Norway - Snow, Northern Lights, and Hot Chocolate 2/2026
What’s not to love about Norway! Last year we had one cold day, but very, very little snow. This year? Well, who would’ve thought every single day was clear and cold, cold, cold (-15f average). Take your heave base layers, thick socks, handwarmers, balaclavas, and anything else that will keep you warm. Those handwarmers can be placed strategically to keep other parts warm.
Day 1 started in Tromso at the Comfort Express, a very likable hotel. I usually come in a day early but the airlines saw fit to make that impossible, but I did make it before the bus left. Catching up on sleep was not the agenda and we left early the next day. Our first stop was the ferry at Breivikeidet, a port on the fjord between Tromso and the Lyngen Alps area. We decided to shoot the mountains from the pier as the sun came up. I looked behind me and saw more mountains with the sun hitting the peaks and decided to go up to the parking lot for more. My camera disengaged from the tripod and landed squarely on my favorite 24-70mm lens breaking it in half. Fortunately the camera body didn’t sustain any damage, and I could continue with the trip, albeit handicapped. Tears were shed.
Onto the Lyngen Alps region where we made numerous stops along the way. The first being the little park near Lattervik and Jægervatnet with the river running just below the village. The river was frozen over with snow this year so the amazing reflection wasn’t available, but the colors on the other side of the bridge made up for it. The peaks stood out as always. We traveled onward to a new hotel, Hotel Skibotn. and I was able to shoot the northern lights from the parking lot. Their reindeer stew was delicious, and the shower and beds were beckoning. I skipped the first night out to get the northern lights.
Day 2 started 15 minutes after I woke up, so it was a rush to get out the door. Thankfully I layout my clothes the night before. Our first stop was the fjord at the overlook at Sifjord. A beautiful view that I used in all of my class materials last year. Then onto the spot with all in the valley of little trees. We spent a couple of hours with minimalism (not my favorite, but I’m learning). We then went onto the location with the overlook with the ramp, Skaland. It’s a wonderful view, but you want to shoot from the ground as the overlook ramp vibrates quite a bit. It was starting to get dark as we hit the spot at the blue hour. This is your best choice for this location. We then proceeded to our regular hotel at Mefjord Brygge (Mefjord Harbor).
Day 3 started on the beach with the pointy mountain, Elsfjord, at the end of Elsfjorden. This beach was quite windy last year, but this year it was just cold. We then moved onto another beach that has a fishery and many little boathouses to shoot at Skaland. This beach looks almost tropical, but not to be deceived, it is icy. We then moved onto the Claws of the Drago to photograph the mountains and the Devil’s teeth during the day. Norway has a lot of names for things, but this seems to fit. It was icy last year, but this year the snow covered the rocks, a lot less slippery but crampons are required. One of our fellow travelers went down with the crampons.
Day 4 -Brygghaugveien is a beautiful area full of snow laden trees. This area gave us a lot of options for shooting the river under the bridge, the bridge over the lake, and many trees heavy covered in snow. We also returned to Skaland overlook that gave us stunning colors much different from the previous day. We also went back to the Claws of the Dragon. For the blue hour, we went to my favorite overlook that is perched above Husoy. After dark, we returned to Skaland to shoot the northern lights.
Day 5 - Are you still with me? We began with sunrise at Mefjord Brygge. I was able to fly my drone for a short period right after breakfast, but then lost connectivity. We then went to the beach at Steinfjord. This is a small inlet surrounded by mountains. It’s quite pretty and has many mountains and small buildings that are very photogenic. Throughout the trip we have had a lot of snow. The colors of the sky reflect very nicely on the snow and water.
The best part of this day was the return to the Claws of the Dragon to shoot the northern lights. Very wise choice as the sky exploded. This is the second time this has happened here and I highly recommend it for those wanting a great view. They appeared before we even arrived at 20:00 and were still going at 22:00. The shot on this blog was taken that night.
While I didn’t take much advantage of it, there are numerous locations for drone footage. You cannot fly in the Tromso proper, but once you’re outside of the metro area, you are able to fly as long as you’ve properly registered your equipment. I’ve never had them stop me, but if you lose your drone, you’re more likely to have it returned if someone finds it. Also, connectivity can be a problem in the remote areas based on your carrier.
Explorelight and Thor Photography always provide an amazing trip and a lot of assistance in getting the best shots. Schedules may appear to be erratic, but they put you in the best locations for the best opportunities. Weather can seriously affect how workshops turn out. This trip is highly recommended. Flying in and out of Tromso is very easy even with a 6:00 a.m. departure; the airport opens at 4:30 and it was a ghost town. I stayed at the Moxy hotel next to the airport and it was outstanding. It had plenty of space, great functionality, a bar, a restaurant with great food, and a lounge with plenty of entertainment options. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Taxis can be ordered through their kiosk.
I hope you all enjoy this write up.