Ultimate Travel Guide To Tromso, an Arctic Gateway at 69 Degrees North

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Whether you want to experience polar nights, see midnight sun, chase northern lights or do whale watching, Tromso is one of the best destinations to experience them. 

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Ever wanted to experience what is it to be in the arctic circle? Be in the biting cold, and witness the most beautiful natural phenomenon Aurora Borealis dancing up in the sky? Well, we had exactly these things in our bucket list for years.

Visiting Tromso in Arctic Norway was just a dream come true.  And we happily crossed few things off our bucket list – visiting Arctic Circle, Witnessing Northern Lights, Meeting indigenous Sami tribe and lots more.

Visiting Arctic Norway isn’t the kind of holiday that everyone wants, but having seen and experienced them, we can safely say that it was the most adventurous, wild, romantic, unique and out of the world kind of holiday for us!  Without a hint of doubt, we can say, this by far, is the most humbling experience we have ever had in our life!

This single post will be your ultimate travel guide to Tromso packed with plenty of information.  We have tried to address all the questions that a tourist will have in mind when they want to travel to Tromso.

Keeping that in mind, we have written about what to expect, why visit Tromso,  recommendations on things to do in Tromso in summer, things to do in Tromso in winter, weather in Tromso, what to wear in Tromso, where to find vegetarian/vegan food in Tromso,  best places to stay in Tromso, and what adventure tours to take in Tromso.

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Where is Tromso located?

Tromso is located 350kms north of arctic circle at 69 degree North. So let’s establish one thing – it is going to be freezing cold!!! On a slightly positive note, the city lies within the Aurora belt which makes it one of the most favourable locations to see Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis).

Northern Lights are the natural phenomenon that happens in the high latitude sky when the highly energized particles collide with atom.  Yes. That’s a whole lot of physics to understand. I remember studying them during my school days!  To put it in the layman’s language, it’s like the rainbow dance in the night sky – as simple as that.

Tromso is one of the best places to see the stunning northern lights during winter.  And after spending 6 days there, we can say with so much confidence that this has been the most expensive trips we’ve taken so far in all our travels!

This city took us by complete surprise.  What we expected was a quaint laid back city with not much of activities apart from Northern Lights.  Surprisingly there’s lot more that Tromso offers considering it has inhabitants of approx 70000. 

Why Visit Tromso?

Tromso is one complete package in the arctic circle, that ticks off a lot of things and inspires us to travel. People from all over the world dream of visiting Tromso, for it’s world class hospitality and lifetime experiences.

Whether you want experience the magical Northern Lights, polar nights, to see what midnight summer is like, to explore the wildest part of arctic circle, to see wildlife up close and to meet the indigenous Sami people.

How to get to Tromso?

There are only four airlines that operate direct flights Tromso – SAS Flights, Norwegian airlines, Wideroe and Finnair. But there are many flights that connect to Oslo from where you can choose one of the above flights to reach Tromso, which works cheaper than direct flights. We chose Wideroe and Norwegian to get to and from Tromso.

If you want bit of an adventure, you can take a mix of bus and train services from Oslo to reach Tromso. Although, do note there are no direct train service from Oslo to Tromso. And the distance between these two cities are 1700kms, so you are in for a 2 days of travels. But the routes are scenic.

GETTING INTO TROMSO CITY CENTRE FROM TROMSO AIRPORT

There are airport express, buses and taxi that you can take from Tromso Airport Langnes to city centre. Airport express is the fastest and cheapest way to reach city centre, as the journey takes only 15 minutes. If you are taking public bus, service lines 24, 40 and 42 run between airport and Tromso city centre.

Check our public transport info below the page for more info on how to get bus tickets. Taxis are expensive in Tromso, but if you don’t have any other choice, you can pre-book Tromso taxi which approximately charges NOK200.

What is the weather in Tromso?

Tromso belt enjoys subarctic climate. Average temperature in summer goes upto 12 degrees and sometimes to 20 degrees.  The water temperature lies around 6-8 degree’s its not suitable to take bath in the beaches. Although the people of Tromso usually like to take a quick dip during summer.

Thanks to the gulf stream, the temperature in Tromso in winter ranges between -4 to -6 which is less when compared to the other arctic counterparts (like Siberia, Russia).  But the temperature in the inlands could go upto -26.

Also Read: Visiting Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, Norway

How many days do you need in Tromso?

While you can see Tromso in 3 days, realistically, it will be good if you can allow 6 or 7 days, to be able to indulge in some adventure activities. If you are visiting Tromso in Summer, we recommend spending at least 4 days. If you are visiting Tromso in Winter, allow 7 days, so you get a fair chance to see aurora a couple of times. 

What to wear in Tromso?

Whatever time of the year you visit Tromso, remember to follow the layering, and choose your clothes wisely. You don’t want to feel too hot or too cold.  Smartly choose your layering, so it is easy to take a layer off if you feel warm, or put down one if you feel cold.

BASE LAYER > MID LAYER > TOP LAYER

TROMSO IN SUMMER

You may think of summer dresses or shorts, but I do want to remind you that Tromso in Summer is still cold. The average temperature in summer is still 12 degrees day time, so you need to pack a mix of what you need to explore the city and hike the mountains.

During spring and summer, you can experience rain and cold wind, so pack a light wind and rainproof jacket.  A full sleeved T-shirt, jumper & rain jacket for the top, a long shorts, tights or hiking pants, knee length socks, walking shoes, hiking boots, cotton scarf, summer cap and summer gloves are must.

TROMSO IN WINTER

We are talking arctic winter. But don’t think of over layering yourself and end up feeling bulky. You need to do smart layering so that you can still walk or stand for long time, still not feel too cold. Choose a good thermal wear as a base layer, followed by a winter top, fleece jacket and a wind and rain jacket finally. A thermal leggings, snow pants, thick knee length socks, thick scarf, winter hat and winter gloves are must.

What to see in Tromso?

Most of them visit Tromso in winter, to chase Northern Lights.  But Tromso has wide variety of attractions and the city is more than just Northern Lights. There’s plethora of art, history and science museums, good food, great night life and a buzzling lifestyle.

The city boasts of the most northernmost of “almost everything”!! Most northernmost Cathedral, brewery, botanic garden, planetarium, mosque and university! They are infact the biggest city above arctic circle. Tromso is also the place where a number of North Pole and Arctic expeditions start. Hence Tromso holds the name “Gateway to Arctic”. 

Tromso is also christened as “Paris of the North”(not sure why, but I presume its for the reason why Paris is known as City of Lights). Tromso has also been home to the indigenous Sami people for centuries.

Tromso is surrounded by spectacular mountains and a lot of fjords and islands.  During winter months of December and January (known as Polar Nights), it is said that the sun lies below the horizon for 24 hours.  They start showing up for 5 minutes on 21st Jan, and then it gradually increases day by day to 20 minutes, then 30 minutes, and so on, and from May 21st there’s 24 hours of sun and it never goes below the horizon for 2 months.

Fishing, Shipping and other Maritime industries has been the strength of this region for many years.  Later it got expanded to Science institutions, Healthcare, space and satellite research and oil & gas industries.

Top Things To Do In Tromso

Chase Northern Lights

One of the best experiences in Tromso is chasing the northern lights. Due to its strategic position in the arctic circle, Tromso lies within the aurora belt making it an ideal choice to see Aurora Borealis. Between October to March, the possibility to see northern lights is very high, since the region experiences polar nights.

You can see northern lights in Tromso itself, although we recommend heading a little bit away from the city to avoid light pollution. If you are hiring a car, it is possible to chase northern lights by yourself. Easier option is to book tour operators who know when and where to see aurora borealis.

4-hour Northern Lights Cruise with Jacuzzi is a great tour to enjoy northern lights at the lap of luxury and pampering. If you want to do northern lights chase with a small group, then we totally recommend Troms Small Group Northern Lights Tour. If you prefer sailing, you can try this 3-Hour Northern Lights Sailing Excursion.

If you want to learn how to photograph aurora, it is worth taking either this tour Northern Lights Photography Workshop or Northern lights photography tour. These tours help you learn how to capture the mystical magic beauty aurora, and what are the best camera settings to use them. Alternatively you can also try Aurora Chase with professional photographers if you want to interact with professional photographers.

Visit Arctic Cathedral

Located in the Tromsdalen valley on the east side of Tromso, Arctic Cathedral (also known by names Ishavskatatedralen and Tromsøysund Church) is a parish church and a prominent landmark in Tromso. This modern cathedral was built in 1965 by the architect Jan Inge Hovig, and is built primarily with concrete and metal. 

Take Tromso Cable Car (Fjellheisen)

Undoubtedly one of the best views of Tromso city is from the mountain ledge Storsteinen, which is 420 metres above sea level on Mount Floya. Cross over the bridge Tromsladen and you will arrive at the lower station to embark on the cable car. The journey to the top is only 4 minutes and there is a viewing platform and restaurant at the upper station.

You can enjoy the stunning panoramic views of the city, surrounding islands, fjords and mountains. There’s an Arctic Panorama Cable Car Excursion which is a good tour (plus free Norwegian waffles!!) if you do not want to explore by yourself and want to go with a group of people.

Walk over Tromso bridge

One of the iconic symbol of Tromso is this Tromso bridge. The bridge sits on Tromsøysundet straight connecting the mainland Tromsladen and the island of Tromsøya. It is a cantilever road bridge and it was constructed din 1960.

At the time of opening, this was the longest bridge in Northern Europe. You can catch a glimpse of Tromso bridge from over the mountain and from the famous tourist attractions in Tromso. Walk over the bridge and enjoy the views of Tromso city, mountains and Arctic Cathedral.

Visit Polar Museum

If you like museums, and only have time for one, we recommend visiting Polar Museum. Established in 1978, the Polar Museum is housed on a 1830 warehouse overlooking sea. The museum has interesting history and life of polar explorers and their expeditions. There are also history and displays of famous animal trappers and sea mammal hunters.

You can see the stuffings (a lot of them!) of whales, seals that were ruthlessly hunted in the name of tradition in the bygone era. Thankfully that is now a history, and the tradition of trapping and hunting has been put to an end to preserve the sea life creatures.

Shop at Storgata

Storgata is a shopping street in Tromso that is accessible to only pedestrians. If you want to spend a couple of hours walking in Tromso, Storgata is a great place to start with. There are plenty of restaurants, bars and souvenir shops here. 

Walk around Tromso

Tromso is a delight to walk around, no matter what time of the year you go. Explore the streets and walk around seeing the colourful houses and buildings around. You can also take Essential Tromso Historic City Walk if you want to explore the city by foot.

Visit Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden

World’s northernmost botanic garden is in Tromso. Visit the garden to enjoy the arctic and alpine plants and flowers from all the continents. The botanic garden is open all through the year and entrance is free. The flowering season begins in April end or May, and until the snow begins. But that said, you can still enjoy the garden to see the autumn colours or evergreen winter shrubs and snow. 

Tromso Planetarium

Tromso Planetarium is not only the northernmost planetarium in the world, it is also the largest planetarium in Norway. one of the most popular shows is the northern lights documentary that shows the history, myth and science behind aurora borealis in an impressive array of visuals. This kids-friendly activity is a must irrespective of what time of the year you visit Tromso. Entry to the museum costs 120 NOK that includes the fee for the shows as well.

Meet Sami people, the indigenous tribe

Sami are the indigenous nomadic people whose homeland is spread across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Their lifestyle, clothing, language and music is very different  and there are roughly about 70000 Sami people living in the arctic.

Their main occupation is reindeer herding.  There are many tours in Tromso that takes you to get an insider’s experience into Sami lifestyle, and it’s something one should not miss. Try this tour Reindeer visit, and Sami Culture Including Lunch from Tromso.

Top adventure activities in Tromso

Snow Mobiling

Is there anything better than whizzing on the snow amidst the stunning mountains? Snow Mobile is one of the best adventure sport to indulge during winter, especially in a destination like Tromso. There are many tour operators that run snowmobile safari. You can check this Lyngen Alps snowmobile tour from Tromso. Or if you fancy adventure at the night, try Evening Snowmobile adventure. 

Skiing

Skiing is sure one of the fun outdoor activities to do in Tromso. The snow season begins in October and runs through till April. Why not try this cross-country skiing lesson for beginners which is a perfect fit if you want to try your hands on skiing.

Snowshoeing

One of the best ways to enjoy snow is to walk on them. What better than indulging in snowshoe adventure. Snowshoe is a footwear that is used to walk or hike on the snow. There are many tour operators in Tromso that do snowshoeing activity.  It is absolutely safe, easy and one of the best things to do, even if you are a first timer.

You can also pick up a snowshoe for hire and explore by yourself, however going on a tour is highly recommended. Because tour operators know some of the best places, plus you get a chance to meet other travellers to interact with. You can either try Guided Snowshoe Walk on Tromsoya Island in Tromso or Snowshoe Hike on Whale Island in Tromso.

Whale watching

Whale watching is one of the popular things to do in Tromso. You can easily spot killer whales and humpback whales closer to the sea in Tromso during the winter season. There are many tour operators that run whale watching tours, however, do choose the one that is ethical.

A lot of tour operators tend to overcrowd the boats and cause disturbances chasing whales relentlessly. Research the tour operators before choosing how the tour is handles, how many people will be in the tour and get to know the knowledge of the tour operators on ethical whale watching.

Here is one of the good whale watching tour if you are interested. Alternatively, you can book through from whale watching Tromso website. 

Fjord Boat Tours

If you are not up for any snow adventures, you can still have fun and enjoy the waters and views of fjord in Tromso. There are plenty of fjord tour types that suit all the types of people, and with different durations. If you enjoy fast boat experience, take Fjord Excursion by RIB.

For a luxury cruise, Fjord and Island Luxury Catamaran Cruise is worth trying. Or take 5-Hour All-inclusive Wildlife & Bird Fjord Cruise if you prefer a long cruise with some wildlife watching combined. 

Public Transport in Tromso

Public transport is good and reliable in Tromso. City buses run within the Tromso city from early morning till late night. You can buy the tickets in bus, or in the ticket machines or by using app TFT Mobillett.

• You can pre-purchase a single ticket, day ticket or a 7-day ticket. Pre-purchased tickets are CHEAPER than buying them at the last minute.  You need to validate your ticket every time you enter the bus.
• Most of the buses have wheelchair access. So, prams, wheelchairs, pets, skis, bikes are allowed inside the bus. Although there is a ticket price for bikes. 

Where to stay in Tromso?

Tromso is an expensive location and there are very sparse budget accommodations in Tromso, that does get filled up fast. We suggest to stay in downtown Tromso, as it gives you access to public transport, good tour options, and best restaurants to eat. 

Where to eat vegetarian/vegan food in Tromso?

When we visited Tromso few year back, it was hard to find a decent vegetarian food, but we did find some eventually.  Over the recent times, the gastronomy of Tromso is changing vastly.

There are some, if not many, decent hangouts and cafes that offer vegetarian and vegan food.  And a lot of these are located only walking distance from city centre, and in Storgata. 

 

• FRO Tromso: Storgata 102, Tromso, Norway: A cosy plant based cafe in Tromso, where you can find your favourite food and drink. Offers hot meals, pastries, sandwiches, wraps (try their Avocado wrap), vegan pancakes, cinnamon/pistachio buns and beverages. Try their chia pudding!!
• Kafe Globus: Storgata 30, Tromso, Norway: A Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cafe that serves meat, but Vegan options are available. Falefal sandwich, hummus, soups, salads, couscous and some delicious vegan bakes that includes vegan chocolate cake.
• Indie Indian Kitchen: Storgata 73, Tromso, Norway: You can satiate your taste by eating a heartfelt Indian food, which can be customised with vegan options. Pilav rice, dhal fry, chana masala, roti are some of the vegan options to choose from. 
• O’Learys: Storgata 51, Tromso, Norway: They serve labelled vegan options like mock meat, salad, nachos and sorbet. 
• Suvi: Groennegata 48, Tromso, Norway: Pan-Asian restaurant that serves a good selection of vegetarian and vegan options like hot avocado mix, vegan summer roll etc.  

An All-Year Destination & Conclusion

This gorgeous city can be visited throughout the year.  During Summer people come here to experience midnight sun, in winter Northern Lights and snow activities, and around autumn for whale watching.  It’s quite common to spot hunchback and killer whales in and around the islands of Tromso.

The city is truly a melting pot considering the indigenous Sami people, university and research, tourism and people who do fishing and shipping for life.  Whether it’s unbroken darkness in winter, or incessant sunshine in the summer, Tromso is for all seasons!

NOTE: While there are activities like reindeer sledging, huskies ride and fishing, we request you to refrain from using them as part of not exploiting animals and commercialising them.

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