Winter in Tromsø: A Perfect 3 day Itinerary

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It’s time for another familial guest appearance on the blog, and this time it’s from Travelling Mum. Travelling Mum (and Dad) were dreaming of some winter sun, and planning a break for January to escape the cold in England. They couldn’t find anything they liked, so whilst I’m not quite sure what logic was applied in between, they somehow ended up jetting off to the Arctic Circle to visit Tromsø, the largest city in northern Norway.

It proved to be so much colder than England, that actually returning to England felt like the warmth they needed so I suppose the logic worked somehow. Whilst in Tromsø, they had lots of adventures and I’ve used their photos and experience to pull together a perfect 3 day itinerary for a magical winter break to best enjoy the magic of the city.

Let’s go!

The fjords of Tromsø


Contents

  1. Contents
  2. What you need to know about Tromsø
    1. How to get to Tromsø
    2. Language, Currency & Time Difference
    3. Temperature in Tromsø in winter
    4. Light in Tromsø in winter
  3. A Perfect 2 day Itinerary
    1. Day 1: Polar Fjord Cruise, Cable Car
      1. Polar Fjord Cruise
      2. Fjellheisen Cable Car
    2. Day 2: Dog Sledding, Polar Museum, Northern Lights Tour
      1. Dog sledding
      2. Polar Museum
      3. Northern Lights Tour
    3. Day 3: Tromsø Town, Reindeer Ride
      1. Tromsø Town
      2. Reindeer Ride
  4. Have a little Longer?
    1. Snowmobiling
    2. Other Boat Cruises: Whale Watching, Northern Lights Catamaran Cruise
    3. Sommarøy

The easiest way to get to Tromsø is by air, with direct flights from London Gatwick, and lots of connecting options via Oslo and Bergen, two of Norways’ main travel hubs. You could also combine Tromsø with a longer Norway visit, and connect in via train or boat from other northern Norweigan towns and cities.

The national language is Norweigan, but English is very widely spoken. Currency is the Norweigan Kroner (not the Euro), and the time difference to the UK is +1hr.

January is the coldest month of the year, and temperatures can dip to -14 °C (7 °F), however the daily average temperature in Tromsø during winter are relatively ‘mild’ for its location and ranges from -5°C up to 0°C. You will definitely need to pack warm clothes including base layers, thermal everything and very strong and sturdy gloves. Many tour companies provide the outer suits, but you need to make sure you’re well protected underneath.

Tromsø’s location is very favourable for snowfall, which is quite frequent during the winter months. The highest depth of snow is usually seen in April and in April 2019, the snow reached an impressive height of 150 cm (60 inches), while in April 1997 it reached a staggering 240 cm (95 inches).

During the winter in Tromsø, nights are long. Sunrise is around 9-10am, and sunset is around 2-3pm. It means there aren’t many hours of light in the day (and even during day time the sun never rises fully and properly), and you have to factor that in to your plans. That said, the permanently rising or setting sun during daylight hours creates gorgeous colours in the sky.

Views from Tromsø harbour


Start your time off in Tromsø with a cruise on the fjords. They are truly beautiful in winter with the sky lighting up all kinds of colours in the low morning and evening light. Mum and Dad sailed with Capella, who offer a variety of cruises, and chose the Polar Fjord & Fishing Cruise option (they didn’t catch anything!) which lasted from around 10am-3pm.

Views on the cruise

On the cruise they saw a sea eagle and a moose, and were served a home made salmon soup by chef Thomas, as well as having free coffee tea and biscuits all day. Also along the way they passed old tunnels in the mountains leading to hidden storage areas used during WW2!

It was so cold on the cruise that it was hard to take photos, and they had to really layer up – but the views were beautiful and they loved the experience, being one of their favourite things to have done in Tromsø.

Houses along the Fjord banks

To finish off the day, head up the cable car for amazing views out across Tromsø. It’s so beautiful, especially with all the twinkly lights below. There is also a nice little restaurant at the top to stop and enjoy some food or drink.

Night views from the Cable Car (photo Courtesy of heartmybackpack.com as we had no good photos but this is representative of what we saw)


This morning, start the day with another unique experience – husky sledding. This was again one of Mum and Dad’s favourites of their stay, being picked up from their hotel and taken around 30 minutes outside of the city to Tromsø Villmarksenter, home of the Arctic huskies.

They went on a sleigh with Sarah (the drivers of the sleighs are known as ‘mushers’), pulled by 10 dogs. Each litter of dogs is named after a film or books and Mum and Dad’s were Game of Thrones themed and called things like Stark and Drogo! I love that the dogs even get little boots to protect their paws.

Views from the sleigh

The rides are super fast as the dogs are used to racing and can easily run over 500km in competitions. The route was beautiful and scenic with a permanent sunrise on the horizon. You also get to go to the kennels and meet the huskies, as well as receiving hot drinks and some cake around a firepit. A truly magical winter experience.

After arriving back in Tromsø for around 1pm, there is time to spend the afternoon exploring the Polar Museum, which is well worth it to learn more about the area. The museum covers so much history, including trapping seals, polar bears, Polar expeditions and so on (the favourite item was the ancient chess set). There is also a lovely little shop on site, and it was a nice place to warm up from the cold for an hour or two.

To finish off the day, it’s time to head to see what the area is most famous for – the Northern Lights! Now full disclosure, this is the text I received from Mum “Northern Lights what an anti climax and a con”.

To the naked eye for Mum and Dad, they looked like a pale long thin grey line, and only through the camera did they look green! Now, it was later learned that if there is an electromagnetic storm you can see the colours with the naked eye, but mostly they look like grey clouds.

The lights looking green through the camera only


Spend your final day exploring Tromsø itself. It has a beautiful old town area and lots to offer – make sure you see Tromsø harbour, the church, cathedral, alpine botanic garden and some of the museums (you can choose from the troll museum, art museum and various others).

It’s easy to spend a good few hours taking in the town and enjoying some tasty hot cocktails as you go – don’t miss Raketten, Tromsø’s smallest and most historic bar! You may also want to visit Polaria, the world’s most northerly aquarium where you can feed the bearded seals.

Finish off your Tromsø trip with another special Arctic experience – a night reindeer ride! To be honest, the reindeer rides are a bit of a tourist trap, but are fun to do nevertheless. You get to feed the reindeer, ride around in the sleigh pulled by them for a short circle, and then have an evening meal in a hut whilst learning about the Norwegian Sami culture. The Sami information was really interesting, and learning about the history and modern life trying to preserve the culture was fascinating.


There are so many activities to enjoy in Tromsø, so here are some more ideas if you have longer than 3 days. Please remember you can’t fit loads in to one day because of the daylight hours!

Again, full disclosure – Mum and Dad didn’t love snowmobiling because they were hard to steer and quite a few people did come off them, plus the travel distance was long to get there. However if you’re confident to give it a go, then it is a fun adventure. Mum and Dad went with Best Arctic to the Lyngen Alps and (sort of) enjoyed a day jetting around.

Views from the snowmobile

It’s worth mentioning that my Mum and Dad had a few other activities booked in Tromsø which haven’t made this list because they were cancelled. They had a whale watching cruise planned, but the sea was too choppy to go out. They also had a Northern Lights Catamaran cruise planned but cancelled for the same reason. Looking at the reviews online, these look like amazing options of ways to spend a day in the city and see something a bit different.

Beautiful!

Sommarøy is so unbelievably beautiful and if you’re visiting Tromsø and have some time to spare, it’s worth a night or two to enjoy its hiking, beaches and views for a couple of days. It’s here you can also go sea kayaking.

You can read my guide to Sommarøy HERE.

Stunning Sommarøy


All in all, Mum and Dad had such an experience visiting Tromsø, and learnt and enjoyed so much. Their highlights were the husky sledding and the boat cruise, and the northern lights were a disappointment. The hardest thing about the trip was the cold – having to be wrapped in so many layers for so long, and not being able to take photos or do things freely was difficult. The fact that taking gloves off even just for a few minutes led to frost bite, and that it was permanently freezing to the bone, made it less enjoyable though was an experience in itself.

What do you think of Tromsø and this Arctic adventure? Would you like to do it? Thanks so much to Mum and Dad for sharing their photos and opinions – stay safe and happy travelling everyone!

41 responses to “Winter in Tromsø: A Perfect 3 day Itinerary”

  1. I am dying to visit Norway – these pictures are stunning. Great, informative post!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Sarah, it’s such an incredible country – you’ll definitely have to visit one day soon 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Looks like a wonderful winter visit to Tromsø, with stunning landscape scenery and an itinerary filled with adventure and fun! Your photographs are lovely, Hannah, and, once again, you’ve somehow managed to do soooo much in only a few days! Thank you for sharing, my friend 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  3. It looks like your parents had a great time in Tromsø. We visited in June, and it certainly looks different in the winter! It’s such a magical place though; we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes it must be so different in summer vs winter. It seems in any season though it’s a magical place with lots to see and do 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  4. This looks beautiful!! I’ve spent some time in Denmark, Sweden and Sweden, but I’ve actually never been to Norway, and these photos really make me want to go!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Norway is such a beautiful country – I hope you can visit one day! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I’ve only dipped my toes in Norway with a short visit to Oslo years ago, but I’d love to venture up north and see more of the country, especially Tromsø! Truly a magical and unreal part of the world, and it’s awesome your parents went there! Thanks for sharing, Han. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I haven’t made it to Oslo yet, but I can’t wait to go one day. I’m saving it for when the Viking Museum re-opens which is scheduled for 2027 I believe!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I have never travelled somewhere cold before, not sure I would enjoy all the bundling, but it sure looks beautiful! I’d enjoy the dog sledding and that’s such a bummer to hear about the northern lights.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. No, I agree on the cold. Cold holidays are really a mix as they are enjoyable but they’re not always comfortable. It’s a hard balance to get right!

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  7. Wow.. Hannah… Its so beautiful!!! Loved the night views pictures!!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Given how cold and miserable the weather is in Ireland for most of the year, I haven’t dared to go someplace cold – my body constantly craves sun. But I have always been in awe of Tromso, its stunning nature, beautiful Arctic landscape, and breathtaking fjords. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know what you mean, I’m also a sun seeker and after years of cold holidays for my birthday (Feb), I’ve been looking for sun sun and more sun so far this year. But Tromso is undoubtedly beautiful and magical if you can brave the cold 🙂 xx

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I could probably enjoy snow magic in Tromso, if a few days in Norway are followed by two weeks in Andalusia 🤣🤣🤣

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sounds perfect haha!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Beautiful, aud very much like to visit Tromsø Hannah. I’ve been to Finnish Lapland high above the Arctic circle both in midsummer and in midwinter but so far not to northern Norway. It’s definitely on my list! Hope you have a lovely Easter break and it finally stops raining!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Marion, I headed away for Easter – and it still rained in the South of France – typical! I agree Tromso is truly beautiful so I hope you make it there one day 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Snow covered places are so beautiful. I’m glad your mum and dad enjoyed themselves with the plentiful activities.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Fabulous, Han. And very thorough!!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. This is definitely on my list of.places Id like to see. I love the winter wonder and the experiences so unique to this area. Great itinerary and beautiful pictures from your parents 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s such a unique place with so many activities to enjoy – it’s soooo cold though!!

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Sounds like an amazing Arctic adventure! Your pictures are stunning! How cool to see the northern lights. It’s neat to hear how they look different on camera compared to the naked eye.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Definitely an adventure that’s for sure, a very cold one!! 🙂 Hope you had a great weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. What a wonderful trip! I would love to visit one day! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s so beautiful! 🙂

      Like

  15. Daring to visit in January! Your mum enjoys travel as much as you, I’d guess. The colors of the sky, during winter dark, and the sleigh ride looked wonderful.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. […] 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 […]

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  17. Wow this looks sooo cool! I would love to go to Norway in the winter and see the long sunsets/sunrises and the Northern Lights! I remember when I did a Northern Lights tour in Iceland it also started off as a grey-ish cloud and was very underwhelming ahah, but luckily for us it transformed into a stunning “show”!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s such a unique experience and thing to do isn’t it – sounds like you got lucky seeing the lights come to life, grey clouds seem to be very common! Have a great weekend Juliette 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Reverse logic – your parents are smarter than you think Hannah! It does seem a little too cold to me, but wow, these are beautiful photos. I think the fjord cruise will be my favourite … although, it may be too cold for me! Or wait, the dog sledding and night reindeer ride sound like loads of fun. Or maybe the views of the Northern Lights (if I can see them). Oh no, there’s just too many things to do and see in Tromsø! High five to your parents – loved the post and photos.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. LOL that made me laugh, Mum will like that comment. I think all of it is beautiful but too cold for me – I always end up in Asia or somewhere hot.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Okay, ummm… brrr? I think that’s the first thing that comes to mind. But also, wow! What a beautiful place for a vacation! There’s something so pretty about colorful skies and snow-covered landscapes. It sounds like they had a wonderful time overall, and this really makes me want to get serious about visiting Norway!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally freezing but so beautiful for sure. Norway is such an incredible country, I think you’d absolutely love it! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  20. I want to go there in the summer!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It would definitely be a lot warmer 🙂

      Like

  21. That cover photo is so, so gorgeous. Makes us miss the Nordic light! We went on a Hurtigruten cruise last Christmas and only got a few hours in Tromsø in the pitch dark. We were hoping to get a few days in Tromsø between xmas and New Year’s this year (flying back and forth from Oslo), but the prices were craaazyyy. It made us realize that you get a lot of bang for your buck with Hurtigruten!
    Anyway, we’d still love a few days in Tromsø at another time. How were the prices in January, were they alright?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you so much. I hope you can visit Tromso at another point – the prices in January were still expensive vs other places in Europe, but much more affordable than in December and across Christmas time thankfully!

      Liked by 1 person

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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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