Escape to Norway for a long weekend. Discover snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear fjords. Sail alongside humpback whales and explore colourful fishing villages.
On our short breaks in Norway, you experience a wealth of cultural and natural wonders — in places like Tromsø, Svalbard and Lofoten. You also have an excellent chance of seeing the northern lights, in a region renowned for its aurora sightings.
Our tailor-made trips combine your choice of winter activities and hand-picked accommodation. So — with Aurora Nights — it’s easy to create the northern lights holiday you’ve been dreaming of.
Explore our Norway mini breaks
Credit Roger Brendhagen
Northern Lights & Marine Giants
A 3-night adventure in Norway that merges the breathtaking northern lights with the majestic world of whale watching. Picture yourself on an overnight voyage along Tromso's stunning fjords, capturing the beauty of both phenomena.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,000
Credit Marcela Cardenas
The Aurora Nights Svalbard Adventure
This 4-night trip will first take you to Oslo before heading further north - almost 1500km away from the Northern Pole in a place called Svalbard.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,000
Credit Yngve Olsen Saebbe
The Aurora Nights Tromso & Svalbard Experience
This 5-night trip pairs Tromso and Svalbard - a perfect aurora hunting combination! Enjoy winter activities from your boutique hotel.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,500
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The Northern Norway Lodge Experience
Highlights
Experience some of the most jaw dropping scenery
Relax in a boutique lodge and enjoy a some epic activities
Spend the night in the famous Paris of the North
What's included
Transfer from Tromso Airport to Tromso City Hotel
...
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,000
Credit Fjellheisen
The Paris of the North Aurora Break
Spend 3 nights exploring Tromso in Northern Norway, known as the Paris of the North, and a great base for aurora adventures.
Price per person (excl. flights)
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from £2,000
Short breaks to Norway: FAQs
When is the best time of year to book a Norway mini break?
You have the best chance of seeing the aurora borealis 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 husky mushing 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
How long are your short breaks to Norway?
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:
What can you see and do during a weekend break in Norway?
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.
Where will I stay?
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.
What’s included in your Norway northern lights packages?
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.
Can I book a Tromsø city break package?
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 aurora borealis. 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.
What about a city break in Oslo?
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 aurora.
What should I wear on a northern lights short break in Norway?
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
Will I definitely see the northern lights on my short break to Norway?
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.
Why book your Norway northern lights short break with Aurora Nights?
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 wishlistHand-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 aurora borealis
- 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
How do I book my northern lights mini break?
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:
Or get in touch with the Aurora Nights team. We’ll be happy to design a long weekend in Norway just for you.
Reviews
See what our clients say
We had the most fabulous time and everything worked like clockwork. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and extremely competent. The food was excellent and the experiences, especially Husky Homes, were brilliant. We saw the aurora lights at the mountain top in Abisko where the photography tour will be an enduring memory of a wonderful time. I would very much recommend Weekend a la Carte as a proficient tour operator.
Mark Nicholson
A well organised trip which was tailored to our specific requests. The arrangements all ran perfectly and any queries prior to the holiday were handled very quickly and professionally. The standard of accommodation and organised tours was very high. I would use this company again and recommend them.
Iain Baxter
1. Gourmet Cabins was excellent and Johan was a friendly and knowledgeable host. The food, cabins, hot tub and sauna were brilliant.
2. Dog sledge was a fantastic experience and we were given the opportunity to drive our own sledge
3. Snow Mobile – really got off the beaten track and into the spectacular mountains
4. Saw the Northern Lights twice in two days. There is no description that can really do them justice
Nigel Longton
Brilliant short break. Hotel Ranga was lovely, excellent food. Managed to see the Northern Lights as well! Iceland on the whole was quite expensive but a lovely place to visit, the people were very friendly.
Linda Palmer
What a fantastic trip! I booked this for myself and my husband to celebrate my 40th birthday and it didn’t disappoint! Booking was simple and we were kept up to date with all the details from the office team in the UK.
From the moment we arrived at Kiruna airport all the staff we encountered were so friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. We opted for the upgraded room at the Abisko Mountain Lodge which I would highly recommend. The cold weather clothing which was supplied was fantastic and kept us really warm in the sub-zero temperatures. The dog sledging, snowmobiling and the Northern Lights photography were all superb and the staff leading the trips were really friendly and so knowledgeable. Even though we weren’t able to do the sky station trip because of the weather, there was a lovely alternative evening organised for us which included a traditional dinner and a walk to the lake where we were able to see the lights. The food at the lodge was also exceptional and showcased some lovely traditional dishes using Moose and Reindeer which were wonderful to try.
I would like to send a massive thank you to all the staff at The Abisko Mountain Lodge as well as the guides we used for our guided walks, dog sledging and snowmobiling. I’d highly recommend the trip, it was our first visit to Sweden and we would definitely return. Thanks again to everyone (including the huskies) who made it so memorable!
Carly Webster
I appreciate the fast response to my inquiries regarding my trip. It would take decision making faster on my part, and plan my itinerary and activities being offered by the company accordingly.
Joey Emmanuel Serrina
An amazing trip and excellent service provided by all involved. Great value for money too. Food was excellent. Accommodation was wonderful and the trips booked were outstanding. An amazing trip
David Watson-Cammock
My daughter and I had an amazing time on our trip, we didn’t want it to end! Everything went according to plan, each excursion was well organized and everyone involved with each activity, as well as everyone at the lodge was kind, friendly, positive and happy, which makes such a difference to your whole experience. The food at The Abisko Mountain Lodge was also incredibly good. Our room was large, comfortable and well-furnished. The bathroom too was also spacious and well-equipped. The outdoor clothing provided was of very good quality which kept us warm, and the staff members are happy to change items if they are not quite the right size for you. This is my second trip with Weekend a la carte and I’m sure there will be more as I have complete trust in them. I highly recommend Aurora Nights, it was fabulous.
Jane Ashworth
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