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 New Year Week Needs Planning

Between Christmas and New Year, many travellers from Europe, North America and Asia arrive in Tromsø at the same time. Flights fill, hotels fill, and evening tours fill too, so the nights you want are not always the nights available. The departures you see on the booking calendar are what you will get, and that is why we always tell friends to book the aurora tour before they book dinner reservations.

We live in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, and we know the festive-season rush well. The habit that works best is simple: decide which two evenings are for the northern lights, book them first, and arrange everything else around them.

This guide is written for a trip that covers some or all of 28 December to 3 January. The exact tour times and availability for each date show on the operator’s booking calendar, so use this post for planning and the calendar for facts.

What the Light and Darkness Are Like in Late December

Tromsø lies well inside the Arctic Circle, and in the last days of December it is in polar night: the sun does not rise above the horizon. The middle of the day brings a blue twilight, not full darkness, and by the time an evening tour leaves the sky is fully dark. That is good for the aurora, since the lights need darkness, though the aurora also needs clear sky and solar activity, and we cannot promise either.

What the long nights give you is time. The chase can start in the evening and still leave hours for stops, a warm meal and a return journey without anyone feeling rushed. Expect a late return, usually between about 23:30 and 02:30, and plan the next day accordingly, especially on the nights before and after New Year when you may also have celebrations in mind.

Cold is the other factor. Late December in northern Norway can be very cold or surprisingly mild, and it changes quickly. The tour includes a winter suit, but you still need warm layers, socks, a hat and gloves of your own.

A Seven-Night Aurora Plan

The best structure for a week in Tromsø is two aurora nights, one daytime tour and several free evenings. Here is a sample that fits 28 December to 3 January:

That plan gives you two aurora attempts separated by several days. If the first evening is cloudy, you still have another. If the first evening is clear, you have already seen it, and the second is a bonus. Adjust to your dates, and check live availability before committing to the nights above.

If the Forecast Is Poor: Using Your Spare Night Well

Over a week, you will almost certainly meet at least one cloudy evening. Do not treat it as wasted. The tour’s guides choose a route from the latest weather forecast, inland or along the coast, so on a patchy night the chase may still head where the sky is clearer, which is the main reason to prefer a tour over a viewpoint in town.

If the forecast looks hopeless for the whole region on your first booked night, talk to the operator about moving it more than 48 hours ahead, when the shared tours are fully refundable, rather than waiting until the last moment. If you are already inside the 48-hour window, the charge applies, so decide with that in mind.

On a free evening you can stay flexible: a quiet dinner in town, an early night to recover from the previous late return, or the Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 if a clear window opens and there is availability. Treat the second booked night as your real insurance. We have seen Arctic weather turn within hours, and the travellers who see the lights are often the ones who gave themselves two or three attempts rather than one.

Also keep in mind that the aurora is not guaranteed on any tour. What you can control is how many attempts you give yourself, how well you are dressed, and whether you are rested enough to enjoy a late night when the sky finally opens.

Which Tour for Which Group

For couples and friends, the shared chase is our default. For a family with a child under seven, the private tour is the one that accepts all ages. For groups of seven or eight, the private tour at NOK 15,000 works out below the shared price per person: NOK 2,143 for seven, NOK 1,875 for eight.

The Aurora Snowshoe Hike is a four-hour guided walk with a chance of aurora, at 18:30 pickup with snowshoe rental, snacks and a hot drink included. We see it as a second-night option, not as the main attempt.

What Is Included and What to Bring

The shared Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 includes a local expert guide, transport in a premium Mercedes-Benz vehicle, a winter suit, and a warm meal, snacks and hot drinks. Pickup is outside Clarion Hotel The Edge, with a black Mercedes waiting. The listed time is 18:30 since 25 October; check the calendar for your exact date.

For your own bag we would pack:

• Wool or synthetic base layers
• Warm socks, a hat and two pairs of gloves
• A charged phone and a power bank, since cold drains batteries
• A small snack for children
• Motion-sickness tablets if anyone in the family is prone to car sickness on long drives

A tripod is useful only if you plan to photograph the sky seriously; most guests manage with a phone.

Booking Early, Cancelling Sensibly

Holiday weeks are where early booking pays. Many travellers book more than a month ahead for the busiest dates, and availability narrows as the week gets closer. Book as soon as your flights are fixed, and choose your two aurora nights before anything else.

For the shared tours, the cancellation terms we have are a full refund when you cancel more than 48 hours before departure and a full charge inside 48 hours. In a week when you are likely to change plans, that is worth remembering: move a booking early rather than late. Read your confirmation for the exact terms.

Finally, avoid booking an aurora night directly before an early flight home. The chase may end after 02:00 and you will pay for it the next day.

How to Book with the Hungrytravelfamily Discount

Open the booking calendar for the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, choose your date and number of guests, and at checkout enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field. That takes 5% off tours booked online with Legendary Adventure. For two guests booking two nights, the shared tour comes to NOK 9,200 before the discount and NOK 8,740 with it.

Hungrytravelfamily is Legendary Adventure’s partner and may earn a commission, which never changes your price. We also have a Tromsø activities guide with what we would book beyond the aurora.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

The New Year week is a busy and wonderful time to be in Tromsø, and the way to protect your aurora chances is to book two nights early, keep a spare evening and avoid early flights after a chase. The Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 suits most couples and friends, and the Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 suits families and groups.

Book online with Legendary Adventure and enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field for 5% off.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

Our Tromsø New Year week picks

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 HoursAurora 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.