnight.
How the Chase Tour compares to other Tromsø aurora options
Against the Tromsø Northern Lights Safari, this tour trades a lower price and an onboard toilet for a genuinely unlimited search radius and a smaller group cap. If you would rather pair a cultural experience with your evening instead of pure aurora hunting, the Sami reindeer sledding tour runs during the day and is a different kind of trip entirely, worth stacking on a separate day of your visit. Travelers comparing Tromsø against other Northern Lights destinations should also see how it stacks up against the Fairbanks Northern Lights Tour in Alaska and the Rovaniemi Northern Lights Tour in Finnish Lapland, both of which use fixed money-back guarantees instead of an unlimited chase format.
Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour: Route and itinerary
Evening pickup in Tromsø city centre
Your guide meets your small group (capped at 15 guests) at a central meeting point around dusk. You board a heated minibus, which is what lets this operator drive farther than big-bus tours when the sky calls for it. Tip: dress in warm base layers under the thermal suit you get on board, since you will be outside for photo stops. Tromsø City Centre, Norway
Live sky tracking begins
Before the bus leaves town, the guide checks real-time satellite cloud data and reports from a network of live cameras across northern Norway and into Finland. This is the step that separates a chase tour from a fixed-route bus: the destination is not decided until the sky data says where the clear patch is, which can take 15 to 30 minutes of route planning. Tromsø, Norway
Drive into the fjords toward Kvaløya
The minibus heads out along the fjord roads, often the first 40 to 60 minutes of the route, with stops for scenery and a first check of the sky away from city light pollution. Expect winding coastal roads and mountain silhouettes even before any aurora activity starts. Kvaløya, Norway
Continue toward Finland if the forecast demands it
On nights when the coast is clouded over, the unlimited 6 to 8 hour option keeps driving, sometimes crossing toward the Finnish border area where the interior climate often runs clearer than the coast. This is the tour's main differentiator: most Tromsø operators stop after 3 to 4 hours, this one keeps going. Finnish border area, Norway
Camp is set up once clear sky is found
When the guide finds a genuinely dark, clear spot, the group stops for the night. Chairs, a bonfire, hot chocolate, coffee and grilled hot dogs come out, and you get insulated full-body suits and foot warmers so the wait is comfortable rather than a race back to the bus. Lyngen Alps area, Norway
The Aurora hunt and professional photos
This is the payoff step: your guide watches the sky with you, explains what causes the display, and shoots professional portraits and wide shots of the group under the lights using their own gear, included in the price. If the first spot clouds over, the group repositions rather than waiting it out. Northern Norway
Return to Tromsø
After the 6 to 8 hour unlimited option, the minibus drops you directly at your accommodation on Tromsø Island (the Moxy Hotel is the one exception, per the operator's own policy). Photos are emailed within about 10 hours. The shorter 5 hour option ends back at the original meeting point instead. Tromsø City Centre, Norway
Is the Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour worth it if I only have one night in the city?
It is a strong single-night pick because the unlimited driving range gives you the best realistic odds of finding a clear patch of sky, but be aware the tour can run until well past midnight, so it works best if you do not have an early flight the next morning.
What happens if we do not see the Northern Lights?
The listing does not state a money-back guarantee for this specific tour, so check the live cancellation and rebooking terms shown at checkout before you book, since policies can change and are not something this page can promise on the operator's behalf.
How cold does it get on the Tromsø Northern Lights chase?
Winter nights in the Tromsø region regularly drop below freezing, sometimes well below. The tour provides insulated thermal suits and foot warmers, but wearing warm base layers, wool socks and real winter boots underneath still makes a noticeable difference over a 6 to 8 hour night.
Can I bring my own camera on the Northern Lights chase tour?
Yes, and it is worth doing even though professional photos are included, since your guide can help with manual settings for aurora photography. Bring a tripod if you have one, as the operator's own tripods are primarily set up for their photographer's equipment.
Is the Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour suitable for children?
The tour involves a long, cold, late-night wait outdoors, which is demanding for young children. Families wanting a gentler introduction may prefer pairing an early evening on the shorter 5 hour option or considering the Tromsø Northern Lights Safari, which follows a similar format at a lower price.
Do I need to book the unlimited option or is the 5 hour tour enough?
If your priority is maximizing the odds of a sighting on a single attempt, the unlimited 6 to 8 hour option gives the guide far more room to chase clear sky. The 5 hour version suits travelers with an early morning commitment the next day or a lower tolerance for a long night out.
Where does the Tromsø Northern Lights Chase Tour pick up and drop off?
Pickup is from a central Tromsø meeting point confirmed on your booking voucher. Drop-off on the unlimited tour is at your accommodation, as long as it is on Tromsø Island itself; the Moxy Hotel is the one stated exception, and travelers staying elsewhere should check their voucher for details.
