Seeing the Northern Lights

[Notreallyhere23]

Dh is 40 next year so I’m looking at planning a surprise weekend break away in December 2019.

Seeing the northern lights is on his bucket list so I’d like to try and attempt that.

I’m torn between Iceland (staying in Reykjavik and doing a tour) or Tromso.

There seems to be pluses and minuses to both.

We’ve been to Norway before whereas Iceland would be a new country to us.

I’d prefer Iceland as I’d love to visit the blue lagoon and see the geysers and stuff. But it’s not a holiday for me, it’s his birthday.

Tromso seems to be the better choice for seeing the lights but is it a good weekend break place? Is it actually more likely to see the northern lights there? We liked Norway but were further south before.

Will Iceland be less cold so we can pack a bit lighter? Or Are they both cold enough for proper suitcases?

Any advice either way would be great, including tour companies, hotels etc

Daytime bump

I would opt for Tromso if Northern Lights was a priority although the chance of seeing them is higher February. You can take a trip with a company called Chasing Lights or similar who will go some distance and work hard to get a sighting.

You are less likely to see them in Iceland unless you go some way from Reykjavik and I think the trips out of Tromso have more success that time of year. You could also combine with husky sledding.

Have a look at a company called Much Better Adventures who do good weekend breaks, then add an extra night in Tromso and book with one of the Chasing Light companies for a night, they will even go into Finland if need be. And cross your fingers for clear skies and a bit of luck!