Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Tromso Northern Lights Tour

Part of the reason I've been dying to visit Norway was to see the Northern Lights, and when I had a two week vacation from work in February (a good, but not great time of year to see Aurora Borealis), I knew that we had to go to Norway! After flying from Nice to Oslo for a short layover (Norway is quite expensive, so we packed lots of non-perishable snacks like trail mix and granola bars, both for the airport and for wandering around in the cold Norwegian weather). Upon landing in Tromso and arriving at our hotel, we talked to the front desk staff about the best travel agencies to book tours with local tour companies. After checking out GetYourGuide, we discovered that we could book our tour from the comfort of our hotel room, with no lines or added fees, and with QR code tickets available right on our phone. Since the tour was the next day, and we didn't have access to a printer at our hotel, this the perfect setup! The main reason we booked a Northern Lights tour was that all my research told me about the perils of renting a car in the Norwegian winter weather. Although I'm used to driving in the snow, I am certainly not used to driving in the snow, dark, and on the unfamiliar roads of the wild Norwegian countryside! The mini bus tour from Get Your Guide was perfect for us, since we wanted a small group experience, as well as the expertise of a local who would guide us in hunting for the Northern Lights. Pukka Travels was the local partner for this tour, as they were local Norwegians who spent almost every night each week taking people like us on the hunt for the Aurora. Before we started our 7 hour tour, we were outfitted in the most amazing snowsuits, and enjoyed coffee and tea before the tour started. After about 2 hours of driving into the arctic wilderness, we arrived at the remote location that was decided to be the best location that night to try to catch a glimpse of the elusive Northern Lights. Spoiler alert: we didn't get to see the Northern Lights on the tour, as it was too cloudy, but the tour guides made the best of it- we still wore our hilarious and toasty snowsuits, had reindeer stew (there was a vegetarian option!), shared hot chocolate and candy, sat by the campfire, and enjoyed taking some fun photos next to a frozen river. Part of the fun was riding in the bus and hearing more about Norway, and the Northern Lights, and asking the guides for dining recommendations, things to do, etc. I would definitely do this tour again the next time we head to Tromso (we loved Norway so much!), and I would absolutely rebook with GetYourGuide. Please enjoy laughing along with me at the below photos of us in our snowsuits (which I would legitimately buy if they were for sale- they were so cozy and warm even after hours in the cold!)

Don't forget- the best time to see the Northern Lights near Tromso is from early September to early April, but if you are there from the end of May until the end of July, you can see the midnight sun. Happy travels!

 

 

 *This post is not sponsored by GetYourGuide, but it does contain affiliate links if you book this tour (at no cost to you of course!)