Alta: Northern Lights Adventure Tour with Fire & Free Photos

About This Experience

Amazing Aurora, run by the bus company Karlsøy Buss, takes a busload out of Alta for an evening of up to six hours with no fixed route. Two guides watch live weather and sky conditions and head for whichever area looks clearest, which on a cloudy night can mean about an hour on the road before the first stop. Pickup and drop-off are at two addresses in town, Løkkeveien 55 and Havneveien 32.

At the viewing spot the guides light a campfire, hand out cookies and hot chocolate, tea or coffee, and pass round marshmallows to roast while everyone watches the sky. They explain the physics as you wait: solar wind, the Kp index and why most nights glow green while a few show reds and purples. Every guest gets professional photos taken under the lights, free to download, and the bus has a toilet on board for the longer drives.

This is the lower-priced, bigger-group way to chase the aurora from Alta. It suits travelers who want a campfire stop and photos without paying small-group rates, and cruise passengers: the operator asks anyone with a fixed return time, such as a ship departure, to say so in advance so the route can be planned around it. On quieter dates the tour runs in a smaller vehicle instead of the big bus. Check your ship’s all-aboard time against the start time on the booking page before you book.

The lights cannot be guaranteed, and the length and route of the night depend on the weather and aurora activity, up to the six-hour maximum. No thermal suits are listed, so you need your own winter clothing for standing outside in temperatures well below freezing for an hour or two at a stop.

Reviewers often arrived by cruise ship under heavy cloud and were driven to a clear sky, and many praise the two guides, the fire and the free photos. The criticism comes from the busy nights: one reviewer counted around 60 people sharing two small fire burners, with a late start and a meeting point that was hard to find, and another said they waited a long time in the cold with no photos sent afterward. On fully overcast nights some groups moved location and still saw nothing.

Highlights

• Follow the sky with no fixed route, steered by live weather and cloud tracking
• Roast marshmallows around a campfire at the viewing spot
• Hear the science of the aurora: solar wind, the Kp index and why the colors change
• Go home with professional photos of yourself under the lights, free to download
• Drive up to about an hour to reach clear skies on cloudy nights
• Ask for a fixed return time, for example a cruise departure, and the route is planned around it

What's Included

• ✓ Two guides, English-speaking
• ✓ Hot drinks: tea, coffee or hot chocolate
• ✓ Snacks and cookies
• ✓ Bus with a toilet on board (smaller vehicle on low-booking dates)
• ✓ Pickup and drop-off at Løkkeveien 55 or Havneveien 32
• ✓ Up to 6 hours, with about 4 hours guided

Not Included

• Thermal suits or boots (none are listed, so bring your own winter clothing)
• Dinner (only snacks and hot drinks are served)

What to Bring

• Passport or ID card
• Winter clothing suited to Arctic conditions
• Extra warm layers for standing outside at a stop for an hour or more

Good to Know & Caveats

• The northern lights cannot be guaranteed; sightings depend on weather and solar activity beyond the operator's control.
• The tour lasts a maximum of 6 hours, and its exact length and route depend on the weather and aurora activity on the night.
• If you have a fixed time to be back, such as a cruise ship departure, tell the operator in advance.
• Start times vary by date, so check availability; confirm your pickup point and time on your voucher.
• If there are not enough bookings, the tour runs in a smaller vehicle instead of the big bus.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
• Smoking is not allowed in the vehicle.

Meeting Point

Pickup and drop-off at Løkkeveien 55 or Havneveien 32 in Alta; your chosen point and the time are on your voucher.