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See the northern lights from Tromsø

The first time, it looks like a cloud that someone has lit from behind. Cameras see the green before you do; people stand in a car park at minus twelve, holding up phones to find out whether they are looking at it. Then, around half past eleven, it moves — a slow fold across the whole sky, fast enough that you say something out loud to nobody. Most tours drive two hours inland to get away from the coastal cloud. Wear two pairs of socks and bring a flask. You will remember the silence of forty strangers more than the colour.

Practical

Cost
$200–500 for three nights
Best time
Late September to late March
Difficulty
Easy
Time it takes
Three or four nights
What people get wrong
Booking one night and hoping. Cloud cover decides everything; give yourself at least three chances.
With
One other person

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