Which Alta northern lights tours take children, and from what age

Age limits, tour by tour

The listings set different rules. The snowmobile and quad also add a licence rule for whoever drives. The table sums up what each one says, so you can rule tours in or out before reading further.

Where a listing gives no minimum age, that does not mean every age suits it. Ask the operator, and look at the ticket types offered when you check availability, which often show whether child tickets exist.

On both the quad and the snowmobile, the driver needs a valid car licence. A 9-year-old on the quad or a 12-year-old on the snowmobile rides behind a licensed adult, never at the handlebars.

The sleigh, a night built for families

If your children are small, Flatmoen's sleigh is the night that fits them best. A Norwegian Fjord horse pulls the sleigh through the forest and along the Alta River, with blankets over your knees and sleigh bells ringing.

Afterwards comes a three-course meal by the fire, served depending on the weather in a wilderness shelter or the ranch's fire house. That gives younger guests a warm place to sit and eat, which matters more than any view.

At 3.5 hours with an 8 pm start, it is also the shortest night on our list. The sleigh ride, from ~$332, costs the most per hour, and the lights are a bonus rather than the point, because the horse stays in one valley.

One reviewer noticed campfire smoke in their clothes afterwards, so pack a spare layer for the ride home. Our comparison of the five rides sets the sleigh against the faster ones.

Karlsøy, the budget family night

Karlsøy's bus tour, from ~$129, is the cheapest way to take a family out, and its campfire comes with marshmallows and biscuits. Free professional photos of every guest under the lights make a good souvenir for children.

The bus has a toilet on board, which helps with small passengers. The catch is length, since the night can run up to six hours, and with up to 45 people the group is large.

A guide explains the science of solar wind and the Kp index at the fire, which older children may enjoy. For younger ones, a six-hour outing that finishes long after bedtime is a lot to ask, so think honestly about their stamina.

Teenagers and the faster rides

Teenagers often want the snowmobile or the quad, and both can work. Æventyr's snowmobile night, from ~$284, takes passengers from 12, two to a machine. A parent drives, and the pair can swap if both hold licences.

Finnmark Adventure's quad tour, from ~$241, takes riders from 9 along the coast at Kviby. It lasts five hours, and the wind behind the handlebars is cold, so it suits children who already cope well with winter.

Both rides carry two people per machine and follow a guide in a convoy. For a first ride, our page on your first snowmobile night walks through the briefing and the route to Beskardes.

Late nights and long waits

Aurora tours run late by nature. Alta Adventure is normally back in Alta just after midnight, and it accepts no one under 12 anyway, while Karlsøy may stretch far beyond that.

Much of any aurora night is waiting. The lights are never guaranteed, and a quiet sky can last an hour before anything appears, or all night. Children who expect a show on arrival may tire of standing in the dark.

Bring a small game or a book light for the gaps, plus a thermos treat. Our page on cloudy nights over Alta covers what happens when the sky never opens.

Keeping small people warm

Clear nights inland are the coldest ones, and temperatures around −20 °C (−4 °F) are possible. Children lose heat faster than adults, especially when they stand still at a viewing stop.

Flatmoen lends winter clothes according to its Viator listing and has blankets on the sleigh. Æventyr and Finnmark Adventure hand out suits for the ride, while Karlsøy lends nothing, so your own layers have to do the job.

• A wool base layer and a fleece under a warm outer jacket
• Mittens rather than gloves for the youngest hands
• A hat that covers the ears, plus a neck gaiter
• Chemical hand warmers in a pocket, swapped in at stops

Pack a spare pair of dry socks and gloves for the drive home, since damp ones chill quickly. Our guide on what to wear on a plateau night has the full kit list.

Daytime ideas for the rest of the stay

Children who need a calmer day can see the Rock Art of Alta, thousands of carvings that form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Northern Lights Cathedral, with its spiral titanium tower, is a short visit in town.

Plan the aurora tour early in your stay and keep the days after it light. Our notes on getting to Alta and the pickups help with arrival times, and what Alta aurora tours cost adds up a family budget.