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| Realistic color of dancing Aurora Borealis Northern Lights near Tromso Norway |
- To read about reasonable hotels in Tromso Norway, please visit: Tromso Smarthotel and other Reasonable Hotels and Accommodations in Tromso Norway
- To read about what to wear and what to bring to stay warm in Tromso Norway, please visit: What to wear and what to bring for your trip to see Northern Lights in Tromso Norway
- To read about overall budgeting and planning for chasing the Aurora Borealis in Tromso Norway, please visit: Northern Light Chase in Tromso Norway: Cost, Preparation, Weather, and overall experience
- To read about food and restaurants in Tromso Norway, please visit: Food and Cost in Tromso Norway
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| Viewing Aurora Borealis Northern Lights in cloudless night near Tromso Norway |
WHY AURORA BOREALIS IN TROMSO NORWAY?
Number one reason for picking Tromso Norway over Iceland or Fairbanks Alaska or Yellowknife Canada was because Tromso Norway is situated at the Northern most location when compared to other locations. This means Northern Lights are likely to be seen even when the Aurora Borealis forecast is less intense. Other main reasons were the fact that Tromso is one of the warmest places to visit for Aurora Borealis viewing in winter season and I could still plan some days of vacation in Germany or Holland in pleasant weather in the month of March. My other reasons (total of 6) were listed in my overall budget/planning article.
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| Nice small town feeling of Tromso Norway |
WHEN IS IT A GOOD TIME FOR NORTHERN LIGHTS?
There are many factors involved in the probability of viewing Aurora Borealis. Some factors can be plan ahead but many factors remain unpredictable. General timing of the day ranges from 6 pm to 2 am when the Aurora Borealis light energy is the most active. The duration can range from few minutes to the entire night.
1. SEASON
Historically, Aurora Borealis solar activities or Kp value are highest in average in the months of March and October. I visited Tromso in March because March is historically the less rained or less snowed month. In general, Fall and Winter seasons from September to April is the "Aurora viewing season" for tour companies because the seasons offer long hours of dark nights to increase the chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the sky.
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| High Northern Lights activities chart by month |
2. MOON PHASE - NEW VS. FULL MOON
New vs. Full moon nights for viewing Aurora Borealis has been a constant debate. Some argue new moon (little moon) enhances the probability of viewing the Northern Lights because the night is extremely dark. Some Aurora Borealis photographer would prefer the full moon because light from full moon brightens up the foreground to make their long exposure photographs appear even more majestic. For new Northern Lights chasers and non-professional photographers, moon phases probably would not interfere the visibility of Aurora Borealis to the naked eyes.
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| It is important to check moon phase calendar before planning your Northern Lights chase trip |
3. KP INDEX VALUE
Kp index is an unit scientist developed to measure Aurora/solar activities in the space. Space scientists could come up with relatively realistic Kp value prediction for up to 27 days. Higher values of Kp are likely to increase the chance of seeing dancing Aurora in the sky. The chance of seeing the Northern Lights in Tromso is extremely high because it is located be between of Kp1 and Kp2 zones.
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| The higher the Kp value the higher the chance of seeing intense Aurora Borealis |
4. WEATHER
Needless to say, cloudless sky is essential to improve the visibility of the elusive Northern Lights. The weather is not always predictable despite of the best weather forecast website such as Yr.com, recommended by local Norwegians. General rule for viewing the Aurora Borealis is that when you can see the stars in the sky, you will likely to see the Northern Lights if there is sufficient solar Kp activities from the sun. Due to the unpredictable weather in the Arctics, I relied on the Northern Lights chase professional tour guides to find the best spots for viewing and they turned out to be correct decisions.
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| Weather in the Arctic Circle could be very unpredictable |
REASONS FOR JOINING NORTHERN LIGHT CHASE TOURS
The main reason for not chasing the Northern Lights on my own was because I was traveling alone and I did not get a rental car in Tromso. I have listed other benefits of joining Northern Light Chase Tours after experiencing the wonderful Aurora Borealis in the sky.
1. Knowledgeable tour guides make their decision based on their experiences to find the best spots to view the Northern Lights even in lousy weather.
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| Elusive Norther Lights were not visible above thick clouds in Tromso Norway |
2. Experienced tour guides are good at driving in the snow. The thought of having a rental car stuck in snow ditch is never pleasant.
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| Driving in the snow in Northern Norway requires great deal of experience and courage |
3. Many tours offer professional photography services that is included in the fee of the tour. Postcard quality photographs were taken by the tour guides with their professional gears and emailed to the guests one day after the tour.
4. Most tours provided thermal suits to keep guests warm; many tours lend guests useful equipment such as head lamp and camera tripod.
5. Easy to meet other solo travelers and to make friends with other global Northern Lights chasers.
6. There is a great sense of safety when waiting in the dark when touring with a group.
7. The tours I joined either provided us with small snacks or hot chocolate or hot homemade soup while we were waiting in the freezing weather.
TYPE OF AURORA BOREALIS NORTHERN LIGHTS TOURS
In general, there are two major types of Northern Lights chase tours in Tromso. After speaking to hotel staff and tourism office agents, I have learned that when/if Kp index is less intense and weather conditions is less than ideal, the chance of seeing Aurora Borealis would be higher with joining Northern Lights Chase tours.
1. NORTHERN LIGHTS CHASE
This type of tour has only one intention, to maximize the chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the sky. Knowledgeable driver/pilot/tour guide will typically take guests in different means of transportation to find the best spots for viewing the Aurora Borealis. With mini van or mini bus being the most common. Forms of transportation could range from trucks to full size bus to ferry and airplanes. Average land/van group tours cost ranges from $100 to $250 USD. I went on two tours during my 5-day trip in Tromso Norway, I felt the money was very well spent due to the pleasant experiences I had. I was fortunate to have had knowledgeable tour guides who had professional photography skills as many of the tours will take postcard quality photographs for the participants during the night. Some of the more pampering tours would also include simple snacks, hot chocolate or hot homemade soup to warm up Northern Light chasers in Arctic weather. One downside of the Northern Lights Chase tours is the lack of access to civilized bathroom, therefore I recommend potential visitors to take a look at my recommended useful gadgets to make their light chase tours a bit more comfortable.
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| Mini van like this one is the most common mode of transportation for Aurora Borealis Northern Lights Chase Tours |
2. NORTHERN LIGHTS EXPERIENCE
This type of tours put additional emphasis on comfort and added activities to the experiences. Many of the Northern Lights Experience tours take guests to cabin or Sami Lavvu tent facility at locations with low to zero light pollution to maximize Aurora Borealis viewing probability. These cabins typically are heated with a fireplace and equipped with simple civilized bathrooms. This type of tour is perhaps more suitable for days when weather forecast is showing clear sky and the Kp index is high due to the fixed cabin location. Many of this type of tours are bundled with activities such as husky/reindeer sledding and snowshoeing walk. Guests can be doing fun activities while the elusive Aurora Borealis could show up at any time during the night. Few of the tour offers overnight Sami Lavvu tent experience with dinner included. Guests can enjoy the facility while waiting for the elusive Northern Lights to appear in the Arctic sky. I did not join any of the Northern Light Experience Tours because the weather forecast during my trip in Tromso was showing thick cloudy sky.
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| Northern Lights experience tours in Sami Lavvu tent is popular among tourists to Tromso Norway (photo from Viator) |
MY AURORA CHASE TOUR EXPERIENCES IN TROMSO NORWAY
1. Aurora Photo Guide Aurora Borealis Northern Light Chase Tour (~$140, first tour)
After arriving in Tromso airport around 4pm, I took Flybussen Airport Express bus to downtown and checked into Tromso Smarthotel. Soon after putting on extra inner thermal shirt and thermal pants in my hotel room, I stopped by Tromso Burger King for dinner before hopping onto the tour mini van that was picking up guests in front of Tromso Tourist Information Office at 7pm. There were visitors from all over the world, including the US, France, Spain and Malaysia, etc.
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| Inside of the Northern Lights chase tour mini van |
The tour guide gave us a short briefing in English and drove us to place called Sommaroy that was about one hour away from downtown Tromso. After putting on thick thermal suits provided by the tour group, we walked for about one minute to an area near the coast to set up to wait for the elusive Northern Lights.
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| Head lamp is important to help photographers to set up before Norther Lights appear in the dark |
While waiting for the sky to get dark, our tour guide helped some guests to set up their cameras to maximize the chance of capturing the green light in the sky.
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| Waiting for the sky to get completely dark while anticipating for Aurora Borealis to appear in the ksy |
Cloudless sky is essential for Aurora Borealis viewing and we were lucky that the sky was mostly clear during the night. Being able to see stars in the sky means the sky is clear enough to see the Northern Lights.
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| Visible stars in cloudless sky increase the chance of seeing the Northern Lights |
The magical night started off with a faint greenish light sneaking up on us. For first time light chasers like myself, I did not know what to expect and what to look for in the sky, our tour guide was very knowledgeable at pointing out where the elusive Northern Lights were.
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| First glimpse of the majestic Northern Lights was mesmerizing |
Because the sky was relatively cloudless and we had a wonderful photographer tour guide, many guests, including myself, were having pictures taken by our tour guide using his professional camera gear all night long.
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| Our Northern Lights chase tour guide was taking photographs for us during the the entire trip |
The Northern Lights that night was dancing at a very slow speed despite of the Kp index was only about Kp1 to Kp2. I believe the light was quite beautiful at relatively low Kp index is due to the advantage of being in the high latitude right under the Aurora Borealis light band. I would have described the band-like Aurora Borealis that night as a beautiful transparent green curtain in the Arctic sky.
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| I would have described my first encounter of Aurora Borealis as seeing green curtain in the sky |
Our guide provided some crackers and hot chocolate beverage during the night to warm up our frozen souls in the Arctic weather.
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| Our tour guide gave us some hot chocolate during the tour |
Many of the guests saw enough of the lights in clear sky and went back into the cozy heated van to wait for the tour to end at around midnight. Our tour guide then drove us back to downtown Tromso and drop off each of us at different hotels. My overall first Northern Lights Chase Tour was very pleasant and the first encounter with the Aurora Borealis was mesmerizing. Our tour guide was efficient in editing the photographs he took that night and emailed us photos 1 day after the tour.
2. Wandering Owl Aurora Borealis Northern Light Chase Tour (~$170 USD, Second tour)
I decided to join another Northern Light Chase tour after a few days because I was not able to see any Northern Lights on my own due to cloudy weather. Cold weather, high tour cost and low Kp index were also discouraging me from joining the tours every night while in Tromso. I finally decided to join another tour on my very last night in Tromso because the Kp index was spiking to potentially Kp5 or Kp6. The cloudy weather forecast also encouraged myself to join a longer duration tour in order to enhance the chance of seeing the Northern Lights before I leave Tromso on the following day.
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| Our tour guide/driver handled driving in cloudy and snowy weather very well |
After being picked up by the tour van near Tromso Tourist Information office at 7pm, the tour guide decided on a location inland that he predicted to be less cloudy. Part of the tour guide's job is to pick the best possible location based on their experiences in reading the weather. His correct decision was another reason why I am true believer of joining the light chase tours instead hunting for the lights on my own. Half way from the 1.5-hour drive to our destination, tour guests were brought to a gas station for our last chance of using civilized bathroom.
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| Stopping by a gas station for bathroom break before heading to our viewing spot |
I was feeling a bit pessimistic when I looked at the cloudy sky when we were at the gas station. I finally convinced myself that there was no better chance of seeing the Northern Lights in this type of weather other than joining a tour with good reputation.
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| Thick clouds could be blocking the visibility of Northern Lights |
Similar to my first tour, our tour guide lend us thermal suit, tripod, and taught us how to set up our camera for the optimal setting for Northern Lights photography.
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| Gearing up in thermal suits before the Northern Lights appear |
The green light was peaking through thick cloud soon after we put on the warm thermal suit. I knew the Kp index could be as high as Kp5 or Kp6, we just had to wait for the cloud to clear up.
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| Intensity of the Aurora Borealis increases as time went on that night |
The stars finally become visible to our eyes in the sky, this meant the cloud has finally thinned out and the elusive Aurora Borealis will become more visible.
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| Visible stars mean potentially visible Aurora Borealis |
The intensity of the light increases as the night went on. Different from the first tour I joined, the Kp index was much higher and the band of green light was on top of us instead of being far away.
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| Strong intensity dancing Aurora Borealis above thin cloud in the sky |
Since this tour was one of the more pampering tours, tasty reindeer soup was included during the tour. Having delicious hot soup in the the freezing weather warmed up each of us who were waiting for the Lights to show up in the Arctic sky.
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| Reindeer soup provided by our tour guide was hot and delicious |
The activity of the Northern Lights become so high that the fast movement of the band of lights turned into what I called "Dancing Aurora." The high intensity Aurora Borealis danced intermittently for a few minutes for many sessions through out the night.
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| Strobe of Aurora Borealis was dancing on top of us |
Because of the constant movements of the Aurora Borealis and the cloud condition, the tour guide and the tour participants were paying more attention starring at the sky rather than having their pictures taken. Seeing the Dancing Aurora Borealis with my own eyes was definitely worth the time and effort put into my trip to Tromso Norway, as I understand that dancing Aurora Borealis footage was extremely to capture with my mid-range DSLR camera gear. The night ended with tour guide dropping off each of us at our hotels in downtown Tromso around 2am. I believe every participant, including myself, enjoyed the magnificent Norther Lights show in the sky that probably would not have been possible if we were not with an experienced tour guide. I was a bit surprised to have met two female solo travelers. One of them was from Germany and the other was from China. Neither of them brought any photography equipment with them and both of them fulfilled their dreams of chasing after the dancing Aurora Borealis with their own eyes.
AFTER THOUGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. I highly recommend joining Northern Light chase tours. Aurora Borealis light chase tour guides are very knowledgeable about when and where to view the elusive Northern Lights near Tromso. They will drive guests to the best location and lend guest thermal suits to keep guests warm while waiting for the Aurora Borealis to show up. Joining the tours would definitely increase the likelihood of seeing Northern Lights in the Arctic sky.
2. Long dark nights are essential for better chance of seeing Aurora Borealis in the sky. Consider planning your trip between November and February for the longest dark nights in the Arctic circle.
3. If you are fortunate to be able to decide on your last minute travel dates within 2-3 weeks, I recommend you look up the Kp index forecast and plan your trip when the Kp index is consistently greater than Kp4 for 3 to 4 days and when the weather is cloudless.
4. Stay at centrally located hotel so it would be easy to get food, riding public transportation, and joining tours.
5. Do not stress over Kp index and weather after you have arrived in Tromso. Weather and Kp index are very unpredictable and you can only let mother nature take its course. Being in Tromso means you are in the northern most and best area of viewing Aurora Borealis. I recommend joining the Northern Light chase tours and letting the professional tour guides worry about the light hunt for you.
6. The best camera to capture the Aurora Borealis is your own eyes; if you feel that you are not skillful enough to capture the Northern Lights with your own camera equipment, let the tour guide capture them for you with their professional grade photography gears. Many of the Aurora tours offer free photographs taken during the tours.
USEFUL LINKS
*Viator Tromso Tours
*Aurora Borealis 27-day Forecast
*Tromso Norway Local Weather
*ggaurora.blogspot.com
*Natalia Robba's blog on Aurora Borealis
ALSO KNOWN AS
Tromsø; Tromso; 特羅姆瑟; トロムソ; ทรุมเซอ; 트롬쇠
Nordlys, Polarlys, Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights, Polar Light, 極光, Aurore Polaire, Polarlicht, 오로라, Poollicht, オーロラ, Zorza Polarna, Полярное сияние, ध्रुवीय ज्योति, شفق قطبی, Aurore polaire, aurore boréale
Norway, ノルウェー, Norge, 挪威, 노르웨이, ประเทศนอร์เวย์, Norvegia, Norvège, Noruega, Norwegen, Norwegia, Noorwegen
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