The northern lights
The town sits right under the auroral oval: from September to March all you need is a clear sky.
Duration
5 hrs – 7 hrs
Best time
Between 6pm and 1am, September to March
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Tromsø sits at 69° north, directly under the auroral oval — the belt around the magnetic pole where aurorae occur most often. So the town sees them even when solar activity is low, which is not true further south.
The season runs from late September to early April; between May and July the sun does not set and there is nothing to see. The difficulty is not solar activity but cloud cover: organised trips sometimes drive several hundred kilometres, as far as Finland, to find a gap in the sky.
Getting there
Away from the town lights: the bridge to Tromsdalen or the Kvaløya road are often enough. Organised trips leave the centre in the late afternoon.
What to bring
- Wetsuit
- Headlamp
- Swimsuit
Rules on site
Nothing is guaranteed: pick an operator that offers a second night if it fails, and check it is in writing. It is minus ten to minus twenty standing still for hours — the good operators supply a thermal suit, otherwise bring your own.