Our pick
Northern Lights Night Adventure by Snowmobile, Æventyr
Æventyr leads this ride out of Alta along the old postal road. The route climbs to Beskardes, a mountain area on the edge of Finnmarksvidda that one reviewer puts at about 535 m above sea level. Up there the town's lights drop away behind you.
Each machine carries a pair: one of you steers while the other rides pillion, and halfway you change places. The whole group follows the guide in a line, because Norwegian law keeps snowmobiles to set tracks. Out of four hours, roughly two are spent on the machine; the rest goes on suiting up and the briefing, plus a stop for coffee and snacks.
- Price
- from ~$284 per person
- Duration
- About 4 hours, 2 of them riding
- Group
- Up to 17 guests
- Start
- Pickup in Alta or Markedsgata 6
- Food
- Coffee and tea with snacks at the stop
- Gear
- Thermal suit, shoes, gloves, helmet
- Licence
- Drivers need a car (B) licence
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before
How the night runs, step by step
The listing gives the outline below. The start time appears when you pick a date, and the guide sets the pace on the track.
Out of Alta
- Pickup in Alta, or meet at Markedsgata 6
- Thermal suits and shoes handed out with gloves and helmets, then a safety briefing
- The convoy sets off behind the guide on the old postal road
On the plateau's edge
- A stop at Beskardes for coffee or tea and snacks, eyes on the northern sky
- Driver and passenger swap seats for the ride back down
- Drop-off in Alta about four hours after the start
What the price covers
Every bit of cold-weather kit you need for the ride comes with the seat. What you cannot buy is a sky without cloud.
Included
- A guide leading the convoy
- Thermal suit and shoes, plus gloves and a helmet
- Coffee and tea with snacks
- Pickup and drop-off in Alta
Not included
- A refund if the aurora stays away
- A drive elsewhere when Beskardes is clouded in
- A seat for children under 12
- A guarantee of a clear sky
Between us, before you go
Whoever drives must show a valid car licence before the ride, so check that one of you has it with you. The listing also rules out pregnant travelers and anyone over 70 or over 130 kg (287 lbs). People with back problems or limited mobility are not taken either.
The ride needs snow, and the wind on a moving machine bites. The guide for first-time snowmobile drivers walks through the evening from briefing to drop-off.
Why we chose it over a minibus
A minibus can drive an hour to escape a bank of cloud; a snowmobile goes where the track goes. We still put this one first, because the plateau is the reason to come to Alta. Inland air is often drier than at the coast, and on a clear night you stand in open snow with almost no artificial light. The five ride types compared sets out the trade-off.
Who we would not send on it
Families with children under 12, who will be happier on Flatmoen's sleigh or Karlsøy's bus. Travelers who want a guide to chase the clearest sky wherever it is, who belong with Alta Adventure. And anyone who would rather keep their hands off the handlebars, since half the ride is spent driving.
Book it if
You want the night itself to be an adventure, whether or not the lights show. You hold a car licence or travel with someone who does. You like the idea of a hot drink on a silent plateau, with the sky wide open above you. It suits couples and pairs of friends, first-timers on a snowmobile included.
Skip it if
- Counting every krone? Try Karlsøy's bus, from ~$129
- Want a driver to chase the gaps? Pick Alta Adventure's minibus
- Over 70 or a bad back? Take Flatmoen's sleigh
- Travelling with children? Read which tours take children first
Ready to ride up to the vidda?
Æventyr sells the ride on GetYourGuide and on Viator. GetYourGuide carries more reviews and a lower price, and cancelling there is free up to 24 hours before, so you can check the cloud forecast first.
