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Northern lights · Norway

Northern lights in Tromsø

The best months to see the northern lights in Tromsø are Sept to Mar. At 69.7°N, a Kp of 1 is usually enough for a good show from a dark spot, and in December the sky is dark enough for about 16 hours a night.

Tromsø lies beneath the auroral oval, so on a dark, clear night the main question is cloud, not activity. It is a full-size Arctic city with daily flights from Oslo and winter flights from the UK, and on clear nights the lights can sometimes be seen from town itself.

Tonight
Checking…
Kp for a good show
Kp 1+
Season
Sept to Mar

A notification when NOAA forecasts a storm of Kp 5 or more. Two a day at most.

Kp index now
–
Loading NOAA data…

NOAA OVATION aurora forecast
Your best bets right now

    Live data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center OVATION forecast and planetary K-index, refreshed every 10 minutes. Cloud is not included, so check a local forecast before you head out.

    When to go

    Darkness, and the clear nights

    Visit Tromsø gives the northern lights season as late August to early April, with organised tours usually running September to early April. The polar night lasts approximately from 27 November to 15 January.

    Tromsø is coastal and often cloudy, so no month is reliably clear. Met Norway's normals (via yr) show precipitation peaking in October and staying near 95 to 110 mm a month through winter before easing in late March and April, which is why late winter is usually the better bet; tours drive inland or along the fjords to find gaps in the cloud.

    Hours dark enough to see the auroraNormal monthly precipitation, mm (yr / Met Norway, Tromsø Vervarslinga station; not a cloud figure)
    Jan15h
    Feb12h
    Mar8h
    Apr0h
    May0h
    Jun0h
    Jul0h
    Aug0h
    Sep6h
    Oct11h
    Nov14h
    Dec16h
    Darkness: hours a night with the sun at least 12° below the horizon, worked out for this latitude in mid-month. Weather: official climate normals, see sources.
    Where to watch

    The best spots around Tromsø

    1. PrestvannetA small lake and nature reserve in the middle of Tromsøya, close to the centre, that Visit Tromsø names as a darker spot inside the city.
    2. TelegrafbuktaA sandy beach with coastal paths at the southern tip of Tromsøya, reached by local bus from the centre, where the aurora can show on clear evenings.
    3. Fjellheisen and StorsteinenThe cable car rises in about four minutes to a viewpoint 421 metres above sea level, runs until midnight and recommends 18:00 to 02:00 for aurora watching, though it can close in wind.
    4. KvaløyaThe large island west of Tromsøya, reached by local bus, with groomed ski trails around Storelva and darker skies than the city.
    Plan the trip

    Getting there, and where to stay

    Tromsø Airport Langnes (TOS) is about 5 km from the centre, with several daily flights from Oslo (about 1 hour 50 minutes) and many onward connections from Canada and the US via Oslo. In winter there are direct flights from London Gatwick (Norwegian, easyJet), London Heathrow (British Airways, SAS) and Manchester (easyJet, Norwegian). Hurtigruten and Havila ships call twice daily year-round.

    • Lyngen LodgeA family-run, eight-room boutique lodge on the Lyngenfjord in Kåfjord with views of the Lyngen Alps, about three hours from Tromsø Airport, where the aurora can be seen from the property on clear nights.
    Know before you go
    • Book tours before arriving in the busiest winter months, since popular departures sell out; compare group size, duration, and whether warm clothing, food and photos are included.
    • Fjellheisen can close in wind or bad weather, so check before heading up for the aurora.
    • The cloud forecast matters more than the activity forecast here: on cloudy nights, tours drive out of town to find clearer skies.
    Questions

    Quick answers

    Can you see the northern lights in Tromsø tonight?

    It depends on the Kp index, darkness and cloud. In Tromsø a Kp of 1 is usually enough. The live map at the top of this page shows NOAA's current aurora forecast and Kp, refreshed every 10 minutes; check a local cloud forecast too.

    When is the northern lights season in Tromsø?

    Visit Tromsø gives the season as late August to early April. Organised tours usually run from September to early April.

    When is the polar night in Tromsø?

    The polar night lasts approximately from 27 November to 15 January, when the sun stays below the horizon.

    Can you see the aurora from Tromsø city centre?

    Yes, on clear nights with good activity it can be seen from the city. Darker spots such as Prestvannet and Telegrafbukta, or the Fjellheisen cable car, give better views.

    What is the best month to see the northern lights in Tromsø?

    Cloud is the main obstacle. Met Norway's normals show October is the wettest month and late winter is somewhat drier, so February and March combine long nights with slightly better odds of clear skies.

    Are there direct flights to Tromsø from the UK?

    Yes, in winter: from London Gatwick, London Heathrow and Manchester. From Canada and the US, connect through Oslo or another European hub.

    More places for the northern lights:YellowknifeWhitehorseChurchillFairbanksSouth IcelandKangerlussuaqLofoten IslandsAbiskoRovaniemiSaariselkäShetland & the HighlandsJasperMuskoka & AlgonquinBoundary WatersAll places on the live map →
    Sources

    Checked 19 October 2026. Partner links are labelled; we may earn a commission, and it never affects what we recommend.