First time on a snowmobile? Riding to the Finnmarksvidda aurora

Check the licence and the limits before you book

The driver of each snowmobile needs a valid car licence (the ordinary B class) and has to show it before the ride. Without one you can still come along as a passenger, from age 12.

The listing rules out pregnant travelers and anyone over 70 or heavier than 130 kg (287 lbs). Back problems and limited mobility also keep you off. A snowmobile bumps over the track, so those limits are about the ride itself.

Groups go up to 17 people. On GetYourGuide Æventyr's night ride, from ~$284, rates 4.7 from 70+ reviews, and on Viator it holds 4.9 from 45+ reviews.

Meeting in Alta and getting dressed

The meeting point is Markedsgata 6 in central Alta, and the listing also mentions pickup and drop-off in town. The start time shows when you pick a date, so check it there before you plan dinner.

At the base you swap your own outer layers for Æventyr's kit. Thermal suits and boots are handed out along with gloves and helmets, so your main job is to arrive with warm layers underneath.

Wool next to the skin and a thin fleece work well under a thermal suit. Our guide to dressing for a plateau night goes through the layers piece by piece, including what to keep in an inner pocket.

The safety briefing and the first minutes

Before anyone starts an engine, the guide runs a safety briefing. It covers the controls and how the group keeps together, and the guide answers questions before you set off.

Two people share each machine. One drives while the other rides behind. You swap places during the trip, so both of you get time at the handlebars and time to look up at the sky.

The first few minutes feel strange to most beginners, because the machine pulls harder than expected and steers heavily at low speed. Most people relax once they settle into the rhythm of the line ahead.

Up the old postal road to Beskardes

By law you ride behind the guide on a set track, in a line of snowmobiles rather than free across open snow. Norwegian rules keep snowmobiles to marked routes, and the convoy is how a group follows one.

The route climbs the old postal road toward Beskardes, a mountain area on the edge of Finnmarksvidda. One reviewer puts it at about 535 m above sea level, high enough to leave the town lights behind.

Riding takes about 2 hours of the 4-hour night. Dressing and the briefing fill the rest along with the stop, so it is a steady outing rather than a race. Our plateau guide explains why the climb inland tends to bring clearer air.

Hot drinks at the stop, eyes on the sky

Somewhere up on the edge of the plateau the convoy halts and the engines go quiet. Coffee and tea come out with snacks, and one reviewer remembers a hot blueberry drink.

This is where most aurora watching happens. With the headlights off, your eyes need a few minutes to adjust before a faint band shows, and a strong display can then ripple across the whole sky.

No tour can guarantee the lights, this one included. A clear night with a quiet sun still gives you the ride and a wide dark view, though it may show nothing more than stars.

Taking photos from a snowmobile

You cannot photograph while riding, and you should not try. Cameras come out only at the stops, when the machines are parked and the guide says it is safe to walk around.

A phone in night mode, braced on the seat, can catch a decent aurora. A small tripod helps more, though it has to fit in a pocket or a bag that will not swing about on the track.

Cold drains batteries fast once the temperature falls well below freezing. Keep a spare battery or power bank inside your suit close to your body. Take the phone out only when you are ready to shoot.

Where the snowmobile night falls short

The ride goes to one fixed area. If cloud sits over Beskardes, the convoy cannot swap the plateau for a clearer valley the way a minibus can, and our cloudy night guide explains how the vehicle tours handle that.

It also needs snow, so autumn trips before the first snowfall are out. The licence and age rules shut some travelers out too. It is not cheap either, as the cost guide shows when it sets the price against the other four tours.

Snowmobile or quad?

The closest alternative is Finnmark Adventure's quad night, from ~$241. Over 5 hours it rides the coast near Kviby, about a 30-minute drive from Alta, instead of the plateau.

The quad also needs a car licence for the driver, but passengers can join from 9, which suits families better. Our guide to the ride types and the family guide compare the two side by side.