Northern Lights Chase, Local Guide, Sámi, Campfire Meal & Photos

Everything was perfect! We set off to chase the Northern Lights on a rainy evening, when the forecast gave us very little chance of seeing them. However, our guide, Tor, was absolutely fantastic. He drove quite a distance, patiently searching for clear skies, and managed to find the Northern Lights on two different occasions. It was truly a magical experience! Tor is an excellent local guide. Along the way, he shared so much about Sami culture and Tromsø, making the experience even more special. He was also incredibly kind, friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend Arctic Aurora Tours! They offer small-group experiences, with excellent personal attention and genuine care for their guests. We are truly grateful to Tor and the whole team for such a wonderful and unforgettable evening.

We had THE most incredible evening!! HUGEEE thanks to Tor 💚 Such a kind, thoughtful and genuine guide who really went above and beyond to make the experience special. You could tell how much he genuinely cared! One of our favourite parts was sitting around the fire, enjoying hot chocolates and hot dogs while listening to Tor share local stories and his incredible knowledge of the area’s history. It made the whole experience feel so personal and special. Thank you Tor for such an unforgettable evening!! 💚

We had an absolutely wonderful night with arctic aurora tours! Our guide Tor was so knowledgeable and made the experience so much more memorable.

Best GUIDE EVERRRR Give use a very local experience, introducing their cultures, take amazing photos. Choose a very good place that make you feel the privacy Highly recommend the guides with his story, jokes, skills !

Tor, our Sami guide made sure our little group had a magical night we will never forget. He took the time to check the latest advice on where to go for the best chance to view the Northern Lights and then we set off. After an hour or so’s drive, we parked up and took a short walk to a dark, quiet spot. Here we enjoyed hot chocolates, sitting on reindeer pelts as the lights began to show. Over the next few hours we were treated to the most spectacular display of green and pink auroras dancing and twisting across the sky from every direction. He had found the perfect location! We finished by cooking sausages over an open fire, talking about what we had all witnessed and Tor telling stories of his experiences growing up in the Sami culture. If you are planning to book a Northern Lights Tour, book Tor - he is an exceptional guide. Thank you Tor!

The best Northern Lights experience in Tromsø. We received excellent, highly personalized guidance to a fantastic spot, where we witnessed the most spectacular Northern Lights. Along the way, our guide shared insights into the Sámi culture—a culture he grew up in himself. We felt completely safe throughout the entire trip, and the guide’s local knowledge was undoubtedly the reason we managed to find such a stunning display of the Northern Lights in a beautiful setting, framed by mountains—even though the initial forecasts for intensity and weather conditions had been poor. At the site, we also enjoyed delicious hot chocolate and reindeer sausages grilled over an open fire. We give this our highest recommendation.

With the forecast showing clouds and rain, my wife and I we were most concerned that our chances of seeing the northern lights were going to be minimal. However, at our 1st meeting with Tor, when we boarded his minibus, he explained that while nothing could be guaranteed, his different weather tools indicated that there were clear skies to be found with solar activity likely. And so after an 80-minute drive, with information covering everything from how and why northern lights occur through to Sami culture and tradition, we arrived to clear skies and an aurora already in place and building in intensity. The next few hours was a magnificent show of the aurora lights arcing and cascading across the entire sky. The amazing experience was complemented with hot chocolate and tasty reindeer sausages on a bun around the campfire, and it was happy and satisfied travellers who took last photos and boarded the minibus for Tromso. Thanks Tor, for an absolutely fantastic night and also for the wonderful photos that arrived at lunchtime the next day.

Be patient and open to waiting to see northern lights. Really enjoyed the campfire with reindeer sausage and hot chocolate.

An excellent trip to see the Northern lights and Sami stories on 1st October from Tromso with guide Tor. It was a real experience and I loved hearing the Sami history and stories and the campfire with drinks and food. Plus his enthusiasm for the spectacular Northern lights that suddenly appeared. A wonderful trip.

My husband n I are very appreciative n thankful to TOR for making our Norther Lights possible. TOR helped us with the photos n fed us with regular n reindeer hotdogs and tea and coffee. He was very knowledgeable and helpful with the Northern Lights, Tromse and Norway. He should be promoted to manage these Northern Lights tour. TOR IS AN ASSET TO YOUR COMPANY. Thank you TOR and best regards! Mike n Maria Gasper

This was a fantastic experience. The weather was very much against us as all of northern Norway seemed socked in and was forecast to be that way for our 4-day stay. But our guide Tor was optimistic, incredibly knowledgable, and had all of the latest apps and information, and drove us as far as it took to find an area with a chance of clear skies. While waiting he single-handedly started a campfire, set up camp, made everyone hot chocolate and set us up to roast reindeer sausages (other and veggie options available) by the fire. All the while Tor regaled us with local information, stories about Sami culture, and tales about his incredible life experiences in the Arctic. We were ready to give up as clouds and lack of activity seemed against us and midnight was approaching, but Tor kept urging us to be patient, and just around midnight the crowds parted and the auroras streaked across the sky. We got home around 2am very tired but excited to see this once in a lifetime sight.

JT was a wonderful guide. He provided detailed info about the Northern Lights and his Sami culture. He was a very safe driver, driving us out of the rain and into clearer skies. The food was delicious, and JT had everything needed for a cool evening of sky gazing. You can’t go wrong with this trip!

We had clouds and rain for the most of the day in Tromsø. Our guide, Tor, was very knowledgeable and drove us for a long way to find clear sky, where we could see the northern lights. It was interesting to listen to stories about Sami's life, his childhood memories. It was a great experience. I hope, I visit Tromsø in winter and I will definitely choose this trip with Tor again. Highly recommend.

Back again with a review of our second tour with Arctic Aurora Tours with TJ (a Sámi guide). Our second evening was just as enjoyable as the first. We learned even more about Sámi life, the Northern Lights, and Norway. TJ took our group as far as Finland to find clear skies and we got to see the lights on a night that was rainy and cloudy in Tromso. His photos of us with the lights turned out better than any of the other tours we took. We're so happy that we were able to get another tour with him before leaving Norway. We cannot recommend this company enough. 5/5 stars from repeat customers. Thank you again TJ! You're an amazing guide!

We had 5 different services for Northern Lights guided tours during our visit to Tromso, and this was absolutely the best. We even booked with TJ a second time for our final night. TJ is the safest driver of all our tours. He adds a rich cultural element to the experience, and you'll even have a few laughs. He is a great guide who knows the best spots to view the lights. He plans in advance based on conditions to improve your chances of seeing the lights. The experience isn't rushed and is definitely worth the money. The tour is a small group which offers the most flexibility for locations. Don't waste your time with copycats, book this tour. You'll be glad you did. 5/5 stars! Thank you TJ for an amazing tour!

It was a great experience! Our guide, Tor, was very informative and really looked for a good place to see the aurora since it was very cloudy. He found a great spot and while waiting for the lights to appear, we had hot chocolate drinks (one of the choices) and cooked deer sausages (he has beef and vegetarian sausages available too) over the bonfire. We had a great time listening to his Sami stories during his younger days and taking pictures of the aurora as it appears over the horizon.

We had a great time on this tour! It was raining on the night of our tour so we weren’t very optimistic on our chances of seeing the lights, but our guide Tor was very experienced and knew where to take us even with bad weather conditions. We ended up at a wonderful spot full of stars once the weather cleared up and were blessed with a spectacular display of the northern lights. During the entire journey Tor was very informative and kept us engaged with talks on Sami culture. Would highly recommend this tour!

Great guide excellent experience beautiful photos

Tor Sara was an amazing and experienced guide. Also shared his precious experience as a Sámi!! We were so lucky to have one of the best spots to see the lights, even on a cloudy night!!

I had two trips with this company and the rating reflects the second trip mainly. First trip with Tor was informative but he didn't go into Finland where the lights had been sighted. Booked a second trip where Espen was the guide and this was really poor. There was no storytelling, no photography assistance- little of what had been promised on the trip. He threw the chairs and implements for cooking on the ground for us to pick up ourselves. One person is insufficient to help a bus full of guests- but then it appeared he'd given up pretty early in the trip and had decided to refund us- as if this would compensate for a disappointing trip to Norway because they weren't willing to travel that extra distance to see what many people have as their main reason to visit at this time of year. He would not go to Finland where again the lights had been found that night and the previous night. They stated they had cameras to see where aurora activity it taking place but I got the impression this was over a small area, which they didn't want to leave to search further afield.. This was two failed attempts on nights when the lights had been spotted elsewhere. Maybe they don't have the contacts. I wouldn't risk going with this company unless you have back ups on other nights because the service is variable, and you may fail in your trip objective if you get the wrong guide, and he is having an 'off day'. There are other reviews which I saw after taking my trip which reflect the same occurrences.

Truly wonderful and memorable experience viewing the northern lights with Tor! Would highly recommend this tour!

Espen is an amazing guide. I can very much recommend the experience with him

Great tour would thoroughly recommend. We had rain and cloud for most of the day in Tromso so expectations were low but our amazing local guide was very knowledgeable and drove us for two hours to find clear skies where we could watch the Northern Lights for over two hours without the crowds. The van was very comfortable and warm. We stopped for toilet breaks and snacks too, the campfire and hotdogs with hot chocolate made the evening perfect couldn’t have asked for more.

What a spectacular show of Northern Lights we saw with Tor! I don’t know exactly how, but he managed to find a spot up in the mountains with barely any clouds. The experience was better than I had anticipated! Not only the auroras were getting stronger and stronger. It was also due to the fact that Tor was so authentic and eager to tell us about Sami people- their customs and traditions, and was open to answer any questions, even personal ones which related to his own family. The bonfire kept us warm, and there were enough hot dogs, buns, and Norwegian lompe bread (eat the hot dog a Norwegian way!) and crispy fried onions not to get hungry in addition to a hot chocolate available, do make sure that you wear either warm winter boots or multiple layers of socks. You won’t be walking around much and although warm suits are available, your feet and toes will get really cold if you’re not prepared. Tor was taking photos of anyone who wanted to have it while the auroras were in the background. They were shared with all of us the very next day.

The most wonderful trip from start to finish! Tor was so knowledgeable and found the perfect spot to stop and see a phenomenal light show despite the cloudy weather forecast. Thermal suits, hot chocolate, biscuits, stories around the bonfire, sausages, everything had been thought of and nothing was too much trouble.

My wife and I had an amazing experience on this Northern Lights tour and can highly recommend it. The tour is done in a minibus, which makes it much more personal and flexible than the large bus tours. Our guide was Tor. He is Sámi and a true local, so he knows the area extremely well. He takes great care of everyone in the group and makes sure that everyone feels comfortable. It was a very relaxed and authentic experience and definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Photographers will also enjoy the tour. There is plenty of time to take your own photos, and Tor also takes photos himself and is happy to share tips on how to capture the Northern Lights.

Absolutely incredible night. The location was stellar and our guide was amazing — super knowledgeable about how and when to find the lights! Plus we had hotdogs and hot chocolate around a campfire as we waited for the lights to start to show and when they did — wow, just phenomenal. 1000/10 could not recommend this tour more.

It had been overcast and rainy since we arrived in Tromso. We were not optimistic that we would get to see the northern lights. Our guide took us to his family’s land where we cooked hotdogs on the campfire and drank hot chocolate. Before long, the skies cleared and we had the most amazing lights display. We stated for about 4 hours as the lights kept getting better and better. We even made a couple of stops on the way back to Tromso as our guide saw activity and wanted us to get out and enjoy it, too. The night exceeded our expectations!

Our guide Tor is professional and got many interesting stories to tell us. We saw a spectacular northern light show! Kjempebra!

Fantastic small group northern lights tour. TJ gave us good insight into the Sami people and took us to hidden places to find the lights.

It was a most enjoyable exploration of the aurora borealis. Our very capable tour guide Jonny was well prepared and knew how to get to areas with great, undisturbed views. His use of proper websites enabled excellent timing of expected aurora intensities. Waiting times were well-used to start a campfire, share food and listen to Sami stories.

We had a fantastic Northern Lights tour with TJ! Despite a poor forecast, he knew exactly where to go. We visited two different spots and saw an incredible amount of Northern Lights – it was truly an amazing show in the sky. Because of the weather / wind we couldn’t make a fire, but the great photos and the whole experience more than made up for it. Thank you for this unforgettable tour! Highly recommended!

It was amaazing TJ was our guide he took quick and informed decisions and was able to take us to a beautiful spot with clear skies and we watched the sky glitter for hours

This tour was one of the things we were most looking forward to on our trip, but it ended up being our most disappointing experience. This is not entirely the fault of the tour company, however. We understood that we weren't guaranteed to see the Northern Lights, and unfortunately nature didn't cooperate for us. We don't blame the company or the tour guide for that, but it turns into an extremely long, boring night if you don't end up seeing anything. There are some things that are in the tour company's control that could be improved, however. The tour description refers to a warm meal being offered and since the tour started at 6:00 PM, we didn't eat dinner. The meal turned out to be beef hot dogs (with a vegetarian alternative style hot dog available as well.) I think the other people in the tour group had the same idea that we did that something more substantial was going to be offered, because the food ran out pretty quickly. Hot chocolate was the only beverage offered. It would have been nice if some bottles of water had been available, too. The tour description refers to Sámi and local storytelling, but there didn't seem to be any storytelling. Our guide, who did not identify himself as Sámi, spent most of his time trying to track the forecast for the lights, which was fine. We got back to town around 2:00 AM and were dropped off at the meeting point. Considering how long the tour was and how tired we were, it would have been nice if hotel drop-off had been offered. The tour company offers the opportunity to go on the tour the next night for half price if you don't see the lights on your booked night, but honestly, the first night was so long and tiring that we didn't think we could do it again.

One of the best experiences ever. Guide was absolutely amazing and went out of his way to make sure we get the most memorable experience. He was so enthusiastic about his work and told us a lot of amazing stories. We had done two excursions earlier with different operators but this was hands down the best. Loved every second of it. Thanks to TJ for being such a great guide

The guide is professional and is equipped with the most powerful app, so even we went in a cloudy night, he could drive to the right location at the right time to watch aurora Have joined two aurora chasing tours in Tromsø and Rovienmi, my experience is try to fetch the best guide who can show u to the best location and the best timing to watch aurora. After we settled in our location, some tours came but was a bit late as the aurora activity became slow down. Our guide is local Sami who has ample experience in chasing aurora. Highly recommended

Tor was an amazing tour guide and really made this a great experience. We were also very lucky to get a stunning northern lights show

We had an excellent experience on the Northern Lights Chase with Sámi and local storytelling. Espan, the tour organiser and guide, was outstanding. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional throughout, and he made everyone feel comfortable and well looked after. One small suggestion for future tours: if some guests (American young couple) place tripods or cameras directly in front of others and use bright lights/flashlights that spoil the view, it would be really helpful if this could be addressed promptly by the guide. We were perhaps a bit too British and polite to say anything ourselves, but clearer intervention in those moments would make the experience even better for everyone.

The Arctic Aurora Tour was an outstanding experience from start to finish. Everything was well organized, the atmosphere was relaxed, and the locations were chosen carefully. We had plenty of time to enjoy the Northern Lights without feeling rushed. TJ was an excellent host. He took care of the group, made sure everyone was comfortable and safe, and created a really welcoming vibe. A big highlight was that he took professional photos of us during the tour, and those were already included in the price. That added a lot of value and made the whole experience even better. Overall, it was an unforgettable night with great guidance, stunning nature, and fantastic memories. I would book this tour again anytime.

Highly recommended guide. The experience was amazing. Great service, great stories. And true great passion for the aurora!

Everything was perfect. Andreas was very friendly and really took good care of his guests. We could tell that it was important to him that we enjoyed ourselves. He chose the perfect spot and we had a cozy campfire. I highly recommend this tour with Andreas.

We had an amazing experience with TJ guide. We also were very lucky because we saw the lights . The spot was amazing too and TJ shared with as many stories from SAMIS. Also, the provided uniforms were so useful . Totally recommended from our side!!!

This was over all okay. The bus was comfortable and the guide friendly. However, there wasn’t any ‘Sami and local story telling’. We asked a few questions about the Sami and got a couple of basic responses, but I wouldn’t call it story telling. We also didn’t learn anything about photography, which was mentioned in the description when I booked. The fire was nice and the atmosphere good, but I don’t feel we really got what was advertised. So, it was fine.

This was over all okay. The bus was comfortable and the guide friendly. However, there wasn’t any ‘Sami and local story telling’. We asked a few questions about the Sami and got a couple of basic responses, but I wouldn’t call it story telling. We also didn’t learn anything about photography, which was mentioned in the description when I booked. So, it was fine.

Just wanted to thank you for the amazing tour yesterday! Out feedback would be 10/10 (just like the Aurora we saw… a 10/10 definitely - as confirmed by TJ) A big thank you to TJ who shared with us a lot of knowledge on the norther lights as well as stories about himself. He was a great guide and made the evening special. Same for Andreas, who hosted us in his land and again shared beautiful insights. We were really happy to know that through the tour we picked we were somehow able to “give back” to the amazing local people. We already recommended the tour to some colleagues coming in a few days. Thanks for everything, Ilaria, Juanita and Nico

Incredible tour with dedicated local guides. They were able to drive us to an exclusive place to see the lights that other tours don’t have access to, answered all of our questions, helped us with pictures, and made sure we stayed warm. Truly a magical experience!

Tor is a very knowledgeable and skilled guide and his forecasts were 100% accurate. We were a nice small group (only 4 people) and the atmosphere was very relaxed. Tor knew exactly where to go and we had an unbelievable and magical show. At the second location we had a nice campfire and hot dogs (and more northern lights). It was a fantastic evening and very special. We would have expected a bit more storytelling, but that didn’t matter, we heard about his experience as a Sami and we had an incredible time.

Tor our guide was fantastic and worked really hard to find a place for us to see The Nothern Lights. It was a cloudy night initially and we were not optimistic however we had a great trip and saw the lights for a number of hours. Very special. Our pictures taken by Tor are brilliant.

100% recommend - our guide, Andreas, made our experience magical. Great conversation, incredibly helpful with camera settings, and super photography of all the folks on the trip. Of course, finding the aurora isn't guaranteed, but Andreas knew the data and found one within 10 minutes of parking. We were a small group, ~10 people, so it was a lovely campfire bonding experience as we waited for each wave of lights. If you've never seen the Northern Lights before - take this tour. You will not regret it.