Northern Lights In Tromsø: When, Where and How to See The Aurora
September 2026
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Northern Lights In Tromsø: When, Where and How to See The Aurora
Seeing the Northern Lights in Tromsø was one of the reasons I wanted to visit Northern Norway (alongside experiencing the Arctic winter and seeing Orcas in the wild), and thankfully, the Aurora did not disappoint.
In fact, during my trip I was lucky enough to see the Northern Lights on three out of four nights. The first of those sightings was completely unexpected: I spotted the lights on the first night of my trip right from central Tromsø. But despite seeing them from the city, I also decided to join a dedicated Northern Lights chase tour to witness them from a dark location in the Arctic wilderness, and I would recommend doing the same if seeing the Aurora is high on your Tromsø bucket list.
The Northern Lights are one of those experiences that you simply cannot guarantee. You need the right combination of darkness, clear skies and Aurora activity, and sometimes a healthy dose of patience too. But with a little planning, you can give yourself the best possible chance.
If you're planning a trip to Tromsø to see the Aurora Borealis, here's everything I learned about when to visit, where to look, whether you should book a tour, and what it's really like to chase the Northern Lights in Tromsø.
Can You See The Northern Lights in Tromsø?
Tromsø is one of the most popular places in the world to travel too to see the Northern Lights.
Tromsø sits directly beneath the auroral oval, which means the region is ideally positioned for Aurora activity and the opportunity to catch a sighting of the Northern Lights in the night sky. The Northern Lights can be visible from late August through early April, provided it is dark enough and the weather conditions allow for a clear sky (although a lot of Northern Light tours only run from mid/late September and end in March).
So, yes, you can see the Northern Lights in Tromsø, but there's one important thing to remember: this is nature and there are no guarantees.
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon. You can visit Tromsø for several nights and have cloudy skies every evening, or you can get lucky and see an incredible display almost as soon as you arrive.
Therefore, I think the best way to approach your trip is to give yourself several opportunities to see the Northern Lights rather than planning your entire trip around one night e.g. stay for several nights, book a Northern Lights tour, get out of the city center.
When Is the Best Time to See The Northern Lights in Tromsø?
The Northern Lights season in Tromsø generally runs from late August/September until early April. You need darkness to see the Aurora, which rules out the bright summer months when Tromsø experiences the Midnight Sun (where the sun never sets).
The Aurora itself can appear at different times throughout the night. Official Tromsø guidance says that it is often most active between approx. 8pm and 2am, although there can be sightings outside those hours too.
September and October: The beginning of the Aurora season can be an appealing time to visit if you want an opportunity to see the Aurora, but don't want the full Arctic winter experience. During these months, you may be able to combine Northern Lights viewings with landscapes dressed in their autumn colours, opportunities to go hiking and milder weather conditions. The trade-off is that you likely won’t have the snowy Tromsø landscape that many people picture when they imagine an Arctic holiday, unless your trip is toward the end of October when snowy conditions are more likely to have started.
November to January: During this time is arguably the best time for Northern Lights viewing, and Tromsø itself feels like the Arctic adventure you may have imagined. The Polar Night occurs during part of this period, typically from the end of November until mid-January, when the sun doesn't rise above the horizon. In Tromsø, it isn’t completely dark for 24 hours, but rather there are beautiful periods of twilight and blue, pink and purple light. The longer hours of darkness that do occur during this time, increase chances of seeing the Aurora.
I visited Tromsø during Polar Night and found the soft light and extended periods of darkness to be part of the experience in itself. I have a dedicated blog post on this: Visiting Tromso During Polar Night.
February and March: By now, daylight is returning and the days are becoming longer, but there is still plenty of darkness at night for Northern Lights viewing. This is also still Arctic winter season, so you have the advantage of snowy winter landscapes and a range of Arctic activities to choose from including skiing (the peak ski season runs from February to May).
April: The Northern Lights season can continue into early April, but as the days become increasingly bright, your window for seeing the Aurora becomes smaller.
If seeing the Northern Lights is a priority on your Tromsø trip, I would suggest timing your trip to give yourself as much darkness as possible rather than choosing the very beginning or end of the season.
How Many Nights Do You Need in Tromsø to See The Northern Lights?
If seeing the Northern Lights is one of your main reasons for visiting Tromsø, I would not plan a one night trip. You might get lucky, but you are leaving yourself very little / no room for adverse weather conditions.
The more nights you spend in Tromsø, the more opportunities you have for the weather and Aurora activity to line up. This is also the advice given by the tourism board ‘Visit Tromsø’.
I would aim for at least 3 nights, and ideally 4, if catching the Northern Lights are a priority for you.
An example nighttime itinerary to increase your chances of catching the Northern Lights are:
Night 1: Keep your plans flexible and look for the Aurora in Tromsø city center, or take Fjellheisen Cable Car up Mount Storsteinen, away from light pollution in the city.
Night 2: Book a dedicated Northern Lights tour.
Night 3: Another opportunity to see the lights either from the city, or during another Arctic activity such as: a whale watching cruise, or an afternoon snowmobile tour.
Night 4: Extra flexibility if the weather hasn't cooperated.
Can You See The Northern Lights From Tromsø City Center?
Yes, you absolutely can, as I discovered for myself. I was fortunate enough to see the Northern Lights from Tromsø city center during my trip, down by the harbour and from the rooftop of my hotel (The Dock 69 39 by Scandic). So you don't necessarily need to leave the city every night to have a chance of seeing the Aurora.
However, seeing the Northern Lights from the city is a different experience than deliberately going somewhere dark to catch them. Light pollution can make the Aurora more difficult to see, particularly when the display is relatively faint.
If you are staying in Tromsø city center, definitely look up at the sky if it’s a clear night, but if seeing the Northern Lights is a priority, I'd also recommend getting away from the brightest city lights.
So Where Is the Best Place to See The Northern Lights in Tromsø?
There isn't any one particular viewing spot that guarantees you'll see the Northern Lights, but the best places are somewhere were it is: dark (away from major light pollution), you have a good view of the sky, and the sky above is clear.
There are several ways you can reach areas where it is dark and you have a good view of the sky, such as: taking the Fjellheisen Cable Car up Mount Storsteinen, or going on an organised activity that leaves the city and goes into the Arctic wilderness or fjords (e.g. a whale watching cruise, or an afternoon snowmobile tour). If skies are clear, you have a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights / Aurora from any of these, but you are dependent on the sky being clear where you are.
To increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights further, your best option is to be able to move location in search of clear skies. You can do this either by joining a dedicated Northern Lights tour, or independently if you hire a rental car.
Should You Book a Northern Lights Tour in Tromsø?
If seeing the Northern Lights is high on your bucket list, yes, I would book a tour, and especially if you're only visiting Tromsø for a few nights. A Northern Lights chase tour gives you more than just transport, experienced local guides know the area and monitor weather and cloud conditions throughout the evening. Rather than standing in one location hoping the clouds disappear, a dedicated Northern Lights chase can move in search of clearer skies.
The main goal of many Northern Lights chase tours is finding the Aurora, and they can travel considerable distances, sometimes crossing the border into Finland (c.2.5 hour drive), depending on where the weather is clearest. However, there is no guarantee, even on a chase tour that you will see the Northern Lights: after all they are a natural phenomenon.
On these tours the guides typically also provide information about the local area and the Aurora.
Some Northern Lights tours are small group tours while others are larger groups on a bus, and some provide additional warm clothing / snowsuits, photography assistance, food or drinks, or other extras, but exactly what's included varies between operators, so check tour details carefully before booking. Information on the tour I booked with Arctic Circle Tours Tromsø and my experience on the tour is below.
Seeing the Northern Lights Independently
Of course, another option is to chase the Northern Lights yourself if you are comfortable driving in the Arctic winter conditions and hire a rental car. This option gives you more flexibility: you can go wherever you want in search of the Northern Lights, stay as long (or short) as you want, and go out more than one evening in search of the Northern Lights without having the cost of the tours. On the other hand, you will need to monitor the weather yourself as you won’t have an experienced guide tracking the ideal conditions and locations, so it may not be as stress free as a tour.
How Far in Advance Should You Book a Northern Lights Tour?
I would book as soon as you have your Tromsø trip dates locked in, especially if you are travelling during the busy winter period. Northern Lights tours are popular, and official Tromsø guidance recommends booking both activities and accommodation in advance because they can sell out and get booked up. I would suggest you even check activity and accommodation availability before you book your flights.
My Experience Seeing The Northern Lights in Tromsø
One of the things I enjoyed most about my Tromsø trip was that the Northern Lights weren't confined to one organised excursion. I was lucky enough to see them on three out of four nights, including a surprise sighting on my first night, right in central Tromsø.
Despite seeing the Northern Lights by chance on my first night, I still decided to go on the dedicated Northern Lights chase I had booked in advance, and I’m glad I did. There's something very different about getting away from the city lights, standing outside in the Arctic landscape and waiting for the sky to change.
And that's the thing about the Northern Lights, you have to wait and watch. There can be nothing but darkness, then suddenly there's a faint glow of colour in the sky, then it becomes brighter, and before you know it, the Aurora is dancing across the sky above you. For me, that was all part of making the experience so exciting.
The Northern Lights tour I went on was this one with the local company Arctic Circle Tours Tromso, and from my personal experience I would recommend it. On the tour, a professional local guide uses a smart Aurora tracking system to help find clear skies and the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights. This tour is a small group tour which makes for a more personal experience. The mini-van has a live sky camera monitor so you can watch the sky on the drive to see any Aurora activity, with the camera often picking up activity before the eye can see it.
The night of my tour there was Aurora activity in the Tromsø area, so the guide only drove around 20 minutes outside of the city to a quiet area away from the main light pollution, but the tours do drive as far as Finland (c.2.5 hours) to chase the Aurora activity and clear skies if needs be. Once at the Aurora / Northern Lights viewing spot, the guide took individual professional photos of everyone in the group, with the Aurora in the night sky as the backdrop. These photos, together with photos and time-lapses of the aurora taken by the guide during the tour were shared by email the following day.
The guide also set-up a campfire and chairs, and everyone in the group sat around the campfire, toasting sausages to make hot dogs, all under the glow of the Aurora / Northern Lights in the sky above. Hot drinks were also provided and the local guide shared stories of Arctic life around the campfire. At the end of the tour, the guide dropped all guests back to their hotels.
I had one final Northern Lights sighting during my trip. After spending the day on a whale watching cruise through the fjords, on the journey back to Tromsø, once night had fallen, the Aurora appeared in the sky. Standing on the deck of the boat, surrounded by the Arctic waters, was such a unique way to experience the Northern Lights, and the perfect way to round off my Tromsø trip.
What Should You Pack for a Northern Lights Trip?
Standing or sitting outside, at night time, waiting for the Northern Lights to appear can feel much colder than walking around the city, and you may be outside for long periods of time, so wrapping up warm and wearing layers is essential. It's much harder to enjoy the Aurora if you're freezing.
My Winter Essentials Include:
Thermal base layers
Warm mid-layers
A proper winter coat
Merino wool socks: I got these ones from Nordic Socks
Warm gloves
Hat
Footwear that is at least someway waterproof (for the snow), and has good grip for icy conditions. I wore my hiking boots and found them ideal for the conditions and for walking around in the snow/ice.
Hand warmers (here) and foot warmers (here): these were great, especially for any trips you may be doing where you will be outside in the cold and elements for extended periods of time.
If you're booking an activity such as snowmobiling or a Northern Lights chase, check what the operator provides as some provide thermal suits and winter boots.
Being outside in the Arctic winter can also drain your phone battery quicker than normal, and especially if you are using your phone to take pictures of the Northern Lights, so I’d also recommend taking a portable power bank. I personally use and trust these from Anker: Power Bank Travel Essential, Built-in USB-C Cable, and, Nano Magnetic Ultra Slim Power Bank
A Summary of My Tips for Seeing the Northern Lights in Tromsø
After my own Tromsø trip, the below are things I'd suggest you keep in mind if planning a Tromsø trip of your own:
Stay for at least a few nights to give yourself more than one opportunity to see the Northern Lights. If it is cloudy on your first night, don’t give up as the Arctic weather can change quickly;
Leave some flexibility in your itinerary, and remember, you don’t necessarily need to leave the city every night as sometimes the Northern Lights are visible from the city center, but getting away from the city lights when you can, can make it much easier to see any Aurora activity in the sky;
Consider booking a dedicated Northern Lights chase, especially if seeing the Aurora is one of the main reasons for your trip;
If you are chasing the Northern Lights on your own, look for dark areas with clear skies;
Bring plenty of warm clothing and wear layers: it gets very cold standing outside waiting for the Aurora;
Look up! It sounds obvious, but you never know when the Northern Lights will make an appearance in the sky! The Northern Lights are unpredictable and that's part of the magic.
And finally, Tromsø is much more than the Northern Lights. Seeing the Northern Lights might be the reason you book the trip, but whale watching, reindeer and Sami experiences, snowmobiling, the Polar Night and exploring Tromsø itself can all make the trip magical even if the weather doesn't cooperate for Northern Lights viewing.
Planning a Trip to Tromsø?
If you're planning a trip to Tromsø, you might also find my other Tromsø guides useful:
Tromsø Winter Travel Guide: Northern Lights, Things To Do & Tips
My complete guide to planning a trip to Tromsø, including things to do, where to stay, getting around and practical tips.
The 3 Best Things To Do in Tromsø, Norway
My personal experiences of some Arctic activities I booked for my trip, including whale watching and a Sami/reindeer experience.
Visiting Tromsø During Polar Night
A personal account of what it was actually like visiting Tromsø during Polar Night, when the sun doesn't rise above the horizon.
Book your Tromsø Experiences
If you're ready to start planning, you can also browse Northern Lights tours and Arctic experiences in Tromsø , and use the map below to start comparing accommodation options for your trip.
