A must-book northern lights experience - I wholeheartedly recommend booking with Northbound for your northern lights chase. Oli and Ryan are extremely knowledgable about how and why auroras appear, they scope out locations that aren't just by the side of the highway, but are scenic in and of themselves, and they care deeply about the creating the best possible experience for the people who join their tour. I arrived in Tromso during a stretch of pretty tough weather (rain, then a snowstorm with high winds). On the night I was supposed to go out with Northbound, Oli contacted me to let me know that for safety reasons, they were canceling. (I REALLY appreciated him reaching out, as I had gone on a tour the previous evening with another group and wished that the tour company had been more upfront about how dangerous the weather was going to be.) Oli then made arrangements so that I could get to go on the next night - my final night in Tromso. One of my family members had gone with Northbound back in October and had really hyped up the experience. It absolutely lived up to the hype. For many people, seeing the northern lights is a huge bucket list item, and many use the occasion to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays or get engaged. Oli and Ryan understand this well, and really go the extra mile (or kilometer?) to personalize the experience for their guests. It goes beyond just being on a small-group tour. (The other tour I went on also was a small group, but the group had no cohesion.) From the moment we met Oli (and later, Ryan), their enthusiasm for what they do was infectious, and they worked to build a sense of comradery amongst a group of strangers. We got to see the darkness light up with green (and some red!) bands dancing across the sky while sitting around a fire eating grilled hotdogs and trading stories about places we'd traveled, activities that we liked to do, and things we liked to eat. The atmosphere felt like a backyard cookout with a bunch of people who were all really excited to see the lights, and the evening was full of banter. Ryan also gave me tips on how to take better photos of the lights, and while I'm certainly no pro, I was really proud of the photos I captured! On another note, Ryan is a fantastic photographer. I was SO thrilled with how every single photo came out. Oli mentioned that there are maybe 100 tour companies around Tromso that offer northern lights chasing tours. Having experienced another company as well as chatting with other travelers about their experiences, I feel confident in saying that Northbound is a 1-in-100 unique experience. Oli and Ryan have created something really special: you'll learn about the lights, you'll laugh (and maybe cry because the lights are so amazing in person), and your memories will be even more wonderful in that they are shared with others who experienced everything alongside you.

Unforgettable Birthday - Thank you Oli & Ryan for an incredible experience! From the first point of contact over social media up until Oli dropped us back at our hotel these guys were bang on. Professional, knowledgeable, funny & so personable. We’ve done big bus tours previously and Northbound are the complete opposite! The passion for what they do shines through in every aspect. We’d had 2 tours cancelled previously due to bad weather/safety & although gutted we understand they are doing the right thing. Third time lucky, we went out with them and it was worth the wait! Whilst Mother Nature put on her show, Ryan & Oli really looked after us! Round a fire eating hot dogs, hot chocolate & cookies under the Aurora. They even got a cake & present for my daughter as it was her birthday- she burst into emotional happy tears when we all sang happy birthday to her! We loved how they engaged with us all, we felt safe at all times even on the snowy/windy roads. Our photos are next level! They put in the personal touch and you can just see this means the world to them both! Keep being amazing you guys! And thank you for making Flo’s 9th birthday an unforgettable experience! (No seriously how do we top this, ever 🤣)

The best Northern Lights experience in Tromso - Where do we start? It was one of the best experiences I could have asked for, during our visit to Norway. Northbound was started in April 2024 by Oli and Ryan, and we were probably the first ones to discover them. When I was planning my trip to Norway earlier in 2024, I got connected to Oli from Northbound, who was super sweet and helped us out with our itinerary and planning activities in Tromso. We ended up booking 4 tours with them during the final week of December 2024. The weather in Tromso was horrible during our visit, and we had honestly given up on seeing the lights, although I was hoping that we might get lucky. At Northbound Oli and Ryan always try their best to find the perfect spot in and around Tromso, to maximize our chances of seeing the lights, even if it means driving 3 hours away from the city. On our first tour, the weather was not so good and we set out looking for clear skies. We were fortunate enough to find a small gap in the sky and got some decent aurora sightings, whereas other tour companies were still trying to find clear skies. The second day had horrible weather and we were pushed out to Finland & Sweden. The aurora activity that night was very low and unfortunately, even though we got clear skies, the aurora wasn't visible, nevertheless, it was probably one of the best nights of our trip. We had so much fun trying to find a spot, having to drive through adverse conditions, and then ending up setting camp on a frozen lake on the Finland/Sweden border. We saw a beautiful night sky and just talked about life. On our way back to Tromso, there was a brief moment when the aurora was visible, and they found a spot and we saw some good lights. During our ride to our location, they try to explain to us everything happening in the sky and what to expect along with scientific explanations about the aurora. They share their stories, and jokes and try to create an inclusive experience for the guests. There is never a dull moment during the journey. When we reach our location, they set up a bonfire, and provide amazing hot chocolates, and we grill hot dogs while waiting for the aurora to show up. On our final night, which also happened to be New Year's Eve, we set out looking for lights once again and this time the weather looked promising. They took us 2 hours out of Tromso, where the weather was expected to stay clear the entire night, whereas most of the other tour companies stayed in and around Tromso. Most of them were eventually hit by clouds, but not us! They took us to a national park, where there was no one, and we had the entire area to ourselves. As the night progressed the lights kept getting brighter, and we were able to see one of the best aurora with our naked eyes, we saw all sorts of colors in the sky and some beautiful dancing lights. We also ended up celebrating New Year right under the beautiful Northern Lights in the middle of a forest at -25C. It was my best New Year's ever! Being on so many tours with them, we realized that there was something so different about these guys that we did not feel the same when we did other activities with other tour companies. For others, it's just a business, but for Northbound, it is more than that, it's their passion that makes the experience so wholesome, and no matter how the skies react on your tour, you will always be taking back happy memories with you! I genuinely believe that if there is any sort of aurora activity happening, and there is the faintest possibility of some clear skies, they will find a spot to view the Northern Lights. PS: Both Oli and Ryan are professional photographers and they ended up taking brilliant shots of all of us and also the aurora. The time lapses were also really amazing.

Northern Lights with Northbound - It was an amazing experience on 16th December 2024 evening. We started from Tromso in Oli and Ryan's cosy mini van and as promised it was a small group of 8 people in the van. When we reached the destination we were given thermal suits for the bitter cold and we were all ready for sitting in a secluded sea beach waiting for the lights. Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy and we could see the light for a short while and the light was not that strong as well. However, Oli and Ryan made the evening incredibly lively for all of us with their jokes, stories and their experiences in Norway. They lit a bonfire and sitting around a bonfire on a cold windy night, sipping drinking chocolate and munching on grilled hot dogs was perhaps one of the best experience of my life. The best part of the tour was Oli and Ryan - the friendly attitude, the warmth, their ever smiling faces, was heartwarming and we would love to take another tour with Northbound in future.

Northern Lights with Northbound - It was an amazing experience on 16th December 2024 evening. We started from Tromso in Oli and Ryan's cosy mini van and as promised it was a small group of 8 people in the van. When we reached the destination we were given thermal suits for the bitter cold and we were all ready for sitting in a secluded sea beach waiting for the lights. Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy and we could see the light for a short while and the light was not that strong as well. However, Oli and Ryan made the evening incredibly lively for all of us with their jokes, stories and their experiences in Norway. They lit a bonfire and sitting around a bonfire on a cold windy night, sipping drinking chocolate and munching on grilled hot dogs was perhaps one of the best experience of my life. The best part of the tour was Oli and Ryan - the friendly attitude, the warmth was heartening and I would love to take another tour with Northbound in future.

An Absolute Must to do in Tromsø! - Had a wonderful time! Super friendly and knowledgeable guides did a great job ensuring that everyone got the absolute most out of the evening. Beautiful scenery and lights!

Brilliant - Thank you Oli and Ryan for a spectacular night. Fantastic knowledge of where to go to get the best view. We flew all the way from Western Australia and took a chance on seeing the lights, and we were not disappointed. These guys were so friendly and I wouldn't go with any other tour operator.

Incredible Photographs! - What an amazing experience from Oli & Ryan at Northbound! They take incredible photos, are professional, caring and excited to share their love of the Northern Lights. I was seriously blown away by the quality of these photographs! We had some luck seeing the lights and we were in such a scenic and secluded location which was so nice. They have top-quality gear so I was very warm in my thermal suit and we enjoyed the fire and eating hot dogs, cookies and drinking hot coco. We also had so much fun taking silly photos too which was just a blast. I love the time lapse video we got of the night as well. They are also safe drivers which is so important in Norway with ice and wildlife.

Dancing the lights fantastic - Everything about this tour was 10/10. Oli was the perfect guide - knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming. All the little details made it special - from the very comfortable ride to a picturesque location, campfire, thermal suits, individual thermos for hot chocolate and fantastic photos. It was worth travelling all the way from Australia 😊

Superb tour worth every krone. - We booked our Aurora tour with Nordbound as we wanted to support a small business as opposed to a big tour firm. These guys delivered in every aspect, communication and updates prior to meeting up with 6 others, comfortable and warm transport, good briefings etc. Oli made everyone feel welcome and at ease. He found us the perfect spot from which to observe and take pictures. We had seating round a firepit where they cooked us hotdogs and we were provided with hot chocolate. Oli took time to ensure we were confortable and warm, he explained some of the science about how the aurora happens and its stages. A thoroughly enjoyable evening trip to see and learn about the Northern Lights, where we were provided with photographs and a timelapse by email the next afternoon. If you're in Tromsø and planning a trip to the lights these guys are the very best - you won't be disappointed.