Are Northern Lights Tours Worth It? (2024/2025)

It’s dark. Somewhere far away a few lights are flickering. You can hear the silence and birds in the forest nearby.

You look up.

And you see green ribbons dancing in the sky.

The Northern Lights are magical. It’s hard to describe them, even if they are described and explained scientifically. But there is something special about them. And about the evening and night when you see them. It’s not just the next nice night on your holiday. It’s the night you will remember forever.

How to see Northern Lights? Alone or with the tour? Can you see Northern Lights without a tour? Are Northern Lights tours worth it?

In this article, we will look at the Northern Lights Tour vs. Self-Drive comparison.

Quick links to organise your great experience of Northern Lights trip:

Here is the trip I took.

Here are the best Northern Lights tours. 

Here even more.

Here you will compare prices and rent a car.

Northern Lights Description

The Northern Lights are natural phenomenon created by solar activity. The same way as the Northern Lights, Southern Lights are created, and they are visible in the southern hemisphere.

The Northern Lights are called Aurora Borealis. You can see them in the northern hemisphere, in northern Canada, parts of the USA and in northern Europe.

In Europe, in Iceland, the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, and even Scotland.

In the article Where to see Northern Lights in Europe: Best Places I described in more detail these regions and how to get to them (as they are quite remote locations). You can also read there how the Northern Lights are created and when to see them.

How to see Northern Lights

There are a few conditions that need to be met to see the Northern Lights.

1. The right time

First of all, the right time. It has to be dark to see the Aurora, so the best time is from September to late March, even half of April. In summer months, it’s just not dark enough, especially with long days or even midnight sun.

2. Destination

Secondly, the place. Putting it simply, the further north and closer to the Arctic Circle, the better. It happens that solar activity is so strong that the Northern Lights are visible further south (southern parts of the Nordic countries or around the Baltic Sea), but it’s rather a special moment than a standard one. So if you want to increase your chance of seeing the Northern Lights in Europe, travel to Finnish or Swedish Lapland, northern Norway or Iceland.

3. Darkness

The third point is again about darkness. It should be as dark as possible, with low light pollution. In simple words, the more remote location with no city lights, the better.

4. Weather conditions

The next one is the weather conditions. Rain, snow, and cloud cover disturb seeing Aurora, even if activity is strong. So you need to keep your fingers crossed for good weather and clear skies.

5. Activity

Last, but certainly not least, are solar activity and solar wind, which bring particles to Earth’s atmosphere. In other words, Aurora has to be ‘created’. It’s not ‘always there’ any time we want.

As you see, for some of these conditions we have influence (time, place, even darkness), but for other we just do not (activity and weather). Have in mind before you travel, so that you don’t get super disappointed in case activity of weather do not allow for seeing Aurora.

So if we don’t have influence on everything, does it then really matter if we see the Lights alone or with the guided tour?

Let’s see what the differences are and if Northern Lights Tours are worth it.

Self-drive Aurora hunting

The idea is simple. You arrive at any of ‘the Northern Lights destinations’ and you chase Aurora yourself.

You can just wait for it to appear where you are. Will it work? It depends on the place and all conditions, but yes, it’s possible. Last year I visited Tromso in northern Norway spending 4 nights there. 3 out of 4 nights I saw the Lights, 2 of them without moving anywhere outside the city.

It can work especially if you stay in even more remote and wild locations outside cities. You can find hotels, camps, and cabins in such locations. Often with big windows or with glass roofs. If the weather is good, you have high chances of seeing the Lights without even moving out of bed.

Examples of remote (‘Aurora-friendly’😊) accommodations:

Finnish Lapland: ArcticSnow Hotel&Glass Igloos, Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara, Northern Lights Glass Igloo Gateway for Couples, and Aurora Village Ivalo.

Swedish Lapland: Icehotel, Northern Lights Camp and Northern Lodges.

But they are not cheap. And staying in a more ‘standard’ hotel or hostel in the city plus taking the organised trip can be more economical in the end.  The experience, though, seems amazing.

Or, you can chase Aurora with your own or a rental car. You rent a car and drive around to places where it’s darker and less cloudy. The plus side of such a solution is freedom. You go whenever you want, for however long you want. The minus is that you don’t really know the place, so you drive randomly, which can be uncomfortable if it’s a dark and remote place with snow and possible ice on the roads.

Northern Lights Tours: Are Northern Lights Tours Worth It?

Everywhere in Northern Lights destinations, you can find guided tours. There are different options. Northern Lights Chasing with a big bus or with a small group in a small van. With a photography tour, with taking pictures by the guide, with dinner, or without. There are also options for chasing the Northern Lights cruise. Whatever is best for you.

The cheapest are tours by bus with a larger group.

Are Northern Lights Tours Worth It: Downside

The downside of such a tour can be that you don’t decide for yourself where you go and stop; the tour guide does. Also, it can be more expensive. The price of a 1-person guided tour with the bus is similar to renting a car for one day. The price of smaller tours is usually higher than car rentals.

Are Northern Lights Tours Worth It: Pluses

But such trips also have many pluses. First of all, you don’t have to worry about driving in unknown, remote, dark and icy locations. You just sit, enjoy, watch, or sleep. Also, guides know the region and the right place from which it’s best to watch the Aurora. They also know the Aurora forecast, the local weather forecast, and where ‘usually’ the weather is better. So your chances of seeing Aurora are just higher. But not guaranteed, of course, as guides don’t have influence on activity and weather.

For example, Tromso in Norway is a great place to see the Northern Lights. However, because of the coastal climate, it can be more cloudy than in the interior. So it happens often that Northern Lights-chasing buses go all the way to the Finnish border or even to Finland, as it happens that clouds are less disturbing there. It’s something that would be tough for you to decide on if you don’t know the place at all.

Guides also explain more about the region and the Northern Lights themselves.

How long is the Northern Lights tour

Trips usually start around 18. They drive you to a remote destination, and then it just depends on your luck to see Aurora. If you are lucky and conditions are good, you can just stay and watch and be back at the hotel around midnight or so. If conditions are not too good, you will probably spend longer as you will be taken to different places, which can be further from the original spot. Then you can be back even around 3 a.m.

How to book Northern Lights tour

You could book it even when you arrive, just by walking into one of the many agencies in the centres of Tromso, Reykjavik, or Rovaniemi. However, I would recommend not doing it. In high season, trips can be fully booked, so it’s better to secure your spot before.

You can look at Get Your Guide, as there are really many options and many agencies. This is also where I searched for and booked the tour. Usually, you can cancel tours 24 hours in advance with a  full refund, so it’s quite a safe option too. You can also review and book the tour on Viator.

How much is a Northern Lights tour

It depends on what type of tour it is and where. Here I’m giving examples of prices in Tromso in Norway. If it’s a group tour by bus, it’s around 90-100 Euro (around 100 USD). If it’s a minibus, it can cost around 120 Euro (133 USD).

In these examples, usually there is a bus, a guide and a small snack included. Trips with dinner or hotel pickup are more expensive.

Quite often you also get a 30 or 50% discount for a tour on the next day if you were unlucky and didn’t spot the Northern Lights for the whole trip, which unfortunately can happen.

What should I bring on Northern Lights tour

First of all, warm clothes and shoes. Even if temperatures are not drastically low, dress very well; it will be a cold night. Thermal underwear and layers. Good shoes, woollen socks, and a warm hat. And some winter cream for the face. You will spend a lot of time outside, and you just want to enjoy it, not struggle and feel cold.

Secondly, food. The tour will take a lot of time, and you can just be hungry. Especially since you will be outside in the cold. So eat something warm before the tour, but also take some food with you to eat on the bus.

On most of the tours, you will have some cookies and tea or hot chocolate included, but it’s not enough for so many hours.

What is the best tour to see Northern Lights in Norway

Well, I can’t say if it’s best, as I was on only one tour. But I will shortly describe the tour I took last year. 

Generally, I’m a self-organised traveller. I rather don’t like going on organised trips. Even half-day tours I buy very rarely. But in Tromso, I bought this Chasing Northern Lights tour and came back very satisfied.

Why at all this decision? As already said, it’s never sure if you will see the Northern Lights. I was there only for 4 evenings, so I wanted to increase my chances and go with people who knew the location well. And go outside of Tromso town. I was with my partner, but we didn’t feel like hiring a car and wandering in dark, cold unknown places. The tour felt safe and comfortable. And it was successful!

Tour in Tromso

They took us to the island of Ringvassoya, and we stopped next to the water. As Aurora did an amazing light show, we didn’t have to chase more and stayed there for a few hours. It was an excellent place. The bus was standing there, open and warm, so any time you wanted, you could go inside to warm yourself up, or even use the toilet (that’s probably a plus when you compare a bus and a small group tour in a minibus). There were two guides with us. They were knowledgeable and explained a lot on the bus and at the place. Additionally, they took each participant a picture with a good camera, which you could later download from the website. They gave us hot chocolate and made a campfire. Standing around the campfire, listening to Aurora stories, and looking at green lights over our heads… it was absolutely amazing. We would also see Aurora on this day even if we chased alone, but I don’t think we would arrive to such a place and have a campfire. At the end, the bus dropped us off in the city centre.

Northern Lights Tour vs. Self-Drive Summary

Both options are good, self-drive hunts and chasing tours. But based on my experience, I would encourage you to take the tour. In my opinion, Northern Lights tours are absolutely worth it. Especially if you don’t have a lot of time to spend on the trip. It’s not a guarantee, but it gives you the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights. What I really wish you because it’s a lifetime experience! Good luck!

Here you can check where you can see Northern Lights in Europe.

Here, read about Tromso. What to see in Tromso, where to stay in Tromso, how to get there? All information in this blog post.