from $204 Northern lights photography tour with a local expert
A small-group evening out of town in the dark season, with help setting up your camera and a guide who knows where the sky is clearest.
Arctic tours & tickets
The experiences worth booking ahead, ranked and grouped by gateway — with honest notes where nothing is sold online.
In the Arctic a guide is rarely a luxury. Outside the towns you need someone who knows the ice, the weather, the wildlife rules and, in polar bear country, how to keep a group safe. Boats, sleds and minibuses carry small numbers, seasons last a few weeks, and the best departures sell out. That makes booking ahead more important here than almost anywhere.
Coverage on GetYourGuide is very uneven, and we would rather tell you so than fill the page with padding. Tromsø, North Iceland, North Cape, Alta, Kirkenes and Svalbard are well served. Greenland has listings only in Nuuk; Arctic Canada and Alaska only in gateway towns such as Yellowknife, Churchill and Fairbanks; East Greenland, the North Pole and the Russian Arctic have none. Each destination’s tours page explains what is and is not bookable.
The Arctic top 10
Ranked on how much of the Arctic each one shows you, how well it is reviewed and what it costs.
- Check price & availability
Small-group northern lights chase with photos
The essential winter experience: a small-group chase to clear sky, with thousands of reviews and photos included.
Tromsø · from $139 · ⭐ 4.7 - Check price & availability
Húsavík: whale watching tour with guide
Humpbacks in Skjálfandi Bay from Iceland’s whale-watching capital — reliable, affordable and very well reviewed.
North Iceland · from $97 · ⭐ 4.5 - Check price & availability
Whale and orca safari, all-inclusive
A full winter day among orcas and humpbacks off Skjervøy, on a boat with limited numbers.
Tromsø · from $236 · ⭐ 4.6 - Check price & availability
North Cape guided tour with entry ticket
The North Cape plateau with a guide and the entry ticket included — the simplest way to reach Europe’s northern edge.
North Cape · from $162 · ⭐ 4.8 - Check price & availability
Reindeer sledding and feeding with a Sami guide
Reindeer sledding and a meal with Sami hosts: the most-reviewed cultural experience in the Arctic.
Tromsø · from $198 · ⭐ 4.7 - Check price & availability
Arctic wildlife scouting by van
The best-value introduction to Svalbard’s wildlife, with a local guide and a tiny group.
Svalbard · from $173 · ⭐ 4.9 - Check price & availability
Summer king crab safari by RIB with crab meal
Haul king crab from the Barents fjords and eat as much as you like — the signature Kirkenes experience.
Kirkenes · from $275 · ⭐ 4.7 - Check price & availability
Altafjord whale watching in a heated boat
Top-rated early-winter whale watching in Altafjord from a heated boat, far from the crowds.
Alta & Hammerfest · from $209 · ⭐ 5.0 - Check price & availability
Fun and easy dog sledding adventure
Drive your own husky team: the highest-rated dog-sledding trip in northern Norway.
Tromsø · from $303 · ⭐ 4.9 - Check price & availability
Fairbanks: Arctic Circle full-day guided tour
A long day up Alaska’s Dalton Highway to the Arctic Circle — a genuine taste of the road to the ocean.
Arctic Alaska · from $260 · ⭐ 4.5
Prices are indicative “from” prices in US dollars and ratings are as shown on GetYourGuide when we last checked; both change often.
Top picks by destination
Three of the best for each hub. Open the destination’s own tours page for the full list, live availability and booking tips. The North Pole and the Russian Arctic have no bookable tours and are explained on their own pages.
Svalbard
from $204 
from $173 Arctic wildlife scouting by van
A guided drive along Longyearbyen’s short road network looking for Svalbard reindeer, Arctic foxes, seabirds and, on the shore, the occasional walrus or beluga.
from $187 Global Seed Vault and Longyearbyen landmarks
A guided drive to the entrance of the Seed Vault and the town’s main viewpoints and historic mining sites. The vault itself is not open to visitors.
Tromsø
from $236 Whale and orca safari, all-inclusive
A full-day winter trip to the feeding grounds near Skjervøy on a boat limited to around 50 guests, with warm suits and food included.
from $139 Small-group northern lights chase with photos
A minibus chase to wherever the sky is clear, with tripods, a campfire, snacks and portraits under the aurora.
from $198 Reindeer sledding and feeding with a Sami guide
Visit a reindeer camp outside town, feed the herd, ride a sled and hear about Sami life over a hot meal in a lavvu.
North Cape
from $93 The North Cape Express
A straightforward, well-reviewed return coach from Honningsvåg to the plateau with free time at the globe and in the hall.
from $104 North Cape bus adventure
A longer coach trip with a guide’s commentary and photo stops on the way across Magerøya.
from $162 North Cape guided tour with entry ticket
A guided excursion with admission to the North Cape Hall included, so there is nothing more to pay on arrival.
Alta & Hammerfest
from $209 Altafjord whale watching in a heated boat
An early-winter cruise in search of orcas and humpbacks, with a warm cabin to retreat to between sightings. Top-rated; season limited.
from $251 Small-group guided northern lights tour
A minibus chase to the clearest valley of the evening with a local guide, warm drinks and help with camera settings.
from $73 Reindeer and Sami culture visit
A short, inexpensive visit to a Sami family’s reindeer in Alta: feed the animals and hear how herding works through the year.
Kirkenes
from $275 Summer king crab safari by RIB with crab meal
Speed out on the fjord in a RIB, help haul the pots and sit down to as much freshly steamed king crab as you can eat.
from $364 Winter king crab fishing and crab meal
Travel by snowmobile-drawn sled on to the frozen fjord, pull crab pots up through a hole in the ice and eat the catch in a lakeside restaurant.
from $131 Sightseeing tour at the Norwegian–Russian border
A guided drive to viewpoints over the frontier and the Storskog crossing, with the history of the borderland explained. Very highly rated.
North Iceland
from $104 Akureyri: classic whale watching by ship
A three-hour cruise down Eyjafjörður from the centre of Akureyri on a stable ship with indoor seating. Runs for most of the year.
from $97 Húsavík: whale watching tour with guide
The standard Skjálfandi Bay trip from Iceland’s whale-watching capital, with a naturalist guide and warm overalls.
from $168 Húsavík: big whale safari and puffins by speedboat
A fast RIB that reaches the feeding grounds quickly and, in season, circles the puffin colony on Lundey island.
West Greenland
from $791 Nuuk fjord cruise with Greenlandic picnic and storytelling
A small-boat trip into one of the world’s largest fjord systems, past Sermitsiaq mountain, with local food and stories from the guide.
from $569 Nuuk fjord sightseeing boat tour
A shorter cruise among the islands and peaks near the capital, with a chance of seals and, in summer, humpback whales.
from $377 Nuuk walking tour with museum visit and Greenlandic tasting
The old colonial harbour, the national museum’s Inuit collections and a tasting of local specialities with a resident guide.
East Greenland
from $89 Reykjavík: Golden Circle full-day tour with Kerið crater
Iceland’s classic day out — Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss — and by far the most-reviewed tour in the gateway city. A good use of a buffer day.
from $165 Reykjavík: small-group northern lights tour with photos
An evening aurora hunt from the capital between September and April, useful before or after a September voyage.
from $120 Reykjavík: Sky Lagoon entrance with seven-step ritual
An oceanside geothermal lagoon ten minutes from the city centre — the easiest way to recover from a rough crossing of the Denmark Strait.
Arctic Canada
from $486 Churchill: tundra buggy day trip
A full day in a high-wheeled tundra vehicle in the wildlife management area east of Churchill, looking for polar bears as they wait for Hudson Bay to freeze. Autumn only.
from $1478 per group Churchill: private polar bear and Hudson Bay road safari
A private guided drive along the coast roads around Churchill for bears, foxes and birds. Priced per group; a new listing without reviews.
from $68 Yellowknife: northern lights bus tour with photos
An inexpensive, well-reviewed aurora chase by bus from the Northwest Territories capital, the usual stopover on the way to Inuvik.
Arctic Alaska
from $260 Fairbanks: Arctic Circle full-day guided tour
The classic summer trip up the Dalton Highway: the Yukon River, the pipeline, the tundra at Finger Mountain and a certificate at the Arctic Circle sign.
from $330 From Fairbanks: Arctic Circle and northern lights full-day trip
The winter version, timed to return after dark with stops to watch for aurora over the boreal forest.
from $363 Fairbanks: northern lights and Arctic Circle tour
An alternative operator on the same route, with a small group and a late return under the night sky.
GetYourGuide
More Arctic tours, live
Real-time availability from GetYourGuide for Tromsø, the Arctic’s busiest gateway. Each destination page has its own live list.
How to book well
- Book weather-dependent trips — aurora, whales, boats — for the start of your stay, so there is time to rebook if they are cancelled.
- Check the season in every listing. Many Arctic tours run for only eight to twelve weeks a year.
- Small groups cost more but spend less time waiting and more time out; for aurora and wildlife the difference is real.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead is common. Use it: forecasts in the Arctic are only reliable a day or two out.
- Read what is provided. Thermal suits and boots usually are; base layers, gloves and a hat are yours to bring.
- A driving licence is required to drive a snowmobile or ATV; carry it with you.
Arctic tours: FAQs
Are northern lights tours worth it?
Yes, on any night with patchy cloud. Guides read the forecasts and drive to clear sky, which you cannot easily do yourself on icy roads. On a perfectly clear night you may see aurora from town, but you will not know that in advance.
Why are there so few tours for Greenland, Canada and Alaska?
Because trips there are sold by local outfitters, hotels and expedition cruise lines rather than on day-tour platforms. We list real tours in the gateway towns and explain how to book the rest on each destination page.
Will tours run in bad weather?
Operators cancel for safety when wind, sea or ice make a trip unwise, and refund or rebook you. Cold and snow alone do not stop anything.
What should I wear?
Wool or synthetic base layers, a warm mid-layer, a windproof outer layer, insulated boots, mittens and a hat. See the packing list in our travel guide.
Plan your trip
Ice, whales, midnight sun and aurora — book the limited-seat days first
Boats, sleds and small-group minibuses in the Arctic carry few people, and the best weeks are short. Compare the best tours from Tromsø, Svalbard, North Cape, Iceland and beyond, and reserve in a couple of taps.