artic days and northern lights
We are booked on the Artic days and Northern cruise fro March 2, 2026. Is someone on this tour? We are concerned about the very low temperatures and if it really would be worth being exposed to such harsh weather. Has someone taken this cruise at this time of the year that can please share some comments. Thank you
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I think only you can decide if it is worth it. There is a chance you might not see any lights.
This is a new tour so no one has experience.
I went with another company and yes, the Aurora is worth it. It’s not a guarantee that you found see the lights anywhere. It’s one of those once in a lifetime trips. We were given the necessary outerwear for warmth to borrow while in the Arctic circle for 4 days. Watch Eugene Levy on the Reluctant Traveler when he’s in Finland. I’m 72 and for do it again although in another area.
Bueller...
Not a Tauck trip, but we were in the Yukon Territory (Canada) this past February for the lights. The temps at night got to about 20 degrees F plus or minus. We were provided heavy jackets to wear. Interestingly, they were manufactured for the refrigeration industry and worked really well. The problem is hands and feet. We brought along thermal packs to wear inside boots and gloves, provided for us. We did use our own gloves which had some functionality to work an iPhone for photos. This in fact was the biggest challenge: How to take photos while wearing gloves. If you can work this out and practice before you go, you will be golden. I could not tolerate having my gloves off for more than about 20 seconds. A tripod will help, but we stubbornly did not use one. Most auroras you see will be wisps of light green or white and will only look colorful through your camera and photos. It is only the stronger auroras that can be seen colorfully with your eyes. Those are not common. And don’t forget the pesky clouds.
Regarding is it worth it: Before we went on our trip, the only people I ever knew who saw an aurora had either seen it by accident or were raised in a place where it was seen regularly. I had never met anyone who tried on purpose and saw it. There is more aurora activity this year and next so you’d probably have a good chance of seeing it. But for me it was important to think about the whole package trip rather than just the aurora, in case we didn’t see it. How hard is it to get there? What daytime activities are there? What will the accommodations and food be like? How expensive? Seeing an aurora is awesome but I personally did not want to go all the way to Norway (from California). If your trip looks good to you regardless of seeing the aurora, then it is probably worth it. The cold can be managed.