Tromsø is touted as the Northern Lights capital of Norway, but as we’re always reminding people, there’s never any guarantee that you’ll see the Northern Lights. It’s a good thing, then, that it’s not just the Northern Lights that make Tromsø an excellent choice for a winter getaway. Between stunning fjords and the gorgeous Lyngen Alps, Arctic Norway is far from a barren polar tundra. And when it’s just too cold outside to bear it any longer, Tromsø is host to a bevy of the world’s northernmost things from the northernmost film festival to the northernmost aquarium. So pack some mittens and prepare for tons of fun in the Polar Night with these 5 things to do in Tromsø in winter.
1. Dog Sledding
There’s not much like bouncing in a sled with only the sound of puppy paws pitter-pattering on the snow. No matter how many times we’ve been dog sledding (nearly a dozen now), we’re always amazed at how much sled dogs enjoy running. It’s what they’re born to do and there’s hardly a better way to experience the Arctic wilderness.
Though snowmobiles offer some comforts like heated handle bars, the noise scares the wildlife off. Dog sledding just makes you feel more like one with nature. It’s not uncommon to spot reindeer, and if you’re really lucky, to see elk. Regardless of what wildlife you encounter, the Lyngenfjord is a breathtaking place to take in from a dog sled.
2. Reindeer Sledding with the Sami
Norway’s reindeer are all wild and roam freely, but they are also all owned by Sami people much like Jordan and Israel’s camels are all owned by Bedouins. Reindeer herding and moving about the Arctic was once the Sami’s only way of life, but these days they have permanent homes and share their story with lucky travelers.
Just outside Tromsø, you can experience the Sami culture on their rural farms. Seated upon warm reindeer furs in a sleigh, the reindeer pull you silently through the snow and, if you’re blessed with a cloudless night, with the Northern Lights dancing above.
After the sleigh ride, the Sami graciously invite you in to their lavvu. It’s a traditional Sami tent shaped similar to a Native American tipi and covered with reindeer skins. You’ll share a delicious meal of reindeer stew around the campfire as they explain what life is like as a Sami and sing traditional folk songs. Just never ask a Sami how many reindeer they own; it’s like asking someone how much money they make.
If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can even spend the night in a Sami lavvu. Away from Tromsø’s city lights is the best chance to see the Northern Lights.
The reindeer sledding tour leaves from Tromsø and lasts about 4 – 5 hours. You can also stay overnight in the lavvu on this overnight reindeer sledding tour.
3. Chasing the Northern Lights
Northern Lights dancing above Tromsø is a pretty regular occurrence, since the city is situated almost perfectly in the center of the Northern Lights oval. And when that green curtain shimmers across the sky, it’s nothing short of spectacular.
If you’ve never seen them before, going on a guided Northern Lights tour from Tromsø definitely isn’t a bad thing. The Northern Lights can appear in a range of colors from white-gray to vibrant greens, reds and purples. When they have lower activity, the Northern Lights can even appear like a wispy cloud to the naked eye.
10 Things No One Ever Tells You About the Northern Lights
The key to seeing the Northern Lights is to get outside of the city and away from the light pollution. Northern Lights tour guides know the best spots and can easily spot what you might not. The Arctic even experiences little micro-climates; guides and locals know where to go for clear skies and sightings.
You can connect with locals, as we did before our trip, who can give you excellent Norway local tips like the best spots to chase the Northern Lights and where to find the most picturesque backdrops. Some locals even offer private tours and professional photography instruction to help you capture gorgeous photos you’ll definitely want to show off.
4. Polaria
The Polaria is the world’s northernmost aquarium, though we’d more appropriately call it an Arctic experience center. The Polaria does have an aquarium and you’ll want to be there to see the daily 3:30pm bearded seal feeding, where researchers are on hand to answer questions while the playful seals gobble up all the fish that they can.
It also has a panoramic cinema, which shows a short film that explains the phenomenon of the Northern Lights (that you’ll hopefully witness in person on your trip). The museum addresses tough topics like how ice is melting in the Arctic, as well as the wildlife that calls our Polar regions home. It’s an experience not to miss for both kids and adults alike.
Polaria is open May – August from 10am – 7pm and September – May from 10am – 6pm. Seal feedings are at 12:30pm and 3:30pm in winter and at 12:30pm and 3pm in summer.
5. Visit the Northernmost Brewery in the World
We’re all about visiting the northernmost things in the world, like the northernmost wine cellar in Svalbard and the northernmost McDonald’s in Rovaniemi, Finland. So we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tour Mack Brewery, the world’s northernmost brewery.
A towering polar bear greets you in the pub, Ølhallen, which is the oldest pub in Tromsø and has 67 beers on tap. You can just hang out with the locals drinking beers (and this is definitely where they hang) or you can also join a guided tour of the brewery and bottling plant. Mack brews 18 different beers and is also the northernmost Coca-Cola bottling factory in the world. We think the 60 minute guided tour is worth it, especially for the generous tastings along the way and the souvenir personalized bottles of Mack beer you get to take home.
Guided tours of the Mack Brewery are available Monday – Saturday on request. Tours last 60 minutes are are 450 NOK per person. Email [email protected] to book.
Know Before You Go
The Flybussen Airport Express bus takes 15 minutes from the airport to the city center.
The Scandic also has an award winning breakfast buffet fit for Olympic athletes. Literally. It was designed in collaboration with the Norwegian Olympic Team and features foods to give you energy for a day out in the Arctic. I especially liked the yogurt bar where I could select a yogurt flavor and various granola and toppings to make a custom yogurt parfait. Every kind of fish fresh out of the Arctic waters was available including no less than five different kinds of caviar.
And if the views and the award winning breakfast weren’t enough to win us over, we returned to the hotel the day of my birthday to find a huge fruit basket and birthday card from the hotel.
Shop This Post
This article contains affiliate links. When you shop on Amazon or book on Booking.com and Viator through our affiliate sites, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Kate says
Tromso looks amazing! I can’t wait to explore Norway – from top to bottom!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Norway is such a gorgeous country! We need to get back to explore more of it ourselves.
Nicola says
We are heading to Tromso next month and this post has me even more excited than before! Thank you for including the information about the bearded seal feeding.. love those cuties! Safe travels!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Awesome! You’ll have a fantastic trip to Tromso, Nicola!
Kavey says
Ooh, great to know of other attractions of Tromso to the fabled Northern Lights viewing. My husband and I were booked to go a couple of winters ago with my parents, my sister and her husband on a boat trip starting and ending there, very much focused on Northern Lights. I ended up having to cancel as I broke my thumb the afternoon before and the Emergency department advised me against travelling. I was so gutted but in retrospect could never have coped with getting my winter gear and shoes on with a broken right thumb. And my poor family never saw Northern Lights the entire week. I’d like to try to go another time though, and great to have your tips on other sights to see there.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
It sounds like you just weren’t meant to go on that trip, Kavey. A broken thumb definitely wouldn’t have been fun to deal with. It’s not easy to get all your winter gear on when you have all ten fingers in good working order! You should definitely re-plan your trip because Tromso is fantastic. It’s always a crap shoot when it comes to the Northern Lights, but there is plenty of other things to do and make it a memorable trip.
Drew says
Tromso looks amazing. We’ve had a few friends head up there in the winter from London to chase the Northern Lights, and they all had great luck. It is nice though that the area offers more than just that attraction, just in case the timing doesn’t work out. Dog sledding, reindeer, an aquarium, and a brewery. All sounds good to me!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We always tells people to chose the destination based on other activities and not just because they might see the Northern Lights. There’s never any guarantee when it comes to the Northern Lights. Sometimes people see them every night for weeks at a time and other times there might be nothing for weeks at a time. All the other things to do make Tromso a great winter spot for possibly seeing the Northern Lights.
Fiona says
Like everyone, the Northern Lights are on my wishlist so thank you for the tips. Some fabulous other sights too!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We’ve seen the Northern Lights a bunch of times now, and they’re still on our wishlist! Definitely an amazing thing to experience.
Rashmi and Chalukya says
Wow, Norway is such a beautiful land. We are yet to try Dog Sledging sounds like so much fun. And the northern lights am sure it’s a dream for every traveler who hasn’t yet had a chance to witness the wonder.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Dogsledding is a lot of fun. I really recommend doing at least a full day tour to get the experience.
Cathy says
The Northern Lights are an incredible natural wonder that I’d love to see! It is nice that the area has more than just the Northern Lights just in case one doesn’t see them:)
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We always tell people to pick a Northern Lights destination based on the other activities available, because there is absolutely no guarantee you will see the Northern Lights.
Sabrina says
You experience looks so adventurous! Your pics of Tromso, sky, animals and landscapes make me wish I was there right now… despite my complicated relationship with the colp :-O
Jennifer Dombrowski says
The cold is worth is. Hand and feet warmers, plus a good coat, boots and gloves do wonders.
Elaine J Masters says
Nice post. It’s true about the lights but I love all your reasons for visiting Tromso. Norway is moving up in my list of destinations!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Norway is such a gorgeous country! One of these times we’ll make it there in summer when everything isn’t a scene straight out of Frozen.
Holly says
I keep hearing about how nice Norway is. I would love to try Dog Sledding and hopefully get lucky enough to see the Northern Lights there. Looks like such a beautiful place.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
It’s impossible not to fall in love with Norway! Definitely a must visit.
Trisha Velarmino says
The DOG SLEDDING tour is the most exciting tour for me after the seeing the Northern Lights. The area provided ambitious trails and great views. The dogs look crazy about running. I’m positive that it’s a very thrilling activity.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
The dogs get so excited! They’ll be howling and jumping over each other to go. And the moment you let your foot off the break, they go dead silent as they run. It’s what they were born and love to do.
Howard Barnett says
Hi, we are thinking of visiting Tromso in December this year. Is there lots of snow at this time of year and will we be able to do all the things you have mentioned?
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Howard,
It’s not very likely that there will be tons of snow in the city of Tromso in December. The first snowfall is usually in October, but it’s not cold enough for the snow to stick around on the city streets until the end of November. You’ll definitely be able to do everything we recommend! The days will be very short with just a little more than 4 hours of daylight. The long Polar nights give you many more hours for chances to see the Northern Lights.
Vicky and Buddy says
I think it’s so awesome that looks are so keen to help you find and photograph the northern lights. Seeing them for myself one day is really high up on my bucket list.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Locals are great and definitely keen you give you tips. They’re proud of their natural wonders and want you to experience them too.
wan says
Your excitement about dog sledding makes me want to try it! But I’m afraid of dogs ….
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I think snowbmobiling is probably a better activity for you then. Sled dogs are particularly excitable, so not great for people that are afraid of dogs.
Antonio says
Hi, I’m going to Tromso end of March for a few days. After that I’ll do some ski touring in the Lyngen Alps 🙂
I’ve seen the Northern Light before in Alaska a few years ago and it’s really astonishing. Would love to see it again 🙂
I’ll check for the dog sledding! Any other thoughts for an active guy to do in Tromso?
Thanks,
Antonio.
SAHIL KOCHHAR says
Hello everyone, I m sahil from INDIA. This article is indeed helpful. And am also planning to visit tromso specifically for witness northern lights. Please tell me which month is best time to go and all the details please. thank you.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Sahil,
You have the possibility of viewing the Northern Lights anytime from September – March, so you’ll want to plan your trip during that season. I think to set your expectations, you should have a look at our series: https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/northern-lights/
Jesslyn says
Hi there
We are a party of 3 and plan to arrive in Tromso on 6 Dec ’18 and leaving on 9 Dec ’18. We will be staying at the Lauklines Kystferie. Please advise where are you located and the various tours you have that we may book.
We would like to experience the following:
1) Viewing of Northern Lights
2) Husky Sledging
3) Sami Culture with Reindeer
4) Whale Watch
5) Northernmost Brewery
6) Polaria
Thanks.
Regards
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Jesslyn,
We’re an online travel magazine, not a tour agency. But you can book the things you saw on our site at the following links:
1. Northern Lights tour: it’s a small group tour and they’ll go all the way to the Finland border to look for a clear patch if needed. http://shrsl.com/z6hq
2. The husky sledging can be booked here: http://shrsl.com/z6io
3. The reindeer sledding with possible opportunity to also see the Northern Lights can be booked here: http://shrsl.com/z6ie
4. You can book whale watching here: http://shrsl.com/z6j3
5. You can email the Mack Brewery to book your guided tour. It’s near the Polaria in the city of Tromsø, so I’d recommend planning both of those activities on the same day. Details and the email address to book are here: http://www.mack.no/en/visit/#omvisning
6. You don’t need a tour for the Polaria and you don’t need to book in advance. It’s right in the city of Tromsø. Will you be renting a car? There’s parking there. Check the opening hours: http://www.polaria.no/
Lucelia says
Tromsø is just an amazing place!!! I want to come back again, actually I don’t to leave ?
And peaople are really friendly and kind!!!