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Dear all,

I'd really appreciate your advise on this. I am going to Norway for 3 days in Christmas week (likely Dec 27-29). The purpose of the trip is to see Northern Lights so I want to do as much as I can (weather purmitting) to see it. I am wondering where is best to go? I am considering North Cape and Lofoten or any other placy you think it's better for this purpose.

I think an overnight stay in a cabin and dog sledding will be fun. Any recommendation on tour operators? I prefer small group and since I am just going for three days so price is not much a concern.

Your advise will be truly appriciated!! I am hoping to make this a birthday gift for my friend who's turning 30! So please help~~~!! Thank you!

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If you have so short time (2 nights or 4 - one or 3 days?) I would strongly suggest that you go to places you can reach without changing flights too many times - and where you need no other transport.
Since you do not tell from where you are coming I have no idea if you can bly directly into any other town but Oslo.

Remember to check out the daylength of the place you chose: if north of Polar Circle there is no sunrise at all this time - are you prepared for having 24 hours of night?

You are also asking for short term rent of a cabin and Greenlandic dog sledging - that means you have to go to a place where there are tourist activities = larger number of tourists - even in this dark part of the winter, so you have someone to arrange all that, which again limits the number of places.
I do not really get "North Cape" - this is a place (not evne the most northern) - not a town.

If it has to be Norway Tromsø seems the best choise - avoid any west facing coast in order to avoid clouds.

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Thanks so much for your reply!! This is truly appreciated. Yes, just two nights (3 days) and I am travelling from Amsterdam.

I'm fine with 24 hr night. It can even be an interesting experience since I am just there for a short time. I basically just want to make sure I'm spending the 3 days to maximize the chance to see northern light. I thought 3 days in a country side is more intersting than in a big city? Tromso is a big city is it? would it be easy to see lights there?

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Tromso is a big city is it?
I do not know how big aplavce must be to qualify as a "city" whereever you are from, but 60,000 inhabitants is a (relatively big) town in my mind.

The probelm is that you NEED to go soemwhere easy to reach and with some tourist service - that even must oprate in this off-off season.
I guess you are not fond of having to take 3-4 fligthto reach the place a bus + a taxi? - and then the same 3 days later? Tromsø you can probably -depending on where you live - reach with 2 flights and the bustaxi to you "country side place.
You (probably) also need the incoming tourist agency to arrange a sublet of a cabin (since you are not renting for a full week).
You need a dog sledging operator - i.,e. lots of tourists (there is no "genuine" dog sledging in Norway - that is in Greenland and Alska) - and snow (= forget about Lofoten).
I wonder if you are really aware of how few ppl. that lives in most places in Northern Norway - how few toursits that come there - especially in the early (=dark) winter = how little "tourist service" (hotels, restaurants, operators etc.) you will find in most places.

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wow...ok....I assumed lots of tourists would come to see northern light......ok....... I guess it's Tromso or not then. Thank you so much Bjoern! I will reach on Tromso~!

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Chances of seeing NL on a 2 night stay in Tromsoe is slim... However, there's other things to see and do, like dogsledding. Even during Polar Night it's not pitch dark all day, it gets a bit like dusk in mid day, depending on how cludy the sky is and how far away the sun is at the time.
A visit to Polaria is recommended.

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How was your trip to Tromso in Dec? did you manage to see the N/L at all? I am thinking of taking the trip to Tromso in late Dec and wondering if you can share the experience?

Cheers

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