FAQ
The best time to see the Northern lights is during the dark hours when the sky is clear of clouds, typically between 17:00 and 02:00. The aurora is most active around the equinoxes in March and September, and it becomes more intense following a sunspot cycle peak. The waxing and waning of the moon do not affect the visibility of the Northern lights.
The temperatures in Tromsø can vary throughout the Northern Lights season. In September, the average daily temperature is around 6.9°C, while in October it drops to 2.7°C. By November and December, temperatures reach -1.2°C and -3.4°C respectively. In January and February, expect temperatures around -4.4°C and -4.3°C, with a slight increase to -2.8°C in March. It's important to note that wind-chill factor can make it feel colder. To prevent frostbite, ensure you dress appropriately and take necessary precautions.
Answer: While there is no guarantee of seeing the Northern Lights, you can rely on northern lights forecasting, which is often more accurate than weather forecasts. The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska provides excellent resources, including a website and email alerts, allowing you to monitor predicted activity on the Kp scale. Other websites also offer helpful predictions for the aurora borealis.
The husky and the reindeer activities are tours provided with our partners, and therefore cannot be discounted. You can add the husky and/or reindeer activities to your cart as a separate tour.
During the winter season, September to April, we recommend packing wool clothing, super underwear, which you can wear underneath your outer clothing. In addition, a warm hat to cover your ears and gloves/mittens for your hands. Often it is your feet that will be cold first, so wool socks are strongly recommended. Other than that; good winter shoes and general winter clothing.
All the animals we can see are wild animals, so as we say on the boat: “Some days we see a lot and some days we don’t see that much”. The animals we can spot are the white-tailed eagle, seals, dolphins, arctic birds, porpoise, whales, moose, reindeer, fox and more. All we can do is to cross our fingers and toes for a good wildlife show and keep our eyes open.
The Polar Nights occur within the Arctic Circle, which is located at 66°33’N. During the winter solstice, the sun remains below the horizon, resulting in a continuous period of darkness. However, there is always a faint twilight present as the sun hovers just below the horizon. The duration of the Polar Nights increases the further north you travel within the Arctic Circle.
To photograph the Northern Lights, using an SLR camera with long exposures of 10 to 20 seconds and a tripod is recommended. Opt for a lens with a wide aperture and a wide angle for the best results. Consider using foam on your tripod legs to prevent skin from sticking to the metal in cold conditions. It's advisable to carry spare batteries kept warm close to your body, and avoid bringing the camera indoors to prevent condensation. Find a location with foreground elements for perspective, set ISO to 400, focus to infinity, and open up the aperture. Remember to take moments to enjoy the show and consider the challenges of filming the Northern Lights.
All our tours depart from the same place, outside our office at the front pier of Killengreensgate 7-11. There is public parking around the office, but you would have to pay for it. You cannot park in front of the office, as it private parking, but around the rest of the building, it is public parking.
We do not know the exact date the whales and orcas will come to our area, and we do not know the exact date they will leave. The tour is set to start on the 1st of November, which is based on the previous years’ experience, but throughout all the years, we have seen orcas and whales on the first day of the season every year. When the whales will leave is a bit more uncertain, but they will leave at the end of January/early start of February. Note that if you do book the whale safari at the end of season, there is a risk of the whales leaving us at any given day.
The photos from the Northern Light Tour by minibus will be uploaded the day after your tour around 19:00. You will find the photos under the tab “Photos” on our website, then choose the correct date, followed by the correct bus. Because of privacy, the photos from each bus are password protected, so please type in the password which was given to you by the guide.
