Visiting Tromsø in February: My Honest Thoughts & Experience

With soft Arctic daylight where the sun hovers low on the horizon to pitch-black nights with the aurora dancing overhead, February in Tromsø is a dreamy time of year to visit if you’re a fan of winter. Yes, it can be quite cold, but as far as I see it, February is the best month to visit in Tromsø in the winter.

Why February? Well, you get a little taste of everything makes the city so special in the winter, with the added benefit of enjoying longer days compared to December and January, when polar night keeps the sun below the horizon most of the day, giving you soft twilight that passes for ‘day’ but no proper sunrise or sunset. While beautiful, this can also be disorienting, as I quickly learned when visiting Svalbard in February before the sun had risen for the first time that year.

Yet still, the night sky stays dark enough so that you have a chase at chasing the aurora, which is one of the main reasons people find themselves drawn to Tromsø (it was one of the main reasons I planned my first visit, after falling in love with spotting the aurora after my first visit to the Arctic, in 2016 in a trip to Abisko in Sweden).

February is also late enough in the winter season that activities like dog sledding, snowmobiling, etc. that require sufficient snowfall are almost always able to run. If you visit earlier in the winter season, you run the risk of there not being sufficient snowfall for these activities to run safely, which can be really disappointing.

Plus, there are fun cultural events like Sámi Week — how does watching a reindeer race sound?

This post will go over the best activities in Tromsø in February, as well as what to expect in terms of temperatures and daylight and finally a few key tips to visiting Tromsø in February, from someone who has visited twice in that exact month.

What to Do in Tromsø in February

There’s so much to do in Tromsø in February — it’s no surprise this is one of the busiest times of years for travelers! Here are 7 of my favorite things to do at this time of year.

• Going dog sledding with huskies: This is my #1 thing to do in Tromsø and I’ve written about it here. I personally suggest doing a self-drive adventure which is when you get to mush your own team of huskies. It’s quite an adrenaline burst and an incredible way to experience the landscapes of the Arctic while being deeply in touch with nature.

• Chasing the Northern lights: My other favorite thing about Tromsø is the chance to see the Northern lights. I love watching the key aurora predictor factors on my app (I use Aurora) and stepping outside to see if the Northern lights are indeed dancing overhead!
  
  While it’s possible to see the Northern lights in the city center if they’re strong and the weather is clear, I do suggest booking at least one Northern lights minibus chase, as these tours will do everything in their power to make sure you can see the lights. I’ve written about seeing the Northern lights in Tromso here.

• Celebrating Indigenous culture during Sámi Week: Both of my visits to Tromsø in February have had the good fortune of being during Sámi week, which falls at the beginning of the month in conjunction with Sámi National Day, which is on February 6 each year.
  
  The festivities stretch beyond that day, though, into an entire week in Tromsø, with Sámi crafts and foods highlighted and even a reindeer race that the entire city gathers to watch taking place downtown.

• Enjoying a Sami reindeer experience: Even if you don’t visit during the beginning of February during Sámi week, you can still learn about their unique Indigenous Arctic culture by visiting a reindeer ranch.
  
  Here, you can meet Sámi reindeer herders, feed the reindeer, partake in an optional reindeer sledding experience, and listen to the stories and songs of a local Sámi guide. Here’s a write up of my experience visiting a reindeer farm in Tromso.

• Taking the cable car up Fjellheisen: While Tromsø is a scenic city everywhere you look, there’s no better view than from on top of Storsteinen Mountain, which is 420 meters (about 1,400 feet) above the city. From here, you get a beautiful perspective of Tromsøya, the island that the city center is on, as well as the other islands that make up the surrounding region, like Kvaløya.
  
  The cable car is a little bit pricy, but it’s worth it for some of the best views of the city. It’s ideal to go a bit before sunset, grab something to eat at the cafe, and then wait to see if the Northern lights make an appearance.

• Going on a snowmobile adventure: One of the best experiences you can have in Tromsø is going snowmobiling in the beautiful nature. Don’t worry if you’ve never operated a snowmobile before; all you need is a valid driver’s license and to listen to the safety instructions from your guides.
  
  These tours are a great way to see even more of the stunning Arctic landscape while exploring the backcountry where cars can’t go. This can also be a fun evening activity if you want to chase the Northern lights by snowmobile, but you won’t get as much of a sense of the landscape around you. Something to think about!

• Exploring Tromsø’s museums and dining: Tromsø is a large, diverse, vibrant city that is far more diverse than one might expect, home to people of over 130 nationalities! The culture scene in Tromsø is excellent, with a handful of excellent museums, including the Polar Museum, Northern Norwegian Art Museum, and the Perspektivet Museum with modern art and photography.
  
  Similarly, the dining in Tromsø is quite good, with a wide range of options from local Nordic cuisine inspired by Arctic ingredients to more fast-casual options like burgers, reindeer sandwiches, fish and chips with Arctic cod, and more.

Weather and Daylight in February

February temperatures in Tromsø are milder than you may expect! The daily average this month is -4°C (25°F), with lows occasionally dipping to -9°C (16°F) or colder. On milder days, highs can reach 2°C (36°F) or warmer, though this is not ideal.

It snows frequently in Tromsø this month, usually about 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 feet) of snow over the course of this month.

As for daylight, it truly depends when in February you visit Tromsø. At the beginning of the month, the sun rises around 9 AM and sets by around 3 PM, giving you only 6 hours of proper daylight (with the tradeoff of even more time to look for the Northern lights overhead).

But by the end of the month, that span extends to 10 hours, with sunrise around 7 AM and setting near 5 PM. 

This month is an excellent time to visit Tromsø, especially for Sámi Week, which takes place from February 5–11, 2024. The festival celebrates Sámi culture with events such as craft workshops, an Arctic winter market, Sámi language courses, concerts, and even exciting reindeer races.

As February marks the end of Tromsø’s whale-watching season—since the whales have migrated from the Skjervøy waters—it’s the perfect opportunity to focus on land-based activities. But if you still want to hit the seas, you can opt for a wildlife and bird fjord safari cruise which offers the chance to explore Tromsø’s stunning coast line.

Tips for Visiting Tromsø in February

Book early…. especially your tours. February is one of the busiest months in Tromsø and as a result things book up quickly. At the moment, Tromsø is experiencing an unsustainable tourism boom due to the plethora of cheap flights and Airbnb availability. However, many tour operators — especially dog sledding and reindeer ranch operations — have not been able to increase their availability to match the increased demand.

To be safe I suggest booking your activities at least two months in advance. If you book via a third party like Get Your Guide, these companies typically offer a 24-hour free cancellation policy. I strongly suggest you book your tours as soon as you know what dates you might be traveling to ensure availability. If your plans change, you won’t be penalized as long as you cancel with 24 hours notice.

Consider alternatives to Tromsø. I know this post is all about how great Tromsø is in February, and that’s totally true. However, for the reasons I outlined above, I do suggest spreading your travels out in Northern Norway a bit more if it’s possible. A great alternative to visit instead of Tromsø, or in addition to it, is Alta.

It’s an one-hour plane north, but the accommodation prices are lower, there is a better range of boutique accommodations, and there is more last-minute availability for activities like dog sledding.

Decide when in the month to visit carefully. As mentioned above, the daylight hours change drastically in the month of February, with days lengthening by 4 hours over just 28 days. That’s pretty drastic — in other words, the days get longer by an hour basically every week!

If you know you are particularly sensitive to light (such as if you are impacted by SAD or have low energy levels in winter), I suggest visiting at the end of the month. If you prefer more hours for Northern lights spotting, or you really want to visit during Sámi week, the beginning of the month is better suited for you.

Pack the right gear. For people who aren’t super used to the cold, packing for the Arctic may seem intimidating. Don’t worry — you don’t need a whole new wardrobe, just a few cold weather additions will do.

I’ve written a full Northern Norway winter packing list here, but my quick essentials are: 1) warm thermal wool base layers, 2) wool socks and snowboots, 3) crampons to avoid slipping on any icy surfaces, 4) warm outerwear accessories like hats, scarves, and mittens, and 5) a thick down parka or similar for outerwear.

Other than that, you can wear your everyday winter gear. Also note that any tours that involve a lot of outdoors time will offer warm expedition gear and boots included with the tour price, so you just need your base layers and warm accessories.

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.