Home - FAQ
FAQ
Home - FAQ
Here are the most commonly asked questions we receive regarding our Northern Lights trips. If you have any other questions then please send us a chat message or make an enquiry below.
How do I get to you?
Most guests choose to arrive at our local airport, Harstad/Narvik (EVE) which is reached via Oslo (OSL). The two main airlines that fly here are Norwegian and SAS and we start and end our trips based around their flight times.
All of our trip pages have full details about the flights we recommend you arrive and depart on. For UK visitors flights can be booked departing from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Newcastle, all via Oslo.
Prices are quite varied and the best thing to do is to take a look at both airline websites which provide a ‘price calendar’ booking system so that you can see all available dates and prices. If you have any questions or need help with choosing flights then just drop us a message or give us a call and we will be happy to help.
You can also choose to arrive and/or depart by train into Narvik (from Sweden) or by Hurtigruten (cruise boat) at a number of harbour locations in Vesterålen and Lofoten. Contact us for more information about this options and to discuss transfers.
Are flights included in your tours?
No. Our guests travel from all over the world and a lot of them travel to other places before and after their time with us. We offer details of flights on our tour pages so that guests can choose and book flights and plan their continuing journey around them.
We are always happy to help out with planning your flights so, just contact us or drop us a message via the chat box down the bottom right.
Where will we stay?
For our trips we use modern and comfortable hotels which also provide tasty and locally sourced meals.
Most of our trips include breakfast and dinner at the hotels.
You can view details on the Accommodation tab of any of our trips.
Where will we visit?
We are on the border of Vesterålen and Lofoten and are ideally placed and able to travel to amazingly picturesque locations both during the day and at night. We travel to locations based on the weather, the light and the scenery, choosing from a large array of our favourite places that we have built up over the past 10+ years.
From our base in Vesterålen we have The Lofoten Islands less than an hour’s drive south which offers some of the most famous and spectacular views in the world.
Andøya is directly north and boasts some of Norway’s longest beaches and some dramatic Tolkein-esque mountains. It is also the home of Andøya Space, Norway’s aurora research and rocket launching facility, and is one of the most popular locations for whale watching.
Hinnøya and Narvik are to the east towards the Swedish border with the lofty mountains of the Troms/Nordland border as an impressive backdrop.
Further details can be viewed in our Activities section.
Does it get really cold there?
The Aurora Season spans from Autumn through to early Spring here. Despite us being inside the Arctic Circle it doesn’t get as cold here as people think when they hear the words “Arctic Circle” and that is thanks to the Gulf Stream.
Temperatures on the darkest winter days and nights don’t normally dip below -10ºC (14ºF), although sometimes we visit locations that can be a lot colder due to location and windchill.
You can rest assured that there will always be our tour vehicle to warm up in and as the Norwegian saying goes “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” and this is very true. To make sure you have suitable clothing you can read our What to Wear section for our recommendations.
If you want lots of snow then you need to aim for mid-December through until April.
There is more information on Our Location page about where we operate our trips and the weather statistics for the area.
How do I pay?
You can pay a deposit or balance for our tours using Visa or Mastercard credit and debit cards securely via our website, or you can call us on +44 3333 390 690 to pay by phone.
Card processing is made through a PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) level 1 compliant gateway provided by Protected Payment Services Ltd. No card details are processed or stored on our systems.
You can read more about this on our Terms and Conditions page under the Financial Protection section.
Is my payment protected when I book my trip?
Yes! When we take payment for tours your payment is held in an independent travel trust account and it remains there until your trip commences. This is a legal requirement of any tour operator selling ‘packages’ under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. If you want to understand more we recommend you read Package Travel Regulations: The Ultimate Compliance Guide on the Protected Trust Services website.
If you require further information please contact us or you can read more about this on our Terms and Conditions page under the Financial Protection section.
What food and drink do you serve during your tours?
When we are on an aurora chase we have a limited selection of hot drinks available to keep our guests warm. You are always welcome to bring supplies with you, but just remember that we will often be a long way from a modern convenience, so bathroom stops can be more ‘nature-based’ 🙂
During the day we encourage you to bring drinks and snacks with you. There will also be opportunities to stop at local shops and cafés where you can buy food and drink.
On day trips that do not include a lunch, we will always stop somewhere that you can buy lunch.
What clothing do I need?
The important thing here is to do your research. Everyone feels the cold differently. We recommend you read our What to Wear guide for more details.
You can also send us a chat message or contact us if you have specific questions and we will be happy to answer them.
Why do we need to be mobile to see an aurora?
To view the Northern Lights in all their glory you need to be away from artificial light and under at least partially clear sky, which is sometimes difficult with the unpredictable Arctic weather. To ensure you have the best opportunity to see the lights your tour guide will always prepared to go great distances if the weather and skies dictate.
Many low-cost northern lights holidays will put you in a hotel and you either have to hope to see the lights from your hotel or pay more money for a tour operator to transport you to better locations. We do that as standard, and, weather permitting, we aim to do that every night of your trip.