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.

What Tromsø is like between Christmas and New Year

The polar night is in full swing in late December. The sun stays below the horizon, but the sky does not go black at noon: you get a few hours of deep blue and pink twilight, and the snow carries that light across town. It is a calm, quiet, candlelit week, and the evenings are long enough that a chase leaving at dinner time has plenty of dark hours to work with.

It is also a popular week. Hotels fill, flights from the big European hubs are busy and the tour calendars show it. We always tell friends who travel at Christmas to book the evenings first and the daytime second, because you can improvise a daytime walk in town but you cannot improvise a seat on a chase.

If you are planning the wider trip, we collect the whole winter in our Tromsø activities guide, and we have a separate Christmas-week itinerary too.

Which night should you book: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 or 27 December?

We cannot tell you which night will have clear sky, and neither can anyone else this far ahead. What we can tell you is how the calendar behaves around the holiday and how to build a plan that does not depend on one night.

• 22 and 23 December: travellers who arrive early often find the best choice here. If you land on the 22nd, make the 23rd your first chase and keep Christmas Eve for a second try.
• 24 December: many families want it, and hotels and guides plan around dinner. Choose it only if your family genuinely wants to be outside on that evening, and book early.
• 25 and 26 December: often calmer, with fewer people travelling. If you are staying through Christmas Day, book the evenings of the 25th or 26th.
• 27 December: a good last-night option, but with the usual rule: do not book an early flight the next morning, because a chase returns late.

The principle matters more than the date. Two chases on two nights give you two different skies and a margin for cloud. One chase on one night is a bet.

The shared chase: what NOK 2,300 gets you

The Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is the one most couples and friends choose. According to the operator, guides prepare the route from the latest weather forecasts and their local knowledge, and head inland or along the coast depending on the sky. The listing includes a local expert guide, a premium Mercedes-Benz vehicle, a winter suit and a warm meal with snacks and hot drinks. Groups are 2–8 guests, the recommended age is 7 and up, and pickup is outside Clarion Hotel The Edge at 18:30 (19:00 before 25 October).

For a couple, the price is NOK 4,600 for the pair, with a winter suit and the meal already included. That is why we say it is better value than people think when they first see the number. For a trip that is mostly about seeing the lights, it is the first booking we would make.

Christmas with children: shared or private?

The shared chase is recommended for ages 7 and up. If your child is younger, or if you are a family of four or more, price the Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at NOK 15,000 per group. It is open to all ages, you choose the pickup location at checkout, and the vehicle is yours, so bedtimes, snack stops and warm-up breaks can all be handled in the family’s own time.

A family of five paying shared prices would spend NOK 11,500, so the gap to private is smaller than most people expect. We put the numbers side by side in a separate break-even guide. For three generations travelling together at Christmas, the private option also solves the question of who can walk how far.

A simple six-day plan for 22–27 December

The shape is what matters: one daytime tour, two chances at the aurora, and at least one free evening. That leaves recovery time after late returns and room to switch nights if the forecast moves.

Daylight in the dark season: what to do before the chase

The daytime options in Tromsø are real but short on light. The Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 2,100 per person, 5–6 hours, lunch included) uses the blue midday twilight to cross Kvaløya and visit Sommarøy. The Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 1,500 per person, 4 hours, ages 10+) puts you on snowshoes in the snow with equipment included. Neither needs sunshine to be good, and both end with time to rest before the evening.

For families who want a gentle half day, the Ersfjord & Grøtfjord Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is 3–4 hours at NOK 1,500 per person. Whichever you choose, wear layers, because the cold in late December is the main weather you plan for.

Booking logic: why the early bird gets the better night

The booking calendar is live, which means every seat that someone else takes disappears for you. In a normal week that barely matters. In Christmas week it matters a great deal, because a large share of visitors want the same handful of evenings and the same pickup. The practical consequence is that your first choice of night is only your first choice if you book before everyone else does.

Here is how we would sequence it. Fix flights and hotel first, since the tour depends on being in Tromsø. Then book the first chase for the evening after you arrive, not the evening you arrive, so a delayed flight does not cost you a booking. Then book the second chase two nights later. That spacing gives the weather a chance to change between attempts and gives you a rest evening in between.

Remember the cancellation rule when you plan: a full refund when you cancel more than 48 hours ahead, a full charge inside 48 hours. If you are unsure about flights, check the date before you commit. If your plans are firm, book early and relax.

What to wear and carry in Christmas week

The winter suit is included on the chase, which removes the biggest packing worry. Underneath it, wear thermal layers, a warm mid layer and two pairs of socks, and bring a hat and gloves of your own. A neck gaiter or buff is cheap and makes a real difference when the wind picks up. Keep your phone warm in an inside pocket and bring a power bank, because batteries lose charge quickly in the cold.

For daytime tours, boots with a good sole matter more than a good coat. On the snowshoe hike, the operator advises dressing in layers and wearing good winter shoes that keep you warm and dry. Equipment such as snowshoes and poles is included. For the fjord tour, remember that the beaches are windy and that photo stops mean standing still for a few minutes at a time.

Finally, bring something to look forward to: a thermos of your own tea, a small bar of chocolate, a deck of cards for the drive. A chase is a long evening, and small comforts turn waiting time into a good memory instead of a cold one. Christmas week is also a good time to bring a small gift for a travel companion and open it at the first warm stop; the guides will understand.

How to book Christmas week with the Hungrytravelfamily discount

Booking is done online, directly with Legendary Adventure, and that is where our reader discount works. Here is the short version:

1. Open the booking link of the tour you want (every tour name in this guide is one).
2. Pick your date in the live calendar and the number of guests.
3. At checkout, type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field and apply it: that is 5% off every tour booked online.
4. Choose your pickup details where asked and pay.

Our picks for this plan:

• Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for the main chase
• Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for families and groups
• Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for a daytime outing

Transparency: we are Legendary Adventure’s partner and may earn a small commission when you book with our code. It never changes your price, and every fact in this guide comes from the operator’s own tour pages.

Common mistakes in Christmas week

Booking one night only is the biggest. The second is stacking a late chase the evening before an early flight. The third is forgetting that restaurants and shops keep shorter hours around the holiday, so plan dinner before your pickup. The fourth is dressing for a city walk instead of for hours outside. The winter suit helps, but warm socks, a hat and your own gloves are still your job. The fifth is leaving the booking until you land: seats are shown live, and the best nights go first.

If you want more depth, we have separate guides on what to wear, how to read the booking page and how to choose between nights.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

Christmas week in Tromsø is special, and the northern lights make it more so. Book the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 early, give yourself two evenings, and keep the daytime simple. Families should look hard at the Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, because comfort and flexibility count for more than usual in the cold.

Book online and enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for 5% off your tours.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

Our Tromsø picks for Christmas week

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 · 5-6 HoursSommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord TourFrom NOK 2 100 per personBook with 5% off →Small group · 4 HoursArctic Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 1 500 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.