Abisko Northern Lights Tour with Photographer

The best part of this Abisko Northern Lights tour is its willingness to chase clear skies. Instead of waiting in one place while clouds spoil the show, the guide may drive from Abisko toward Kiruna’s boreal forest or another promising location. That flexibility matters when the aurora depends on weather that can change by the hour.

I like the small group of up to eight people, plus the practical photo help. You get a better chance to ask questions, set up your own camera, and receive pictures from the evening. Hot drinks, snacks, and a campfire are also welcome in Abisko’s cold night air. The main consideration is that the advertised tour lasts about four hours, but the effort to find the lights can make the night longer, and the tour is not recommended for children younger than 15.

Key points at a glance

• Clear-sky chasing: The driver may leave Abisko and cover a long distance toward Kiruna or another location with better weather.
• Photographer included: Your guide takes aurora pictures and sends them within three days after the tour.
• Camera help: Bring your own camera and receive assistance with settings for Northern Lights photography.
• Warmth in the dark: Coffee or tea, snacks, and a campfire are provided while you wait.
• Small evening group: The maximum is eight people, which allows for more personal help than a large coach tour.
• Strong reported effort: Guide Jesus received special praise for his photos, while one outing covered several hundred kilometers over six to seven hours in pursuit of the aurora.

Why the Abisko setting works so well for an aurora chase

Abisko is a practical base for seeing the Northern Lights because the tour can begin right from your hotel. At 7 pm, Lights of Vikings collects you and checks the night’s conditions before deciding how far to go. The plan is not tied to one fixed viewing platform.

That flexibility is the heart of the experience. If Abisko has cloud cover, the group may drive toward Kiruna’s boreal forest or another place with clearer skies. The provider makes a point of driving long distances when needed, and one particularly determined outing covered several hundred kilometers and lasted six to seven hours. You should not assume every tour will run that long, since the advertised duration is approximately four hours, but the example shows how seriously the company takes the search.

The aurora is not a scheduled stage show. A clear sky is one of the basic conditions needed to see it, and clear skies do not always sit close to your hotel. I value a tour plan that accepts this fact rather than pretending a single nearby viewpoint guarantees success.

From the 7 pm pickup to the first road decision

Your evening begins with hotel pickup in Abisko. The tour is near public transportation, but pickup is the easier choice if you are staying locally and carrying winter clothing or camera equipment.

The first portion of the drive is likely used to assess the weather and choose a direction. You may stay in Abisko, or you may head toward Kiruna’s forested surroundings. The precise route depends on the conditions that night, so this is not a sightseeing drive with a fixed list of stops.

That uncertainty can be a plus or a drawback. You get a more serious aurora search, but you do not know in advance how much time you will spend on the road. If you prefer a short, stationary evening with a fixed return time, this flexible format may feel demanding. If your main goal is seeing the lights, the willingness to move is useful.

Chasing clear skies instead of waiting in one place

The phrase Northern Lights tour can mean many things. Some outings take you to one dark location and wait. This one is built around movement. The guide can keep driving until the group finds a clearer patch of sky.

That does not guarantee an aurora. No tour can control cloud cover or solar activity. It does mean you are paying for an active search rather than a passive wait. A high success rate is presented as a key feature of Lights of Vikings, with clear skies treated as the first problem to solve.

The long-distance approach also explains why the tour may not fit neatly into four hours on every night. One outing described an effort lasting six to seven hours, with several hundred kilometers covered and multiple aurora sightings. That is encouraging if you want persistence, but it also means you should avoid scheduling a tight late-night commitment afterward.

Stories about Vikings and the Northern Lights

The guide does more than drive. During the outing, you hear stories about the aurora and Vikings. That gives the hours in the vehicle some purpose, especially if the sky is cloudy during part of the search.

The Viking theme adds a sense of place, while the aurora stories help explain what you are waiting to see. The information supplied does not promise a formal lecture or a scientific presentation, so think of this as storytelling woven into the drive rather than a classroom session.

I like this balance. An aurora chase can include stretches of darkness, road time, and waiting. Good stories make those stretches easier, while the group keeps its attention on the practical question of where the sky looks clearest.

Photographing the aurora with a guide’s help

Photography is one of the strongest reasons to choose this tour. The guide takes pictures during the night and sends them to you within three days after the experience. That gives you a record of the aurora even if your own phone struggles with dark conditions.

Guide Jesus received especially strong praise for both his effort and his photos. That detail matters because a photographer on an aurora tour needs to do two jobs at once: help the group enjoy the sky and create usable images. You should still treat the photographs as a bonus rather than a guarantee of a particular number or style of pictures, since no exact quantity is specified.

You can also bring your own camera. The guide will help you set it up for the best shots. This is useful if you already have a camera but are unsure how to handle night photography. The tour data does not promise a particular camera type, tripod, lens, or editing service, so bring the equipment you already know how to use and ask for help with settings.

Your own camera is not required to benefit from the photography service. The included pictures mean you can watch more of the sky instead of spending the entire night trying to make your device work.

Hot drinks, snacks, and a campfire after dark

The outdoor waiting time is made more comfortable with coffee or tea, snacks, and a campfire. These are modest inclusions, but they matter in a northern winter setting. A hot drink gives you a reason to pause and warm your hands, while the fire makes the waiting period more social.

Dinner is not included. You should eat beforehand or make a separate plan, particularly if the search takes longer than the expected four hours. The provided food is best understood as light refreshment, not a meal.

The campfire also helps mark the difference between this outing and simply stepping outside your hotel. You are spending part of the night in a dark outdoor setting, watching the sky and waiting for a natural event. That can be memorable even during a slow aurora period, though you should dress for cold conditions and bring the winter clothing you need.

What the small group changes

The maximum group size is eight people. That is small enough to make camera assistance more practical and to keep the vehicle experience more personal. You have a better chance of asking the guide about the aurora, the route, or your camera without competing with a full busload of people.

A small group does not mean a private tour. Other participants share the vehicle, the drinks, the fire, and the viewing area. Still, eight is a manageable number for an activity that may require everyone to move quickly when the sky opens.

The tour requires a moderate level of physical fitness. The supplied information does not describe a long hike, but you should be comfortable with an evening that can include driving, standing outdoors, and handling cold conditions. The experience is not recommended for anyone younger than 15.

Is $59 good value for this Abisko tour?

At $59, the tour is priced reasonably for a four-hour guided aurora search that includes hotel pickup, return transport, hot drinks, snacks, a campfire, and photographs. The value improves if you would otherwise need to arrange transport to several possible viewing locations yourself.

The photo service is another part of the calculation. Aurora pictures can be difficult to create without the right settings, and the guide’s help may save you from spending the night staring at a blank or blurry screen. Guide Jesus’s praised photography gives this feature extra weight, though the exact number of delivered pictures is not stated.

The price looks less simple if you expect dinner, a guaranteed display, or a fixed four-hour return. Dinner is excluded, and nature remains in charge. You are paying for transport, local searching, guidance, warmth, and photography, not a promise that the aurora will appear on demand.

For a visitor already staying in Abisko, the pickup and return make the arrangement easy. For someone comparing several Northern Lights tours, ask yourself how much you value a mobile search. If the answer is a lot, $59 is a fair outlay.

The main drawbacks to consider before booking

The biggest drawback is the non-refundable booking policy. Once booked, you cannot cancel or change the experience for a refund. That calls for care when choosing the date.

There is an important exception when the operator cancels. If poor weather makes the tour impossible, you are offered another date or a full refund. The same applies if the minimum number of participants is not reached, with the choice of another date or experience, or a full refund.

The second drawback is uncertainty. The route, viewing location, and actual length of the evening depend on conditions. You may spend more time driving than expected, and you may need to wait outdoors before the sky clears.

That uncertainty is not a flaw for everyone. It is the cost of pursuing a natural event. You should book this with patience, warm clothing, and a free enough schedule to accept changes in the night’s plan.

Who will get the most from this experience?

I would choose this tour if your top priority is giving yourself a serious chance to find clear skies. The ability to leave Abisko and drive toward Kiruna or another open area is more useful than a fixed viewpoint when cloud cover is uneven.

It also suits you if you want photos without handling every technical detail yourself. The guide takes pictures, sends them within three days, and helps with your own camera. That combination works for beginners and for anyone who wants to enjoy the aurora without spending every second adjusting settings.

The tour is less suitable if you need a guaranteed schedule, a included dinner, or a child-friendly activity for younger visitors. It is also not the best match if you dislike long drives or are unwilling to accept a non-refundable booking.

Should you book the Lights of Vikings aurora chase?

Book it if you are staying in Abisko, can handle a flexible evening, and want a guide who will actively search for clear skies rather than stop at the first convenient viewpoint. The small group, photographer, hot drinks, snacks, and campfire add real value to the $59 price.

Go in with realistic expectations. The tour increases your chances by moving toward better weather, but it cannot order the aurora into the sky. I would reserve it early in your Abisko stay if possible, leaving room to consider a replacement date if poor weather forces a cancellation. For a determined Northern Lights seeker, this is a practical and fairly priced way to spend an uncertain but potentially spectacular night.

FAQ

What time does the Northern Lights tour start?

The tour starts at 7 pm.

How long does the tour last?

The advertised duration is approximately four hours. One reported outing lasted six to seven hours while the guide searched extensively for the aurora, so the evening can run longer in some circumstances.

Does the tour provide pickup in Abisko?

Yes. Pickup is offered from your hotel in Abisko, and you are driven back to Abisko after the tour.

Where does the tour go?

The group may stay in Abisko, drive toward Kiruna’s boreal forest, or continue to another location with clearer skies. The route depends on the weather that night.

Are photographs included?

Yes. The guide takes pictures during the Northern Lights experience and sends them to you within three days after the tour.

Can the guide help with my own camera?

Yes. If you bring your own camera, the guide will help you set it up to get the best aurora photographs.

Are food and drinks included?

Coffee or tea and snacks are included. Dinner is not included.

Is the tour suitable for children?

The experience is not recommended for anyone younger than 15. Participants should also have a moderate level of physical fitness.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is eight people.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If poor weather causes the cancellation, you are offered a different date or a full refund. If the minimum number of participants is not reached, you are offered a different date or experience, or a full refund.