The Northern Lights in Tromsø

Photo by Arctic Wonders Norway

The Northern Lights have been on my list for many years but when my friend explained solar maximum would be occurring in 2024 (sounds cool right - it means that solar activity which runs on an 11 year cycle will reach it’s peak) I went right ahead and booked flights. After a little research I decided on Tromsø in northern Norway, 350 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, as my destination due to its reputation as a great spot to see the lights. Located directly below the auroral oval, a continuous ring of Northern Lights situated above the Earth's geomagnetic North Pole, the lights are present there all year long but catching them in the right weather is the real challenge.

We flew Norwegian air direct to Tromsø (which meant we could only stay 3 nights instead of 4 as there aren’t daily flights) but you can also connect in Oslo. Upon arrival we jumped on the airport bus which had us at our hotel in under 15 minutes and immediately got the lay of the little town, where most things are in walking distance of the cute centre. We arrived the day after polar winter started, meaning that the sun wouldn’t shine directly on the city again until mid-January, with only a few hours of weak sunlight occurring each day.