21 Magical Things to Do in Tromsø in Winter (2026-2027)

Tromsø in winter stuns and sparkles: a lively city center, best seen in the glittering freshly-fallen snow, and hopes to see glimpses of the aurora winding overhead.

There’s no shortage of charms this Arctic City, aptly nicknamed “The Paris of the North” for its cultural prominence as well as its plethora of winter activities, has to offer.

You’d think a wintry city near the top of the world, above the Arctic Circle, would be rather sleepy, but Tromsø proves otherwise with a bustling scene any time of year, and even moreso in its winter months.

Depending what month you visit Tromsø, the daylight changes wildly, including a period of polar night and plenty of snowfall!

Whereas in Svalbard, this lasts months, in Tromsø, polar night is a 6-week period where the sun never reaches above the horizon, from November 27th to January 15th each year.

I know from many winters wrestling SAD that I wanted to be able to have a bit of sunlight to my days, so I planned my Tromsø winter trip for early February, and honestly, it was perfect.

In fact, I loved it so much that I returned to Tromsø again a few years later (and wrote this post specifically about visiting Tromsø in February as I think it’s the best time of year to visit).

I’ve gathered 30 incredible things to do in Tromso in winter, but I know that may be overwhelming for some people who have a limited amount of time in Tromso.

Therefore, I’ve structured the post to list my top 10 favorite things to do in Tromso first, then I break it into extra Tromso activities — foodie, cultural, and adventure — which you can add to your Tromso bucket list as you see fit.

If you want to see how this looks spread over a period of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 days, check out this 1-5 day Tromso itinerary for the winter.

Outdoorsy & Adventurous Things to Do in Tromsø in Winter

Chase the Northern lights with experts

Of course, the main reason people visit Tromso in the winter is for a chance of glimpsing the magical Northern lights!

However, it’s not quite as easy as you’d think. You may imagine that the Northern lights swirl overhead like a never-ending light show going on all night… yet unfortunately, that is very rarely the case.

I was lucky enough to see the Northern lights three times during my week in Tromso: a tiny, minute glimpse on a night sailing tour, once from my Airbnb in Tromso, and a wild show on my Northern lights minibus tour (I went with this company).

I highly recommend this tour for several reasons! For one, they truly went above and beyond to ensure we got to see the Northern lights properly, which meant driving all the way past the Finnish border and setting up camp in the one place that didn’t have cloud cover.

We stayed for quite a while, eating fire-roasted sausages (reindeer, pork, and vegan options) while sitting on reindeer pelts out in the snow. We drank cocoa and coffee to keep warm by the fire as we waited for the Northern lights to resume their dance.

Every so often, the guide would call out to us that the lights had returned and were dancing again in the sky.

I’ll be honest: you can try seeing the Northern lights on any selection of tours, like dog sledding and reindeer sledding tours.

Book this Tromsø Northern lights chasing tour here — they have a 98% success rate!

That said, I did several night activities hoping I’d get a glimpse of the lights, and on almost all of them, I had a fantastic time doing the activity but saw (almost) no lights.

So if the Northern lights are on your Norway winter bucket list, don’t settle for anything less than a true Northern lights tour or you might end up disappointed.

Go dog-sledding with an enthusiastic team of huskies

Dog sledding is my favorite thing in the world! I first tried it in Abisko when I visited in the winter of 2016, and I couldn’t wait to do this on my trip to Tromso this winter.

It’s truly a breathtaking and spectacular experience, one that’s a lot more work than it seems if you opt for the self-driving experience! Since I loved my driving my own dog sled in Abisko, so I knew that was the way I wanted to go in Tromso, too.

This daytime self-driving tour was far and away one of the best dog sledding experiences I’ve done anywhere!

I did try a few other tours, including a nighttime dog sledding tour where I just sat in the sled and a guide mushed it, but I didn’t like the experience nearly as much.

For me personally, I had more fun self-driving — it’s more active and the rush of wind at your face as you help your dogs traverse the terrain with the sled is just incredible.

If you prefer a musher-led tour because you’re a bit afraid to drive your own sled or if you are traveling with young kids, there are a few options.

This is the one that I recommend near Tromsø, and it welcomes kids aged 3+.

Go whale watching in the waters outside of Tromso

Whale watching in Tromso is atop many people’s Tromsø bucket lists… but there’s a lot to consider when planning whale watching as part of a Tromsø itinerary.

First thing to consider is when in winter you are going. If you are visiting Tromsø in November through January, you are incredibly likely to see whales on your whale watching tour (considering that this is an open ocean experience, so there are no true guarantees)

Another thing to consider is the significant time investment that whale-watching in Tromsø requires. The whales used to feed in the Tromsø fjords, but now they no longer go there, and instead go to Skjervøy… which is about a 3 to 4-hour boat ride from Tromsø.

The seas on the way to Skjervøy can be very rough, so if you are like me and are prone to seasickness, I highly recommend this tour where you take a bus to Skjervøy before boarding a RIB boat — it gives you three hours in the actual whale-watching area, much more than most tours do (where the majority of time is spent on the boat in transit).

However, this tour is a little pricier than others because it is a small group tour. If you are approaching your Tromsø trip with more of a budget in mind, I recommend this hybrid-electric catamaran cruise, with the same company I did a wildlife and bird fjord safari with.

This tour company is excellent in terms of its whale watching ethics, following all guidelines, and reducing its pollution and impact on the environment with its silent hybrid-electric motor, which disturbs whales in their habitat (and thus their feeding schedules and way of life) far less.

Visit a Sámi reindeer camp

If you haven’t heard of the Sámi people before, they are an Indigenous people who live in the far north of what is considered Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. But for the Sámi, these lands are all one: Sápmi.

The Sámi people have herded reindeer for centuries, moving large herds of reindeer around Northern Norway to forage and living nomadically. Now, some Sámi reindeer herders bring their herds to established reindeer farms for the winter tourism season.

These farms serve a dual purpose of providing Sámi people a good income from tourism income during the winter months — something they have been historically shut out from — and also ensuring the reindeer have plenty to eat during the winter season before they get brought back up north to graze.

Climate change is making it harder for reindeer to graze naturally (the frequent snow melting then icing over is catastrophic for their ability to forage), so the reindeer farms are rather helpful at making sure the Sámi can continue their way of life, in unison with the reindeer.

On the farm, you’ll get a chance to hand-feed reindeer, go reindeer sledding if you want, try reindeer stew called bidos (or a vegetarian option), and listen to a Sámi reindeer herder share the history of their people.

If you’re wondering if reindeer sledding in Tromso is ethical, I would say it is in the same way that horseback riding is. Reindeer have been domesticated by the Sámi people for thousands of years, trained to traverse huge distances and yes, pull sleds.

Using reindeer for tourism as opposed to animal agriculture is a relatively new phenomenon, but these reindeer have been domesticated for millennia by the Sámi. The behavior of pulling a sled is not unusual for them at this point in their domestication.

This is the exact company I went with and highly recommend it! Everything about the day was magical, and I enjoyed my reindeer sled ride, though dog-sledding is definitely far more energetic!

They also offer the same activity but at night if you want to try to spot the Northern lights or if that just fits into your itinerary better!

I was really impressed by our Sámi storyteller! He was so passionate about preserving Sámi culture but also acknowledging how the culture has changed — such as herders using drones to herd their reindeer. He was quite young, very open and honest, and not afraid to touch upon important issues like bigotry and anti-Indigenous sentiment.

It’s important to be aware that Norway has historically been quite oppressive of the Sámi population — same as other Nordic countries. Many state-sanctioned measures attempted to erase Sámi history from Norwegian culture through forced assimilation measures (Norwegianization or Fornorsking av samer).

These practices included prohibiting the teaching of Sámi language or culture in schools, banning Sámi clothing, stripping away land ownership rights of Sámi people, and even separating Sámi children from their families to be sent to boarding schools elsewhere in Norway.

This legalized form of cultural genocide continued into the 1980s. Measures have been taken to atone for Norway’s horrible treatment of the Sámi, including reparations, an official apology, and a truth commission to further acknowledge the extend of what the Sámi experienced.

While Norway is making strides towards better treatment of their indigenous people, it’s important to note that anti-Sámi bigotry continues to this day, with Sámi people being assaulted for speaking their native language in public.

It’s important to be aware of Sámi history as we enjoy Northern Norway and the Sámi people’s ancestral lands.

Admire the Arctic Cathedral’s unique architecture

The Arctic Cathedral is located in Tromsdalen, across the bridge from the more touristic part of Tromsø. It’s an easy and beautiful walk over the bridge from downtown Tromsø, but you can also take bus line 28 from the city center.

You can visit the Arctic Cathedral during opening hours like for a 90 NOK (around $68 USD) entrance fee.

Generally, the Arctic cathedral is open from 10 AM to 5 PM, and on Sundays from 1 PM to 5 PM. In the summer months, from June 1 to August 15, it is open from 9 AM to 6 PM (starting at 1 PM on Sundays, to allow for services).

They used to host Northern Lights concerts throughout the winter, but it appears that these have discontinued and now instead they only have them for major holidays, like Christmas and New Years.

You can still check their calendar to see if any concerts are coming up when you are visiting.

Take the Fjellheisen cable car for sweeping views over Tromso

Also in Tromsdalen is the Tromso cable car (called Fjellheisen), which offers you sweeping views over the city of Tromso and the fjord landscape. Views here are simply remarkable!

You can visit independently like I did: return tickets are NOK 495, about $53 USD — a little bit pricy but worth it for the incredible views. You can hike around the area for some incredible scenery, but be sure to wear proper snow boots with crampons, as it can get quite icy and slippery here.

After you’ve walked around a bit and checked out the views, you ought to stop by the cafeteria for a delicious Norwegian waffle and a cup of coffee! Prices at the café on-site are surprisingly reasonable — they are standard Norwegian prices (so they’re not exactly budget) but the prices are not inflated for the view.

Take a bird and wildlife fjord cruise

One of my favorite experiences in Tromsø was taking this Arctic fjord cruise, where I was able to see an amazing array of wildlife from the boat.

In that time, I spotted seals, otters, dolphins, and even Norwegian sea eagles which are truly incredible. Don’t expect to see whales, though; those are further out in Skjervøy, like I talked about above.

The cruise included a fantastic lunch with fresh Arctic fish and warm drinks, plus they had insulated bodysuits in case you were cold…though I was pretty toasty warm in the parka I packed for Norway!

Cultural Things to Do in Tromso in Winter

Learn Arctic exploration history at the Polar Museum

This museum was a true highlight for me, as I’m a total nerd who is absolutely enraptured by people who explore extreme environments… that’s mostly because I’m a wimp who will never be brave enough to do even a fraction of what they do (that’s what podcasts are for!).

The Polar Museum was super cool because it showcased so many incredible Arctic explorers who went on missions to discovered uncharted and never-yet-touched lands (by man at least), such as Svalbard and the North Pole.

I really loved learning about all the explorers who left Tromso in search of understanding the globe we live on more fully. It was so interesting to read about the harsh and extreme conditions they underwent in order to discover a previously unknown part of the globe.

I was also particularly enraptured with the story of Wanny Wolstad, a fierce explorer who was the first woman to be a fur trapper on Svalbard, the ultra-northern Norwegian archipelago.

Her story was fascinating (read a bit about it here) and I’m so glad the Polar Museum made sure to highlight her story, as women’s voices are often lost in stories about discovery and exploration.

Adult tickets cost 130 NOK (about $14 USD) and are definitely worth the price of admission; this is my favorite museum in Tromsø!

Get cultured at Northern Norway Art Museum

For a small city of about 80,000 people, Tromso has quite a bit of local culture that’s well-worth exploring. This city has several world-class museums that give you a better sense of Tromso beyond the Northern lights and dog sledding activities which, while fun, are admittedly quite touristy!

One of the best places to dive into Tromso’s culture is the Northern Norway Art Museum (Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum). This art museum features artists who were from Northern Norway or made Northern Norway the subject of their art.

My favorite part about seeing these beautiful paintings was seeing the use of light done by these artists. Nordic light is like no other, dreamy and creamy in winter with so many pastel tones, and brilliant and vibrant under the midnight sun. It has so many shades and tones you won’t see in other art around the world, and it was really cool to see.

There was also some really cool Sámi sculptures while I was there, and it was great to see their initiative in showcasing more Sámi art, which has historically been shut out from Norwegian culture.

Admission to the Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum is reasonable – around 110 NOK or about $13 USD – and it’s a must for any art fiend. Allow about an hour or two to peruse the museum, depending on your pace.

Peruse the exhibits at Perspektivet Museum

They say Norway is expensive, and they’re not wrong, but one of the great things about Norway is that many museums are free or rather affordable!

The excellent Perspektivet Museum — now celebrating its 30th year! — is well-worth visiting to see a more contemporary side to Norwegian art. It used to be free, but now admission costs 95 NOK, about $11 USD.

There are rotating photography exhibits focusing on different aspects of Norwegian life. When I visited, the theme was “Homo Religious”: all about mankind’s different relationships with religion and the many forms that took even in a small place like Tromsø.

I was surprised and pleased to see such diversity showcased in Tromso, and it was really interesting to see how people have come to this unique corner of the globe and brought their religion and customs with them.

It answered questions I never knew to ask, like how do Muslims who celebrate Ramadan fast in Tromso during the midnight sun, when the sun never goes down?

Exhibits change often, but the theme is always diversity in Tromsø through photography, so you’re sure to learn a lot about the people who live here no matter what the exhibit. It’s absolutely worth a visit!

Visit the Tromsø Cathedral

Not to be confused with the Arctic Cathedral over in Tromsdalen, the Tromsø Cathedral is located in the heart of the City Center. It’s a fairly standard Lutheran church, and to be honest, it’s not particularly interesting compared to the more architecturally rich Arctic Cathedral.

That said, since it’s in the heart of Tromsø, you’ll inevitably walk past it. If you’re interested, you can enter the church but there’s a small entrance fee, roughly 30 NOK / $4 USD.

Another church worth seeing is the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady, also not far from the center. It’s a cute wooden church which holds the cool honor of being the northernmost Catholic church in the entire world!

Marvel at the architecture of the Tromso Library

Now this is more my speed architecture wise! The Tromsø Library (Bibliotek) is a really cool piece of modern architecture right in the heart of the city. It almost looks like an igloo hotel when you see it in the winter!

It’s a modern style that looks different at every angle, something that I personally really enjoy in architecture. Inside, the architecture is really beautiful and all the windows make it so light and airy. I spent a lot of time there one winter working, and I found the atsmophere very energizing.

It’s free to use the internet there in case you need to warm up and browse the internet or kill some time between activities without wanting to spend a lot of money on coffee and cakes.

Check out local art at the gallery

I love looking at local art galleries while I’m traveling… even though I’m admittedly a window shopper as I never can figure out the logistics of bringing home my treasures (who wants to deal with foreign post offices on vacation? Not me!)

In between some of my activities I spent some time checking out the Galleri NORD. I was really tempted by some of the art — particularly this beautiful piece which features an almost abstract rendering of some Arctic reindeer running — too bad it was (quite) a bit out of my price range.

There’s lots of exquisite art here and it’s located just around the corner from the Radisson Blu Hotel, a common tour pickup point, so it’s absolutely worth browsing!

Experience Norwegian coffee culture

In my opinion, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a cup of coffee on an Arctic winter day. And I think Norwegians would agree, as they drink on average 4-5 cups of coffee a day!

I had coffee at a number of cute Tromso cafes during my time there. Two standouts are Smørtorget, also near Galleri NORD and a great place to stop between tours since it’s near to many tour pickup locations.

I also quite like the charming Svermeri Kafé og Redesign which is a coffee shop mixed with some cute furniture and decor pieces also for sale. They have delicious cakes as well!

Meanwhile, Svermeri is located near the Polar Museum and makes a great stop before or after visiting the museum.

Sip drinks at the Magic Ice Bar

Since on my visit to Tromsø I went to the Ice Bar at the Ice Domes, I didn’t feel a need to check out the Magic Ice Bar as well, as I was already spending quite a bit of money on my Norway trip.

But now that the Ice Domes are no longer operational… I might actually recommend it to those who really want the experience of visiting an ice bar.

It’s 375 NOK per person to enter, about $40 USD. That includes warm gear and a nonalcoholic welcome drink plus a cocktail of your choice… which honestly isn’t bad given the price of alcohol in Norway.

It seems like a fun, quirky way to spend some time, though of course, since it’s -5 degrees Celsius in there, it’s certainly no way to warm up!

Drink at Tromso’s oldest pub

Now, this is more my style! I really enjoyed having a craft beer at Ølhallen, the oldest pub in Tromso which features over 72 taps of beer!

It has a long history in Tromsø, one that you’ll learn if you visit the adjacent former Mack brewery for a cool beer tour (more on that below). The bartender here is really knowledgeable and can definitely point you in the right direction!

I recommend going with one of the smaller breweries rather than Mack beer, which you’ll find all over Tromso, so you can find a more unique brew worth your kroner… Again, alcohol is very expensive in Norway, so expect to spend the equivalent of at least $15 USD on a small beer!

Tour Tromsø’s own brewery

Next door to Tromso Ølhallen is Kjeller 5, a beer shop that sells tasty Norwegian craft beers and also does cool brewery tours! Behind the beer shop are the former Mack brewery premises.

Mack used to be the northernmost brewery in the world. However, there is a brewery in Svalbard, though they didn’t mention this on the tour and continue calling themselves the northernmost brewery despite evidence to the contrary…

Still, it was cool to learn the history of Mack and how they moved from this smaller brewery here to a larger brewery just outside of Tromsø to meet increased demand.

While their main operations are elsewhere, they still brew a few microbrews here. You’re able to see the facilities and learn about the microbrewing process on their daily brewery tours.

It wasn’t the best brewery tour I’ve ever done, but it was interesting nonetheless and worth the price (250 NOK / ~$30 USD for a one-hour tour, plus tastings). You can learn more about it here.

Have a beautiful harborside meal at Fiskekompaniet

One of the best tricks for enjoying meals in Norway on a budget is going for lunch rather than dinner!

While I was visiting Tromso on a mid-range budget, I opted to eat my meals out for lunch and at home for breakfast and dinner (when food wasn’t included on a tour, that is).

On my last full day in Tromso, I splurged on a 2-course lunch special at Fiskekompaniet and it was fantastic! For about $35 USD, I enjoyed a meal of a spectacular fish soup and delicious local cod prepared beautifully.

Enjoy burgers, shakes, and games at Burgr

It can be hard to find a good deal in Tromso… but Burgr is a very noteworthy exception, especially at lunch time. I forget the exact price, but I had a meal with burger and fries for about 140 NOK / ~$15 USD. Not bad for notoriously expensive Norway!

The burger was excellent and they have all sorts of fun, inventive spins on the standard burger if you want something a little more out there.

There are also some video games you can play while you’re waiting for your burger, which is a fun way to pass the time!

Try a reindeer burger at Nyt

This meal won’t be for everyone, because it’s about as Norwegian as it gets, but I loved it! The reindeer burger at Nyt has a trifecta of three things Norway: reindeer meat (delicious!), brunost (Norwegian brown cheese — not bad, but not my favorite thing in the world), and rye bread.

I had better reindeer dishes elsewhere in town (see my review of my sandwich at Bardus below), but overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to other visitors to Tromso.

The price was around 150 NOK / $17 USD. Note that the service here is a bit slow, though, so it’s not a place I’d recommend if you’re really crunched for time.

Eat a sophisticated meal at Bardus

Besides Fiskekompaniet, this was my favorite meal in all of Tromso! I had the reindeer open-faced sandwich at Bardus Bistro and oh my god, it was truly incredible.

The reindeer was served rare and it was absolutely delicious, better than steak to be totally honest! It was paired with duck paté, greens, and a lingonberry jam aioli. It was life-changingly good.

Prices have gotten more expensive since my first visit, but now you can expect to pay about 250 NOK (~$28 USD) for a lunch and 450 NOK (~$50 USD) for a dinner.

Where to Stay in Tromso in Winter

First things first: when it comes time to pick where to stay in Tromso in winter, book early. The best deals go fast, as accommodation is limited and Tromso is soaring in popularity as arctic travel gets really big.

Accommodation will be one of the pricier parts of your trip to Tromso, so be sure to budget accordingly. Expect to spend, even on the budget end of things, approximately $150 USD per night at a minimum, and upwards of $300 per night for upper-tier accommodations.

If you want to stay at bucket list places, like some of the ice hotels and Northern lights hotels in Tromso and Northern Norway, expect to spend $300+ a night! These, however, are all located outside of Tromsø city.

Budget

The best budget option in Tromso is hands-down Smarthotel Tromso. It’s right in the heart of central Tromso, so it’s easy to get to all your activities.

It has all the things you need in a hotel: 24 hour reception, comfortable beds, a work desk, some food available in the lobby.Note that breakfast is not included in the price but can be added for a fee.

Check prices and availability here

Mid-Range

If you want to stay in a chic boutique hotel that’s not overly fancy, Thon Hotel Polar is a fabulous choice.

The decor is modern with an Arctic theme. Having stayed at Thon Hotels before in Alta, I think they have a lot more personality than other Nordic hotel chains, which tend to be a bit more muted in terms of decor.

Breakfast is included and the location couldn’t be better, so it’s a fantastic choice for mid-range travelers.

Check prices and availability here

Luxury

A few new luxury hotels have opened in Tromsø over the years, upping the ante. Whereas before there used to be mostly Nordic chains like Scandic and Thon at the upper end of the spectrum, St. Elisabeth Hotel is a beautiful luxury option.

The spa facilities are gorgeous and a great way to escape the cold, and their on-site fine dining is exquisite.

Check rates and availability here

Allison Green

Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016, visiting 75+ countries in total. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. As a former educator, she merges her writing and educational experience to encourage ethical, sustainable travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and TBEX. Her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. When she’s not on the road, she lives in Bangkok, Thailand.