Alta: Northern Lights Hunt And Arctic Animals Adventure

About This Experience

Finnmark Adventure’s evening starts on a farm. You meet llamas, alpacas, woolly pigs and horses and learn a little about them before heading out after dark to look for the aurora. The group travels by car with never more than eight people per car, and the evening lasts about four hours; the operator’s own description says about four and a half.

The guide, a self-described weather nerd, reads the clouds and moves the group as far as needed, sometimes only a couple of hundred meters, to find a gap in the sky. Along the way there is a tasting of Norwegian treats, sweet and savory, with hot drinks. At the photo stops the guide helps you get a usable shot of the lights and avoid dark selfies.

It suits travelers who like animals and want a relaxed, small-group evening with a bit of everything. People with animal allergies should skip it. Finnmark Adventure says it coordinates cruise guests’ times with the ship’s schedule and offers a Back-to-Ship Guarantee; check your ship’s all-aboard time against the start time on the booking page as well.

The operator says it cannot promise a glowing sky, and there is no refund if the lights stay away. No thermal clothing is listed, so dress for standing outside in the cold, and bring ice spikes if you have them, since the ground can be slippery. The listing says the animals meet-and-feed, but also lists feeding animals as not allowed, so follow the guide’s lead on the farm.

There are only a few reviews so far. Guests enjoyed meeting the animals and seeing farm life in the Arctic, and describe a welcoming guide who worked to get the best views; one group sat around a campfire for a couple of hours while the lights came out.

Highlights

• Meet llamas, alpacas, woolly pigs and horses on an Arctic farm
• Hunt for the aurora with a guide who reads the clouds closely
• Taste sweet and savory Norwegian treats under the night sky
• Get help at the photo stops to capture a good aurora shot
• Stay in a small group of no more than 8 per car

What's Included

• ✓ Car transport with pickup in Alta
• ✓ English-speaking local guide
• ✓ Hot drinks
• ✓ Farm animal visit before the hunt
• ✓ About 4 hours in total

Not Included

• Thermal suits or boots (none are listed)
• Dinner (a tasting of treats only)
• A guaranteed aurora sighting

What to Bring

• Warm, weather-appropriate clothing
• Camera
• Tripod
• Ice spikes for slippery ground, if you have them

Good to Know & Caveats

• The northern lights are unpredictable and not guaranteed; the operator says it can't promise a glowing sky.
• Cruise guests: the operator says it coordinates times with the ship's schedule and offers a Back-to-Ship Guarantee.
• Start times vary by date, so check availability; your pickup point and time are confirmed on your voucher.
• The listing gives 4 hours; the operator's description says about 4.5 hours.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
• Not suitable for people with animal allergies.

Meeting Point

Pickup is included in Alta by small car, at most eight guests per car; the exact stop and time are on your voucher.