Tromsø is gaining popularity recently as a winter travel destination, and for very good reason. Situated high above the arctic circle, it offers a surprisingly moderate climate for its geography and a comfortable winter experience with so much to do and so many beautiful sights to see. I visited in January 2025 with my father, and I want to share some of the highlights of the trip in case you are planning your own trip to Tromsø in the near future (or maybe this post will inspire you to add it to your bucket list).
Best Activities to Do in Tromsø
Northern Lights Tour
It goes without saying that if you are visiting Tromsø in the winter, this is likely the main reason that inspired your journey to this part of the world. Because of its location within the Arctic circle, winter in Tromsø is one of the best destinations in the world for viewing the aurora. A few tips and recommendations when it comes to the best viewing experience:
- Take a guided tour – You may be thinking if the aurora is simply up in the sky for all to see for free, why spend the money for a guided bus tour? There are many reasons for this. While Tromsø’s location is perfect for viewing the aurora, the weather is another story. It can be very unpredictable and rapidly changing, and cloud cover in the city can inhibit your viewing experience. The guided tours are run by people who do this for a living, so they are experts in tracking the predicted cloud cover in certain areas, and will drive you wherever you need to go on a certain night for optimal viewing conditions. Second, if you travel all the way to Tromsø and only try to view the northern lights from within the city itself, you will be very disappointed as the light pollution prevents optimal viewing. There are many highly rated tour companies that all offer similar viewing experiences, but I can highly recommend Chasing Lights (we did the Big Bus Tour, but if you are willing to spend a bit more, the smaller group experience may allow for quicker movements and accessing places where the bigger busses can’t travel).
- Go on the first night of your trip – It might be tempting to “save the best for last,” and end your trip with a bang by saving the northern lights chase for the final night. However, the aurora is a product of nature, and like anything else in nature, this means it is unpredictable and never 100% guaranteed on any given night. For this reason, it is generally much better to take the northern lights chase towards the beginning of the trip (on the first night if possible). This allows you to try again on subsequent nights if you happen to be unsuccessful on the first attempt, or to book again for another night if you enjoyed it so much the first time.
- Don’t worry too much about the weather – As mentioned above, the guided tours are led by experts who have a great knowledge of the weather patterns in the area, as well as the determination to drive anywhere necessary for the best viewing experience. Even if it’s cloudy or snowing in Tromsø, the tour will likely go on, and odds are there will be some clear patches of sky somewhere in the area where the aurora will be visible. There was very heavy snow in Tromsø the night of our tour, which would have made viewing the aurora from the city impossible, yet with the bus tour we were able to drive about 2 hours outside of Tromsø to get amazing views of the aurora dancing across the night sky (see picture above).
Whale Watching
Tromsø was my first whale watching experience, and I must say it was truly incredible to see these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. Be advised that due to the changing migration patterns of the whales in recent years, the travel time by boat to get to the whale viewing spots is long (about 3-4 hours in each direction), so this is a full day activity (most tours advertise about 8-10 hours on their sites). If you have the time to fit it into your travel itinerary, I can’t recommend it enough. According to the guides on the tour that we took (Brim Explorer), there are chances to see many different species of whales, with the most common sightings being Sperm Whales and Orcas (at least one of the two species they spot almost daily), and less common sightings like humpback whales (about once a month). On our tour, we were lucky to see about 10-15 different sperm whales, including their recognizable tails protruding from the water during their dives to great depths (the deepest of any marine mammal at around 1000-2000 meters, or 3300 to 6600 feet below sea level). The tour operators claim there is about a 95-98% of seeing whales on your tour, but like the northern lights, nature can be unpredictable. However, I believe this is still a great activity for your time in Tromsø because even in the rare event of not spotting any whales, this tour doubles up as a fjord cruise, taking you through the scenery of northern Norway that is truly breathtaking at every turn, especially with the pink and orange hues of the polar night sky.
Snowmobiling
Another activity that we did on our trip that I can highly recommend is a snowmobiling adventure. There are a number of tour operators in Tromsø, so it’s very easy to book a tour that includes bus transport from Tromsø, with a pick up point right in the middle of the city. There are a variety of options as far as the destination goes, mostly choosing between snowmobiling in the Lyngen Alps (in Norway, a bit closer to Tromsø) or in Finnish Lapland (a bit further of a drive from Tromsø). For our snowmobiling adventure, we opted for the Finnish Lapland tour (which also visited the three nations border between Norway, Sweden, and Finland as the destination on the snowmobile ride itself), but if you prefer more of a mountainous backdrop, you may prefer the Lyngen Alps. It is very important to book early as there are limited spaces available and the better tours tend to fill up quickly. If you are traveling alone, and/or prefer to drive your own snowmobile, Chasing Lights Lapland tour is one of the few that allows you to book your own snowmobile (at a more expensive rate of course), but most companies force you to share with one other person, even if you are traveling alone, so this tour is a great option if you don’t want to share.
As for the tour itself, this was again an all day excursion due to the driving distance to Finland (a little over 2 hours), and then a few hours on the snowmobiles. The sights were incredible, despite the negative 25 celsius temperatures. However, the frigid temps gave it the true Finnish Lapland experience, and the gear provided by the Company was more than sufficient to keep warm even on this bitterly cold day (just be sure to bring a pair of warm gloves that you can wear underneath the mittens that they provide, as the mittens are meant to be extra protection, not the only protection).
Snowshoe Hiking
There are so many different possible activities you can do during your time in Tromsø, but for me the last one to round out the trip and knock off the bucket list was a guided snowshoe hike. This was again something I had never done before, and can highly recommend for a day in Tromsø. Wandering Owl offers a great tour that includes the necessary gear and transport to and from Tromsø. The day included a hike through a beautiful winter wonder landscape (gradually uphill, suitable for most people), photos at the top, and a warm snack and refreshment at a picnic stop where we stopped for a quick rest on the way back from the hike. If you’ve never been snowshoeing before, I would definitely recommend this tour. If you have been snowshoeing independently, you may find the pace of the hike a bit slow and structured if you are used to exploring untouched terrain at your own pace.
Other Things to Do and See:
Fjellheisen
A must do in Tromsø, this cable car will take you to the top of Storsteinen (mountain overlooking Tromsø) for incredible views of Tromsø, as well as the surrounding mountains and fjords. The views are truly breathtaking, and pictures do not at all do it justice. I believe anytime of the day would be gorgeous, as the pink and orange hues of the polar night sky do not disappoint, but we went early in the morning (as soon as it opened around 9AM). We basically had the place to ourselves (which is rare as the lines can get very long midday and in the afternoon) and were able to peacefully watch the “sunrise” (not an actual sunrise, but the sky gradually getting lighter and more colorful). Then you can enjoy the views from the mountaintop cafe with a warm mug of coffee or hot coco when they open at 10AM.
Ishavskatedralen
This is a very beautiful cathedral with gorgeous stained glass and unique architecture, designed to look like the snowcapped mountains in the backdrop of Tromsø. We did not go inside during our visit, but it is beautiful to admire from the outside. This is best done in combination with Fjellheisen (see above), as it is right on the way from the city (or way back). I recommend taking the bus from Tromsø center to Ishavskatedralen if you don’t want to walk too far, and then you can walk the rest of the way from the church to the bottom of the lift at Fjellheisen. This is easier as the buses to the church are much more numerous, but there is only one bus route that will take you directly to Fjellheisen so you might be waiting a while if you don’t time it correctly.
Ølhallen
A great place for beer aficionados or those who just want to appreciate a bit of history, this pub is part of the Mack Brewery and is the oldest pub in Tromsø (opened in 1928). Mack is Tromsø’s flagship beer, and the self proclaimed northernmost brewery in the world (didn’t fact check but seems believable given Tromsø’s geography). Ølhallen is a great place to escape the harsh winter weather and warm up with a pint of beer. There are an overwhelming 72 taps here, so plenty of choices for all tastes.
Restaurants
Finally, I wanted to highlight a few of the restaurants we visited during our trip, as the food and service were exceptional, and a visit to any or all of these restaurants will hopefully be a highlight of your trip (it was for us).
Fiskecompaniet
Some of the best seafood I’ve ever had, fresh and delicious from the surrounding fjords and ocean in Tromsø. Highly recommend the 6 course set menu. Taste, presentation, service, etc. are all 10/10 in my opinion.
Casa Inferno – delicious Italian style pizza, with the namesake pizza being a spicy Diavola type that is served on fire.
Burgr – Super Mario themed burger joint for a more relaxed meal (easier on the budget than Fiskecompaniet as well), but no shortage of flavor.
Koseverden and Koselig Cafe – great place for brunch, omelettes are amazing and coffee is very good as well.