Tromso is a treasure of a city, nestled on an island surrounded by mountains and fjords. In winter it feels like something out of a dream, when the days are dark or twilight blue, a pastel pink light glows on the snow, and white lights glow in every window of downtown buildings. As the Gateway to the Arctic and hub for Arctic adventure tours, there’s a lot you can pack into your stay. Here are some ideas for what to do in Tromso on a winter break.
Table of Contents
Getting the balance right for your visit to Tromso
As mentioned in my blog Travel Planning a Tromso city break in winter to see the Northern Lights, you are spoilt for choice with activity tours in Tromso. Hopefully you have booked a handful of tours which suit your priorities, leaving plenty of time for exploring downtown Tromso.
Weather – the other factor to consider for your itinerary in Tromso is the weather – you could have three glorious days of crisp, cold, clear skies, or you could have snow blizzards, wind and everything in-between. Somethings are just not fun in the cold and wet, so try to keep your itinerary as flexible as possible so that you can respond to changes in the weather.
If the weather’s bad, you might want to rethink what to do in Tromso and explore more of the museums where it’s warm and dry. For advice on how to keep warm whilst you explore Tromso, check out my blog What to pack for a trip to Tromso in winter.
Subject to weather conditions, here’s my suggested itinerary for what to do in Tromso on a 3-day stay in winter:
Day 1
Morning – Arctic Cathedral and Fjellheisen Cable Car
A lovely thing to go on your first morning is to head out to the Arctic Cathedral and Fjellheisen Cable Car, both across Tromso Bridge from downtown Tromso. Allocate around 2-2.5 hours for the round trip (public transport allowing).
Note – if you’re visiting in winter then it will be completely dark until around 9.30am to 10.00am, so you can afford to have a leisurely breakfast before venuring outdoors to explore.
In good weather, if you wanted to get your steps in, you could walk across Tromso Bridge to the Arctic Cathedral immediately over the bridge.
Alternatively, you can catch the Number 26 public bus from various places in downtown over the bridge to the Arctic Cathedral. You can buy bus tickets on the Svipper App – either single adult tickets for 48 NOK (£3.60) or a day pass for 133 NOK(£9.84), 2026 prices.
There is also a Fjellheisen Shuttle Bus which departs daily from the Tourist Shop Tromso Harbour and stops at the Arctic Cathedral but is it more expensive than the public bus.
Arctic Cathedral (or Tromsdalen Church)
The first thing to say is that the Arctic Cathedral is not actually a cathedral, but a church. Whilst there are two official cathedrals in Tromso (one Anglican and one Catholic) this is not one of them – it’s just a nickname!
Tromsdalen Church was consecrated on 19 December 1955. It stands in a prominent position overlooking Tromsøya island and can be easily seen from downtown as you look across the water, particularly when illuminated. Apparently, the design is based on a mountain near Sommeroya (Summer Island).
The church has concrete side panels which reach all the way down to the ground and are lit up by fluorescent tubes which look striking against the snow and the twilight of the Polar Night.
It costs 90 NOK (£6.67) to enter the Church. The inside of the church is relatively plain with white walls and warm wooden pews. However, this helps to direct your attention to the incredible triangle of stained glass at the back of the church. The stained-glass piece designed by Viktor Sparre features ‘the return of Christ in Glory’ and is 23 meters high.
Whilst inside the church, I could hear someone playing the organ but couldn’t see the church organ anywhere. It was not until I walked towards the stained-glass window and turned around that I could see the organ in a raised position above the front end of the church. Very impressive.
Fjellheisen Cable Car
Pick up the Number 26 bus again from the bus stop outside the Arctic Cathedral and continue to the cable car getting off at the Fjellheisen stop (along with everyone else!).
The Fjellheisen cable car is regularly near the top of What to do in Tromso lists, however, be warned – the cost of taking the cable car to the top of Mount Storsteinen is extortionate at 595 NOK for a return ticket (£44.00 per Adult return). It’s only a 4-minute ride to the top of the world’s northernmost cable car.
That said, the view from the top of the Fjellheisen Cable Car is priceless!
We bought our ticket on arrival and queued up to catch the cable car to the top, which didn’t take too long as the queue was constantly moving. A bigger issue was the number of ‘Tik Tokkers’ at the top, all lined up outside the Cafe filming videos of themselves, rather than enjoying the view (just saying!).
You can stroll along the mountain side to a viewing area and soak in the views which are incredible. We enjoyed soft pink light in the skies to the east and a golden, peachy glow to the west. Set out below us was a picture postcard view of downtown Tromso in the snow
The cable car runs from 9.00am until midnight, so you can visit later in the day to enjoy a different view – the city lit up against the night sky, and you might even catch some Northern Lights as well.
Catch the Number 26 bus back onto Tromsøya island for lunch downtown.
Lunch – HAV Sushi & Ramen
If you’re going on a Northern Lights tour in the early evening, then it might be a good idea to seek out a decent lunch at this point. As it turns out, Tromso is a food lover’s dream and there are many good places to enjoy a good lunch.
I recommend heading to HAV Sushi and Ramen Restaurant on the harbour. The quality of the fish and menu options was outstanding. We enjoyed the most delicious sushi (salmon, tempura prawn and mango) and Ramen (snow crab Ramen). I could have happily eaten there every day!
Afternoon – Explore Tromso harbour (Havn)
After lunch, if you’re wondering what to do in Tromso for an hour, take a stroll around the harbour (havn) area:
- Waterfront – from Restaurant HAV walk east along the waterfront.
- Seafarers’ Museum (upstairs in the Full Steam building) – pop into this small museum which has a Northern Lights exhibition. Note the small white boat outside which looks like a tugboat from children’s story ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’. This is a boat used to teach the school kids about water safety.
- Polar Museum – continue to the Polar Museum to learn more about this Arctic region. Check out the sculpture of Roald Amundsen, the famed Norwegian polar explorer, and a cute walrus outside the Museum.
- Arctic Murals – look for Arctic related murals tucked away through the area. We spotted murals of sea gulls, an Arctic explorer, and orca whale.
- Gateway to the Arctic Ocean (Porten til Ishavet) – from the Polar Museum, cross the illuminated bridge and turn right until you reach this fantastic arched sculpture in a prominent position below the Tromso Bridge with a view across the water to the Arctic Cathedral:
- The mosaic covered arch was made by local female artist Marit Bockelie, who was 92 years old when the piece was installed.
- If you position your camera shot correctly, then you can capture the Arctic Cathedral through the archway for a lovely photograph.
- Note – look out for more mosaics around Tromso as they are likely to have been made by Marit. We spotted a beautiful one on the side of a building near the Sami Shop – it’s called North Kiss and conveys the feeling of the sun on your face when you’ve not been able to enjoy the sun for many months during the Polar Night period.
- Red Hearts – make sure you spot the red hearts hanging across Skansegata to the side of The Dock 69° 39 Hotel as they are very pretty.
Pre-Northern Lights Tour
Downtime – as you’re going to be out for the whole evening today, then you might appreciate a quiet hour back at your accommodation to recharge your phones, camera batteries, and yourselves.
Word of caution – now is not the time to hit the bars and start drinking as there are no toilet facilities whilst you are on the Northern Lights Tour!
Evening – Northern Lights Tour
As mentioned in my blog What to expect on a Northern Lights photography tour in Tromso, Norway, try to book onto a Northern Lights safari tour on your first night in Tromso. Then, if the Aurora doesn’t make an appearance, or if the weather’s not good, you have two more nights of possibility to see the Northern Lights.
We booked the Tromso: Northern Lights Pioneer Tour with Photos Included through Get Your Guide.
Typically, the Northern Lights tours will leave from outside a hotel in downtown Tromso at either 5.30pm or 6.30pm, and you will then be out all night, so make sure you have eaten early.
You could be back at your hotel by midnight if the Aurora is visible from the start of your trip. However, sometimes, if the Aurora is not immediately visible, your tour may go on longer as you drive around searching for the lights, so then a 1am or 2am finish might happen.
Hopefully you will be going to bed at the end of Day 1 happy with some Aurora sightings under your belt.
Day 2
Morning – Arctic Fjords Tour (Sommeroya and Kvaloya)
When you’re out and about on a Northern Lights safari, you won’t see much of the incredible scenery in the Tromso area when it’s dark. So, my suggestion of what to do in Tromso on Day 2 is to book a tour of the Arctic Fjords and neighbouring islands so that you can see the magic scenery in whatever light is available.
Check out my blog Why a tour of the Tromso Fjords in winter is unmissable for details of what to expect on the following tour which we booked on Get Your Guide.
Afternoon – Pust Sauna
You should be back in Tromso downtown by mid-afternoon after your Arctic Fjords tour, so 4.00pm would be a good time for a one-hour session at the Pust Sauna in Tromso Harbour. They have two sauna areas:
- The Original (Quiet) Sauna – one hour for 360 NOK (£26.00)
- Lavvo Sauna (inspired by a traditional Sami lavvo) – one hour for 360 NOK (£26.00).
So, if you want to chat to your fellow visitors, then book the Lavvo Sauna, as the Original one is a silent sauna. Then, heat up before braving a dip in the arctic waters. Note – we were told that the water in the Tromsoysundet Strait doesn’t get below 4 degrees due to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream – try it and see!
Don’t forget to pack your costume and towel.
Evening – Dinner at Nitty Gritty
Assuming that you are not booking a second Northern Lights safari tour, then tonight is the night to enjoy a leisurely meal in Tromso. Whilst there are lots of options, my suggestions would be to:
- Start with a pre-dinner cocktail at Bardus Bar which offers a great menu of cocktails in a cosy wooden bar, before eating at Bardus Bistro.
- Alternatively, head 3 minutes along Storgata to the restaurant Nitty Gritty, a Bar and Grill restaurant using an open grill and BBQ techniques.
Day 3
Morning – Sightseeing in downtown Tromso
Take this morning to explore more of Tromso downtown. Ideas for what to do in Tromso include:
- Tromso Cathedral – admire the second largest wooden church in Europe dating to the 1800s (the largest one being found in Finland). The branches of the trees in front of the Cathedral are full of white and red illuminated hearts. If you fancy a late night, the Cathedral hosts Midnight Concerts during the Polar Night period – you need to book tickets for these events.
- Storgata – stroll along Tromso’s main pedestrian street to shop for souvenirs such as Norwegian fishermen’s jumpers, trolls and gnomes.
- Polar Certificate – pick one up from the Tourist Office on Storgata to celebrate your visit to the Arctic Circle (200 NOK)
- Tromso Library – pop into the library, not to take out a book, but to admire the wonderful modern architecture.
- Stortorget – look at the pieces of artwork in the main square of Tromso. There are letters spelling TROMSO on the pavement in front of ‘the rocket’ (see below).
- Raketten Bar & Polse – sample a Reindeer Hot Dog from the ‘world’s smallest bar’. This was once a newspaper stand which now sells reindeer, beef and vegan hot dogs, glogg (hot wine) beer and hot chocolate. It is one of the most photographed sights in Tromso, usually with a queue outside in winter. Raketten means ‘rocket’ in Norwegian.
- Perspektivat (Perspective) Museum – for stories about living in the north via art and photography.
Lunch – Cafe hopping in Tromso
There are so many cosy cafes in Tromso that you could spend all morning hopping from one to another. It’s part of the culture here to stop for coffee and cake (kaffee og kake) and take a break from the cold outside.
Cafe options include: Svermeri Kafe, Kaffebonna, Pust Cafe, Riso Kaffe, Vervet Bakeri, Smortteorget and many, many more.
The pastries are out of this world – waffles, enormous cinnamon buns, Skolebrod (custard buns) or, my personal favourite, delicious cardamon buns.
Alternatively, visit the World’s most northerly MacDonalds if that floats your boat. Along with your food order, you can purchase a postcard featuring its claim to fame.
Afternoon – Huskies, Reindeers or Walking Tour
If you book a husky sledding tour or visit a Sami reindeer farm, then you can easily fit this into an afternoon. The husky tours tend to be the first to book up, so plan ahead to do this.
Walking tour – if you don’t fancy an animal encounter then you could book a walking tour to learn more about Tromso from a local. I would recommend this tour booked through Get Your Guide. The guide Kristoffer is fantastic.
Note – if you want to take a Whale Watching tour then it might take up the best part of your third day as apparently it is a 3-hour drive to the boat departure point and 3 hours back, plus whale watching time. If that’s your priority, however, plan it in!
Evening – Book a table at Fiskekompaniet
One of the best restaurants in Tromso is Fiskekompaniet offering fresh shellfish on the harbour. You will need to book your table here in advance as it regularly sells out.
Not ready for your evening to end yet? Then head to Balthazar wine bar (Balthazarvinbar) on Storgata for a tipple or two.
If beer is more your thing, you can enjoy a visit to Olhallen, the world’s northernmost brewery.
Note – try not to be tempted by the gimmicky and pricey Magic Ice Bar. Much better and more authentic to enjoy a drink in one of the cosy bars in town.
Final thoughts....
There’s so much more that I could have included for suggestions of what to do in Tromso, such as, the Botanical Garden, Polaris or the Arctic University Museum of Norway. However, they didn’t make my suggested itinerary as they would have taken large chunks of time out of the 3 days. Save them for next time….
If you’re aware of the Danish and Norwegian concept of Hygge (pronounced “hoo-guh”) then you’ll know it’s about embodying coziness as a means of promoting happiness and reducing stress. For me, Tromso was hygge in a city – it has a cosyatmosphere, warm lighting and endless options for comfort eating cakes, glogg (hot wine) and hot chocolates.
Whilst I’m sure living in Tromso must have its stressors, like living anywhere in the world, it left me with a wholesome feeling.
Takk Tromso!
Thank you so much for reading my blog, I hope you found it useful?
For more stories, itineraries, and advice, check out my Related Posts and sign up to receive my blogs by email.
If you have a blog-related question, please do ask in the Comments box and I’ll try to help…
Request please – if you use my photos, then please credit Love Travel Planning on your social media or give me a shout out on Instagram @lovetravelplanning as I am growing my website. Huge thanks.
Enjoy your travels!
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.