The Classic Chase
Our signature minibus hunt across three fjord valleys.
- Duration
- 6–7 h
- Group size
- Max 16 guests
- Live solar-wind routing
- Thermal suits & tripod hire
- Campfire & hot cloudberry juice
- Aurora photo pass included
69.6492° N · TROMSØ · KP 5 — ACTIVE
The sky is
awake tonight.
We chase the aurora borealis across the fjords of Northern Norway — reading solar wind like tide tables, driving until the horizon burns green. Small groups, master guides, one promise: the lights, or the next night free.
- Nights chased
- 1 400+
- Aurora rate
- 96 %
- Guests guided
- 21 k
- Master guides
- 12
Tonight’s sky
Seven nights of
probability.
The KP index runs 0 to 9. Above KP 4, the oval widens over Tromsø and the curtains come south. We publish our guides’ call each evening.
TONIGHT
26 AUG
PrimeKP 5 · Active · Waxing crescent
THU
27 AUG
PrimeKP 6 · Active · Waxing crescent
FRI
28 AUG
PrimeKP 7 · Minor storm · First quarter
SAT
29 AUG
GoodKP 4 · Unsettled · Waxing gibbous
SUN
30 AUG
FairKP 3 · Quiet-active · Waxing gibbous
MON
31 AUG
GoodKP 5 · Active · Waxing gibbous
TUE
01 SEP
FairKP 2 · Quiet · Full moon
Forecast blends GFZ Potsdam solar-wind data with our guides’ local cloud readings, updated hourly from 18:00.
Expeditions
Three ways to chase.
Most chosen
Aurora Camp
A private wilderness cabin under the auroral oval.
- Duration
- Overnight
- Group size
- Max 8 guests
- Wood-fired sauna & snow hole
- Master astronomer on site
- Three-course Arctic dinner
- Wake-up call if the sky ignites
Sky & Sea
Silent-catamaran sailing beneath the curtains.
- Duration
- 5 h
- Group size
- Max 12 guests
- Fjord perspective, zero light noise
- Bridge-deck blankets & mulled wine
- Eagle and orca sightings, in season
- Engine-off drifting at 69°N
Every departure includes hotel pickup in central Tromsø, thermal gear and our rebook guarantee.
The science
Why the lights
burn green.
An aurora is a conversation between a star and a planet’s magnetic shield — visible only where darkness is deep and latitude is high. Tromsø sits directly beneath the auroral oval: statistically the kindest seat in the world for the show.
The KP scale
Quiet · Unsettled · Active · Storm — we chase at KP 4 and above.
- 01
The sun exhales
Every few days the sun releases a coronal mass — a billion tonnes of charged particles flung outward at up to 3,000 km per second.
- 02
Earth’s shield bends them north
Most particles slide off our magnetosphere. The ones captured are funnelled along field lines toward two rings around the magnetic poles — the auroral ovals.
- 03
The sky answers in colour
At 90–250 km up, struck oxygen burns green — the Nordlys you came for. Deeper strikes on nitrogen bleed violet and crimson at the fringes.
- Altitude · 90–250 kmSolar wind · ~720 km/sBest hours · 21:00–01:00
Field notes
Painted by
solar wind.
Four skies our guides still talk about — rendered here without a single photograph, because some things deserve an impression rather than a record.
Horizon fire
Ersfjordbotn · 23:41
Curtain study
Kvaløya · 01:07
Corona overhead
Lyngen Alps · 00:19
Red storm
Sommarøy · 02:53
“We stood under a green river flowing uphill. Nobody spoke for an hour — not even the children.”
Before you book
Asked around
the fire.
What happens if the aurora doesn’t show?
Then the next chase is on us — no forms, no arguing. If our guides can’t find clear sky or the lights within your booked night, you rebook any available evening for free. In 2025 we ran 214 chases and issued 9 vouchers.
How cold does it get, really?
Between −5 °C and −18 °C on land, warmer at sea. Every expedition includes thermal suits, boots and gloves sized before departure. Dress in layers underneath; we’ll handle the rest.
Will I get photos worth keeping?
Yes — every guest receives the guide’s edited shots from the night within 48 hours, included in the price. Bring a tripod if you shoot your own; we lend tripods on minibus and camp departures.
Are children welcome?
Children over 8 travel at full attention spans and half fare on the Classic Chase. The overnight camp and catamaran are adults-only, purely for the quiet.
When is the season?
Early September to late March — the skies must be dark. February and March statistically pair the strongest activity with the clearest coastal weather. Full moon nights trade faint auroras for silver landscapes.
Season · September — March
The lights don’t wait.
Seats are capped at sixteen per departure, and February weekends sell out first. Pick a night — we’ll bring the thermals, the fire and the reading of the sky.
No aurora on your chase? Your next night is free — that’s the Nordlys promise.