Sail, Hike and Chase the Northern Lights
Journey into the Arctic Circle for an action-packed weekend exploring fjords and hunting the incredible Aurora Borealis
Sail, Hike and Chase the Northern Lights
Journey into the Arctic Circle for an action-packed weekend exploring fjords and hunting the incredible Aurora Borealis
DURATION
3 nights
LOCATION
Norway
ANNUAL LEAVE
1 day off work
SEASON
Sep, Nov—Mar
GROUP SIZE
Up to 12 people
MEETING POINT
Tromsø Airport, Norway
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel
DIFFICULTY
Easy
No experience needed, just the ability to hike over relatively steep terrain for a few hours at a time.
Experience a magical long weekend in the Arctic Circle that's designed to maximise your chances of seeing the Aurora in all its glory
Hike into the mountains, explore Tromso 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
All our reviews are verified
— Melsey, March 2022
An unforgettable experience with great beauty!
— Jack, February 2022
Brilliant trip, the team was great and Tromsø was beautiful. Hotel was spartan but had a good breakfast available and the base camp was well equipped. The whole team at the base camp were wonderful and very welcoming.
— Matt, February 2022
Good trip, not helped by tricky weather conditions! The team were all super helpful and made a real effort to find alternative activities when the originals were cancelled due to weather. My only downside is that I don’t think the replacement activities were as good as the original ones. Friday evening boat trip and Saturday morning hike were both great
— Harriet, February 2022
This has to be one of the best trips we have been on! Loved every minute. Highlights included seeing dolphins when out sailing, and the mini bus chase. We were lucky enough to see the most amazing show of the northern lights whilst sat around a campfire on the beach! All the guides out on the excursions, and the staff at base camp were brilliant and couldn’t do enough for you. We had Bruno for a few excursions and he is the best, so accommodating, knowledgable and has such a positive energy! The team make sure you are warm and provide snow suits, boots etc on all excursions. We also did dog sledding which was very good. Would 100% recommend this trip, we want to go back already!
— Shelian, February 2022
Unbelievable trip! Hosts couldn't do enough for us when our bags were delayed. Even though we missed the first night trip because of the flight, they tried to delay their departure until it was obvious we wouldn't make it. They helped us set up our camera to ensure we got fantastic photos of our trip - and gave us access to the ones they took. Definitely recommended the trip to friends already 😍 Anything else to add? Setting off in a storm, having the train to the airport cancelled, getting a taxi for the 90 min journey to the airport, taking off in 70mph winds, missing our flight connection, getting a later flight, our bags being stuck in Oslo for another day, getting poo'd on by a seagull the next morning - all absolutely worth it to see dolphins on the boat trip and a spectacular Aurora display!!!
— Andrew, February 2022
This trip was truly amazing and our hosts were 5/5! I would recommend getting all the warm gear possible as it means you can stay out longer when searching for the northern lights.
— Jennifer, January 2022
The trip was everything advertised and more. The local hosts we had were Jess and Bruno and they could not have done anything more for us. But everyone we met were extremely helpfull. We were lucky enough to get an amazing northern lights viewing on our last night in the most amazing location, which was definitely a highlight. The snowshoe hike was also a highlight. I would highly recommed adding the time for the cable car as the view is on a whole other level.
— Alina, January 2022
The highlight of this trip was 100% seeing the Northern Lights. We got lucky with the weather and had a beautiful evening by the fjord, surrounded by mountains, clear skies and a fire to keep us warm - unforgettable! Thank you to the guides, skippers and staff for all their hard work and enthusiasm!
— Emily, January 2022
Brilliant team, quality experiences in a fantastic place
— Michele, January 2022
This trip was better than advertised. Well organised with exceptional staff ( everyone). The hotel was simple and very small rooms but had a comfortable bed, hot shower and good breakfast. Pukka had a base camp near for everyone to meet. This was available all day to drop in with teas and coffees available. All the staff were amazing totally enthusiastic and informative . Every trip was well organised and planned to enable everyone to get the best from every adventure. The food provided was delicious. The last night we saw a spectacular Northern Light show. Bruno and Jess our guides were fun and informative, no one wanted the evening to finish, we certainly weren't rushed to leave. Norway is a beautiful country with beautiful people. A wonderful place to go.
Included
Guides
Local, certified guides and skipper
Accommodation
3 nights in a local hotel
Meals
3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Some meals as described
Travel to and from the start point
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Host's Base Camp, central Tromsø
21:00
Ends
Smart Hotel, central 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
Hotel · Single bed
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Hotel · Single bed
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
Hotel · Single bed
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Departure day
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Breakfast in the hotel is a large buffet with choices of cereals, 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 meals on both evening tours, you may want a light dinner beforehand as the meals are served rather 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 in a single room in the modern and popular Smart Hotel in central Tromsø. Highly rated by customers, the rooms are compact and it's the best pick for budget yet comfortable accommodation. An extensive buffet breakfast is served in the downstairs cafe, which also serves light bites through the rest of the day.
Travellers are given a single room as standard. However double rooms for couples are available on request for those wanting to share - please just ask your host the time of booking. Please note twin rooms are not available at this hotel. So if you are booking with a friend please confirm whether you want single or double rooms at the time of booking.
Upgrades
For those looking to upgrade and have a bit more comfort during their trip we can also highly recommend Clarion Hotel The Edge. Thanks to its interesting architecture this hotel certainly stands out on the skyline of Tromsø. There is an amazing view over both the harbour and the mountains, with the only rooftop bar existing in Tromsø. No single rooms are available, but doubles or twin rooms are available: see Optional Extras for prices.
Day 1
The adventure begins
Check-in, and hopefully have some time to explore the town. You are welcome to pop into Base Camp earlier for a hot drink and to get some recommendations for exploring locally. Hopefully you'll have a few hours to stroll around the small town, have a coffee at some of the cozy cafés and take a moment to breathe in the fresh air - we are in the Arctic!
In the evening head to Base Camp to meet the rest of your team and learn about the adventure ahead and have a quick workshop about the Northern Lights. Then 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 explore the many local bars and restaurants.
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 your 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
Day-time Reindeer & Sami Experience: 10:00-14:00
Northern Lights Tesla Experience: 20:00-00:00 (3-5 h)
Additional Northern Lights Minibus Chase: 18:00-01:00
Evening Reindeer & Sami Experience: 18:00-22:00
15% Off Outdoor Gear
Kit List
Bag
- A small bag (hand luggage size) for your time onboard the boat
- A small day pack
Clothes
- Base layers - thermal leggings and a long-sleeved top
- First layers - tracksuit bottoms or hiking trousers, a warm jumper and a soft shell jacket e.g. a fleece or a down jacket (or both if you feel the cold)
- Top layers - an outer weatherproof jacket and trousers e.g. ski or all-weather hiking clothing
- Waterproof hiking boots
- Trainers
- A hat that covers your ears
- Scarf or neck gaiter
- Insulated or Gore-tex gloves
- Wool socks
Other
- Camera (and a tripod if you'd like)
- Personal toiletries
- Swimming costume
- Hand lotion & lip balm
- Spikes for hiking boots (can be purchased in Tromsø)
- Spare batteries or power pack - the cold means that devices run out much quicker than normal
Hotel Upgrade - Double or Twin Room (single rooms unavailable)
Payable Before Departure
Hotel Upgrade - Double or Twin Room (single rooms unavailable)
…
Dog Sledding (4 hours)
Payable Before Departure
Dog Sledding (4 hours)
… Per Person
Northern Lights Chase in a Tesla (3-5 hours) from
Payable Before Departure
Northern Lights Chase in a Tesla (3-5 hours) from
… Per Person
Reindeer & Sami Experience (daytime) from
Payable Before Departure
Reindeer & Sami Experience (daytime) from
… Per Person
Reindeer & Sami Experience (evening) from
Payable Before Departure
Reindeer & Sami Experience (evening) from
… Per Person
Smart Hotel - Double Room
Payable Before Departure
Smart Hotel - Double Room
… Per Night
Smart Hotel - Single Room
Payable Before Departure
Smart Hotel - Single Room
… Per Night
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 76kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2022 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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.
The Northern Lights start appearing above the Arctic Circle from the end of August until the end of March. The strongest lights can be seen when the seasons are changing, during September and March, however, October to February are also excellent times to see them. They are unpredictable and can be seen at any time from 18:00 to 06:00, with the most ‘popular’ viewing time between 20:00 and 02:00.
While we can never guarantee that you'll see the spectacular Northern Lights if you're travelling from September to March we have an 88% success rate.
Yes! Tromsø is a fantastic Arctic destination and there's a whole host of other adventures that you can enjoy if you have a little more time, including dog sledding and reindeer sledding - just ask your host for more information.
You will likely spot eagles soaring overhead in search of prey and large flocks of migratory seabirds, along with seals, dolphins, and if you're very very lucky - whales.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
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.
Anything you're not using can be safely left in your room.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.
Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
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If your trip is cancelled due to Covid choose from free date changes, account credit, or a full refund.