A Winter Guide to Sommarøy, Norway

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As part of Mum and Dad’s winter visit to Tromsø, they also took an overnight trip to the little island of Sommarøy, around a 1 hour ride out from Tromsø. Sommarøy in winter is truly magical, and with the sun up for only a few short hours each day, it casts a beautiful pink, gold and blue glow across the sky. I decided it was just too beautiful not to share individually.


  1. Contents
  2. How to get to Sommarøy
  3. Things to do in Sommarøy
    1. The Views from Ørnfløya
    2. Visit Sommarøy’s Beaches
    3. Enjoy the Aurora Camps
  4. Other Important Information about Sommarøy in winter
  5. Where to stay in Sommarøy

Sommarøy is just a short drive from Tromsø, the entry city to this wonderful island. You can hire a car from the airport in Tromsø and arrive here in just over 1 hour. Alternatively, you could book transport with a local driver or tour company if you’re not confident driving yourselves in the snow.

The drive between Tromsø and Sommarøy is fairly straight forward as the roads are well maintained and kept relatively clear. That said, it is still important to be mindful when driving in winter and a 4×4 might be a good choice.

The drive is incredibly scenic, and Mum and Dad even saw a reindeer at the side of the road!

Reindeer!


One of the most magical spots on the island is at the top of Ørnfløya. Hiking up is a common thing to do in winter and Mum and Dad completed the hike independently, having been provided with snow spikes by their hotel. The hike does require a level of capability, given that it’s quite strenuous and at times depends on ropes to get up (and down). For Mum and Dad they didn’t quite make it to the top, but the views were stunning nevertheless.

Views from Ørnfløya
The view as the sun sets

The beaches of Sommarøy are absolutely gorgeous. There are lots of them all around the island’s perimeters which you can drive around to enjoy.

Beautiful Arctic Beaches

Sommarøy has lots of places to watch the Northern Lights, and they have camps where you can drop in for coffee, tea, biscuits and soup in little wooden huts with seats and tables draped in blankets and flags. You can then nip in and out to watch the lights.

At the aurora camp


Sommarøy’s winters are no doubt beautiful, but the sun never truly rises meaning it’s also incredibly cold. Be prepared for temperatures well below 0, meaning base layers, thermals, big coats and spikes and poles for walking. The short days also mean there’s not a whole lot of time to fit things in, so make sure you’re only planning one big thing per day.

The roads are well maintained in winter, and largely cleared of snow, but it’s still important to be careful when driving. It’s definitely recommended to hire a 4×4 during the winter months for additional safety.

Incredible light

Mum and Dad chose to stay in the 4-star Sommarøy Arctic Hotel. It features a number of guest rooms and suites in the main hotel building, as well as individual cabins on the seafront. It’s a peaceful hotel, with lots of views out to the sea, as well as a lovely onsite sauna which can be used for free, and the option for dips in the local freezing fjord!

The Arctic Hotel’s sauna


What do you think of Sommarøy? To me it’s so beautiful and well worth seeing in winter, but you do have to be prepared to be completely freezing the entire time! I hope you enjoyed my Mum and Dad’s posts from Norway – stay safe and happy travelling!

38 responses to “A Winter Guide to Sommarøy, Norway”

  1. So magical, but I can imagine it must’ve been freezing during that time of year! I’ve yet to see the Northern Lights, and it’s awesome your parents got to witness them. One of these days, I’ll have to venture north for the experience! Thanks for sharing, Han 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh absolutely, I think it was super cold and wearing all the layers every day isn’t easy. It’s special to see the northern lights though, so great for an experience at least once in a lifetime 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Sommarøy looks amazing, even or maybe especially in the winter. We have friends in Tromsø, we really need to get there to visit..

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s amazing you have friends there, definitely a great option for a visit 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Norway is just so beautiful. I’m impressed with your parents hiking in the freezing weather; well done! Thanks for sharing Hannah.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They did so well didn’t they – my Dad is doing the Tour de Mont Blanc this summer and they put me to shame with their fitness and adventure 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Very beautiful scenery and looking magic in the winter light!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The winter light made the photos truly magical, that’s for sure 🙂

      Like

  5. It is funny seeing a beach on a winter travel guide haha. Looks beautiful although not seeing the sun much might get to me.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha I know what you mean, but they are very striking in the snow!! I’m with you, I always like the idea of a cold holiday and then bail at the thought of sunshine and end up in Asia instead lol!

      Like

  6. So many beautiful photos – I am in awe – and what a truly incredible travel destination! It’s quite amazing how in summer, Sommarøy is an excellent place to experience the midnight sun, where darkness never comes as the sun never sets. And how in winter, it’s a totally different experience as the sun is only up for a few short hours, hanging low in the sky, casting a gorgeous golden glow across everything it touches and long shadows. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Aiva, it really is so beautiful isn’t it, and so incredible how different the place is between Summer and Winter. Definitely a special experience. Have a lovely weekend 🙂 xx

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Sommarøy looks beautiful Hannah and what a good idea to have those camping huts complete with rugs and coffee to keep nice and snug whilst viewing the Northern Lights.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I thought the same Marion, it’s such a good way for people to warm up and ensure they can stay for a decent amount of time.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. What a beautiful area! To think that these photos look so good, it must be 10x better in real life. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a beach and snow together in 1 picture before.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know, I think in real life is always so much better and photos never do somewhere justice. I liked the beach in the snow too, it’s so pretty!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Indeed, the island of Sommarøy looks like a magical place to appreciate the magnificent beauty of winter landscapes! Thank you for sharing your travel experiences, my friend Hannah, and I wish you a wonderful weekend 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Phil for taking the time to read and comment. Have a great weekend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Living in Minnesota, I tend to shy away from cold destinations for my vacations, but seeing the northern lights would be magical for sure. By the way, I love that esoteric piece of info: some hotels list “hiking spikes” among their amenities. Love it!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. LOL the hiking spikes made me laugh, just the amenity I always put first on my list for any hotel 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I’m guessing they weren’t among the luxury amenities at your great hotel in Thailand. Such a shameful oversight! 😉

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Such a let down, should never have given them such a good review!

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Looks very cold but beautiful

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Wow… amazing Hannah!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Beautiful! It seems like one of those places that doesn’t just deal with winter but fully and happily embraces it. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You’re so right, it’s just part of the way of life. I’ll never forget going to Finland in winter and seeing people skiing to work in the middle of Helsinki. England would fall apart!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. The views from Ørnfløya are beautiful! The photo of the beach with the snow and sand is gorgeous, but it’s blowing my mind slightly. I’ve never seen snow and sand next to each other before.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s just beautiful isn’t it 🙂 It’s such a contrast seeing a snowy beach!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I love the soft colours in the sky. It really does look magical, especially with all that snow. I’m impressed that your parents managed to take so many beautiful pictures even though it was freezing cold outside.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know, I’m not sure how they managed to keep themselves from getting frostbite in their fingers!!

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Wow, the colors of the sky and the northern lights are truly magical!! I haven’t been up that way in winter, and couldn’t find those auroras in spring/fall even though we took turns staying up during the night.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Such a special area of the world 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Okay, you (or your parents) convinced me! I’ll go buy some more warm clothes and put on layers and layers because this beauty is something one just needs to see for oneself! The colours are postcard pretty … in fact, the photos are like postcards! Beautiful!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Oh my gosh, more of the same. This is so so lovely! I just want to bundle up in all my coziest clothing and head off to Norway right now!

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Looks lovely. That first photo is fanatic. I wonder how crowded it is in the summer?

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Anonymous

    I’ve just come back from a summer trip to Sommarøy and TBH I think it looks even more beautiful under the midnight sun! I highly recommend a summer trip to northern Norway (but I have already seen the aurora last winter).

    Liked by 2 people

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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