30 September 2026
Planning a trip to Tromsø often starts with the same questions: Where should I book my Tromsø tours? Is it better to book directly with a local tour operator or through an online travel marketplace? And how do I know which Arctic experiences are right for me?
Online travel agencies can be useful when comparing activities, but booking directly with a local company has some important advantages. Best Arctic is based in Tromsø and has more than 20 years of experience in the Arctic tourism in Tromsø and around. More than 165.000 guests have joined our Northern Lights experiences and our team lives and works in the Arctic we help you explore.
From Northern Lights tours and whale watching to dog sledding, snowmobiling, boat and fjord tours, accommodation, packages and transportation, here are 10 reasons to book your Arctic trip directly with Best Arctic.
When you book with Best Arctic, there are real people behind your booking and they are right here in Tromsø. Our Tromsø-based team includes customer service, booking, sales, operations, product, marketing, drivers and guides, with colleagues from Norway and many other countries.
Our team knows Tromsø and Northern Norway because we live here. We know the distances, winter conditions, activities and practical challenges that come with traveling in the Arctic. Our team regularly experiences and tests the tours we sell, which means we can help you find activities that fit your interests, schedule, budget and travel style rather than simply showing you a long list of available tours. And if you prefer talking to someone face-to-face, you can visit our physical booking point or our Best Arctic meeting point, both located in the city center, in Tromsø and ask for help planning your stay.
Planning a Tromsø holiday can quickly become complicated when your hotel is booked on one website, Northern Lights tour on another, airport transfer somewhere else and your next bus ticket through yet another company. Best Arctic aims to make Arctic travel simpler. On our website, you can find:
Through our Arctic Route bus network, you can also use Tromsø as the starting point for exploring destinations beyond the city. Instead of organizing every part of your holiday separately, you can plan much more of your Arctic journey in one place.
Northern Norway is our home, and Northern Lights tourism has been part of our story for more than two decades. Best Arctic has 20+ years of experience with Northern Lights tours and more than 165.000 guests have joined our Aurora experiences. That experience matters.
Northern Lights chasing is not simply about driving away from Tromsø and waiting. Weather, cloud cover, road conditions and local geography can change quickly. Our teams use years of experience in the region to make informed decisions during the evening, while always remembering one important fact: the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and can never be guaranteed.
We don’t believe a tour should remain unchanged simply because “that’s how it has always been done.”. We continually review our experiences and look for ways to improve them. Feedback and reviews from our guests help us understand what travelers appreciate, what could work better and how expectations are changing.
That feedback is shared across our product, operations, guide, customer service and other teams so that we can continue developing our experiences. For us, quality isn’t only about creating a good tour once. It’s about continuing to improve it.
A great Arctic experience depends heavily on the person guiding it. Our guides receive dedicated training to prepare them for our Best Arctic tours, including the practical knowledge required for the experiences they guide, guest communication and the realities of operating in Arctic conditions.
Our guide team is also international and multilingual, bringing different backgrounds and perspectives while being based here in Tromsø. Whether you are learning about the Northern Lights, Arctic landscapes, local history or life in Northern Norway, your guide is an important part of the experience, not simply someone accompanying you from A to B.
Driving in Northern Norway in winter is very different from driving on an ordinary city road. Snow, ice, darkness, wind and rapidly changing weather are part of Arctic life. Best Arctic’s transport roots are deeply connected to Northern Norway and our professional drivers are experienced with Arctic roads and winter conditions.
That local and regional driving experience is particularly important on tours that can involve several hours on the road, such as Northern Lights chases and longer Arctic journeys.
When comparing Tromsø tour prices, don’t look only at the number beside the “Book now” button. Look at what is actually included. Depending on the Best Arctic tour you choose, your experience may include extras such as:
For example, our Aurora Safari Minibus currently includes photos, a light meal, tripods and warm winter suits, while our Aurora Safari Chase by big bus includes access to private camps, dinner, hot drinks, toilets, a guide and photos.
Always check the individual tour description, as inclusions vary between experiences.
Some of our Northern Lights experiences include access to private Aurora camps and locations. This means that, depending on the tour and conditions, your group can have access to locations reserved for Best Arctic guests rather than arriving at the same public location as multiple tour companies.
Our relationship with local landowners also creates another benefit: tourism revenue can be shared with people in the communities and areas our guests visit. For us, tourism should create value not only for the visitor but also for the destination.
The Arctic is not simply where we work. It is where many of us live. Best Arctic’s environmental work includes formal systems and certifications. Best Arctic Group works according to ISO 14001 environmental management standards. Our environmental policy addresses areas including vehicle emissions, animal welfare, waste, local communities and continuous environmental improvement.
We also work with local suppliers, activity providers, landowners and partners to help keep tourism value within the region.
Responsible Arctic tourism is an ongoing process, and we continue working to understand and reduce our impact.
Not every traveler has the same budget or needs. Best Arctic offers child prices on many experiences and transport services, as well as student and senior discounts on selected products and services.
For example, our Tromsø Airport Express offers separate adult, student/youth, child and senior fares, while student discounts are available across several other Best Arctic experiences. Always check the individual product before booking, as eligibility and discounts vary between tours.
We also offer Arctic packages that combine experiences, helping guests fit more into their time in Northern Norway. Some packages combine daytime adventures with evening activities or accommodation, making it easier to organise several parts of your trip together.
If you already know which local company you want to travel with, booking directly can give you something an online marketplace cannot always provide: a direct relationship with the people organizing your Arctic experience.
With Best Arctic, you can speak with our team before your trip, visit us in Tromsø, ask for recommendations and plan several parts of your Arctic holiday through the same local company.
If something is unclear, you know who you booked with and who to contact. And if you aren’t sure which Northern Lights tour, dog sledding experience, whale watching trip or Arctic package suits you best, ask us. Our team is here in Tromsø and can help you build a trip around what you actually want to experience.
Your Arctic holiday might last only a few days. We live here all year. Explore Tromsø tours and Arctic experiences with Best Arctic and start planning your journey directly with our local team.
Planning a trip to Tromsø often starts with the same questions: Where should I book my Tromsø tours? Is it better to book directly with a local tour operator or through an online travel marketplace? And how do I know which Arctic experiences are right for me? Online travel agencies can be useful when comparing […]
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No, seeing the Northern Lights in Tromsø is never guaranteed. The Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon and whether you see it on a particular night depends on several factors, including aurora activity, cloud cover and local weather. However, Tromsø is one of the world’s best-known destinations for Northern Lights hunting. Located within the auroral […]
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