February 2024
Visiting the Tromsø Ice Domes at Camp Tamok – Tromsø, Norway
Even though our trip to Tromso was short, I really wanted to squeeze in an overnight experience at Camp Tamok. This winter wonderland is located outside of Tromso and takes you into the Tamok Valley for an arctic wilderness experience. While there are many day trip options to visit Camp Tamok, something about the overnight option was very attractive, especially as it added another chance to see the Northern Lights.
During the afternoon of the second day of our stay, we gathered our backpacks and walked to the Ice Domes for our tour. As we walked by, we noted the reindeer for the Camp’s reindeer experiences and this was definitely disappointing and a bit depressing. These reindeer are in such a small enclosure so I would not recommend the reindeer experiences at the Camp – go to the Sami Reindeer Camp instead if you want to interact with the reindeer.
The Tromso Ice Domes are located just a few minutes walk away from Camp Tamok. When we arrived, we met the host at this side and confirmed we would board a bus back to Tromso here. We stored our bags at the lounge before joining a giant bus full of people for a tour of the ice domes.
The first room is a giant dining hall themed to Viking mythology. We wanted a short video projected onto the snow wall showing how it is built. Every year, the Ice Domes are rebuilt with a different theme for the carvings. In this dining hall, the tables and chairs were all made of solid ice.
After the introduction, we were sent into the next room for an ice shot of the berry currant beverage (non-alcoholic). The amount of people here was a bit intense so Kevin and I waited behind to let the masses go ahead and get their photos. We took our time through the rooms since we knew we had much more time than the group who had lunch in the dining room not too far in the future.
A giant ice sculpture of Thor’s hammer centered in a transition room to an ice bar. The ice bar had a giant snow carved dragon on one side then on the other side of the room had a giant Viking ship. We were the last ones to get our ice shot which was a fun little addition to the experience.
After that was a hallway full that extended down as the entryway to eight Ice Dome hotel rooms. Each had its own theme and intricately sculpted art featuring Viking mythology such as Oden, Thor, Loki, and more. Our personal favorite was a room with an ice fireplace with a light feature that made it appear that the fire was actually burning.
If you plan on staying in the ice domes, here are a few tips to make it a successful stay:
- The sleeping bags they provide are extremely warm so once we are tucked in, you will definitely be ok from a temperature perspective.
- While you may not need as many layers while in the sleeping bag, you will definitely want them when you leave the sleeping bag – which is the hardest part from a temperature perspective. PRO TIP: Stuff at least the next layer of clothing inside the sleeping bag with you while you sleep – this will keep them warm and then you can layer up before emerging from the sleeping bag. I know some even put their shoes inside the sleeping bag. Another approach is to get the hand / foot warmers and place those into items like shoes, gloves, hats, and pockets before going to sleep so they are still warm when you wake up.
- Make sure you use the bathroom right before you are ready to crawl into the sleeping bag – bathrooms are outside and require a short walk so do not un-bundle your layers until you know you are ready to get into the sleeping bag.
- There are no outlets so bring a power bank to plug your phone into at night to avoid draining your battery, especially in the cold.
- The biggest thing that freaks people out is not the cold but actually the silence – the snow is insanely insulating and it is eerily quiet. If this may bother you, bring a white noise machine or play something on your phone – again, why the power bank is an essential packing item for this overnight stay.
The group then was seated for their lunch of lamb stew while we returned to the lounge for a peaceful hour before boarding the bus back to Tromso.
I have to say, I could not imagine getting on a bus for 3 hours round trip just to see the Ice Domes. I think your time is better spent doing something else in the Tromso area. It was a great experience to fill our time before getting back on the bus to Tromso and would say to definitely do it if you are staying over.