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.

The Problem With a Long Night Chase for Ten-Year-Olds

When friends in Rovaniemi ask us about aurora trips with children, the question is rarely whether the lights are worth it. It is whether the evening is too long. The Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 lasts 5 to 8 hours and, from an 18:30 pick-up, that means being back somewhere between 23:30 and 02:30. The operator recommends it from age 7. Many children of seven can sleep in a minivan; a ten- or twelve-year-old is often more alert and more curious, but is also more likely to hit a wall and then be miserable about it.

We are not saying the chase is wrong for older kids. Some families will want that full commitment, and it is the better choice if seeing the lights is the entire reason for the trip. We are saying that there is a shorter, cheaper option with a different character, and it deserves a straight description instead of being treated as a cut-price chase. This post is for parents who want to weigh the two.

What the Aurora Snowshoe Hike Actually Is

According to the operator, the Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is a night snowshoe adventure with a chance to see the northern lights. Here are the facts we can give you from the listing:

• Price: NOK 1,500 per person
• Duration: 4 hours
• Ages: 10+ recommended
• Pick-up: 18:30, outside Clarion Hotel The Edge (look for a black Mercedes)
• Group: 2–8 guests, with larger groups on request
• Included: a local expert guide, transport in a Mercedes minivan, snowshoe rental, snacks and a hot drink

The operator describes trails that feel different after dark, and the sky as the second half of the experience. That is about as much as we should say about the route: we have not walked it, and we will not make up details about the terrain or the viewpoint.

A Chance, Not a Chase: What We Would Tell Our Own Kids

This is the part we would want to read as parents. The Northern Lights Tour is built around moving. The operator says the route is prepared from the latest weather forecasts and the guides’ knowledge of the area, heading inland or along the coast. The Aurora Snowshoe Hike is described as a hike with the opportunity to see the lights. The listing does not describe a forecast-led drive to find clear sky.

In plain terms: the hike gives you a good evening outdoors under a dark Arctic sky, and if the lights appear, you are already there. If they do not, you still have walked in snowshoes at night, had a hot drink in the dark and seen stars. The chase gives you a better-planned attempt at the lights, at the cost of more hours in a vehicle.

Before you go, tell the children both outcomes are possible. A ten-year-old who has been promised a green sky and gets cloud is a harder evening than one who was told “we might, we might not, and the snowshoes are the sure thing”. Nobody can promise the lights, and neither will we.

Bedtime Planning: What the Evening Looks Like on the Clock

We worked the times out from the listed pick-up and durations, so you can plan dinner and sleep. The operator lists 4 hours for the hike, so a rough return is 22:30. For the chase, the return is 23:30 at the earliest and 02:30 at the latest.

That makes the hike between one and four hours shorter. Three practical points follow from it:

• Eat an early dinner before 18:30. A snack is included on the hike, but it is a snack.
• Keep the next morning free. Even a 22:30 return, with a transfer to the hotel, means a late bedtime.
• Do not stack another tour for the same day. The daytime Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 picks up at 10:00 and runs 4 hours, so doing both would mean eight hours on snowshoes in one day.

Can a 10–12-Year-Old Manage Snowshoes?

The operator recommends the hike for ages 10+, and the guide supplies the snowshoes. For a child who plays outside in winter, we would expect that to be fine, but we cannot assess an individual child for you. A few thoughts from our own Arctic winters: snowshoes make you walk with your feet a little wider, and a child who tires easily may need to go slowly. The group is small, 2 to 8 guests, so a guide can reasonably adapt to the pace, though we cannot say what the pace will be on your night.

If your child is just under ten, or you want to stay within the recommendation with a bigger safety margin, the other route is the Northern Lights Tour (recommended 7+) or the private chase, listed for all ages. If your child is ten and keen to walk, the hike fits.

The photo above is from the daytime hike, which uses the same equipment. The evening version looks different, because it is dark.

Three Options Side by Side, With the Family Maths

The three evenings we would compare for a 10–12-year-old:

For a family of four, before any discount:

• Aurora Snowshoe Hike: 4 × NOK 1,500 = NOK 6,000
• Northern Lights Tour: 4 × NOK 2,300 = NOK 9,200, which is NOK 3,200 more
• Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike: NOK 12,000, which is NOK 6,000 more than the shared hike

The private hike only matches the shared price at 8 guests (8 × NOK 1,500 = NOK 12,000). So it is a choice about privacy, not savings. We would consider it for a family with a child who is shy in groups, or a party with mixed fitness. The operator lets you pick your pick-up location at checkout, and the listing shows no fixed start time, so confirm that when you book.

What to Wear: The Hike Does Not List a Winter Suit

This is the detail we most want parents to notice. The Northern Lights Tour lists a winter suit. The Aurora Snowshoe Hike does not. The listing asks you to dress in layers and wear good winter shoes. That means the children need their own warm kit.

• Insulated, waterproof boots with room for thick socks
• Wool or synthetic base layers, not cotton
• A fleece or wool mid layer
• A windproof outer jacket and snow trousers
• Mittens, a hat covering the ears, and a neck warmer
• A spare pair of socks and a small bag for your phone and a camera

If you are travelling light, ask the operator about equipment before you book, because we cannot tell you whether they can supply more than the listed rental. Dress children so they are slightly cool when they start walking, and they will warm up as they go.

What We Would Book for 10–12-Year-Olds

Our short answer: the Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 if the family likes walking, expectations are calm and an early finish matters. The Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 if the lights are the priority and everyone can cope with a late return. The private hike if a group of your own matters more than the saving. For everything else on offer, see all Tromsø activities.

We are Legendary Adventure’s partner and may earn a commission if you book through our links; it never changes the price you pay.

How to Book With the Hungrytravelfamily Discount

1. Open the booking link for the tour you chose. It goes to Legendary Adventure’s own booking page.
2. Select your date and the number of guests, then continue to checkout.
3. Book online and type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field for 5% off.

Example for four guests: the shared hike is NOK 6,000, which becomes NOK 5,700 after 5%. The private hike at NOK 12,000 becomes NOK 11,400. The Northern Lights Tour for four at NOK 9,200 becomes NOK 8,740. Cancellation is a full refund more than 48 hours before, and a 100% charge inside 48 hours, so book once your dates are fixed.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

If your children are ten to twelve and an eight-hour night sounds like too much, the Aurora Snowshoe Hike is the sensible shorter option: four hours, NOK 1,500 per person, home at about 22:30. Go in knowing it is a chance at the lights, not a chase, and pack warm clothes, because no winter suit is listed. If the lights are the whole point, pay the extra NOK 800 per person for the Northern Lights Tour and plan a slow next morning. We have not done these tours ourselves, so we have only given you the operator’s own facts and our experience of Arctic winters with children.

Book the Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, the Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 or the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 online and type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field for 5% off.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

Our picks for an aurora evening with older kids

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

Small group · 4 HoursAurora Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 1 500 per personBook with 5% off →Private · 4 HoursPrivate Aurora Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 12 000 per group (private)Book with 5% off →Small group · 5-8 HoursNorthern Lights TourFrom NOK 2 300 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.