Northern Lights Tour from Tromsø: Bus, Minibus or Small Group – Which to Book?
Updated October 13, 2026 · 6 min read
For most visitors, book the Northern Lights Adventure with Minibus and free photos: a Mercedes minibus, six hours, €116.99 per person, 4.8 stars from 6,938 reviews, and a hotel drop-off in the centre. On a tight budget: the Northern Lights Tour by bus with unlimited free repeats costs €77. If you want a small group: the Northern Lights Chase – We Drive Until We Find Them is limited to 15 guests, at €151.15.
All three go to wherever the sky is clear that night, and none of them can promise the lights. What you are really choosing is how many people stand next to you, how far the driver is prepared to go, and what you get back if the night is a bust.
| Tour | Vehicle and group | Duration | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Lights Adventure with Minibus | Mercedes minibus | 6 hours | €116.99 | 4.8 (6,938) |
| Northern Lights Safari with Expert Guides | bus, toilet on board | 6 hours | €79.55 | 4.6 (8,671) |
| Northern Lights Tour by bus, unlimited free repeats | bus | 6 hours | €77 | 4.6 (2,232) |
| Northern Lights Chase in a Small Group | minibus, max. 16 | 6 hours | €124.01 | 4.7 (2,791) |
| Small Group Northern Lights Chase, all-inclusive | max. 15, adults only | 7 hours | €122.89 | 4.8 (1,791) |
| Northern Lights Chase – We Drive Until We Find Them | minibus, max. 15 | 5–8 hours | €151.15 | 4.9 (1,936) |
Bus or minibus: what the difference really is
On a bus, more people share the same viewpoint. That means more tripods, more phone screens in your shot and more time to board again when the guide decides to move on. A minibus is quicker to load and can park at smaller pull-outs away from the busiest spots. In exchange, a bus is usually cheaper and can have a toilet on board, which the Safari listing explicitly mentions for its long nights.
Neither type is “the one that finds the lights”. The guides on both read the same cloud forecasts and the same aurora data. The practical difference is that a smaller vehicle can change plan faster, not that it sees a different sky.
What “small group” means on the booking pages
The word is not regulated, so read the number. The tours in the table state limits of 15 and 16 guests; one cross-border listing gives “8–20”. The €124.01 chase with a limit of 16 and the €151.15 chase limited to 15 are the clearest cases in the table. If group size matters most to you, pick a listing that prints a number and compare that number.
How far the driver is willing to go
Most of these tours cross into Finland or Sweden when the Norwegian side is clouded over; several say so outright, and some ask you to bring a passport or ID card, among them the all-inclusive small-group chase. Carry yours on every aurora tour, whatever the listing says. A tour that calls itself “unlimited” in distance or time – the €151.15 chase lists 5 to 8 hours – can run well past midnight; the €124.01 small-group tour says it usually ends back in Tromsø around 12:30 AM.
If you don’t see them: five different answers
This is where the listings differ most, and it is rarely what the title promises.
- Unlimited free repeats (€77 bus tour): you can rejoin another departure during your stay until a photo with recognisable aurora is taken. If you leave Tromsø before that happens, the listing offers 70% back. Read the exact conditions on the booking page, because the qualifying photo is taken by the operator’s camera.
- 30% discount on a rebooking: the €112.31 evening tour.
- 50% off your next trip: the €119.80 campfire minibus tour, which is listed at eight hours.
- Full refund if the lights are not captured on camera: the €140.29 cross-border small-group chase.
- No refund: the €97.71 bus tour states that none is given if the lights are not seen, and that it sees them on roughly 85% of its tours.
Operators also quote their own success rates (98% appears on several pages). Treat these as marketing figures: they are not independent, and each company counts differently.
Who should skip which option
Families with younger children should check the “not suitable for” line before anything else, because the limits are higher than people expect: under 5 on the Safari tour, under 8 on the €124.01 small-group tour, under 10 on the recommended minibus tour, under 11 on the campfire minibus tour. The €122.89 small-group chase is for adults only. Wheelchair users are listed as not suitable on several of these tours, so ask the operator before booking rather than relying on the listing.
If you get carsick, remember that these evenings are long drives on winding roads; one reviewer of the Safari tour says the roads can make sensitive passengers nauseous. A boat may suit you better; our comparison of Northern Lights cruises and bus tours weighs that up.
How to choose
Book the minibus tour at €116.99 if you want a sensible default with a strong review record and hotel drop-off. Book a listed small-group chase if you care most about a quiet spot and a guide who has time for your camera. Book the €77 bus tour if the price decides it and you value the second chance on another night.
Whatever you choose, book the first week of your stay, not the last one, so a cloudy night can be repeated. The listings show free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, which makes booking early cheap insurance. You can see current dates for the recommended minibus tour here, or browse all Northern Lights tours from Tromsø.
