Polar night or bright March in Alta?
Alta offers two winters in one season, a dark one around the turn of the year and a bright one in late winter. The rides stay the same. The light and the cold change a lot, and with them the best tour to pick. This guide walks through the months.
When the sleds run
The tours run in the snow season, roughly from December into April. None of the listings gives fixed opening or closing dates. The start and the end depend on how much snow lies on the plateau.
Early December and late April are the edges, when snow cover that is thin or melting can shorten the season. If your dates fall there, check that departures show as available before you plan the rest of the trip around them.
In summer Alta has the midnight sun and no snow on the vidda. The sleds stay in the shed until the snow comes back, and none of the tours here runs in those months.
The dark weeks of polar night
From about late November to mid-January the sun does not rise over Alta. This is the polar night, though it is not pitch black all day.
Around midday you get a few hours of blue twilight, soft light that turns the snow pale blue and pink. It is lovely to look at but short, so a long daytime ride can end in the dark.
The cold is at its deepest around and after the dark weeks. Read our guide to dressing for the cold on the plateau before a trip in December or January, because the layers matter most then.
Long evenings for the aurora
Dark evenings for the northern lights run from autumn to March, which covers most of the snow season. Æventyr's northern lights ride from ~$284 takes you up the old postal road to Beskades, away from the town's lights.
The aurora is never guaranteed, in any month. A sighting needs clear weather and solar activity on top of a dark sky, and riding away from town only helps with the darkness. Our guide to chasing the aurora by snowmobile sets out what helps your odds.
An evening ride while the nights are long
On GetYourGuide Æventyr's 4-hour night tour holds 4.7 from 70+ reviews, and Viator shows 5.0 from 40+ reviews. Pickup in Alta and a thermal suit are included, but the lights are never promised.
February to April, the bright end of winter
From February the days lengthen fast. By March the sun stands over the plateau for long days, and the snow glitters under a blue sky. Many people find this the most pleasant time to ride.
Long daylight suits the long tours. Alta Adventure's 5-hour Finnmarksvidda safari from ~$337 and Æventyr's 6.5-hour ice fishing day both feel easier when you are not racing the dusk.
For a longer day still, Æventyr's historical tour along the old postal route from ~$352 runs for 6 hours. It is sold on Viator only and has just 8 reviews, and a day that long is a lot for first-timers.
The catch of late winter is the aurora. Nights get shorter in March and the sky stays bright later, so the window for an evening ride shrinks as the weeks pass, and by April it is small.
The season at a glance
The table gives a rough picture rather than a forecast. Snow and weather vary from one winter to the next, so treat the months as a guide only.
| Period | Light | Aurora evenings | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late November to mid-January | No sunrise, a few hours of blue twilight | Longest nights | The night tour, short daytime rides |
| Late January and February | Days lengthen fast | Still long | A mix of day and night tours |
| March | Sun on the plateau, long days | Shrinking | The 5-hour and 6.5-hour tours |
| April | Long bright days, snow may thin | Short or none | Daytime rides while the snow lasts |
If you book the 4-hour daytime ride from Gargia Valley in the dark weeks, expect much of it to happen in twilight. Our guide to driving rules on Alta tours applies whatever the season.
Easter and the dog sled race
Easter is traditionally a busy time on the vidda. The days are long and light, and plenty of people are out on the snow. Our guide to the plateau and the people who live on it gives more of that background.
The Finnmarksløpet dog sled race starts in Alta, usually in March. It brings mushers and visitors to town, so book rooms early if your trip falls around the start.
Weather cancellations
Storms and extreme cold can stop a tour on any date. Wind and poor visibility up on the open plateau make riding unsafe long before the town feels rough.
Alta Adventure refunds in full when its guides cancel for safety reasons. With free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on the GetYourGuide listings, it pays to book early in your trip, so a cancelled day can move to a later one.
That margin matters even more for cruise passengers, who get one fixed day. Our guide to riding on a cruise stop in Alta covers how to fit a tour around the ship.
Picking your month
For the aurora, go in the dark months and book an evening ride, accepting that you may see nothing. Aim for March or early April for sun and long days on the snow, and pick a longer daytime tour.
Daytime tours in the polar night still have a charm of their own. The blue light over the snow looks nothing like a sunny March day, and a short ride fits neatly into the few bright hours.
If you cannot choose, February is a fair middle ground, since its daylight grows while the nights stay long. Whatever the month, our price guide for Alta snowmobile tours lines up what each ride costs.