Visit to north Norway in end of November

Hello everyone
I am in Italy currently and planning to get to north of Norway in the end of November.
I was initially thinking of Longyearbyen, but it seems a bridge too far for now.
So currently on my list are
1. Northern Lights (Tromso or Alta)
2. Nordkapp
3. Kirkenes-Pasvik
4. Andenes (Whale Watching)

But I am confused so as to which of these is actually possible.
I am guessing catching the northern lights would be the easiest!
I was thinking of train from Oslo to Fauske, then bus to Narvik and on to Tromso.
Spend a night in Tromso, head to Alta the next day. But the bus to Alta reaches at 22:30, so will it be possible to get accommodation in Alta at that time in the night or is there a way I could reach Alta earlier?
How much worth the effort would it be to go to the Nordkapp and Kirkenes, given the sun would be down all day in end-November. Similarly, is the Pasvik national park open to visitors and can we get to the tri border point (even if we do, can we see anything in the darkness)?
And what are the chances of catching the sight of a whale in Andenes, which is also going to have only 2 hours of sunlight.

I am sorry for posing so many questions, but I cannot find answers to these on the internet! Please help me out :)
Abhishek

Edited by: abhishekhalder

Don't bother, your schedule is way too tight for all those activities.

To be honest, Nordkapp is a big disappointment to most people who have been there. The tri border point (Treriksröset in Swedish) is located in the middle of nowhere and you'd have to be very, very dedicated to go there in late November. Summertime there is a boat to get you most of the way from the car park but I doubt if it still runs at this time of year as the lake soon will start to freeze. You could walk but it's an 11km strenuous trek across some very rugged terrain and I would be surprised if there is no snow.

As for the aurora, don't go to Tromsoe for just one night and don't go by land. Fly there and stay at least 3-4 nights as the weather is highly unpredictable with lots of clouds and precipitation. Kirkenes is far from Tromsoe; even if it looks close on the map, Norwegian roads are narrow and winding so every trip takes 50-200% longer time than you would expect. Winter time the roads often close due to the snow so you could get stuck in the middle of nowhere for several hours waiting for the plowman to arrive. The only viable option here is to fly.

Tromsoe is a nice little town, often called "Paris of the north" and bustling with life as a university city. It will be cold, wet and dark though. The sun sets on November 27th and won't show itself again until January 16th.

Choose one of your activities (I'd go for Tromsoe of the ones listed) and concentrate on that. Check out their city webpage for ideas on what to do there.

Hi,
I agree with the above that you're probably trying to do too much. On the other hand, you do not say how long you plan to travel for... I am currently in Tromsoe and the weather is set to clear up in the next couple of days. If you have a few days, I would also recommend to stay in Tromsoe. Alternatively, take a plane from Oslo to Alta to see the northern lights. However, I do believe you'll find it more challenging to find accommodation out there. Leave the whale watching and trip to Kirkenes for summer. Norway is also amazing then!
Seema

Hi,
I am reaching Tromso on 23rd Nov 2011. I see a lot of rain forecasted...is anyone there out now who can fill me in on the weather and Nortehrn Lights sightings ? I planned this trip with lots of hope for seeing the NL.
Please reply asap to help me plan alternatives.

ThanksChitra

Current long term forecast for Tromsø is cloudy for a whole week :-( and snow fall from Sunday. FWIW, I did see a small patch of NL yesterday evening here in Trondheim, much further south.