Brim Explorer · Skarven pier, Kaigata 6, Tromsø
Brim Explorer's electric night cruise leaves Skarven pier and heads for whichever corner of the fjords has the clearest forecast, then waits there in near silence for the aurora. Pick it if you'd rather look for the lights from a warm lounge with soup than from a cold roadside.
The idea is simple. A quiet electric boat leaves the pier beside Skarven Kro at Kaigata 6, and the crew steers for the area with the best sky forecast: north to Kvaløyvågen, south to Ramfjorden, or west along the south coast of Kvaløya. Out there, away from the city lights, you wait in heated lounges while the guide talks about the myths and the science of the aurora. When it shows, everyone goes out on deck.
The lights are never guaranteed, and a boat can't chase a gap in the clouds as far as a bus can. If the whole coast is under cloud, you get a calm night cruise and the city skyline with the Arctic Cathedral lit up on the way back. Some guests were luckier: one saw the show start before the boat had left the harbour. The season for the aurora runs from about September to early April, and it's dark enough most evenings in that window.
On board, the listing includes a guide, tap water and a vegan soup; other drinks come from the café. The guides help with phone and camera settings, which matters more than people expect. It's wheelchair accessible, which isn't true of every boat here. For the bigger picture on boat versus bus, read our northern lights cruise guide.
The pier beside Skarven Kro restaurant, Kaigata 6, in the centre.
The boat heads north, south or west depending on the cloud forecast.
Soup in the heated lounge, aurora stories from the guide, and the crew watching the sky.
Everyone goes outside; the guides help with camera settings.
The skyline and the Arctic Cathedral from the water on the way in.
★★★★★Fantastic way to see the northern lights. Beautiful boat, warm with seating for everyone.
★★★★★Very comfortable cruise. Delicious soup. Toilets onboard.
★★★★★Extremely interesting and fabulous that we were able to find a viewing place to see the Northern Lights
★★★★★Warm seating and spicy soup was perfect for keeping warm with a chance of seeing the lights.
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It's still a calm night on the water with soup and the lit-up city on the way back, but you may not see the aurora. A boat covers less ground than a bus chase, so on a cloudy night a bus has better odds.
From about September to early April, after dark, with a clear sky. Activity often peaks between about 21:00 and 01:00. There's no aurora viewing in the midnight sun from late May to late July.
Yes, the listing says it is. It's one of the few boats here that is.
A vegan soup and tap water. Coffee, other drinks and snacks are for sale at the café on board.
Ready to book
A quiet night cruise towards the clearest sky, with vegan soup and a guide who helps with your photos.
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