The truth about the Northern Lights (no one tells you) and the Best Hotel Ever

Day 1 – Alta

On a recent trip to Norway I planned a side trip from Oslo to Alta mainly to see the Northern Lights. Alta is located at about 70 degrees North which puts it officially in the Arctic circle. I didn’t know what to expect but I was surprised by the beautiful setting upon getting off the plane. Keep reading and I will give you two tips below, that no one tells you, about the Northern Lights.

We rented a car from Hertz, which I highly recommend, and was quick and painless. On our way to our hotel, Sorrisniva, we stopped at the famous cathedral to snap a pic.

Next the hotel. The hotel is the same one that also has an “ice hotel” starting in December I believe (in fact, they were building it when we arrived). We stayed in the main building. The hotel and room exceeded all my expectations. I reserved a king suite and here is a room tour:

The bathroom was absolutely stunning complete with high tech toilet and Missoni linens (although after he first night they changed to normal white towels which was weird). The setting and views from both the master bedroom balcony and the living room balcony were breathtaking. Snowcapped mountains and a flowing river.

The room had skylights and tons of windows for viewing the Northern Lights.

The room was also equipped with electric “candles” perfect for setting mood, and the ability to control various LED and other lights. There is no TV, but why would you want one with the gorgeous nature surrounding you? We had our first dinner in Alta at the hotel’s restaurant, Maku, which was surprisingly good considering where we were, but the service was a bit slow.

The whole time we were having dinner, we were eagerly anticipating seeing the Northern Lights. I later learned that it was not so simple to see them. Conditions have to be perfect which means clear skies and solar activity. We went to bed the first night disappointed in not being able to see them and worried that the next night, our last in Alta, would be our only chance to see them. In order to increase our chances, we signed up for a guided tour for the next night.

Day 2

Today started with the included breakfast in the hotel’s other restaurant – Lavvu. Here I would discover 2 of my favorite Norwegian breakfast items: 1. Norwegian waffles and 2. caviar spread. The waffles have the perfect crispy exterior and chewy interior. The caviar spread is one of the most umami filled items I have ever tasted!

After breakfast, we decided to explore the city and surroundings using the front desk’s suggestions. Our first stop was Peska – 10 minutes from the hotel, and mountain with views. Unfortunately, the road was closed so we didn’t get to see the views. The next stop was Bossehop Harbor. We found a pier that goes onto a peaceful lake surrounded by snowcapped mountains. The water was crystal clear.

Next up was Lathari, a park with nice views also.

Our last drive was to Sennalandet which is like open mountain big sky country. On the way, we stopped at whatever looked nice.

With all the spots done, we headed back to the hotel for lunch. I ordered a burger which had a very distinct taste in the beef and an absolutely delicious Norwegian fish soup.

Before dinner we went to rest in the room. Dinner was at Sami Siida. Sami are the indigenous people of the area and this was also a reindeer center. Here was the menu.

As the place specialized in reindeer, I ordered the finnbiff. It was ok, a bit dry but not gamey. I’m glad I tried it. We also had their dessert which I dont remember the details of.

On our way back to the hotel for our tour, we noticed gray streaks across the sky. Could it be the Northern Lights? I stopped the car to check and……SUCCESS!

After snapping a few picks, we hurried back to the hotel and I got some good shots from the room.

We then went to the lobby to join our tour. Our guide took us to a mountain top and this where we got the best pics of the night. Apparently, its very rare to capture the red ones.

It was freezing so our guide started a fire.

After clouds started rolling in, we decided to go chase the Northern Lights in other locations, but none were as good as the first place.

My trip to Alta was a great experience. However, there are two things you should know about the Northern Lights:

1. Apparently, its rare to actually see them how they look in the pics above. The way they come out in the pics above ARE NOT how we saw them in person. In person, they were gray streaks across the sky, and sometimes, faintly green.
2. Too get your best chance of seeing them, download the APP “My Aurora Forecast”.

Overall, I loved the hotel, and I liked Alta a lot. I would recommend a side trip here if you are in Norway. This was one of the best hotels I have every stayed at, definitely Top 10.