Sail, Hike and Chase the Northern Lights
Journey into the Arctic Circle for an action-packed long weekend exploring fjords and hunting the incredible aurora borealis
What's Included?
Activities & Certified Guides
All itinerary activities with local, certified guides and skipperHotel
3 nights in a 4-star hotel in TromsoMeals
3 breakfasts and 2 lunchesSmall Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 12 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
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What's it like?
Experience a magical adventure in the Arctic Circle, designed to maximise your chances of seeing the aurora in all its glory
Hike into the mountains, explore Tromsø and relax on the deck of a modern catamaran beneath a star-filled sky
Spot eagles and seals and fish for your lunch in the clearest, cleanest water imaginable
Bed down in a sleek, Nordic hotel on the waterfront and enjoy some of the best views in Tromsø from its rooftop bar
Key Information
Day 1
The adventure begins
Check in, and explore Tromsø if you have time – stroll around the small town, have a coffee at a cosy café and take a moment to breathe in the fresh Arctic air. If you arrive early, you are welcome to pop into your host's Base Camp for a hot drink and get some recommendations for exploring locally. In the evening, head to Base Camp to meet the rest of your team, learn about the adventure ahead and have a quick workshop about the northern lights. At 21:30 you'll get wrapped up, board a comfortable, modern catamaran and head out into the wilderness far from any light pollution, for your first chance to witness the legendary aurora borealis.
Day 2
Hike the Fjords and enjoy a night in Tromsø
Return to the wilderness, this time on a snowshoe trek into the mountains in search of the perfect viewing point over the fjords. Stop for a picnic and a hot drink in a suitably scenic location, then head back to Tromsø where you’ll be free to relax or explore the town. A trip up the cable car is a must for some spectacular, panoramic views of the surrounding islands, mountains and fjords. In the evening, you can explore the many local bars and restaurants. Alternatively, to really make the most of your time, your host can book these optional extras for you on request:
Additional Northern Lights Minibus Chase: 18:00-01:00
Night Reindeer Sledding & Sami Camp Dinner: 18:00-22:00
Day 3
Sail the fjords, chase the lights
Jump back on the catamaran and spend the morning discovering the thriving winter wildlife found around the fjord, including seabirds, eagles and seals. Drop a hook for lunch at a favourite local fishing spot and relax in the warm salon, sail the boat or practice Arctic navigation as your host whips up a tasty lunch. In the evening, grab your camera and chase the northern lights. Hopefully, you’ll capture some winners of your own, but professional pictures taken over your trip will be yours afterwards as well.
Day 4
Say your goodbyes or keep exploring
Check out after breakfast ready to return to reality. For keen explorers looking to max out your time, you can also squeeze in any of these optional extra trips to complete the Arctic experience. Your host can book these for you on request:
Dog Sledding: 09:00-13:00, 11:00-15:00 & 13:00-17:00
Daytime Reindeer Sledding & Sami Experience: 10:00-14:00
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Host's Base Camp, central Tromsø
21:00
Ends
Clarion Hotel The Edge, Tromsø
Catch any flight
Transfers
Start Point: You can book any flight to Tromsø and easily get to your hotel to check-in via a 10-minute taxi or regular shuttle bus. The best way to get from the airport to the hotel is to take a taxi and the price for this is about 250 NOK. There are taxi cars waiting right outside the arrival hall. There is also a shuttle bus running several times per hour and the price is around NOK 100 per way. You will meet your local guides and fellow adventurers at the hosts lounge on the first evening located in central Tromsø. It is just a 10 minute walk from the hotel to the host's base.
End of Trip: The final day is free for you to do as you please and return home on any flight which suits you.
Travel options
There are regular direct and indriect flights to Tromsø from major airports across the UK and Europe.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Breakfast in the hotel is a large buffet using a wide range of produce from the local area, with choices of cereal, fruit, cheese and meats, pastries, toast, hot cooked options, juices, tea and coffee.
During the activities, the food provided is home-cooked by a local chef and prepared that day. Expect fresh fish soups from the days catch, a light picnic and warm drinks while hiking and a warm meal on the minibus Northern Lights trip. While we serve food on both evening tours, we recommend you eat a light dinner beforehand as the meals are served very late (dependent on the conditions for the night).
Vegetarian, vegan and other dietary requirements can be catered to, please request this on your passenger information form after booking.
What is the accommodation like?
Tromsø
You’ll be staying at the Clarion Hotel The Edge, a sleek, ultra-modern 4-star hotel in a high-rise location overlooking Tromsø's waterfront. There is an amazing view over both the harbour and the mountains from the only rooftop bar in Tromsø. A breakfast buffet is served in the hotel's trendy international restaurant.
You'll stay in same-sex twin-share rooms as standard. Couples can request a double room at no extra charge. Solo travellers wanting their own room can upgrade to a private room, see further details below. Additional nights in Tromso can also be booked through your host - please enquire with your host for prices.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge. Please enquire at the time of booking for a quote (this is subject to availability).
This trip has been rated as Easy
The hiking is an easy to moderate walk in the hills, tailored to the average fitness level of the group and conditions on the day. Including a scenic drive through the fjords, the whole trip will be about 5 hours.
No snowshoe experience is necessary - they are simply large rackets or paddles attached at your boots that make it easier to walk without sinking.
Arctic weather can be unpredictable, but Tromsø is a ‘mild’ Arctic destination due to its position next to the Gulf Stream which brings warmer air to the north.
The average winter temperature in Tromsø is around -4°C, though if you travel inland it can get as low as -25°C. The weather can be very changeable so you should be prepared for all eventualities! The snow tends to arrive in December.
Words cannot express how wonderful
Words cannot express how wonderful this trip was- beautiful , inspiring scenery, like-minded group . Great hotel and kind and helpful staff. Northern lights were a dream come true ! Tromso was a delight and I’ll be going back to the Arctic for sure! Wonderful dog-sledding where it was authentic , not just for tourists - thank you MBA!!
An awesome adventure
This was an awesome adventure from beginning to end! The activities were well well planned, well run, and facilitated by local experts who were passionate about their craft. They were fun, supported the group, and gave us hot food and drinks which were greatly appreciated! The northern lights chase was an amazing experience and we were very lucky, seeing the lights on two nights of our holiday. Our chances were maximised by our hosts, who did everything possible to find the northern lights throughout our trip. Thank you Much Better Adventures and Pukka Travels!
Norweigian Delights
I loved this adventure, the place was amazing and so much to do in the town and explore. The scenery was incredible, definitely make sure you take a camera! I look back at my photo's and want to do it all again. The guides were so friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable, I really enjoyed their company and great to learn so much about the Norwegian culture.
no northern lights but amazing nevertheless
The staff were absolutely brilliant and were it not for them and their ingenuity in the face of unfavourable weather conditions this score would be much lower.
As it was the night sail turned out as a great opportunity to learn more about sailing. The snowshoeing was excellent and I caught a whopping fish on the day sailing. Even though we did not see the northern lights on the bus chase the staff made it nevertheless an experience with a fire pit, marshmallows roasting on the fire and a meal cooked under the stars.
The illusive Northern Lights would have made this a five but not within the control of MBA or Pukka
Amazing trip, fantastic people, guides
Amazing trip, fantastic people, guides and fun. Northern lights simply stunning and the trip was well run and easy to get on with. I recommend taking a flight to get there a day earlier and give yourself a chance to do other things, well worth it
A fantastic trip, with a
A fantastic trip, with a great group dynamic, a wonderful mix of activities and we were lucky enough to have Bruno as our guide who was just a delight. The trip is very well planned and I felt looked after at all times. As a vegetarian, I was worried about the food on the boat but had absolutely no reason to be - the soup that Bruno prepared was out of this world - you would pay good bucks for that elsewhere. A great group dynamic and all in all another wonderful MBA trip. The snowshoe experience was great but it wasn't as gentle an exercise as I was led to believe in the description - it was at least a couple of hours trek up a pretty hefty mountain so bear that in mind, although it was a once in a lifetime experience. I also went dog-sledding after the formal trip and I cannot recommend that enough - it was honestly magical.
Had a Amazing weekend, saw
Had a Amazing weekend, saw and learnt so much. Our host Raùl was fantastic and he went above and beyond. Had an amazing group of people. Great experience.
This trip was brilliant, group
This trip was brilliant, group was a good size. Diverse range of activities, in particular we enjoyed the snow shoeing; fishing off the catamaran; and the northern lights chase and sitting around the fire. The gear that was provided was perfect for enduring the cold. The company and guides went above and beyond to make sure everyone was comfortable. Would highly recommend.
This trip was the first
This trip was the first solo group holiday I’ve done and I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. The local host and group dynamic I had was phenomenal. The itinerary on the website was exactly the same as what we did. I would throughly recommend adding the additional activities of reindeer sledding and dog sledding. Highly recommend this trip!
This was a brilliant trip and Jenka and the rest of the team were fun and knowledgeable guides . We had a good group dynamic and were lucky enough to see the northern lights. The activities were all very enjoyable, including our meal by the campfire near the Finnish border! Tromso is a nice town to explore and the surrounding landscape is stunning.
This trip far exceeded our expectations. Our local host (& other members of the team) were excellent. We were very lucky with the weather, which made the hike & sailing experiences even more special. We saw fabulous northern lights and reindeer in the wild. Tromso is an interesting town and we had no problem finding things to do in between the experiences. We went on the optional dog sledding tour which was a blast - the dogs were very friendly and well looked after. Our group was a mixture of single travellers, a married couple and siblings; aged from 20-60 years. We'd recommend the trip to everyone!
Good trip overall, lovely guide who still kept the trip fun even in our extreme weather! Saw northern lights a couple of times which was great.