Best Arctic Hospitality Desk — Local services in Tromsø

We booked a snowmobile tour through Best Artic and were disappointed with the service we received. I would not book this tour again if I had a choice.

First, we got on the bus and although it says online it is a 70 minute drive to where you do snowmobiling it took around an hour and 45 minutes to get there. The bus also had another tour on it who were going to a different location and activity which was part of the problem. The bus dropped us off at our location first and was meant to pick us back up at 22:30 so we would be back at our hotel for midnight (this is all very clearly stated on the website). However, due to the other group running behind they did not come back to pick us up until 23:47 meaning we arrived back at our hotel in Tromso for 1:30am. Today we had a flight to catch home and had to be up early so getting in an hour and a half after schedule was not ideal.

The tour guide who served us dinner / made us a fire for after our tour so we didn’t get cold waiting for the bus to arrive which as previously mentioned was over an hour late to pick us up was really nice and chatted with us lots while we waited.

The actual snowmobile tour itself was okay but is not for beginners, it is very adventurous. The guide who took us out snowmobiling was nice however, I think he left out some key information and did not properly warn us about the route we were due to take. The first thing I found a bit of a miscommunication was while we were getting all sorted with our outdoor clothing the guide said we had to sign a form which meant if we crashed the snowmobile we could pay up to a maximum of 600 euros on damage. I think this should be explained prior to the tour as after travelling over an hour and paying all the money I doubt anyone says at that point I no longer want to do the tour. Secondly, the snowmobile briefing on how to drive it etc lasted around 2 minutes, if that. There was no mention of what the route we would take would be like and it was not an easy one that is for sure. When you pay that sort of money for a tour you expect to feel safe and have fun and this was not the case for me. While we were out on the snowmobile you go across narrow bridges which have a river either side and the guide also did not mention this to us so we got a shock at the first one we crossed. The route is not a route for beginners it is very bumpy and has a lot of hills. My partner enjoyed the route but as a passenger I did not always feel safe. The couple on the snowmobile behind us did actually end up crashing into us and had to pay for the damage to the snowmobile, luckily ours was fine. They were a lovely couple and were driving sensibly so that was not the problem it was the unexpected hill.

Overall, our guide who took us out was a nice man who stopped and answered our questions about Norway. However, I felt the introduction on how to drive a snowmobile was very short and the difficulty of the route was not communicated very well. If you like a challenge this is the tour for you, however, if you would prefer an easier ride on the snowmobile this is probably not for you. I should also mention we did the night tour, maybe one during the day...

This was the worst experience I had in Tromsø.

We booked a dog sledding tour through Best Arctic, but the actual service provider was Active North. Unfortunately, both companies were incredibly unprofessional and disappointing.

Best Arctic

The tour was canceled without proper notification. The Active North bus had some issues, leaving all clients stranded outdoors in the snow for 1-2 hours without any communication. The pickup time was scheduled for 8:15-8:30, yet the cancellation notice wasn’t sent via email until 10:37. For nearly two hours, we were left outside in the snow at the meeting point, completely unaware of what was happening.

When I called Best Arctic during the pickup window, they lied to us multiple times, claiming the bus was “on its way” or had “already arrived.” Their office is only a 5-minute walk from the pickup location, yet no one bothered to send an employee to update the waiting customers.

When we eventually went to their office for answers, they deflected responsibility, saying it was up to us to contact Active North directly. This was shocking considering we had booked the tour through Best Arctic—they made zero effort to assist us when things went wrong.

Active North

The bus issue was not an unavoidable situation, and it was handled terribly. Active North offered no compensation or rescheduling discount, only a basic apology email promising a full refund. They showed no concern for the clients who stood outside in the snow for hours, many of whom couldn’t reschedule due to time constraints.

Since we didn’t have any other options for dog sled at that moment, my travel mate and I reluctantly rebooked their tour for the next day, which turned out to be just as chaotic: Late Pickup: The bus was 10 minutes late. Poor Organization: Upon arrival at the dog sledding farm, we waited an additional 30 minutes for them to arrange huskies and sleds, as not all the dogs were ready. Shortened Tour Time: The advertised 1.5-hour sledding time was cut to roughly 1 hour or less. Unhygienic Gear: The winter overalls provided were dirty and smelled terrible. Animal Handling: While the dogs seemed healthy, the staff handled them roughly. It was uncomfortable to witness, though this might have been due to the dogs being overly energetic. Safety Concerns: There was no proper guidance on self-driving the sleds. For example, they didn’t explain how to stop the sled if the driver fell off. This is a serious safety concern, as falling off can easily happen when navigating uneven or icy terrain. Disorganization Leading to Accidents: Some clients didn’t know how to properly drive the sleds, resulting in a rear-end collision and even a dog fight. The guides responded by shouting at those clients instead of taking responsibility for the lack of training. Terrible Food: The provided meal was subpar and barely edible.

Overall, the entire experience was a disaster. Both companies failed to deliver the professional service expected for the price. I strongly advise against booking with either Best Arctic or...

We booked the Base Camp Northern Lights Tour. We paid nearly $300 for our family of three nearly a month before our trip. We chose this tour because we were taking our five year old and felt that the experience of the base camp- getting off the bus, having a camp fire, having a heated tent with warm drinks and cake- would be awesome for her, not to mention easiest. We also liked that the company provided photographers to help with your cameras and to take pictures to provide to you after the tour. Well, when we went to check in to go, we waited in line for 20 minutes and were then told they ran out of buses and we would all (150 of us) had been switched to a boat cruise. We tried to talk to a representative and were told 'now is not the appropriate time, come back tomorrow when we open.' Because our time was limited and this was our only night to see the Lights, we had no choice but to do the boat cruise. The boat was crowded and lacked any of the charm that we'd hoped for by signing up for the Base Camp tour. No chance to get off the boat, no camp fire, no tents...There was an instant coffee pot- self serve- in the back of the boat if you wanted a hot drink. Definitely no hot chocolate for our daughter. The space outside- the only place you could see the Lights- was limited and crowded. And freezing cruising through the darkness in the wind, which meant that you had to keep fighting your way back inside the lower deck to sit with limited windows. And there were no photographers to help with pictures. And we were told they didn't even bring their cameras, so if we wanted their pictures, we could look for some that were taken previously from their base camp. So all of our pictures are blurry, there are no professional ones to borrow from and we don't have a single picture of us with the Lights. The tour guide, William, was the only saving grace of the tour- he was friendly, so knowledgeable, and willing to do anything he could to help. He's terrific. And at least we saw the Lights- that was the bottom line. We went to speak with the company the next morning as directed, but the rep was unapologetic and refused to do anything, despite our legitimate arguments that we didn't get what we paid for. As a result, we have filed a dispute with our credit card company to get the money back. Beware- this company is out to get your money and that's it. RUN. There are so many other companies to choose from- choose a more professional and...