# Northern lights in Tromsø tonight and this season > Northern lights in Tromsø right now: aurora probability, Kp index and the Kp the city needs, the dark season dates and 57 tours filtered by rating. Canonical: https://kpforecast.com/tromso/ Updated on: 2026-10-09 Tromsø sits inside the auroral zone at 69.6 degrees north and has the longest tour list on this site: 57 pass the filter. This page shows the aurora probability over the city right now, the Kp forecast for the next three days, the dates of the dark season and the tours that leave from the island. ## In short Northern lights in Tromsø are a regular sight on dark, clear nights because the city lies in the auroral zone: NOAA's rule of thumb puts the Kp needed at 1 or more. The aurora season runs from mid August to late April and includes the polar night from 28 November to 14 January. No aurora is visible between late April and mid August. Fifty-seven tours with at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews leave from the city, from 74 USD. ## Key points - Aurora probability over Tromsø right now, from NOAA's OVATION model, at the top of this page - Kp needed: 1 or more, because Tromsø sits at about 67.5 degrees geomagnetic latitude - Polar night from 28 November to 14 January, no aurora between late April and mid August - The city is on the island of Tromsøya, with bridges to the mainland and to Kvaløya for darker skies - 57 tours pass the filter of 4.3 stars and 20 reviews, from 74 USD, booked through Viator ## Aurora over Tromsø right now Live figures on the web page, refreshed every 15 minutes. ## Kp forecast for Tromsø, next 3 days Live figures on the web page, refreshed every 15 minutes. ## Why Tromsø sits under the northern lights Tromsø lies at 69.65 degrees north and 18.96 degrees east, on the island of Tromsøya in the Tromsøysundet strait, just off the mainland of northern Norway. Converted to geomagnetic latitude with the WMM2025 dipole, that is about 67.5 degrees, well inside the auroral zone. NOAA's rule of thumb places the equatorward edge of the auroral oval at about 66 degrees geomagnetic latitude for Kp 0, which is why this page lists the Kp needed for Tromsø as 1 or more: on a quiet night the oval can already sit overhead. That is the difference between Tromsø and a city like Edinburgh or Kiel, which need a geomagnetic storm of Kp 4 to 6 before the oval reaches them. In Tromsø the question is rarely whether the activity is enough. It is whether the sky is dark and clear. ## When to go to Tromsø for the northern lights The aurora needs darkness, and Tromsø has plenty in winter. The polar night, when the sun stays below the horizon, lasts from 28 November to 14 January, 48 days. The midnight sun is the opposite: from 19 May to 27 July the sun never sets, and no aurora is visible between late April and mid August because the sky never gets dark enough. The dark season for northern lights in Tromsø therefore runs from the end of summer to early spring, with the deepest darkness around the polar night. The 27-day outlook on the home page gives the largest Kp expected per day, which helps to pick a window with more activity, but it is not a forecast for a particular night. The 3-day forecast above is the one to read before going out. ## Getting out of the city lights in Tromsø The city centre is on Tromsøya. The Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel connect it to the suburb of Tromsdalen on the mainland, and the Sandnessund Bridge connects it to Kvaløysletta on the island of Kvaløya. Those crossings are the way out of the street lights: the darker shorelines on the mainland and on Kvaløya are a short drive from the centre. Tromsø is a coastal city, so cloud cover can close the sky over the island while it stays open inland, which is why most guided tours drive rather than wait in town. The city is served by Tromsø Airport, opened in 1964 on the main island, and had 42,782 inhabitants in 2024. ## Northern lights tours in Tromsø Fifty-seven tours in Tromsø pass this site's filter of at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews on Viator, counted on 9 October 2026, with prices from 74 USD. The six with most reviews are below, and the full list with every destination is under [Northern lights tours](https://kpforecast.com/northern-lights-tours/). Booking goes through Viator, the site earns a commission and the price stays the same. No tour can guarantee an aurora: check the Kp forecast above before choosing a date. [[TOURS:tromso:6]] ## Tromsø in numbers for northern lights planning | Fact | Value | Source | |---|---|---| | Coordinates | 69.65° N, 18.96° E | Wikipedia | | Geomagnetic latitude | about 67.5° (WMM2025 dipole) | NOAA NCEI, own calculation | | Kp needed | 1 or more | NOAA rule of thumb | | Polar night | 28 November to 14 January, 48 days | Wikipedia | | Midnight sun | 19 May to 27 July, 71 days | Wikipedia | | No aurora visible | late April to mid August | Wikipedia | | Airport | Tromsø Airport, opened 1964 | Wikipedia | | Population | 42,782 (2024) | Wikipedia | | Tours that pass the filter | 57, from 74 USD, counted 9 October 2026 | Viator | ## Frequently asked questions ### What Kp index do you need to see the northern lights in Tromsø? About 1 or more. Tromsø sits at roughly 67.5 degrees geomagnetic latitude, and NOAA's rule of thumb puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66 degrees for Kp 0, moving 2 degrees toward the equator per Kp level. On most dark, clear nights the activity is enough, and higher Kp brings brighter, more active displays. ### When is the best time to see the northern lights in Tromsø? In the dark months, from the end of summer to early spring. The polar night runs from 28 November to 14 January, and no aurora is visible between late April and mid August because the sky does not get dark. Within that season, pick dates with the 3-day Kp forecast and avoid a bright moon if you can, checking a moon calendar elsewhere. ### Can you see the northern lights from Tromsø city centre? Sometimes, on strong nights, but the street lights of Tromsøya wash out faint displays. The Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel lead to the mainland and the Sandnessund Bridge to Kvaløya, where darker shorelines are a short drive away. Guided tours exist mostly to drive to clear, dark sky. ### How many northern lights tours are there in Tromsø? Fifty-seven pass this site's filter of at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews on Viator, counted on 9 October 2026, the largest list of any destination on the site. Prices start from 74 USD. The six with most reviews are on this page and the full list is on the tours page. ### Does Tromsø have the northern lights in summer? No. The midnight sun keeps the sun above the horizon from 19 May to 27 July, and no aurora is visible between late April and mid August because the sky never gets dark enough. Geomagnetic activity continues all year, but without darkness it cannot be seen. ### Why does the Tromsø aurora probability on this page change so often? Because it comes from NOAA's OVATION model, a 30 to 90 minute forecast that the site refreshes every 15 minutes at most. The value is read at the grid point closest to Tromsø. It is a probability for the next hour or so, not a verdict on the whole night, so the Kp forecast for the next three days is the better planning tool. ### Is Tromsø better than Iceland for the northern lights? Both sit inside the auroral zone, about 67.5 degrees geomagnetic latitude for Tromsø and 68.8 for Reykjavik on the WMM2025 dipole, so both need only Kp 1 or more. The difference is the sky: Tromsø is coastal, so cloud is the usual problem, and the choice usually comes down to flights, nights available and the cloud forecast for the dates from a weather service. ## Sources - [Wikipedia, Tromsø (geography, population, polar night and midnight sun dates, airport)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troms%C3%B8), checked on 2026-10-09 - [NOAA SWPC, Tips on viewing the aurora](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/tips-viewing-aurora), checked on 2026-10-09 - [NOAA NCEI, Wandering of the Geomagnetic Poles (WMM2025)](https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/GeomagneticPoles.shtml), checked on 2026-10-09 - [NOAA SWPC, Aurora 30 Minute Forecast (OVATION)](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast), checked on 2026-10-09 - [Viator Partner API, Tromsø catalogue fetched on 9 October 2026](https://www.viator.com/), checked on 2026-10-09