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 these two belong together

Most visitors come to Tromsø for the northern lights, but a week of only night tours leaves the days empty and the body tired. The Sommarøy & Kvaløya tour fills the daytime with something very different: coast, mountains and open sea under the soft light of the north. The northern lights tour, in turn, is the night counterpart: dark sky, cold air and a long wait for something that moves.

The two tours also fit each other logistically. One leaves in the morning, the other in the evening, and both start outside Clarion Hotel The Edge for the shared versions. We live in Rovaniemi and have sent friends on this combination, but we have not done these specific tours ourselves, so everything below is based on the operator’s published facts and general planning sense.

What each tour gives you

The fjord tour is a scenic drive with stops, and the aurora tour is a chase. One is predictable; the other depends on the sky. That difference is the point of pairing them: you are guaranteed a good day, and you are giving yourself a good chance of a good night.

How many nights apart?

The most common mistake is stacking a 02:00 chase return on top of a 10:00 pickup. It is possible, but you will pay for it in the fjord views. Our rule is to put at least one night between a chase and the fjord tour, or to put the fjord tour the day before the chase, so that you start the aurora evening rested.

• Four nights: arrive, fjord tour on day two, chase on night two or three, spare night.
• Five nights: add a snowshoe morning or a second chase.
• Three nights: fjord tour on day two, chase on night two, and keep night three open.

The return time of the chase is the variable. On a good night you might be back before midnight. On a stubborn night, the guide may drive far for clear sky and return in the small hours. Never leave the chase as the last thing before an early flight.

Winter light on the fjord day

In December and early January the sun stays below the horizon in Tromsø, but around midday the sky glows blue and pink, and the snow reflects it softly. The 10:00 pickup puts you out in the middle of this window. By February and March, the light returns and the days lengthen, which gives more colour on the mountains and longer stops at the beaches.

The tour is a year-round experience, so the same route looks very different in different seasons. That is useful if you are deciding between a winter trip and a return in summer. If you come in winter, expect blue light and snow. In summer, the midnight sun changes everything.

The local lunch breaks up the day and gives you a warm rest. The operator lists it as included in the NOK 2,100 price.

The money: shared, private and in between

Prices are per person on the shared tours and per group on the private tours.

The private fjord tour is NOK 15,000 per group of 2–8 guests, open to all ages, and the private northern lights tour is NOK 15,000 per group, also open to all ages. For eight people, both private tours together are cheaper than the shared tours, and the group controls the timetable. For a couple, the shared tours are the obvious choice.

With the 5% reader discount, the shared total for two comes to NOK 8,360 and the private total to NOK 28,500.

A sample three-day plan for a couple

Here is how we would lay out a short trip around these two tours. The times are the operator’s published pickups; everything else is our suggestion.

• Day 1: arrive in the afternoon, walk the harbour, have an early dinner and sleep. Book nothing demanding.
• Day 2, 10:00: pickup for the Sommarøy & Kvaløya tour. Lunch is included, so you are back mid-afternoon. Rest, then have a light dinner.
• Day 3, 18:30: pickup for the northern lights tour. Eat well beforehand, even though the tour provides a meal, and bring a power bank.
• Day 4: a slow morning, a late breakfast and the journey home.

If the chase is cloudy out on day three, you have no spare night in this plan, which is why we prefer a fourth night. If you have only three nights, consider putting the chase on day two and the fjord tour on day three, because the fjord tour is the one that is better value on a tired day. It does not depend on the sky, and its long drives are easier to enjoy when you are not racing against a late return.

What to wear and pack for both

The northern lights tour includes a winter suit, but the fjord tour does not list one, so dress for the coast on the day. The wind on an open beach in winter is sharper than the temperature suggests.

• Layers: a wool base layer, a fleece and a windproof outer layer.
• Boots: waterproof and insulated, with a good grip for icy car parks and beaches.
• Accessories: hat, neck warmer, two pairs of gloves and sunglasses for bright snow.
• Tech: a charged phone, a power bank and a spare battery for the camera.
• Comfort: a small flask, snacks and a pack of tissues, because cold noses run.

You can use the same boots, hat and gloves for both days, which keeps the luggage light. If you travel with children, a spare set of mittens is cheap insurance.

Most importantly, keep one thing in mind: you will spend more time standing still than walking on both tours. The lights are watched in silence, and the beaches are admired with a camera. Warm feet beat everything else.

Booking direct: why it matters for the code

Our 5% discount works when you book on Legendary Adventure’s own booking page. That is the page our links open, and it shows live dates and prices. If you have seen the same tour somewhere else, check whether it is the operator’s own page before you pay, because the promo-code field is where the discount is entered.

Booking direct also means you deal with the operator for changes. For shared tours, free cancellation applies more than 48 hours before departure, and the full price is charged inside 48 hours. That is useful to know if flights or weather change your plans.

We are the operator’s partner and may earn a commission on bookings made through our links. It never changes the price you pay.

A short alternative if you only have one full day

If your trip is very short, you may not want both. In that case, we would choose the northern lights tour if the aurora is your main goal, and the fjord tour if you want the surest good day. A cheaper middle route is the Ersfjord & Grøtfjord Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at NOK 1,500 per person for 3–4 hours, which leaves more of the day free, paired with the Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at NOK 1,500 per person for an evening attempt.

We do not recommend squeezing a fjord day and a chase into the same 24 hours, because the long tours together would leave you worn out and the quality of both would suffer.

What we’d book, and how to get 5% off

For most couples, we would book the Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 on day two and the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 the following night. For groups and families, we would price the Private Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and the Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5. See our Tromsø activities guide for the wider list.

Open each tour from our link, choose your date and enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field before payment to get 5% off.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

If you can only book two things in Tromsø, this is the pair we would choose: a fjord day for certainty and a chase night for the chance of something extraordinary. Space them out, keep a spare evening, and book on the operator’s own page.

Book the Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and use HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for 5% off.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

Our Tromsø day-and-night pair

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

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