Narvik Northern Lights Tour Review: Is It Worth It?

The Northern Lights… Just saying the words aloud almost makes you shiver with anticipation, you know? Seeing them dance across the night sky is right up there on so many people’s bucket lists, so naturally, folks head to places like Norway, where the odds of spotting this majestic light show are pretty good. When planning my trip, I stumbled upon the “Narvik Northern Lights Guided Tour with Photography Tips,” and since I was hoping to seriously up my photography skills while potentially capturing the aurora, it seemed, just perhaps, like a fantastic plan. Now, was it as dreamy as I’d hoped? Let’s find out!

Why Narvik for Northern Lights?

So, what makes Narvik special when there are loads of other towns in Norway promising glimpses of the Aurora Borealis? Well, Narvik has a couple of tricks up its sleeve, actually. First off, there is its location. It’s far enough north to be within the Arctic Circle, yet, maybe somewhat surprisingly, it actually has a slightly milder climate thanks to the Gulf Stream. Also, more to the point, it’s surrounded by mountains and fjords, which is perfect to have for some seriously stunning foregrounds in your photos. It also generally has clearer skies than some other coastal areas that are perhaps more exposed to the elements, seemingly giving you an enhanced chance of actually seeing the lights, like your seeing them with HD vision!

I was particularly drawn to the tour in Narvik since it offered that photography aspect, too it’s almost like killing two birds with one stone, you know? There’s something really cool to witness nature’s light show, but, arguably, it’s more of a win to capture it, you know, photographically. Even though I consider myself something of a competent amateur photographer, the Northern Lights seemed, just perhaps, like an entirely different animal. Their fleeting nature and low-light conditions seemed a little intimidating.

Booking and Pre-Tour Expectations

Booking the tour was really easy, I did it online without any real hassle. The tour description was seemingly clear. It mentions that you’d be with an experienced guide who’s not just seemingly good at spotting the Northern Lights, but he can also help you with camera settings, composition tips, all that jazz. That aspect of things made me hopeful because I was looking to understand how to adjust my camera for night photography and perhaps learn new composition methods. The description pointed to small group sizes, supposedly to get a personal learning environment, that could be good too. This sounded ideal. My expectations weren’t crazy high, it’s Norway so you already expect expensive, yet I did, arguably, hope for that learning experience mixed with seeing some seriously epic Northern Lights action, maybe that was too much?

The Tour Experience: What Really Happened

The evening arrived, and the tour began! We met up with the group. So, here’s how the actual night went, just perhaps. It did turn out that our guide seemed super knowledgeable, so there’s a bonus straight away. Before driving out into the night, he spent a bit of time explaining how the Northern Lights form. We were lucky as the sky, in his opinion, looked really promising. He talked through camera settings for photographing the lights too it’s almost that he already had the perfect shots planned! That said, maybe things didn’t start so well.

We drove for maybe close to an hour away from Narvik, looking for locations away from light pollution. This was alright but very cramped, that’s very much a reality to keep in mind! The guide kept checking a cloud cover map app, looking to find clear patches in the sky. The plan worked and we found a nice spot by a frozen lake with mountains all around the area. Sounded picturesque, and frankly it was. Now it all relied on luck, with seeing the lights themselves! We did get that lucky glimpse as they appeared just above the mountains. After a mad scramble to adjust cameras and get set up the green lights began their dance.

Now came the photography tips, which were fine if perhaps a little basic. In truth, the guide spent most of the time helping folks with phone cameras, perhaps an overestimation on my side that most would have high-end setups. As a result, my expectation for specific and advanced methods, I’ll be frank, wasn’t met in the way I thought it would be, yet it gave more time for experimenting, so maybe it’s alright.

Photography Guidance

Regarding the photography stuff, the guide covered all the basics, which, thinking back, was likely good for a pretty mixed group. He talked about things like using a wide aperture (basically, a low f-number) so that more light gets to your camera sensor, and also, arguably more important, about increasing your ISO. Also important to reduce shutter speed too it’s almost that there is a holy triangle of requirements to begin shooting the lights.

These pointers are good, yet they’re, naturally, quite generic and a photographer of any reasonable ability probably knows most of these already. That’s said, it’s useful advice and helped the tour participants. He touched briefly on composition, like using the mountains as a foreground, so just bear that in mind. What he did that I liked was he did assist people in their individual requirements rather than pushing a ‘one size fits all’ method of tuition. This was very useful because everyone there seemed to get something worthwhile. It probably elevated his guiding qualities that little bit.

The Northern Lights Display Itself

How good was the Northern Lights show, just perhaps? This, after all, is perhaps what you paid for. Very! We were able to witness the aurora borealis with green and purple hues. It felt like this cosmic curtain swaying gently right above us. We must have stayed there shooting for over an hour just getting chance after chance. I was certainly in my element shooting the lights.

I am just thinking it depends what you’re looking to gain here. On one hand, the whole evening felt a little generic, which, if you have the skills and transport yourself, is easily replicable. That said, not everybody has the possibility of travelling far from Narvik to the spots you needed for good visibility, yet that is a trade off and cost saving if you are able to do this.

What Could Be Better

Looking back, just perhaps a couple of tweaks would’ve made this tour pretty special. As I was saying, in more intimate detail, the photography section could have been enhanced for folks with solid prior photography experience. I think, potentially, even though I’m aware it impacts running costs, perhaps different tour subgroups based on existing skills.

The vehicle was another item that perhaps had its detractors, especially given that some other tour participants were quite tall. That would perhaps limit my chances of recommending to everyone based purely on this factor. More regular hot drinks too it’s almost that everybody enjoys a hot chocolate while standing out in the cold at night!

Was the Narvik Northern Lights Tour Worth It?

Alright, let’s cut to the chase here: was the Narvik Northern Lights Tour a winner, and would I encourage others to partake in a similar adventure? For me personally, even with a bit of slight criticism, the answer would still probably be ‘yes,’ in a way. Getting out and witnessing the lights and learning the start of a photography method seems worthwhile, but only, as a matter of fact, with certain provisos and requirements of the customer.

If you’re someone who wants someone else to arrange transport, seek out suitable locations, then that’s brilliant. Also the rudimentary tuition, specifically aimed at those beginning to dabble in photography, is especially useful. Remember, after all, the lights do bring the main element of fun.

I do think, though, you’d feel that there are better options available, potentially. It all rests on your existing ability. But, in a similar vein, the main element that cannot be changed is that of the weather!

Essential Tips for Your Own Narvik Northern Lights Adventure

Alright, about to go to see the Northern Lights near Narvik, arguably on a tour, at any rate, here are some of my tips that I wish someone told me, as a matter of fact. Firstly, and most important, wrap up warmly! I cannot underline how true this is. Layering up is essential. Next, seriously consider your camera and the level that you are at. A top tip might be to spend some time mastering using your phone/camera equipment. You could then have something special from your pictures. Plan this as there’s loads of helpful resources for free. I can just feel that learning a couple of methods to use with cameras would put you one step closer to a fantastic set of aurora photographs.

What to Bring

When preparing for your Northern Lights tour, keep in mind that the Arctic climate is quite cold, especially during winter. Here is a list of what I advise bringing for the tour:

• Warm hat (beanie)
• Warm scarf
• Waterproof winter jacket
• Thermal underwear
• Wool socks
• Gloves
• Waterproof pants
• Winter boots

Frequently Asked Questions