Excursions in Alta, Norway - questions

[Boiler Cruiser]

My wife and I are going on a cruise to Norway next year and will have the opportunity to visit Alta in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights.  There are 2 excursions to choose from. 

 

The first seems to drive you out to the forest to stay for 3 hours to catch the northern lights.  There are no facilities except restrooms.  It looks like it would appeal to the photo and nature hobbyist and enthusiast. 

 

The second seems more comfortable.  There are hot beverages and warm shelter, but seems to afford less time to catch a glimpse of the northern lights (less than an hour).

 

Has anyone had the opportunity to go on these northern lights excursions in Alta, Norway?   Do you know those who have?  What was your (or their) experience like?

 

What are your thoughts?  Which is better and why? 

 

Do you recommend one over the other?  Why?

[gumshoe958]

Wrong board - try here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

[Izzywiz]

Hi Boiler Cruiser, 

We have been to Alta on Northern Lights cruises twice in recent years. I keep a detailed diary of our adventures and have lots of information about the town and tours. I am, however, unable to post these for a few days as I am currently on holiday in warmer climes!
 

Once I get home I will post what I have but, in the meantime, I can say that, on both occasions we did night tours and only got a quick glimpse of the aurora on one of them. Our best sightings were from the ship on both cruises so we could have saved a lot of money! Norway is an extremely expensive country.

 

 

[Izzywiz]

Hi Boiler Cruiser, I'm back from our 'warmer climes' holiday and have found my Alta information from my diaries. There is a lot of info but I'm posting it all in case you find it of use.

P&O Cruises

Day 9. Tuesday 28th February 2017

Tromso to Alta with scenic cruising

Arrival in Alta at 13.30

A.M. Very cold, sunny and clear until mid-morning and then increasingly cloudy 

P.M. The mist dropped as we neared Alta and there was a heavy snow shower before the sun came out in short bursts. -3*C without the wind chill.

 

We watched the sail-in to Alta, got dressed in the 'Arctic gear' and caught the shuttle bus into the town. Sadly, there wasn't much to see so we spent about an hour in the shopping mall before getting the shuttle bus back to the ship.

Alta.

·         The ship docks at an industrial pier on the outskirts of the town.

·         The town is small and 'modern' with 60s style architecture.

·         There is a regular free shuttle service from just by the ship to the town square.

·         It is a 15-minute journey and a 5km walk.

·         There is very little to see in the town except for the tourist information centre by the bus drop-off point and the shopping mall which is opposite the bus park.

·         The shopping mall has a food court, a variety of shops and a supermarket. I thought prices were very high.

 

'In search of the Northern Lights' - ship's excursion - 4 hours.

·         We got changed into our really heavy gear and headed to the Crichton Lounge for our 21.00 meeting time.

 

·         It was an interesting excursion but I was glad that there was the choice to get the coach back and I was back on board just after midnight having not seen the lights. Jim got in at 01.00 and he had seen them and got a couple of pictures so he was fairly happy.

 

·         I booked this as soon as the tours became available on line so I got the day and time of my choice (day 1, 21.30 departure).

·         I did look at independent tours but, although they offer more flexibility, I found the price to be even higher than the ship's excursion and as I am on a budget, I chose the less expensive option.

·         Each day's groups had the option to attend a 30-minute special presentation given by the local expert on the day of departure.

·         This was excellent as he explained the cause of the phenomenon and how it is tracked.

·         He also explained which of the 3 possible viewing sights we would be taken to (2 are 50km from the ship and the other is a 15-minute drive) and what would happen once there.

·         There are:

·         toilet facilities 

·         Hot chocolate and cake.

·         10 guides who will help with photography and other queries.

·         Places to be warm

·         Transport back to the ship on request if you want to return early.

The Solvang site.

·         We were taken to the Solvang site which is the 10-minute drive from the ship.

·         It was interesting to see into people's houses as they don't draw their curtains and have the rooms brightly lighted. The homes seemed cosy, spacious and modern with good quality furnishings and kitchens.

·         Once at the site we were led along pathways to a large field where people spread out to find a suitable space.

·         We passed a building where the toilets were situated and a rest area where there was a teepee and 2 camp fires.

·         No mention was made of the availability of refreshments.

Important.

·         It was extremely cold (-10*C and no wind chill factor.....thank goodness ) so it is important to have the correct clothing.

·         There was very little seating so people were standing for hours.

·         I took a fold up camping chair which was invaluable and envied by many!

·         You need a long exposure time on your camera (between 10 and 20 seconds is recommended) so a tripod is vital for getting clear pictures.

·         We had hand warmer gel packs which also proved to be invaluable as the night wore on.

·         The lights are a natural phenomenon and viewings can't be guaranteed. It was cloudy when we got there and I left after 90 minutes without seeing them but my DH saw them after a 2.5 hour wait.

·         The lights appear as a fuzzy, ethereal gas cloud. Photographs enable you to see the intensity of the colour.

·         The ship offers tours that begin at various times through the evening. We chose the 21.30 departure but there were earlier and later options.

·         There were a lot of people from the ship at the site but also from other tour companies.

·         We didn't need a torch and we were requested not to use anything with a bright light while in the viewing field.

·         Coaches returned to the ship at regular intervals once they were full.

 

 

Fred Osen Cruises

Day 8. Friday 18 February 2022.

Alta - 08.00 and overnight.

NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR WITH AL - 19.00

A.M. very cold and overcast with occasional snow flurries.

Sea conditions: moderate swell

Alta Port

• the port is a small industrial area right by the airport.
• There isn’t a terminal building 
• Tour busses and shuttle busses are parked about 100m from the gangway.
• I didn’t see any taxis or independent tours being offered.
• The town is approximately 3 miles from the port.

Alta Town.

• The town has grown a bit since we were last here but it is mainly industrial units and housing.
• The main attraction in the town centre is the 'cathedral’.
• There is quite a large indoor shopping mall close to the shuttle bus drop-off point which has free wifi, a supermarket, a variety of shops and several food outlets.

Our tour. 

• I booked the tour through Viator.
• I had several communications from Alta Adventures asking if we had questions, needed cold weather clothing etc. I requested a chair as I will not be able to sit on the ground on the reindeer skins…..not a problem.
• Our meeting time is 19.00 at the bus car park and Stig arrived promptly. There was another couple with us and the people carrier seated us all comfortably.
• Stig told us that the likelihood of seeing the lights that night was very low but he used an app on his phone and made a valiant attempt to locate them…..no luck!!!
• Our first stop was at Stig's office where we were provided with extra warm clothing.
• He then drove us through Alta and told us about the locality and its history before we headed out into the hills.
• Unfortunately, the longer we drove and the higher we got, the worse the weather became until we were in the middle of a blizzard.
• Stig turned the vehicle round and we left the blizzard behind as we got lower and closer to the fjord.
• Stig spotted tracks made by a lynx and he stopped the vehicle so we could see them
• Stig then made a comfort stop. He took us to a small harbour where there was a cabin with a toilet and a waiting room. He served us with fruit tea or hot chocolate and a reindeer meat sandwich baguette while we had a chat. The tea was nice and the baguette was delicious….the reindeer meat was very tender and the lingonberry sauce was sweet and tangy.
• Stig dropped us off at the port just after midnight. It was such a shame that we didn’t see the lights but it was an interesting 5 hours.

 

Day 9. Saturday 19th February 2022 - LOCAL BUS

Alta - departing 02.45 on Sunday 20th

A.M. very cold and overcast 

P.M. as above with snow showers in the evening 

 

Local bus

We left the ship on the second shuttle bus about 09.15.

I went into the shopping mall to access the free wifi while Jim went to the tourist information office to enquire about the local bus routes.

 He came rushing back to say that the only coastal route bus was leaving in 4 minutes!

We 'raced' back to the bus station and caught the bus just as it was about to leave. It cost NOK60 = £5 for the 2 of us for a 1 hour round trip to Talvik.

 It was a very scenic route along the coastline and then a slightly more inland route for part of the way back so well worth doing.

 

 

·       Brought/forgotten - used/not used.

Forgotten

·         Highlighter pens

·         Polo shirts

Casual, thin day wear for around the ship. The ship is warm inside so have appropriate clothing for that too. We had concentrated so much on Arctic weather clothes that I didn't pack much indoor wear!

 

Brought and used.

·         Thermal vests, long johns, socks.

·         Water/wind proof jacket

·         Fleeces to layer

·         Scarf

·         Neck warmer

·         Thick hat with ear protectors 

·         Thermal gloves

·         Silk glove liners

·         Camera tripod

·         Snow/lined waterproof boots.

·         Crutch/walking stick ice spike

·         Hand/foot warmer gel pouches

Brought and not used.

·         Ski goggles

·         Crampon studs

Alta Port

 

 

Alta town

Solvang site

Scenery from bus ride

 

[Meander Ingwa]

I am on Northern lights next winter as well.  I am leaving Alta open pending the offerings by the ship line.  They offered a 10 hour trip a few years ago which really appeals to me.  There is a nice little museum in town featuring the indigenous rock art discovered there.  That is an included trip I have two long day trips on the previous port, including a night chase.  I may opt for a ship day rather than going out late in the day for chasing.  

[ctrous]

On 8/6/2023 at 5:39 AM, Izzywiz said:

Hi Boiler Cruiser, 

We have been to Alta on Northern Lights cruises twice in recent years. I keep a detailed diary of our adventures and have lots of information about the town and tours. I am, however, unable to post these for a few days as I am currently on holiday in warmer climes!
 

Once I get home I will post what I have but, in the meantime, I can say that, on both occasions we did night tours and only got a quick glimpse of the aurora on one of them. Our best sightings were from the ship on both cruises so we could have saved a lot of money! Norway is an extremely expensive country.

 

 

Great information!! Do you recall how much these tours cost?

[Izzywiz]

Hi Ctrous, I am not at home for a few days so I don’t know if I kept a record of the prices of our trips. I will look when we get back. I will say that most things in Norway are expensive and we paid a lot for our Northern Lights excursions.

[Simon-t]

We took an Alta Northern Lights shore excursion when we were in Alta with P&O back in March 2017. The excursion took us away from built up areas into an area with very little light pollution. The tours claim to be able to maximise the chances of seeing the lights by using cloud forecasts etc. We were extremely lucky and saw an amazing display of the lights (Photos below). That having been said, we know people who went on an identical excursion the following night who saw nothing due to cloud cover. There is always an element of luck.

 

One top tip is that wherever you are, try to get out of direct light. On several occassions the lights were visible from dark areas on deck but not from well lit areas. We were amazed at how much difference this makes. Don't expect to see them from bars or dining rooms as the lighting is simply too bright. We have seen the lights on a couple of other trips from the ship (most recently in Greenland last year), but never as intense as when we went on the excursion out of town and away from the lights of the port.

 

Personally, I would recommend the excursions, as you are unlikely to get many opportunities to see the lights so may as well maximise your chances. The excursion we went on in Alta had rest rooms on site as well as a tent where they were serving hot chocolate and coffee which was welcome given the bitter cold in Northern Norway in March!

Edited August 5 by Simon-t

[milolii]

@Simon-t ty for the pictures. Wow!  Beautiful!   Was this with the ship?  Did you go to Paeskatun? 
 

ty 

[Simon-t]

We booked it through the ship, although the tour provider was this company based in Alta  - https://www.glodexplorer.no/activities/. They came on to the ship during the afternoon to give a briefing on what to expect, forecast etc. I cannot remember exactly where they took us but probably no more than 20-30 minutes from the ship.

 

Obviously there is a lot of luck involved. We know people who went on the same tour a week or two later, but saw nothing.

[milolii]

2 hours ago, Simon-t said:

We booked it through the ship, although the tour provider was this company based in Alta  - https://www.glodexplorer.no/activities/. They came on to the ship during the afternoon to give a briefing on what to expect, forecast etc. I cannot remember exactly where they took us but probably no more than 20-30 minutes from the ship.

 

Obviously there is a lot of luck involved. We know people who went on the same tour a week or two later, but saw nothing.

Ty.  Some in our group is asking if they can book a NL tour once they get off with vendors at the dock?  I think this is  risky as it’s a tender port and a small town.  

[Simon-t]

51 minutes ago, milolii said:

Ty.  Some in our group is asking if they can book a NL tour once they get off with vendors at the dock?  I think this is  risky as it’s a tender port and a small town.  

 

51 minutes ago, milolii said:

Ty.  Some in our group is asking if they can book a NL tour once they get off with vendors at the dock?  I think this is  risky as it’s a tender port and a small town.  

I think that’s very risky. Alta is a small town and I don’t remember any tours being sold at the quayside. We took the view that we were only likely to be there once, and it was worth paying for the tour to maximise our chances of seeing the lights.

 

Having said that, we have since seen the lights from the ship in Greenland, so as I said earlier, there is an element of luck!

[milolii]

2 minutes ago, Simon-t said:

 

I think that’s very risky. Alta is a small town and I don’t remember any tours being sold at the quayside. We took the view that we were only likely to be there once, and it was worth paying for the tour to maximise our chances of seeing the lights.

 

Having said that, we have since seen the lights from the ship in Greenland, so as I said earlier, there is an element of luck!

Yes, Ty. These are folks who cant find a tour. I think they may have booked last minute.  We have two ship tours, (one each night)but are looking at other options. I think it’s risky as it’s a small town and you also need some kind of status or a ship’s  tour to get on one of the first tenders. So if even if there is a vendor, they will fill up fast. 
 

Yes, luck involved, glad you got to see them. Ty for the advise.