Where and how to see the northern lights in Tromsø, Norway?

Tromsø is the world capital of the northern lights, that’s well known. If you come here, especially in winter, it’s mainly with that in mind. That said, it’s not as simple as it looks!

There are several ways to go looking for the northern lights. The first is to not overthink it and go through one of Tromsø’s many agencies. Most are good quality, some are a bit dodgy. But it’s the easiest way

Then there’s the option of heading out to chase the northern lights on your own. Finding the right spots, studying the weather, driving, waiting, moving around. It takes more organizing but it’s a really cool thing to do!

When you decide to fend for yourself and skip the tours, you need to know where to go and above all how to find the good spots. In the second part of this article, I’ll show you lots and lots of interesting spots to see the northern lights. Watch out though, only if the weather allows it!

I’ll also give you some spots in town, even though seeing them from Tromsø isn’t ideal because of light pollution.

Here, in the heart of the article, I’ll point you to quite a few nice spots, keeping my favorites to myself :p (yeah, I do like my peace and quiet!) but also show you how to find little spots all to yourself! You’ll get the pros and cons of each spot, plus a photo to make your mouth water.

If you don’t have a car then I’ll recommend a few agencies, and finally plenty of tips for watching the northern lights.

On top of this article on the many northern lights viewing spots in Tromsø, I’ve also published:

• everything you need to know about the northern lights
• the 10 best spots to watch them (and easy to reach!)
• the best northern lights agencies: tips to pick the right guide and avoid the traps

I wrote another article on the best spots to see the northern lights in Norway, with a comparison between Tromsø, Lofoten, Vesterålen, Finnmark, Senja… among others.

And if you ever want to know more, then check out this article on the best spots in Europe to see the northern lights!

Why Tromsø is a great place to see the northern lights

It’s no coincidence: if everyone (or almost) comes to Tromsø, there’s a good reason. And I’d even say 4:

• Tromsø is ideally located, under what’s called the auroral oval. Basically, here you’ve got every chance of getting the northern lights, you’re right under “the gateway”.
• It’s easy to find quiet spots, with no light pollution, no other people, to watch the northern lights
• The weather is fairly good but above all you’ve got tons of options by driving around, especially by going into Finland
• Finally, pretty much everything revolves around the northern lights, so with or without a car, it’s the right destination for you

That said, if you’re looking for THE best spot to see the northern lights, it’s a combination of location (being roughly at Tromsø’s latitude) and above all weather. Because no clear sky, no auroras. So there, if that’s what you’re after, the two best for me are Inari in Finnish Lapland, and Abisko in Swedish Lapland. But the scenery isn’t as crazy as in Tromsø 🙂

How to see the northern lights in Tromsø

As I just explained, Tromsø is a great place to see the northern lights. But “you have to put in a bit of effort”. Meaning:

• you need to find a spot with no light pollution. With the lights, you can see them, but it’s much less convenient, less pleasant, and less fun. The trouble is that Tromsø is a very bright city.
• you need to be under a clear sky, with no clouds, or at least an area that’s going to clear up later. For that, you need to be mobile because Tromsø is a cloudy city, and you therefore need to know where and when to go to get a nice sky.
• you have to go out several nights because the weather and the auroras are unpredictable.

Let’s get into the details.

Seeing the northern lights on your own by renting a car

So if you want to put all the odds in your favor without it costing you an arm and a leg (that is, going out with an agency every night, super effective but a tad pricey), there’s one thing you need to do: rent a car and head out on an adventure every night (well, every night when there’s a chance of a clear sky).

For me, if you have the possibility (that part’s important) renting a car is a real help for going to chase the northern lights because:

• you’re mobile
• you’re self-sufficient
• you can warm up
• you bring whatever you want (and whoever you want, you can ditch the mother-in-law if you feel like it)

It’s ideal but on the other hand it requires preparation. That’s what I call being a good northern lights hunter. It’s up to you to get ready in order to:

• know where to go, where the clear sky is, which direction to head in. And for that you need…
• weather apps! Check Windy, Ventusky. On them you’ve got the cloud cover, hour by hour. So you can see where to go. But…
  • I won’t even mention the aurora activity apps because they’re a bit of a joke. In Tromsø you get auroras almost every night. Check the site Aurora Webcams to get all the webcams in Scandinavia and see where the clear sky is.
• you also need to find the spots without light! For that, to give you a few examples, I suggest this article on the best spots to see the northern lights.

Not that obvious! but yeah, it can be done. The most important thing is to give it a shot. Don’t bet everything on a single night, and even worse at the end of your trip.

Seeing the northern lights with an agency in Tromsø

So as I was saying, there are several reasons why you’d want to go through an agency to see the northern lights.

• it’s much simpler!
• you don’t want to drive on snow
• you don’t drive or haven’t rented a car
• you’re completely taken care of, with a campfire, drinks, transport
• you’re not too sure how to do it for the first time

Concretely, my first time I did it with a pro (sounds weird put that way), so I could then set off on my own afterwards. So I completely understand wanting to call on these agencies, knowing there are some really good ones.

In the following article I tell you exactly how to properly choose your northern lights agency in Tromsø, but I recommend checking against these criteria:

• group size: go for a small group, way friendlier, less noisy, fewer lights, much easier to manage
• the price: don’t lean toward the very cheap because there’s usually a catch. It means a very big group or that they don’t go far, it can be a rushed job. Now, that doesn’t mean you should take the most expensive one, but still, generally you can see a correlation between price and quality (and group size).
• the reviews: absolutely check the reviews, the feedback from previous customers. Compare. And look at the reasons for the bad reviews. If it’s the weather’s fault, there’s not much the agency can do, for example.

There you go, I point you to 4 quality agencies below, and if you want to see more then it’ll be:

• in the PDF Guide on Norway
• in this article on all the operators in Tromsø, with a comparison table.
• but mainly in this article on the best agencies in Tromsø

But also, know that even if you have a car, you can take a guide the first night. That’s what I encourage so you can see how it goes in real life and pick up as much info as possible on chasing the auroras!

4 northern lights agencies in Tromsø

Can you see the northern lights in Tromsø itself?

It depends a bit on your luck factor.

As I was saying, Tromsø is a bright, coastal city (an island, actually) and therefore cloudy.

If you want to see the northern lights without leaving Tromsø, you need to:

• find a suitable spot reachable on foot (because you can’t count on public buses to get you out to a nice spot). There are several here, Telegrafbukta beach, the Fjellheisen cable car… you really need spots with no light, it can be found, but it’s not super easy
• have a clear sky. Tromsø is cloudy, and there can be wind. So the weather is changeable too! That’s where you need luck, because it’s the most important thing, you need to have a cloudless sky
• stay several nights because you can’t bet everything on one night or two, especially without leaving Tromsø
• have a bit of luck on the solar activity side, even though generally you get auroras every night

But really, I know it costs money, put all the odds in your favor, because the probability of getting a nice clear-sky evening in Tromsø itself isn’t huge. You’ll have lots of people at the same spots, you’ll have light pollution, and a cloudy sky in most cases.

So don’t hesitate to rent a car to go chase them yourself, or to go through an agency.

Tips for chasing the northern lights

In this article, I won’t go into too much detail (which you can find in this article), but here’s the essential info for seeing auroras in good conditions.

When to go see the northern lights

In the following article I tell you which are the best months to see the northern lights, but know that they’re visible in Tromsø from the 3rd/4th week of August to mid-April. Basically, quite simply, you need darkness.

There are periods I love in there, but those are entirely personal choices, every period is good between late August and mid-April:

• September October, the weather is nice, no snow, you don’t freeze so you can go on hikes
• January because it’s very cold so the sky is usually clearer, tiny days
• March, lots of snow, less cold, the days get quite a bit longer

Renting a car, essential?

So, the nice thing about the auroras is that when it’s in the sky, it’s in the sky for everyone and all around. On the other hand, Tromsø is a very bright city with a bit of a haze regularly hanging over it that can spoil the clarity of the sky. There are a few spots in town where you can see the auroras, mentioned above, but it’s never totally dark.

Renting a car in Tromsø is a good thing. In low season 35€, in high season over 100€ if you leave it late, with extremely fluctuating fuel prices, it’s still cheaper than an agency’s northern lights tour. Driving on snow/ice here isn’t that hard, no need to be scared. The tires are formidable, made for it and often studded. I’ve never had a problem, the grip is very good. And if it does skid a little, then no sudden moves, you have to let the car get back on track and ease off the accelerator.

Buses let you get to the main fjords and switch towns, but they stop early (9:40 pm at the latest, see schedules here). So counting on public buses to go see the auroras in the evening isn’t necessarily the best idea, especially since in winter, almost nothing runs.

Anyway, all this to say that if you can, renting a car is essential for finding a quiet spot, far from others and from light pollution 🙂 Because the pleasure of chasing the auroras is also in the scouting, finding the good spots, well positioned, well oriented, all to yourself.

A few qualities to have

Nature has the advantage of being totally unpredictable. And the auroras are the same. Tromsø being at the perfect latitude for the auroras, if it’s night and the weather is clear, then I’d say you’ve got a 9.5 in 10 chance of seeing some. As long as you’re patient 😀

Indeed, the KP is a good indicator of “strength” but even at KP=0 you’ll be able to see some. It means they’re at Tromsø’s latitude and that it’ll be harder to see any further south. On the other hand, knowing “when” they’ll show up during the evening is a whole other story, and that’s the whole charm of it 🙂

I’ve seen auroras at 4 pm, I’ve seen them from 5 pm to 1 am. I’ve seen some of my most beautiful explosions at 3 am. I’ve also seen some for only fifteen minutes around 11 pm or else at 7 pm just as I was parking the car. It’s pretty random and you really need to arm yourself with patience to put all the odds in your favor. That said, if you haven’t seen any by midnight and the data isn’t great for what’s coming, think about heading back while keeping an eye on the sky.

Then, being a touch lucky is also a good thing 😀 Because the weather is as unpredictable as the auroras. It’s ultra changeable, so if it looks bad right now, there’s a strong chance it can change fairly quickly. And if not, move around a bit, it also varies within a few kilometers. Hence the ability to be mobile to go from a spot where the weather is cloudy to a spot that’s a bit clearer.

Finally, being well equipped, obviously. Against the cold (with a particular focus on hands and feet) but also against the wait (some tea in a thermos, something to snack on, the phone charger).

And the ABCs of photo gear for the auroras: a tripod, ideally a remote, backup batteries (because they drain faster in the cold), extra memory cards. And the camera and the lens that goes with it, obviously!

A few tips for finding nice spots to watch the northern lights

Okay I’ll give you a few, but the pleasure also comes from finding them yourself. And for that, you have to:

• get away from the city lights, which can be visible several kilometers away
• not be near street lighting, it’ll stop you seeing well and make your photos all orange
• find a fairly open spot, ideally with an east/north/west orientation. Otherwise north/west, they most often come from over there.
• the cherry on top, a nice setting with water for the reflection, mountains in the background, no tourists and all that!

Photographing the northern lights

This is a little summary of what you’ll find in the guide to northern lights photography. But basically:

• if you have a camera:
  • you need a lens that opens to F2.8 up to F1.4 (F4 or 3.5 is trickier, you have to do very long exposures
  • you have to do exposures depending on the intensity and speed of the aurora, between 1.3 seconds and 10 seconds. The longer you leave it open, the more light will come in, but the less you’ll capture the shapes
  • the ISO will intensify the light, but artificially, so it can degrade the photo (the famous noise), so depending on your camera, go up to 3200 ISO (unless you have a good camera that can go up to 8000 or more)
  • Still in the manual settings, super important: manual focus to get a sharp photo
  • and practice beforehand! :p (I should point out you need a tripod)
• With a phone:
  • you normally have a night mode, which kicks in automatically or not (on the iPhone yes, for example, Pixels too), which means you don’t need to do any settings
  • with the latest phones, you don’t necessarily need a tripod because there’s a stabilization mode.
  • But the tripod is very useful on many phones!

How many nights to plan for

As I was telling you, in Tromso there are normally northern lights every evening. Or almost (if you’re unlucky). So the real issue is going to be the weather. To stack the odds in your favour, I’d recommend at least 4 nights on site, 4 nights trying to go see the northern lights, because:

• the weather can be rubbish across the whole region
• sometimes the lights are weak, or even absent (it’s rare, but it happens)
• and above all, you need to see them more than once! because it’s an insane thing 🙂

So I know it’s a bit of a luxury, but a week is cool.

The best spots to see the northern lights around Tromso

In the town and on the island of Tromso

It’s hard to get away from the town lights. You can see the northern lights just by looking up, but between the streetlamps, it’s really not ideal. And since I was always in a car, I only managed to find 3 spots on the island that are relatively accessible on foot.

There’s also the lake right at the top of Tromso, but it’s bright. Also, the rooftop of the Clarion hotel seems pretty good, I went there in the evening, but without any lights, and it could be interesting.

Telegrafbukta

This is the beach on the southern tip of the island of Tromso. For me it’s the best spot for the northern lights that’s accessible on foot.

Pros

• Accessible on foot, a good half-hour walk from the town centre. Otherwise, buses pass right nearby
• Pretty well oriented, it faces due west, with visibility to the north-west and due south (which doesn’t help us much here)
• Not particularly busy, since you only find people who don’t have a car there
• Light pollution is relatively low, so you get good visibility of the northern lights

Cons

• it’s still within the town, with a bit of light in the sky
• not the best possible orientation, but it’s still decent

Fjellheisen, the Tromso cable car

As its name suggests, Fjellheisen is the Tromso cable car that takes you up to 420m on the heights above Tromso, with a really lovely view over the town. What’s more, you can head off and wander into the mountain to get away from the town lights. I’d actually recommend getting a bit further away, or at least not standing on the main walkway coming out of the restaurant but the one 100m to the left. Almost nobody there.

Pros

• Easily accessible on foot, 5 minutes past the church
• A really lovely view over the town
• The town lights don’t stop you seeing the northern lights, thanks to the height you’ve gained
• You can walk down if you have crampons, and so avoid taking the last cable car (around 10pm). Careful, very slippery.

Cons

• It’s really cold, lots of wind, so it can be tough at times
• The last descent is around 10pm
• It can get really crowded
• 20€ return, but it’s worth it

Near the airport

Just west of the airport there’s a little strip of land that gives you a view over the island of Kvaloya. I only had the chance to do it at the end of the day, not for the northern lights.

Pros

• A lovely view over the island of Kvaloya
• Facing north/east/south with an open view
• Relatively little light pollution
• Really not many people

Cons

• Not easy to reach on foot, but there are buses
• A sky that’s not totally black because of the light

The northern lights on the island of Kvaloya

Kvaloya is a great place to watch the northern lights. Especially the road that runs from Ersfjord to Tromvik, which crosses, among others, the Grotfjord. You’ll find loads of spots, particularly on the road linking the two fjords, and specifically at the Grjotfjord.

On the road to Tromvik

Grotfjord – at the entrance to the fjord

After the Kaldfjord, on the Fv57, you arrive at the top of the Grotfjord, at the junction of the road that leads to the village. A nice spot, up high, from which you get a great view.

Pros

• Very open view to the north-west
• Normally nobody stops here

Cons

• Right by the roadside

Grotfjord – at the head of the fjord

One of my favourite viewpoints. When you get to Grotfjord, you need to go all the way to the end and manage to park. If there’s snow, you have to manage to reach the water, which isn’t the easiest 😀

Pros

• Very open view to the north
• Not many people
• A magnificent setting
• Getting thigh-deep in snow to reach the water’s edge

Cons

• Getting thigh-deep in snow to reach the water’s edge
• Main visibility to the north, not very open on the other sides. A fjord, basically 😀

Behind Tromvik, towards Rekvik

Once you reach Tromvik, it’s not the end of the world. There’s still, sometimes, a road that goes up into the mountain to the south. I say “sometimes” because it’s regularly closed because of the snow and especially the wind 😀 It’s a nice starting point for a hike, you can get a beautiful view of Senja and the mountains of Tromvik.

Pros

• Very open view
• No light pollution
• Nobody around

Cons

• A proper bone-chilling cold, and the wind that comes with it.
• The road that isn’t necessarily open

Kvaloya – on the road to Sommaroy

The road from Ersfjord to Sommaroy is one of the two main ones, one of the two most beautiful along with the one that goes to Tromvik. And all along the way, there are dozens of places to settle in. Whether it’s in a mountain pass, along a fjord, by the sea or on the peninsula, there’s no shortage of spots. And I’m only going to cover a few of them. Don’t forget to push on all the way to Sommaroy! the place is idyllic 🙂

Kattfjordvatnet

At the start of the 862, you come into a valley with, notably on the right, a large lake (frozen in winter), with a nice open view and mountains in the background. Really good for watching the northern lights. You’ll find plenty of car parks and spots to settle in

Pros

• Nice view of the mountains to the north, open to the west and a little to the east
• Little light pollution

Cons

• The road is popular with the tours.
• If you’re doing photography, the headlights of cars passing behind can be annoying

Along the Nordfjorden

On the 862, after going over a small pass, you reach the Nordfjorden. You’re at water level, with lots of places to stop, so stopping is very easy.

Pros

• Nice view of the mountains to the north, open to the west and a little to the east
• Little light pollution
• Not too many people

Cons

• The road is popular with the tours.
• The view isn’t totally open, but it’s still decent

By the tunnel

On the 862, just before the tunnel there’s a tiny village with well-oriented beaches. After the tunnel, you’ll find loads of spots to settle in.

Pros

• The views are nice and well oriented
• Very little light pollution
• Not too many people given the space available

Cons

• Lots of wind

Kvaloya – the east coast

A part I only discovered this year. And one I’m going to have to explore better next time! On the road to Kvaloyvagen, I’ll mainly talk about two spots, but there are plenty more.

A car park

On the road towards Kvaloyvagen, a little after passing the road that leads to Skulsfjord, you’ll find a dark car park, from which you can head further inland.

Pros

• It’s not far from town
• You can get away a bit
• Pretty well oriented

Cons

• Close to the road
• A bit of light pollution
• It’s not far from town

East coast, on the road to Kvaloyvagen

On the road towards Kvaloyvagen, 5 minutes after the tunnel leading to Ringvassoya, you’ll reach several sand and pebble beaches that are ideally oriented. You can easily see the paths in the snow.

Pros

• No light
• Water for reflections
• Very well oriented, open to the east/north/west

Cons

• The tours really like this spot
• Not always easy to find a place to park

Skulsfjord

Skulsfjord is also a spot I discovered this year. A village you reach via a lovely road where you come across reindeer, and a pass that gives a magnificent view over the other side of the valley.

On the road to Skulsfjord

On the road to Skulsfjord, you go over a pass. Once at the top of this pass, just before the tunnel, you need to take the path on the left to reach a car park and get a magnificent view over the Skulsfjord gulf. Don’t hesitate to get away from the car park to improve the view!

Pros

• No light
• A really beautiful view
• Very well oriented, north/west

Cons

• It’s very cold with lots of wind

Past the village of Skulsfjord

Once you reach Skulsfjord, you need to drive all the way to the end of the road and then take the trail on foot. You end up facing the sea, in a spot that’s perfect for catching the sunset too.

Pros

• No light
• A really beautiful view
• Very well oriented, north/west/south

Cons

• Honestly, I can’t think of any

Kaldfjord and Ersfjord

These are the first two big fjords you come across once you’re on Kvaloya.

Kaldfjord

It’s a big L-shaped fjord, and its advantage is that it has a few interesting viewpoints at the southern end of the fjord.

Pros

• North-facing with an open view
• The view is lovely

Cons

• Lots of light, the streetlamps along the road
• Not easy to get down to the water’s edge

Ersfjord

This one is super famous. There are two main spots. The first, where all the tour buses stop, at the “official” viewpoint parking area, with an overall view of the fjord. The other, more interesting one, right by the water. That’s the one we’ll talk about here.

Pros

• A really beautiful fjord with a lovely view
• You can go right down to the water’s edge without too many people around

Cons

• Down below, the view is limited to the west

4 top places to stay in Tromso

Find your dream accommodationIn Tromso !

Southern Kvaloya

The road to Vikran

On the southern coast of Kvaloya, you have the option of taking a tunnel to end up on the other side. The advantage, on top of being pretty and having a nice view over Kvaloya, is that you’re completely on your own. You need to go past the village of Vikran. There won’t be a single house and quite a few interesting viewpoints.

Pros

• A beautiful view over Kvaloya
• Very well oriented north/east/west
• Absolutely no one around
• No light pollution

Cons

• I think the tunnel is a toll one, but I’m not sure

South of Tromso

Okay, so, south of Tromso is a huge area. But here we’ll still keep it to about an hour’s drive and one spot, the Breivikeidet road.

The Breivikeidet road

Heading away to the south of Tromso, you’ll take the road that leads to the Lyngen Alps by ferry. So if you go all the way, first of all it’s extremely cold. That’s where I got the coldest, with temperatures below -40°. Yep, really. And on top of that there are big lights. So you’ll be better off stopping in the fantastic valley just before it. To be done during the day too, of course. Parking isn’t easy, you should be able to pull over and walk once you’ve crossed the little iron bridge.

Pros

• An exceptional setting
• Very well oriented
• Absolutely no one around
• No light pollution
• You can head into a little plain… if you know how to get there

Cons

• The cold, good grief. The cold.
• Not easy to park in a decent spot

The Nakkevatnet road

After Breivikeidet, there’s a road that heads south, notably toward Lake Nakkevatnet. The valley is lovely, north-facing. The lake, on the other hand, faces southwest. Super photogenic but a bit hemmed in when it comes to orientation.

Pros

• A superb setting
• Well oriented
• No one around
• No light pollution

Cons

• It’s not exactly warm, eh. No wind, but the cold can be freezing
• No phone signal
• The lake faces due west, the valley offers more options

Signaldalen

The Signaldalen valley is a great spot for watching the northern lights not too far from Tromso. An iconic mountain, a beautiful valley, forests and rivers, that’s pretty good going.

Pros

• A beautiful setting
• Well oriented
• Really hardly anyone around
• A superb mountain

Cons

• It can get cold!
• Not very close to Tromso, at least 1h15
• The lake faces due west, the valley offers more options

Ringvassoya

Ringvassoya is a much less well-known island in the Tromso region. There isn’t a single tourist, it suffers from being less mountainous even though it offers great viewpoints. It’s also wilder due to the lack of population.

The Skarsfjord pass

Skarsfjord is an isolated village on Ringvassoya. Isolated because the only road to reach it is regularly closed because of the snow and wind. But the pass offers a superb panorama that’s great for watching the northern lights.

Pros

• A really lovely view
• Very well oriented
• Absolutely no one around
• No light pollution

Cons

• The cold and the wind.
• The road is regularly closed
• It’s a bit far from Tromso

The fish shop

Before taking the road to Skarsfjord, you’ll pass by a fish shop. And there you have the option of taking a little trail inland (on foot) to get away from it all a bit. If it’s not snowing, you can see the river and the mountains. A magnificent setting.

Pros

• A really lovely view
• Very well oriented
• Absolutely no one around
• No light pollution

Cons

• Lots of snow on the trail

4 recommended activities in Tromso

What to wear to watch the northern lights

There are three dangers when you’re watching the northern lights. The wind, the cold, and staying still. Because when you want to see the northern lights, it’s at night (logical) and it’s colder than during the day (still logical), and above all you don’t move, or barely. You feel the cold and the wind so much more because you’re waiting, watching, not walking, with your feet constantly in the snow. And you don’t feel it coming, it’s sneaky.

Soooo, all of that to tell you:

• protect your extremities above all: hands, ears (and your head, really), feet
• ideally fleece-lined boots, wool socks, and several pairs. The worst for me is my feet, from not moving
• base layers (leggings, old-school “long johns”); personally I go with Decathlon base layers made for cross-country skiing. They’re very effective. Do like an onion, lots of layers, it’s easy to manage.
• bring a thermos of tea, it warms you up while you wait
• and the headlamp

In conclusion on the Northern Lights in Tromso

Before you leave, don’t worry about whether you’ll find good spots to watch the northern lights. There’s nothing but, and all it takes is hopping in the car to see for yourself. The most accessible playground is the island of Kvaloya, and you’ll easily find a nice little place to settle in while you wait 🙂 Obviously, it depends on the weather, so your best ally will be the cloud-cover app (Windy, Ventusky)

And don’t forget, when you’re out sightseeing during the day, ask yourself whether the spot would be good for the northern lights! (orientation, lights, and all that)