Classic Short Breaks in Norway

You have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights if you travel to Norway between September and March. During autumn and winter, the nights are long and dark, which makes it much easier to see the Northern Lights.

On a winter break in Norway, you can enjoy snow-based activities, like dog sledding and snowmobiling. You can even choose to celebrate Christmas or New Year here.

Unsure when to book your weekend break in Norway? Just get in touch with the Aurora Nights team. We’ll be happy to advise you on seasonal weather conditions and activities.

Read more: The Northern Lights: Season by season

Our short breaks in Norway are between three and five nights long. Most are based across a long weekend, departing on Friday and returning home on Monday or Tuesday.

We can tailor these tours to include your choice of northern Norway destinations. You can stay in beautiful Tromsø or get closer to the North Pole on a Svalbard tour.

Of course, if you’d like to book a longer break, you can extend your trip to include our other Northern Lights destinations:

• Northern Lights holidays in Iceland
• Northern Lights holidays in Sweden
• Northern Lights holidays in Finland

Here are some of the sights and activities you can experience on a Norway short break:

• Take an overnight voyage through Tromsø’s fjords. Then, start your day whale watching, looking out for majestic orca and humpback whales.
• Fly north to the remote island of Svalbard, a land of dramatic mountains, glaciers and icebergs.
• Mush a team of huskies through snowy landscapes before exploring the magical ice formations of an ice cave.
• Take a catamaran cruise around Tromsø Island at night. Sample Arctic cuisine and keep your eyes on the skies to see the dancing colours of the Northern Lights.
• Explore Tromsø. Visit the Polar Museum, the Arctic Cathedral and Mack Brewery. Or take the cable car up Storsteinen Mountain for panoramic city views.
• Travel deep into the Arctic wilderness on exhilarating Northern Lights excursions. Warm up by the fire as you wait for the aurora borealis to appear.
• Experience the thrill of snowmobiling or a ride in a snow-cat truck. Or soak in the serenity of the Arctic on a snowshoeing excursion.
• Relax in the sauna or hot tub back at your hotel. Enjoy fine dining cuisine. And why not head up to the rooftop terrace for warming drinks and spectacular views?

Our short trips to Norway are tailor-made. So just tell us if there’s anything else you’d like to do on your Norwegian Northern Lights break. We’ll do our best to make it happen.

Boutique hotels in Tromsø and Oslo. A remote lodge on the island of Svalbard. A cosy glass igloo. A stylish residence with a fine dining restaurant, nestled among mountains and fjords.

There are lots of comfortable and memorable accommodation options to choose from on our Norway weekend breaks. Whether you’re travelling as a couple, family or large group, we’re confident of finding the perfect place for you to stay.

Our Norway Northern Lights breaks include the following as standard:

• Accommodation
• Transfers
• Half-board or full-board dining
• Arctic clothing for activities
• Your choice of guided Arctic activities

Please note that flights are not included in our Northern Lights holiday packages. But if you’d like advice on the best airports and airlines to use when travelling to Norway from the UK or the US, just let us know. We’ll be happy to help.

Absolutely. The city of Tromsø is known as the gateway to the Arctic. So it’s a great place to experience Norwegian culture and the Northern Lights.

On a Tromsø package holiday, you’ll stay in the city, with restaurants, galleries, and sights like the Arctic Cathedral on your doorstep.

But because the city is surrounded by fjords and mountains, you’re never far from nature. Look out for sea eagles and seals — or escape the city to experience Arctic scenery at its finest.

As part of our city breaks in Norway, you’ll also go searching for the Northern Lights. You’ll sail out into the fjord, away from city lights. Or travel by snowmobile to remote and scenic locations that make a beautiful backdrop for your Northern Lights photographs.

We offer Norway city breaks in Oslo, too. But bear in mind that Oslo is much further south than Tromsø — so it’s not the best place to see the Northern Lights.

However, if you’d like to explore Norway’s capital city, we can plan a longer itinerary. You can spend some time in Oslo before heading north in search of the Northern Lights.

During winter, northern Norway is very cold. There aren’t many hours of daylight and temperatures rarely rise above freezing. So people dress for comfort and warmth.

We recommend bringing thermal base layers, a middle layer and a warm jumper. A warm, winter coat, walking boots and waterproofs are essential. You should also pack a hat, gloves and warm socks.

For night time excursions and fjord cruises, we provide Arctic outerwear. This includes a snow jacket, thermal overalls, snow boots and Arctic gloves.

Read more: What to wear on a Northern Lights trip

The Northern Lights can be unpredictable. Their visibility depends on both solar and weather conditions. But we do everything we can to maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights on your Norway short break.

We pick accommodation within easy reach of the best Aurora locations. And we pair you with an expert Aurora guide.

Our guides are skilled at tracking down the Northern Lights. They’ll take you on exciting nighttime excursions, finding clear and cloudless skies where the aurora is most likely to make an appearance.

When you book any Northern Lights holiday package with Aurora Nights, you can count on:

• Tailor-made trips — we tailor our short breaks in Norway to include the destinations, accommodation and activities you have on your wishlist
• Hand-picked experiences — with in-depth knowledge of northern Norway, we offer the very best activities and excursions the region has to offer
• Expert local guides — our experienced guides know Norway inside out — and they’re great at tracking down the Northern Lights
• A hassle-free holiday — we take care of transfers, accommodation and your itinerary — so you can sit back, relax and enjoy your Northern Lights adventure

Choose from the list of tours above and click Enquire Now. We’ll be in touch to chat about your trip and any bespoke requirements.

Can’t see a tour you like? Then, take a look at our other Norwegian Northern Lights holiday packages:

• Escorted tours in Norway
• Exclusive aurora holidays in Norway

Or get in touch with the Aurora Nights team. We’ll be happy to design a long weekend in Norway just for you.