This guide is built from our own winters in the Arctic and from the live Legendary Adventure tour pages in Tromsø — prices, pickup times and what is included come straight from the operator, never invented.

Why the second week of December is a sweet spot

The first week of December is quiet, the Christmas rush has not started, and the days are as short as they get. Polar night means the sun stays below the horizon in Tromsø in early winter, and the soft blue twilight around midday is its own kind of beautiful. For aurora, the practical benefit is simple: it is dark early, so a tour that leaves at 18:30 is already in the middle of a long night.

It is also a week where many visitors are on a pre-Christmas break rather than the full holiday, so bookings are strong but not at the Christmas Eve level. If you are planning to be here in this week, the only mistake is to leave it all to the last minute: evening tours are small-group by design, 2–8 guests, and popular dates sell out.

How many nights should you give the aurora?

Aurora is weather, and weather does not read itineraries. One chase gives you a good chance; two chases on different nights gives you a much better one; three nights is the right plan if the aurora is the main reason for your trip. We say this as people who live under the same sky a little further south and have been clouded out more than once.

For a typical four-night stay we would book a chase on night two and night four, keep night three flexible for rest or a daytime tour, and use night one to arrive, eat, and sleep. If you see strong lights on the first outing, you can enjoy the second one more calmly and spend it on photographs and stories instead of nerves.

The tour we would book: the shared chase

The Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is the operator’s main aurora product and the one we send friends to. You travel in a premium Mercedes-Benz vehicle with a local guide, the group is 2–8 guests, and the route follows the weather rather than a script, inland or along the coast. The price of NOK 2,300 per person includes a winter suit, a warm meal, snacks and hot drinks.

Plan for a long night of 5–8 hours. In mid-December you will probably be back after midnight, so book a late checkout or a slow next morning. The advantage of the shared chase is price and social energy: the other guests are mostly couples and small groups, and the guides know how to keep everyone warm and occupied during the waiting.

When the private chase is worth it

The Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is NOK 15,000 per group for up to 8 guests, all ages, with your pickup location chosen at checkout. It includes the same winter suit, warm meal, snacks and hot drinks. In the second week of December we would choose it for three kinds of travellers: families with children under 7, who are too young for the shared tour; groups of four or more who split the price; and anyone celebrating something and wanting the evening on their own terms.

The private tour lets you decide how long to stay outside, when to take a break, and when to head home. It does not guarantee a sighting any more than the shared tour does, but it removes the compromise of other people’s timing.

Day by day: a seven-night shape

Monday 7 December is a good arrival day for a short break; keep the evening easy. Tuesday and Wednesday are the nights we would put the first chase on if you arrive Monday. Thursday is a natural rest day or a daytime outing; the Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 2,100 per person, 5–6 hours, 10:00 pickup) fills the short blue day well. Friday and Saturday are weekend nights with more competition for places, so book them early or aim for the midweek ones.

If you only have a long weekend, book the chase for Saturday or Sunday only if you have already looked at availability; do not assume you can add it once you land. Sunday and Monday are often easier to find space on than Friday and Saturday.

Daytime tours that pair well with a late night

A late chase and an early daytime pickup are a hard combination. If you are out until 01:00, a 10:00 pickup the next morning is possible but tiring. Better to pair a late chase with a lazy morning and an afternoon walk in town, then keep the daytime tour for the day after a free evening.

The Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 1,500, 4 hours, ages 10+, 10:00 pickup) is a lovely way to see the polar twilight on a day you are not chasing. It includes the guide, transport in a Mercedes minivan, snowshoes and poles. The aurora tour needs the night; the hike gives the day a shape.

How to book this week with 5% off

Open the booking page from the links on this page, pick your date and start time, and add your guests. Before paying, type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field for 5% off. The discount works when you book on Legendary Adventure’s own online booking page.

We are Legendary Adventure’s partner and may earn a small commission; it never changes your price. For the wider picture of daytime and evening options, see our full guide to activities in Tromsø.

Practical notes: cold, kit and budgeting

Mid-December in Tromsø is cold but rarely extreme near the coast; the winter suit supplied on the chase handles most of it, and your own base layers do the rest. Wear wool, keep a spare pair of socks, and carry a power bank.

Budget realistically: one shared chase for two is NOK 4,600, a private chase NOK 15,000, a daytime tour NOK 3,000 for two on the snowshoe hike, NOK 4,200 for the fjord tour. Add food and your hotel, and you can see how much a day costs before you choose. If a private tour pushes you over budget, choose two shared chases instead; the odds are better with more nights than with more luxury.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

Mid-December is a lovely time for the aurora if you give it more than one night and book early. Choose the chase that suits your group, add a daytime outing for balance, and leave a little room for weather.

Book the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 or the Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for 5% off.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

Our December picks in Tromsø

Tap a tour to see live dates and prices. Enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field at checkout for 5% off.

Small group · 5-8 HoursNorthern Lights TourFrom NOK 2 300 per personBook with 5% off →Private · 5-8 HoursPrivate Northern Lights TourFrom NOK 15 000 per group (private)Book with 5% off →Small group · 4 HoursArctic Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 1 500 per personBook with 5% off →Small group · 5-6 HoursSommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord TourFrom NOK 2 100 per personBook with 5% off →

Code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 works on every Legendary Adventure tour booked online. We are Legendary Adventure’s partner and may earn a small commission — it never changes your price.