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 a Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike Actually Is

Most northern lights experiences in Tromsø are about driving: you are in a vehicle, the guide searches for clear sky, and you step out when the conditions are right. The Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike is a different idea. It is a night walk on snowshoes with a guide just for your group, where the aurora is a possible reward rather than the sole point of the evening.

We write from Rovaniemi, where we know how quiet and strange the Arctic feels after dark when you are walking rather than riding. The tour page from Legendary Adventure is short on detail, so this guide leans on the operator’s published facts and on the standard Aurora Snowshoe Hike, which uses the same concept. Where facts are missing we say so and suggest you confirm them before booking.

The Facts: Price, Length, Group and What Is Included

The Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 costs NOK 12,000 per group, which the operator lists for 2–8 guests, for 4 hours. The recommended minimum age is 10. You select your preferred pick-up location during checkout. The tour is listed as a winter tour, and includes a local expert guide, transport in a Mercedes minivan, snowshoe rental, and snacks and a hot drink.

The page does not give a fixed start time for the private tour. The shared Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 picks up at 18:30 and costs NOK 1,500 per person, which is a reasonable indication of the evening timing, but confirm your private start time with Legendary Adventure when you book. Cancellation follows the usual rule: full refund more than 48 hours ahead, full charge inside 48 hours.

Shared or Private: The Maths

At eight people the two cost the same, so the private tour is the better deal for a full group. For smaller groups you are paying a premium for privacy, flexibility and not sharing the evening with strangers.

Why Anyone Chooses Private

There are four honest reasons. The first is pace: if one person is slower, nobody is embarrassed or rushed, and the guide can shorten or lengthen the walk to suit your group. The second is company: a private evening is quieter, and conversation, silence and photography are all easier. The third is occasion: proposals, anniversaries and family reunions are better when you are not sharing the moment with others.

The fourth is practical. A private group picks the hotel or address for pickup at checkout, which is helpful on a cold evening, especially for families with children. And when everyone in the group knows each other, you can decide together how long to stay out if the sky begins to clear. Being able to say “ten more minutes” without a vote is the real luxury.

One more point of honesty: who should skip private? If you are one or two people and the northern lights are the main goal, the shared Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is far better value and a better bet for clear sky. If you cannot walk comfortably on uneven snow for an hour or two, a snowshoe tour is the wrong format and the private chase is kinder. And if your group has a tight budget, spend the money on two nights of aurora chasing instead of one private walk, because more nights means more chances.

What You Can and Cannot Expect to See

The operator describes the tour as a night snowshoe adventure with a chance to see the northern lights. The key word is chance. Aurora depends on solar activity and on clear sky, and no guide controls either. A snowshoe hike, unlike a long chase, is generally closer to Tromsø, so you have less ability to drive away from cloud. If the forecast is clearly bad, the longer Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 15,000, 5–8 hours) is a better choice because the whole point of that tour is to travel to clear sky.

What you do get on a snowshoe night, whatever the sky does, is a walk in the Arctic at night, the sound of snow, a hot drink, and a view of stars if the cloud thins. We recommend this tour for people who value the experience of being outside in the dark as much as the aurora itself.

A Sample Evening, Hour by Hour

The operator does not publish a minute-by-minute programme, so this is our picture of a 4-hour evening based on how the shared Aurora Snowshoe Hike works, not a promise. You are collected from your chosen address in the Mercedes minivan, driven out of town to a spot the guide picks according to the sky and snow, and fitted with snowshoes. The first stretch is a walk in the dark, usually slowly, so that eyes adjust and nobody trips.

Partway through, there is a stop for the snacks and hot drink, which is the moment to look up and let the group get quiet. If the sky is active, the guide will say so and you will probably spend most of the time standing and watching rather than walking. If the sky is cloudy, the walk continues, the conversation picks up, and the evening is still a night in the Arctic. Then you walk back, take off the snowshoes, and are driven home, usually well before midnight given the 4-hour length.

The big difference between this and a chase is how much you walk and how little you drive. That is a plus for people who get restless in vehicles and a minus for people who want maximum range.

What to Wear and Bring

Dress as you would for a long winter evening outdoors: thermal base layers, warm mid-layer, windproof outer layer, a good hat, insulated gloves and boots with room for thick socks. The tour page does not list a winter suit for this tour, unlike the northern lights chase, so plan to wear your own clothing and ask the operator whether anything can be lent.

Bring a charged phone or camera, a spare battery kept warm in an inner pocket, and a small head torch if you have one. Walking at night on snow is easier than it sounds, but the ground is uneven, so wear boots with a firm sole.

What We Would Book

If your group is six to eight and wants a night walk, the Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is the one we would book. If you are two to four, the shared Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 is far cheaper. If the lights are the priority, choose the Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 or shared Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5. For the daytime version of the same activity see the Private Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5. Our Tromsø activities guide puts all of these side by side.

One simple combination: a morning shared Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for the active members of the group and an evening private session for everyone, so the whole family shares the aurora walk.

How to Book With the Hungrytravelfamily Discount

Booking is simple and happens on Legendary Adventure’s own booking page, not on ours. Open the Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, pick your date and group size, and go to checkout. In the promo-code field type HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and press apply; the total should drop by 5% before you enter any card details. If the field does not show the discount, re-type the code in capitals without spaces.

Because the private tour page lists no fixed start time, confirm your start and pick-up location in the booking form or by message to Legendary Adventure.

A word of transparency: we are Legendary Adventure’s partner and may earn a commission when you book with the code. It never changes your price, and every price, time and inclusion in this guide comes from the operator’s own tour pages.

FAQ

Our honest final word: the private night walk is a lovely idea for a group of friends or a family who want a quiet evening outside, and it is genuinely good value at the top end of the group size. For smaller groups, the shared hike gives the same experience for a lot less.

Ready? Open the Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 or the shared Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

Our Tromsø private and aurora picks

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

Private · 4 HoursPrivate Aurora Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 12 000 per group (private)Book with 5% off →Small group · 4 HoursAurora Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 1 500 per personBook with 5% off →Private · 5-8 HoursPrivate Northern Lights TourFrom NOK 15 000 per group (private)Book with 5% off →Private · 4 HoursPrivate Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 12 000 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.