Northern Lights Cruise from Tromsø: Worth It Compared with a Bus Tour?
Updated October 13, 2026 · 5 min read
For most visitors, the better bet is a land chase, not a cruise: the Northern Lights Adventure with Minibus and free photos costs €116.99, lasts about six hours and has 4.8 stars from 6,938 reviews. Book a cruise if you want a warm, seated evening of two to three hours and would rather not spend half the night in a vehicle: the Northern Lights Cruise with 2nd Chance Guarantee is €109.97, rated 4.3 by 1,568 reviewers, and includes a free second chance.
The reason is simple geography. A bus or minibus can drive until it finds a clear sky, and several listings say it will cross into Finland or Sweden to do so. A boat stays on the fjord. If the coast is cloudy, the boat is cloudy, and the crew cannot take you anywhere else that night.
| Tour | Format | Duration | From | Rating | If you don’t see them |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Lights Cruise with 2nd Chance Guarantee | catamaran, lounge and decks | 2.5 hours | €109.97 | 4.3 (1,568) | free second chance on the next available cruise |
| Evening Aurora Cruise | boat, departs 20:00, back 23:30 | 3 hours | €112.22 | 4.4 (1,623) | discount on a new tour; no refund |
| Aurora Dinner Cruise by Hybrid-Electric Catamaran | hybrid-electric catamaran, 3-course dinner | 3 hours | €186.25 | 4.3 (767) | not stated in the listing |
| Northern Lights Adventure with Minibus | minibus chase, free photos | 6 hours | €116.99 | 4.8 (6,938) | not stated in the listing |
What the cruise gives you
The cruise is the comfortable version of the chase. The €109.97 listing describes a catamaran with a heated lounge, panoramic windows, outdoor platforms, leather seats, free coffee or tea, free Wi-Fi and hotel pickup and drop-off; food and drinks are for sale on board. You watch the sky from inside or step outside to a deck. There are no long drives and no six-hour night.
That is a real advantage for people who tire quickly, for older travellers, and for anyone who wants the evening to end at a reasonable hour. The Evening Aurora Cruise states its times plainly: out at 20:00, back at 23:30.
What the cruise does not give you
It does not give you photographs. The Evening Aurora Cruise says photos are not included, though the crew help you set up your camera or phone. The bus and minibus tours in our comparison of Northern Lights tours mostly include professional photos of you under the aurora.
It does not give you a second location. A bus guide reads the clouds and moves on; a boat sails to the area along the coast with the best chances, and the evening is short. Operators of both kinds say sightings are not guaranteed.
It also does not give you much of a guarantee. The Evening Aurora Cruise is explicit: no partial or full refund if you do not see the lights, and a discount on a new tour on days with free places. The same listing mentions a 50% discount in its header and 30% in its description, so ask which applies. The €109.97 cruise is the only one of the three that offers a free second chance, and the listing says the second trip is the next available Northern Lights chase.
The dinner cruise is a different product
The €186.25 Aurora Dinner Cruise sails around Tromsø island after sunset with a three-course seafood dinner. Vegetarian is possible, you email dietary needs at least 24 hours before, and children aged 3 to 11 get a child-friendly menu. The listing carries a wheelchair accessible tag and a three-hour duration, with drinks to buy on board. It also says the aurora is a chance, not a promise. Book it as a dinner with a possible aurora, not as an aurora chase with dinner.
Price: closer than it looks
The cruises cost almost the same as a minibus chase: €109.97 and €112.22 against €116.99. The difference between a 2.5-hour cruise and a six-hour minibus tour with photos is roughly €5 to €7, and for that you get more time, the ability to move to clearer skies and photos of yourself. A bus tour costs less than the cruise if price decides it: the bus tour with unlimited free repeats is €77 and lets you rejoin another departure during your stay under its stated conditions.
How to choose
Book the €116.99 minibus tour if the lights are the point of your trip. Book the €109.97 cruise if comfort and a short evening matter more than distance. Book the dinner cruise only if the meal appeals to you as much as the sky. And book any of them on your first or second night, so a cloudy evening can be repeated. For all options, see Northern Lights tours from Tromsø.
