It’s almost impossible to guarantee seeing the Aurora Borealis, better known as the “Northern Lights” but if there’s a good place to try, it’s northern Norway, really far north and well inside the Arctic Circle. At around 70° North, Bodo and Tromso are two of the last bastions of humanity before entering deep tundra and ice, and that’s where we are headed! Yes, it will be cold but, if we see the Aurora, it’ll be worth it!

This time, we have extended the tour from 5 nights to 7 nights, mainly due to very poor flight schedules, but we have been able to trim a number of our costs and have upgraded from a 3* to a great 4* hotel in Tromso.

We fly via Oslo to Bodo for three nights, a city of culture, art and adventure. Our hotel is the lovely 4* Radisson Blu in the harbour district. We have not included an excursion here, as the end of the harbour is noted as an excellent venue to see the Northern Lights. We can arrange a 4-5 hour excursion into the wilderness for around £90 to include hot drinks and snacks but does not include winter clothing, so you need to bring (wear) your own! Our odyssey takes us onwards by air, right up north to Tromso.

We will transfer to our hotel for four nights. We will take you on a late-night Northern Lights safari, including transportation to where you will experience the darkest, clearest skies and provide you with everything you need for the visit. If you wish to extend this to an extra evening safari, we can arrange this for an extra £130. Special arctic clothing will be provided, along with hot drinks, a hot meal and several other extras, such as a camera tripod, to make your visit so much more enjoyable.

See below for details of hotels:

We know that this is not an inexpensive tour. Simply put, everything in Norway is expensive! We are, nevertheless, offering this holiday, due to so many requests and we hope it is still attractive to you. Finally, nobody can guarantee seeing the Northern Lights but, at this time of year, at this latitude and with these great facilities, your chances are better than average!

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Dates and times:

(No overnights in Dublin this time!)

Sun, 28 Jan 2024

Depart Dublin 4.15pm and arrive Bodo 10.30pm

Wed, 31 Jan 2024

Depart Bodo for one-hour flight.

Sun, 04 Feb 2024

Depart Tromso 07.20am, arrive Dublin 3.40pm

Flights are with SAS and Norwegian via Oslo and include 20kgs checked and 8kgs of cabin baggage.

Fares:

£ 1795pp based on 2 persons sharing

£ 2195pp based on single use

(Upgrade to a superior room in Tromso for just £60pp)

Included in the fare:

·        Flights from Dublin to Bodo via Oslo, and return                 from Tromso via Oslo to Dublin

·        3 night’s accommodation in Bodo on B&B basis

·        4 nights in Tromso on B&B basis

·        4 evening meals: 1 in Bodo, 3 in Tromso

·        Transfers by taxi or minibus between stations,                     airports, hotels.

·        1 night “Northern Lights Adventure”   

               (Extend to two nights for £130 p.p.)

·        Full financial protection under ATOL

·        Escorted throughout by Alan Couser

Radisson Blu Bodo

This excellent, modern four-star hotel is just a few moments walk from the harbour, from where you can be lucky enough to see the Aurora on ocassions.

Well equipped rooms with comfortable beds ensure a lovely stay in this northern city. Ideally located for some of the excursions, including a visit to the Saltstraumen - Norway's astonishing tidal race.

Thon Hotel Tromso

Like the hotel in Bodo, this modern four-star hotel is located in the centre and offers excellent amenities. If you feel up to it, you have use of the gym at the sister hotel across the road.

Directly attached to the hotel is the Egon Restaurant which offers a great range of meals and snacks.