February 2024
Perfect 4 Day Itinerary for the Arctic Circle – Tromsø, Norway
When I discovered Tromso earlier this year, I immediately felt a pull to this destination. Known as the Gateway to the Arctic, Tromso is located in the northern part of Norway and situated 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. This winter wonderland features numerous activities to enjoy the Arctic but it is most known for the high concentration of Northern Lights sightings. Due to the magnetic pull of the earth, Tromso is located where the northern magnetic pole ends, which means all that solar flare activity ends up dumping in and around Tromso so the probability of Aurora activity is higher than other destinations in the world. And Tromso is very accessible which has made it a top winter tourist destination – and luckily, Tromso is well equipped to serve that purpose. 2024 is predicted to be an epic year for Northern Lights!
Know Before You Go
- Despite being in the Arctic Circle, getting to Tromso is very accessible and the city is set up for tourism. We met people from all over the world and the diversity of places people were from that traveled to Tromso was very high. There are direct flights there from Oslo and other parts of Europe so it makes planning this trip quite easy.
- Most people travel here fully expecting to see the Northern Lights – read what expect when chasing the Northern Lights to make sure you are fully prepared, manage your expectations, and maximize your chances of success.
- Make sure if you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fee – highly recommend getting one if not – that will be fine for your trip. We did not take any cash out for our trip and tipping is not expected for dining or excursions. If you need cash, there are ATMs available for kroner (currency code NOK). For currency conversion, move the decimal place to the left one and that gets you close to USD value.
- While we learned how to say “thank you” in Norwegian (“tak”, or “tusen tak” which is “thank you very much”), everyone speaks English here due to the fact that tourist come from all over the world to visit Tromso and English is a common language. So if you know English, you will have no issues with the language in Tromso.
- Packing for the Arctic is critical – be smart with layers. Here is everything we packed in our carry on for this trip. If at all possible, avoid suitcases as the streets and side walks are covered in ice and many people struggled.
- It is essential that you book everything as early as you can when you decide on a trip to Tromso – including accommodations and most importantly, tours as tours are your primary source of seeing and doing things in Tromso. The majority of the activities here are tour driven. There are more accommodations than spots for excursions plus it is a cruise ship port so there is a lot of competition for tours. It is essential that you book these as far in advance as possible and many do have a reasonable cancellation policy. You will not be able to wing this trip as tour companies are booked for the winter season typically by the time of your visit so it is extended difficult to show up and try and book an excursion.
- Norway is expensive and Tromso is no exception. Going on this vacation is going to require accepting that and there are very few hacks on trimming dollars off of this vacation. The best you can do to save some money is book a cheap flight. Accommodations are in high demand. Food and drinks – especially alcohol – are notably more than you will be used to paying but one benefit is most tours and multi hours and provide a meal.
- Starting in 2025, if you are traveling international to any country in the Schengan Zone, you will have to complete a form prior to arrival, including a 7 euro application fee, for the ETIAS – European Travel Information and Authorization System.
When to Go
Tromso is a year-round destination so when you go depends on what you want to do. In the summer, the landscape is lush green for sightseeing and hiking, and in the middle of the season, you can be treated to the Midnight Sun – the sun that does not set. Our trip was in the winter time and that is what this perfect itinerary is focused on. In the winter, it is a snowy wonderland where in the middle of the season, there are Polar Nights where the sun does not rise. This itinerary will be for a winter trip where you can experience the Northern Lights and endless winter activities. Want to see the Northern Lights? You want to increase your chances by going when there is as much nighttime as possible which means avoiding the summer. You still have a chance of seeing the lights in the shoulder season of spring and fall but your highest chances lie in the winter months. A note when traveling in the winter months, icy roads and side walks are everywhere. Be extremely careful if you rent a car, and consider purchasing crampons for shoes. Many fall and break bones so take caution and snow shoes with good grip.
Where to Stay
Booking far in advance is the best way to have a chance of saving money on accommodations. Tromsø is not big and is an island that cannot magically expand to accommodate more tourists. Airbnb is going to be cheaper than traditional hotels. Since we were traveling in February, it was very important for us to be situated downtown for access to restaurants and cafes without needing to walk far in the freezing conditions. There is also an opportunity to have an overnight at Camp Tamok or the Tromso Ice Domes which provides a completely unique experience and increases your chances of seeing the Northern Lights. Also note that Tromso is a cruise port for several cruise lines so while these people are not competing for accommodations, they will be competing for excursions.
How to get Around
Tromso is small and everything is walkable downtown. The airport is fifteen minutes away and you can get downtown by public bus, airport shuttle bus, or taxi service. Once downtown, taxis circle around constantly but most people rely on the public transportation when they cannot walk to their destination of interest. When it comes to excursions, bus loads of people are shuttled in and out of the town constantly and the meeting spot for these tours is at the harbor. So as long as you have access to the harbor, you will have no issues getting to and from your tour meetings points.
What is There to Do?
There is so much to do when visiting the Arctic Circle and specifically Tromsø. And pretty much everything you want to do is going to be done by booking a tour. Our itinerary was extremely packed with some days having back to back excursions so our free time to explore on this trip was limited. Here is what you need to know:
- Booking your tours as soon as you know you are going on this trip is essential. There are more accommodations than spots for excursions plus it is a cruise ship port so there is a lot of competition for tours. More tour companies have opened but the quality of the experience may not be as desirable as the established ones. Use reviews to help select the tour companies. It is essential that you book these as far in advance as possible and many do have a reasonable cancellation policy. You will not be able to wing this trip as tour companies are booked for the winter season typically by the time of your visit so it is extended difficult to show up and try and book an excursion.
- Make sure your evening activities increase your Aurora chances by booking excursions that are outdoors and away from light pollution. Booking a northern lights tour every night is not practical but you do want to keep your chances open every night. Pick some activities that overlap with the nighttime to increase your chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Read what expect when chasing the Northern Lights for more tips.
- You spend a lot of time in the bus or van so be mindful of how much of your vacation you want to do. Most tours are at least a 30 minute drive on way and some can be up to two hours. For us, this time is also a great opportunity to catch up on sleep. The views while driving around the area are quite stunning so you will certainly get to enjoy the scenery while driving around the fjords and countryside.
- While the excursions transport bus loads of people, the experiences themselves are often in smaller groups so do not be worried that the entire bus will be fighting for the activity. Often times the places you are being transferred to offer several activities that people could be booked for. For the tours in vans, they seat up to 17 people so when you arrive at a meeting stop with 50 people, multiple sprinter vans will arrive then operate independently with a guide.
- The harbor is the meeting spot for all the tour companies to shuttle people in and out of Tromso so as long as your accommodation is located centrally to here, you will be in good shape, especially for early departing tours and tours that return very late at night such as the Northern Lights.
- Excursions are expensive. The cost generally includes a guide or host, the transportation to and from Tromso, and then the activity itself. Transportation needed to charter these buses to shuttle people back and forth continuously, especially in the bad weather and where the roads are constantly covered in ice and snow during the winter season.
Tromsø
- Downtown – shops, cafes, Tromsø Cathedral with the midnight concerts, library
- Museums – The Polar Museum, The Troll Museum
- Walking across the Tromsø Bridge
- Arctic Cathedral
- Fjellheisen Cable Car
Tours of the Fjords, Nature, and Wild life
- Arctic Nature Tour
- Boar tours of the fjords
- Whale Watching (season November to January)
- Fishing
- Sami Reindeer Camp
- Northern Lights Tour
Snow Activities
Visit Camp Tamok – Camp Tamok is a great way to experience multiple winter activities and have a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Since it is a 90 minute journey from Tromso, I would only recommend going to Camp Tamok if you are staying overnight because it consumes so much time of driving to and from there. If you do visit, do not do the reindeer experiences at Camp Tamok – go to the Sami Reindeer Camp instead. If your trip permits, consider booking an overnight at Camp Tamok – we had such a fun time!
What to Eat
When you are visiting Tromso, you will most likely be booking a few tours to experience the Arctic Circle. Many tours include food due to their long duration – many are five hours or more. So for us, we had at least one if not two tours booked a day for our 4 days in Tromso so we did not have many opportunities to eat out. The tours typically offer traditional Nordic food as well so you will have the chance to try it and then focus on other meals when in town. While I originally thought this may have been a way to save money on food, it ended up being essential that we ate prior to all of the tours due to the late time in the tour in which we were given food and the small quantity of food we were given. Due to the influx of people in Tromso, reservations for dinner are especially important to ensure you have a place to eat. On our last night and only spot we had a proper sit down meal, we watched countless people walk in and get turned away if they did not have reservations.
These are the spots I would recommend checking out based on our visit and other spots I would have liked to have dined at if we had more time:
- Coffee Shops and Cafes: Riso, Kaffenbonna, Smortorget, Tollefsen
- Casual Restaurants: Mallhallen, Bubba Foodbar, Bardus, Art Cafe Bistro, Full Steam
- Fine Dining: Restaurant Smak, Fiskekompaniet
- Breweries: Olhallen
Itinerary
This winter itinerary works very well as a stand alone trip or as part of a loner trip exploring the Arctic Circle. There is so much to see so if you have more time to explore, I highly recommend it! You can mix and match days or double up in activities you really want to do. When making our trip, pick some activities that overlap with the nighttime to increase your chance of seeing the Northern Lights. And keep in mind this critically important tip – Sunday’s in Tromso and Norway in general are very quiet. Most places are closed – even supermarkets are closed throughout the country on Sundays – and those that are open have limited hours. My suggestion is to plan one of your longer excursion days for Sunday so you are our of Tromso. We struggled to find places to eat and every bakery that was open (many were not) we went to for a pastry – even the 7/11 – was completely out. I would have re-arranged our trip if I had known Sundays were like this ahead of our trip.
| Day 1 | Arrive in Tromsø Explore downtown Tromsø |
| Transfer for Camp Tamok Overnight in Camp Tamok Night activity of choice – we recommend Snowmobile Experience | |
| Day 2 | Camp Tamok Morning activity of choice – we recommend Dog Sledding Experience Visit Tromso Ice Domes Transfer to Tromsø |
| Night activity of choice: Northern Lights Tour or Sami Reindeer Camp | |
| Day 3 | Tours of the Fjords, Nature, or Wildlife – we selected Arctic Nature Tour |
| Night activity of choice – Northern Lights Tour or Sami Reindeer Camp | |
| Day 4 | Snow Activity of Choice – we selected Cross Country Skiing |
| Depart |