Arctic Nature Tour with Northern Horizons – Tromsø, Norway

February 2024

Arctic Nature Tour with Northern Horizons – Tromsø, Norway

There are many day trip activities to choose from when visiting Tromso and the Arctic Circle. You can go fishing, whale watching, exploring fjords by boat or kayak, or by car, snowmobiling, dog sledding, skiing, and so much more.

Ultimately, we picked the Arctic Nature Tour with Northern Horizons for a few reasons. Being on the water this time of year was not appetizing and while whale watching season was finished by the time of our visit, we have been fortunate enough to be whale watching on previous trips. Exploring more on land was much more appealing to seeing the landscapes and hopefully wildlife sightings as well. We went with Northern Horizons as they are a very well rated and established company that also offers the use of thermal suits and boots. Our Northern Lights tour later in the trip was also through Northern Horizons and there is a 10% booking discount when booking multiple excursions. All that led us to selecting this Arctic Nature Tour. 

Our meeting spot was at the harbor, similar to all the executions in the area. The group waiting at the meeting point was quite large but I remembered reading online that the max number of people on any tour was 15. At pick up time, two large passenger vans appeared and the guides called out names to fill them out. We were in the second van with our guide, Michael. I figured the two vans would work in tandem but was surprised to learn that they do operate independently so it really does give a more personalized experience. 

Our guide Michael was great in showcasing the vast and beautiful landscape while educating us as well. He also took photographs during our trip that we got emailed to us the next day. While he drives, he also has a microphone so everyone in the van can hear him – definitely a huge plus cause you do not want to miss out on anything just because you are in the back of the van. We learned about the polar nights where the sun does not reach above the horizon and only in the last few days the sun has made it high enough in other nearby places for them to see the sun as well. We were lucky to have a gorgeous day that was not too cold and the sun was shining bright. Because of the location, Tromso and surrounding areas have microclimates that make the weather a bit unpredictable and ever changing, making forecasting challenging. But for us today, it was perfect. 

Our first stop was a twenty minute drive outside of Tromso to the western islands at Stakken. This beach with boat houses was absolutely stunning. We enjoyed taking so many photos of this picturesque landscape and seeing the sun beam down was just an added bonus. There was a gentleman that showed us a boat he was completing in one of the boat houses that is a traditional vessel that would have been made many years ago. This was such a great stop and so close to Tromso. 

Our guide took a bit of a detour before the next stop to take advantage of the sun so high in the sky, But on the way, he spotted a few reindeer chilling in a neighborhood, just like deer could be back home but far less skittish. Since no one else on the tour saw reindeer yet, Michael stopped for a brief snapshot of the reindeer before we continued on. 

We crossed a bridge to Håkøya and ventured down by the water. We spotted kayakers in the distance and could not believe people would kayak in this temperature. But when the weather is like this for a large majority of the year, you learn to operate all things regardless of the temperature. The water here is a straight and the water was exceptionally calm – like a mirror to the mountains above. 

We had a little bit of a drive to our next destination and the views were simply amazing. The mountains rose high into the sky with small houses peppering the base of them along the water. I cannot imagine what life is like for these people to live here. Before long, we made it to Ersfjord view point – one of the most famous fjords in this area. The view from this spot is quite spectacular so I can certainly agree with the popularity of it – it photographs quite well. 

Back to the van, we had an hour drive to the next stop and the views along the way continued to impress – these fjords are massive and create such beautiful scenery.

We made our way to Grotfjord where we would spend time and set up a camp, which again, no surprise was so beautiful. This area allowed us to get a great view of the water and how clear it was – it actually has a green hue that resembles that of a Caribbean water, just significantly colder. Michael set up a camp for us where we were given a “light lunch” as advertised though it was really more of a snack. We had three different hot beverage options to choose from – christmas tea, hot chocolate, and coffee – all of which had as many refills as we wanted. The cups used were styled in the traditional Sami cup, kuksa, which was a nice touch and actually very fun to drink out of. We were then offered lefse – one of Kevin’s favorite Disney World snacks that is found at the Norway pavilion. Lefse is a tortilla-like bread made from potatoes that has butter, cinnamon, and sugar inside. Then we were provided with another traditional Norwegian pastry – skolebrod – sweet bun with custard in the middle topped with icing and coconut flakes. Both were great but certainly this was not “lunch” so I would suggest Northern Horizon adjust the verbiage on the website so expectations are met – I was thankful we ate a large breakfast ahead of the excursion so it was not a bother to Kevin and I, and the pastries were delicious. 

After enjoying the view and our pastries, we hopped back in the van for a short drive to the Grotfjord beach. I can only imagine what it must be like here in the summertime. There is a sauna along the beach so people can enjoy a polar plunge and sauna experience that is quite trendy in the States right now.  It was also quite funny to see snow and ice along a beach. The views surrounding the beach line were out of a painting and it was a great stop to end our day.

The ride back to Tromso was about an hour long so we relaxed and even dozed off a bit while enjoying the ride and views before returning to town at 3PM. Here are Michael’s photos we were sent the next day:

We had a great experience on the Arctic Nature Tour with Northern Horizons and our guide, Michael. It was a relaxing day that was full of spectacular views. While it would have been great to spot more wildlife, that is nature doing its thing so nothing to be disappointed over. If you are into photography, this is definitely a great way to get some epic shots of the mountains and fjords. It was such an added treat to have photographs by our guide the next day. If you are thinking about adding this to your Tromso itinerary, I would recommend it! 

Continue reading about our trip to the Arctic Circle here!

Read all blog posts for Tromsø, Norway here!

See our complete itinerary here!

Planning your own trip? Read the Perfect Itinerary for Tromsø here!

Our complete packing list to the Arctic here!