A review of our Northern Lights tours in Northern Norway by Popovers and Passports travel blogger

“The most impressive shows can last a few minutes to a few hours! When I was searching for the best place with the highest chances of seeing the Northern Lights, one thing became clear, and that was that I needed to go to Tromsø, Norway!”

“My name is Linnea, and I’m a U.S. based travel blogger for my blog “Popovers and Passports”. The name “Popover” refers to travel tips I share that help travelers maximize their time in a destination and plan quick “popover” trips. I’ve been blogging since 2018, and my audience is primarily from the U.S. and Scandinavia. After I narrowed down Tromsø, Norway as our destination to see the Northern Lights, I knew I wanted to find the best tour company to help increase my chances of seeing the incredible aurora borealis. Even though Tromsø is known for its high aurora activity, I must emphasize that having a guide is essential to increase your chances of seeing them! Best Arctic immediately caught my attention after reading about the range of Northern Lights experiences (Aurora Safari Minibus or Aurora Safari Camp) that they offered their guests. I came across their tours on their Instagram, and I’m so happy I found them! I booked both the Aurora Safari Minibus and the Safari Aurora Camp with Best Arctic. I highly recommend booking both of these tours if your time in Tromsø allows for a few additional nights. Each tour experience is different, and I enjoyed both of them for different reasons!

Aurora Safari Minibus Experience

The Aurora Safari Minibus is perfect if you’re looking for a smaller, more intimate experience with your guide. If the forecast that evening looks cloudy, I would recommend the minibus. The minibus is a “chase” vehicle, and you can stop at 2-3 different places based on where your guide is tracking the highest aurora activity with minimal cloud coverage.  At one of the stops, your guide will set up a bonfire to warm you up with hot drinks and a snack. I really enjoyed our experience on the minibus! The experience of a “chase” was thrilling, and when the auroras appeared, it felt like a victory for the group!

Aurora Safari Camp

We were spoiled with a fantastic night of auroras at the Aurora Safari Camp! The camp is a fantastic option on really active aurora nights as well as on really slow aurora nights. It provides a warm place to wait inside before the auroras appear with bathrooms, places to sit, and plenty of hot drinks.  Alternatively, if the aurora activity is slower, you don’t need to wait outside for the lights to appear – instead you can wait inside the camp and enjoy staying cozy with your warm drinks. You have a choice of purchasing a homemade dinner at your camp. The dinners vary at each camp, but it’s usually a type of meat stew (vegetarian options are available too). I highly recommend adding on dinner! The meal is hearty, and it will definitely fill you up and save you from having to find dinner prior to your tour. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Aurora Camp! The surrounding area was unique with beaches and rocks which made for beautiful photos. I loved every minute of my experience with Best Arctic! What sets Best Arctic apart from other tour companies that you find in Tromsø are the fantastic guides. All the guides we had were friendly, knowledgeable, and caring. They went above and beyond to do everything in their power to ensure we could see the Northern Lights. The guides captured incredible photos of us that we will cherish forever. Their photography skills were impressive, and they were encouraging guests to take as many photos as they would like! All photos are included in the tour, and they are available to download for free
the next day. Thanks to our fantastic guides from Best Arctic, I was able to cross an item off my bucket list that I will never forget. Best Arctic is one of the premiere tour companies in Tromsø. I can assure you they’ll do everything they can to make your experience just as memorable as
mine! Author: Linnea Jordan of PopoversandPassports.com