Aurora Safari Chase by big bus, free Photos, toilet onboard

The best part of this Tromsø aurora tour is the freedom to move around Troms County rather than staying beside the city. The bus heads toward a base station chosen for that evening’s weather, and it can continue chasing clearer skies if conditions change. With luck, you may see the Northern Lights for minutes or several hours.

I like the heated coach and onboard toilet, especially on a five-to-eight-hour winter outing. I also like the camp setup: hot chocolate, coffee, snacks, a fire, and a lavvo give you somewhere warm to recover between sky checks. The main drawback is the large group, with up to 50 people, and no promise of aurora activity when cloud covers the sky.

Key points to know before you book

• The bus can chase clearer skies: The route may change around Troms County instead of following one fixed viewing spot.
• You get a warm base camp: Sit by a campfire or inside a heated lavvo while waiting for the sky to clear.
• The guide can help with photography: Guides such as William, Alexandre, and Ricardo have helped people adjust cameras and capture the aurora.
• Food is partly optional: Coffee, hot chocolate, and local snacks are provided, while reindeer stew or fish soup costs extra.
• This is a big-coach outing: It is less intimate than a small van tour, but usually cheaper and easier on a long, cold night.
• Photos need careful checking: Free downloads may be low resolution, while high-resolution images have been sold separately at 300 NOK per picture.

Leaving Tromsø at 6:15 pm

You meet at the Prostneset Bus, Boat & Hurtigruten Terminal on Samuel Arnesens gate 5. The location is central, close to public transport and within a short walk of many hotels, which makes the start simple even in winter darkness.

The tour begins at 6:15 pm. You board a climate-controlled coach, settle into your seat, and leave the city for the wider Tromsø area. The coach has a toilet, an important practical advantage when the outing may last most of the night and roadside stops are not always convenient.

This is not a quick one-hour lookout trip. Plan on roughly five to eight hours, depending on weather, sightings, and how long the group remains at the base station. You should keep the next morning flexible. The return time can vary, and the Northern Lights rarely follow a tidy schedule.

The large bus is both the strength and weakness of the outing. You get a more comfortable ride than in a cramped minibus, but a full coach cannot turn or stop as freely as a small vehicle. One particularly busy evening involved several buses at one base camp, which reduced the sense of quiet and made the fire and indoor seating harder to use.

A useful aurora lesson on the road

During the drive, a video explains the science behind the Northern Lights. That gives you something useful to do during the first part of the journey and helps you understand what you are watching later.

The guides also add local explanation. Guides named in past outings include Paolo, Jeanne, William, Suzanna, Alexandre, and Ricardo. Their roles can include explaining aurora conditions, answering questions about Tromsø, helping with camera settings, and pointing out signs of activity in the sky.

The quality of the guide matters a great deal on a night when the lights are weak. A patient guide can help you recognize a faint green arc that your eyes might otherwise dismiss as cloud. A skilled photographer can also show you why a camera may record stronger color than your eyes can see.

Do not expect a guaranteed show, though. The aurora depends on solar activity, darkness, and clear skies. A forecast can look promising and still produce thick cloud or snow over the viewing area. The bus may improve your odds, but it cannot control the weather.

Choosing the evening’s base station

The company selects a base station according to the forecast and cloud cover. The route can take you to different parts of Troms County, and the bus may move again if the first location becomes unsuitable.

That flexibility is valuable. Tromsø itself can be cloudy while a short drive away offers open sky. Several people have described reaching a clear area after leaving snow or cloud near the city. On a good night, you might spend hours watching the aurora rather than making one brief stop for a photograph.

The ride can also be long. One outing involved roughly 45 minutes to reach a base station, while other accounts describe extended time on the road and further movement during the chase. You should see the driving as part of the plan, not as wasted time. Still, if you dislike long coach rides or want a compact evening, a small-group tour may suit you better.

The trip is sometimes marketed with wording that refers to Lapland, but the activity operates in northern Norway around Tromsø and Troms County. That distinction matters if you are comparing it with tours based in Finland or Sweden.

Warmth at the campfire and lavvo

At the base station, you can sit near a campfire or inside a heated lavvo, a traditional Sami-style tent. This gives the evening a more grounded feel than standing beside a coach in a supermarket car park.

The camp may include benches, hot drinks, snacks, and shelter from the cold. Expect coffee, hot chocolate, and local snacks, with cookies mentioned as part of the setup. The fire adds warmth, but your clothes may smell of smoke afterward. That is a small price for a winter evening outdoors, though you may want to avoid wearing anything you need immediately afterward.

The base stations can vary. One outing used a Sami reindeer herder center with a fire, a traditional meal, and a chance to speak with the local host. Another was described as a quieter site surrounded by snowy mountains, with fewer people than expected and good facilities.

The indoor space may not hold everyone comfortably if several buses arrive. If you want time inside the lavvo, go early rather than assuming there will be a seat whenever you need one.

Food choices and what they are worth

Basic hot drinks and snacks are part of the evening. A hot meal can be added, with options such as reindeer stew or fish soup. Vegetarian and non-fish meals are available if you request them when booking.

The meal is best treated as a warm supper, not a full restaurant dinner. Fish soup has been described as delicious, and one meal included bread and lefse. Reindeer soup has also been well received. At the same time, some portions were considered light for the extra cost, particularly when the bowl contained little meat.

I would add the meal if you value convenience and want something hot after standing outside. I would skip it if price matters more than comfort, or if you would rather spend every possible minute watching the sky. One practical problem is timing: strong aurora activity may begin while you are sitting inside the hut eating.

The food is not the main reason to book this trip. The meal works as a useful winter break, but the sky remains the real event.

Watching the Northern Lights from a moving chase

The tour does not simply drop you at one site and leave you there. After the first viewing period, the guide and driver may decide to move again, stopping for photographs or further sightings.

This matters on a cloudy night. One account described the lights appearing only during the return journey, when the driver pulled into a safe roadside area as soon as possible. Another evening produced strong aurora activity that lasted for hours. On less fortunate nights, people waited under heavy snow and never saw even the moon.

You should bring realistic expectations. The Northern Lights can appear as a faint gray or green haze to the naked eye, then show stronger green detail in a long-exposure photograph. On a powerful night, the display may fill the sky and move for hours. On another night, you may see only brief flashes through cloud.

The tour can increase your chances by changing location, but it cannot make a weak forecast strong. This is why I would book it early in your Tromsø stay if possible. That leaves room for another attempt if your first night is clouded out, although the supplied booking information does not promise a replacement outing for a missed sighting.

Photography help and the free photo question

Guides may help you set up a camera, and tripods can be available to use. Alexandre was praised for running a camera clinic, while William and Ricardo were noted for helping people get better aurora photographs.

Bring a camera that allows manual settings if you want the best chance of capturing detail. A phone may record something, but it often will not show the full range of color that a camera captures in a dark sky. You should also ask the guide early about the photography process rather than assuming it will be explained later.

The tour advertises free photos, but you need to check the download quality. Low-resolution images of about 300K have been available without charge, while high-resolution versions have been sold for 300 NOK per photograph. That is a fair reason to ask exactly what is included before you rely on the photo service.

You may get excellent pictures of yourself under the aurora, but the results depend on cloud, activity, camera position, and the photographer’s timing. Free photographs are a welcome extra, not a reason to overlook the weather risk.

Comfort, group size, and the real value of $128.16

At $128.16 per person, this sits below the cost of many private aurora outings and gives you transport, a guide, hot drinks, a camp setting, and the possibility of moving to better conditions. For a first attempt, it is a sensible way to avoid renting a car or trying to read Arctic weather forecasts alone.

The value is strongest when the bus finds clear sky and the guide actively helps with the experience. Several outings combined excellent aurora views with a warm camp and useful photography help. The value drops sharply when the night is completely overcast, since much of your payment then goes toward transport and waiting.

A maximum of 50 people means you should not expect a private or quiet evening. On a normal one-bus departure, the group may feel manageable. If multiple buses use the same base, fire seating, lavvo space, and photo opportunities can become crowded.

You need warm clothing even though the coach and camp offer shelter. Wear proper winter layers, warm boots, gloves, and a hat. The tour operates in cold conditions, and much of the evening may be spent outside looking upward.

Children aged four and under cannot join. Most other people can participate, and the activity is near public transportation at the start and end. Students pay the same rate as youth.

Who should book this aurora chase?

I would choose this tour if you want a reasonably priced first Northern Lights outing with a heated coach, toilet, guide support, and a camp where you can warm up. It suits couples, families with older children, and solo visitors who prefer not to organize a night drive into rural Troms.

It is also a good fit if you want more than a quick photograph. The fires, lavvo, snacks, local food, and explanations create a full evening outdoors, even when the sky is slow to cooperate.

I would think twice if you want a small, quiet group or the greatest possible freedom to follow every cloud break. A large coach has limits, especially when several buses use the same site. You should also avoid booking it as your only chance to see the aurora. Nature does not accept reservations.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the 6:15 pm start time. If poor weather or an insufficient number of bookings causes the company to cancel, you are offered another date or a full refund.

Should you book this Tromsø bus tour?

Book it if you value comfort, a practical price, several possible viewing locations, and a warm base camp. The strongest evenings combine clear skies, an active aurora, and a guide who helps you understand and photograph what you see.

Skip it if you would be unhappy spending hours on a coach in cloud, or if a large group would spoil the night for you. The tour improves your chances, but it cannot promise green lights. For most first-time visitors to Tromsø, it is a solid and sensible chase, provided you pack warmly and leave your expectations open.

FAQ

Where does the Northern Lights tour start?

It starts at Tromsø Havn Prostneset, Samuel Arnesens gate 5, Tromsø, at 6:15 pm.

Where does the tour finish?

The coach returns to the same meeting point at Prostneset, a short walk from many central hotels.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately five to eight hours, depending on weather, viewing conditions, and how much chasing is needed.

Is transportation included?

Yes. You travel by a large, climate-controlled coach from Tromsø into the Troms County viewing areas and back to the city.

Is there a toilet on the coach?

Yes. The tour includes a toilet onboard.

What food and drinks are included?

Hot chocolate, coffee, and local snacks are provided. A hot meal such as reindeer stew or fish soup can be added at extra cost.

Can I request a vegetarian or non-fish meal?

Yes. A vegetarian or non-fish option is available if you request it when booking.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted for a refund.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered a different date or a full refund. The same choice applies if the minimum number of bookings is not reached.