How Much Does a Trip to Tromsø Cost?: Budget Guide & Tips [2024]
Visiting Norway in the winter is a bucket list must for many, and no place better encapsulates all the winter magic Norway offers than the Arctic city of Tromsø, lovingly known as the Paris of the North.
I mean, what other major city can you find yourself dog-sledding through a pastel, snowy landscape with cotton candy skies by day and then see the Northern lights sprinting across the sky at night? Or visiting a hotel entirely made out of ice from a local river or reindeer camps tended to by local Sámi reindeer herders?
I really can’t think of any large city that offers the same variety as Tromsø. Perhaps Reykjavik comes closest, but Tromsø is truly Arctic and otherworldly, and its setting right on the fjord makes it indisputably one of the most photogenic cities on earth.
But for as beautiful as Norway is known to be, it’s also equally known for its sky-high costs. And yes, that is even more so the case with Tromsø, which is one of the most expensive places to travel in Norway. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it… and I should know, I’ve visited twice, once in 2020 and once again in 2024, spending a total of four weeks in this amazing Arctic city.
I’ve traveled to Tromsø on two budgets: a budget one and a more mid-range one. Each time, I sought value while not barring myself from any experiences I was really excited to have, like a dog sledding tour or a minibus Northern lights chase in search of that elusive, ethereal aurora.
While visiting Tromsø on a budget might still be costly compared to other destinations, there are a few ways to spend more reasonably and thoughtfully and spend your money on the truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences that can’t be skimped on. That said, Tromsø is not a budget destination by any means. But with careful planning, you can manage your expenses without compromising on experiences — which is my #1 travel ethos.
This blog post will go over the expected costs of traveling in Tromsø in winter, giving you an idea of the prices you can expect while on your trip.
Tromsø Travel Costs
In this post, I’ll break down costs in four sections: 1) activities 2) accommodations 3) food and 4) transit. Generally, I won’t cover the cost of getting to Tromsø, because that will vary a ton depending on where you are coming from. I’ll just give you a quick idea of my past travel costs in getting to Tromsø, though!
I’ve flown to Tromsø twice — once I paid $250 each way from Sofia via Frankfurt, and the last time, I flew from Rovaniemi to Tromsø for about $90 USD one-way, and then onwards to Paris for about $400 USD (on a very pricy last minute ticket when my plans changed.
This is just to give you an idea of prices. Generally, you’ll find good prices flying into Oslo and then onwards to Tromsø, and you can also find good flights between Rovaniemi and Tromsø in winter, usually for under $100 USD each way.
Cost of Activities in Tromsø
- Average Daily Cost: From $150-400 USD if doing 1-2 activities
Activities are the area where you’ll likely spend the most money in Tromsø, at least if you want to tick off those bucket list musts.
During my first trip to Tromsø in 2020, I did all the activities I wanted and spent about $800 USD. That included five half-day activities: a self-driving dog sledding tour, an all-night aurora chasing tour, a visit to the the Tromsø Ice Domes, reindeer sledding and feeding with Sámi reindeer herders, and a fjord wildlife cruise in search of sea eagles.
Note: I also did a Northern lights sail on the Tromsø fjord and a Northern lights dog sledding tour on my trip but I was hosted on those two experiences by my affiliate partner so I could write about them for my Northern lights in Tromsø guide.
However, prices have definitely gone up since my 2020 visit. Below, I’ll list the exact tours I did and their current price as of August 2024:
- Self-Drive Dog Sledding Tour (approx. $275 USD)
- Northern Lights Tour with Campfire (approx. $160 USD)
- Fjord Safari and Birding Cruise (approx. $135 USD)
- Reindeer Sledding and Farm Visit (approx. $170 USD)
- Tromso Ice Domes Day Trip (approx. $125 USD)
Doing those same activities today would cost $865 USD, so a small increase, but nothing super major over the course of four years and a pandemic. If you want some more evening activities, I enjoyed both Northern lights tours I did, which I’ll list below, also with prices.
- Northern Lights Sailing Cruise with Hot Tub (approx. $210 USD)
- Northern Lights Visit to a Husky Farm (approx. $135 USD)
How to Save: If budget is a concern, there are some cheap activities you can do, like going for a hike. You can take the 26 or the 40 bus to Prestvannet, which is great for a daytime hike and also a great area to hang out and wait for the Northern lights on a clear night! Note that you may have to take a taxi back when the bus stops running late at night — check the Tromso Billett app (download for Android or Apple).
You can also skip some of the day trips like the fjord cruise or reindeer sledding and instead visit the excellent museums in Tromsø. Prices vary but are generally quite reasonable, for example:
- Northern Norway Art Museum: 80 NOK ($7.50 USD)
- Polar Museum: 110 NOK (about $10)
To save money, I suggest doing evening activities that include a chance of seeing the Northern lights. If at the end of your Tromsø trip, you still haven’t seen the lights, then you can go on a dedicated Northern lights chasing tour. I suggest booking a tour with free cancellation and cancelling it if you feel like you got your fill of aurora (if that’s even possible!)
Accommodations Costs in Tromsø
- Average Daily Cost: From $125-400 USD per night for a double occupancy room
Accommodation costs in Tromsø are generally rather high, but not outrageously so. I would say the prices are comparable to popular European cities like Paris or Rome, but there are the most options in the mid-range end of the spectrum — here’s a selection of the best-rated mid-range hotels in Tromsø.
Here are a few choices for different budgets. Note that the price was the lowest I found for a double-occupancy room in the winter season when looking in August — as your trip draws closer, the prices listed may rise significantly, especially as the cheaper room types book up!
Mid-Range Value: Thon Hotel — starting at $210/night in high season
For a mid-range budget, consider the Thon Hotel in downtown Tromso, a short walk from the Storgata main shopping street. This is right in the heart of Tromso and while it doesn’t have harbor views, they’re certainly not far away.
The breakfast at Thon is world-class (I stayed at the Thon in Alta and adored it) and the rooms are thoughtful, comfortable, and well-designed, with excellent bedding and generally great amenities.
Luxury Splurge: Scandic Ishavshotel — starting at $375/night in high season
For a great luxury option in Tromsø the best choice in my book is the stunning waterfront Scandic Ishavshotel. I’ve stayed at many Scandic hotels and I love them for their delicious buffet breakfast and overall high quality of rooms and amenities. Here, it’s all about the harbor views: from bed, you can watch the Hurtigruten pull into the Tromsø fjord and watch the lights of the Arctic Cathedral, Tromsø’s most iconic landmark, twinkle on just across the water.
The rooms and suites have are sleek and modern with a contemporary touch, with panoramic expansive windows that emphasize the serenity of its fjord views and Storsteinen mountain across the water. What’s ideal about the Scandic is that is has a ton of room configurations suitable for everyone from couples to families with small kids.
Budget: Boukersen Heim — starting at $125/USD a night
If you’re looking for a great stay on a budget, the best option is Boukersen Heim. This cozy place is a bit outside the city center — it’s a 1 kilometer walk to the Polar Museum, which is at the edge of town — but if you’re watching your budget it’s definitely worth staying a bit outside the center, especially as the bus in Tromso is excellent.
Despite its cheap price, Boukersen Heim has all you need for a comfortable stay, including a full kitchen (great if you want to cook for yourself and avoid those pricy Tromso restaurants!), washer/dryer, a fireplace, and cozy rooms. This is also a great option for solo travelers, as there are some single rooms available which can be had for as cheap as $80/night!
Food Costs in Tromsø
- Average Daily Cost: From $50-150 USD (depending on what meals you eat out and where, and far less if you only buy groceries)
Food is the part of your Tromsø budget that you have the most control over.
Grocery shopping in Norwegian supermarkets is generally affordable, with prices comparable to most European markets — except when it comes to fresh produce… after all, it is the Arctic! Fresh fruits in particular can be quite pricy due to the long distances they need to travel to reach north of the Arctic Circle.
But in general, Norwegian grocery stores are excellent and have a ton of options for vegans, gluten-free people, and people with allergies, so it’s quite easy to shop in Norway no matter what your diet is like.
Staying in an apartment-style accommodation that has kitchen access is key to being able to eat from grocery stores. There’s not a lot of prepared foods in Norwegian supermarkets, so you’ll need to be able to at least do light cooking unless you want to live off of sandwiches, etc.
You can also save money by drinking the delicious tap water that flows freely everywhere in Norway!
But you definitely should take as many opportunities as you can afford to sample the delicious Northern Norwegian cuisine, which I adore. It’s simple and unfussy, with a large focus on what’s local and seasonal when possible. That means a lot of seafood and reindeer!
Not only is the food in Tromsø delicious, but it’s also unique! Where else can you try dishes like fried codfish tongues (honestly, they taste like chicken nuggets, which is very uncultured of me to say but it’s the honest truth)? Or an open-face reindeer burger with brown cheese and lingonberry? These are just some of the delicious dishes you can try only in Norway! Here is a quick list of my favorite restaurants in Tromso with some ideas of the price ranges:
- Bardus Bistro (Lunch from 190 NOK / $19 USD, dinner from 400 NOK / $39 USD)
- Burgr (Lunch from 175 NOK / $15 USD)
- Fiskecompaniet (4-course prix fixe from 820 NOK / $75 USD)
- Mathallen (Lunch from 250 NOK / $22 USD, dinner prix fixe from 995 NOK / $90 USD)
Here’s my biggest tip for saving money while dining out in Tromsø: nearly every restaurants offer great lunch deals that are much cheaper than dinner.
Often, you can enjoy a delicious lunch for around 200-300 NOK ($19-28 USD), but that same meal would cost about 400-500 NOK ($39-47 USD) at night!
One great example of this is the delicious two-course lunch I had at Fiskekompaniet, the city’s most upscale restaurant, for about 425 NOK ($40 USD), with a table overlooking the harbor! Meanwhile, that same dinner at night would have cost at least 800 NOK, about $75 USD.
If you want to save money, I would suggest grabbing some coffee and pastries for breakfast, splurging on a nice lunch out, and then either cooking dinner for yourself or having your dinner while enjoying an evening outdoor activity, like dog-sledding or visiting a reindeer camp, which will always include a hot meal in the price!
While of course, tours themselves are not cheap, combining them strategically with your mealtimes can help reduce your overall costs.
There are also some takeaway spots where you can get some cheap(er) food, like Raketten Bar & Pølse where you can get reindeer sausages for about 60 NOK ($5 USD). There’s always a line though.
And finally, be aware that alcohol costs in Norway are extremely high. A glass of wine can easily cost about 160 NOK ($15 USD), and beer prices are not far behind. Try having a ‘dry January’ any month of the year you visit Tromso and your wallet will seriously thank you (and your liver will too!)
Transit Costs in Tromsø
- Average Daily Cost: $0-15 USD per day
Generally, you won’t have too many transit costs when you visit Tromsø. Here are a few costs that come to mind.
- Airport Shuttle: 125 NOK (about $12 USD)
- Single Bus Trip: 41 NOK (about $4 USD)
If you’re staying in the center, you won’t need to take the bus much at all. Also, there are buses that go from the airport to the city center, they just make stops along the way. Check the schedule on the Troms Billet bus app I linked above.
You can rent a car in Tromsø but it is extremely expensive and only suitable if you’re a highly experienced winter driver. Generally, you will just do tours, as you can’t really organize things like visiting the reindeer farm, going dog-sledding, etc. a la carte — it’s all only on tours.
As a result there’s really no need to rent a car until you plan to leave Tromsø and go to other parts of Norway, like the Lofoten Islands. But even then, it may make more logistical sense just to fly and rent a car in your next destination, as the driving distances on Norway’s coastline can be extremely long due to the winding pathways along the fjords and challenging road conditions. For example, we flew to Alta, just 150 km away, because driving would have taken 6 hours!
Overall Cost of a Trip to Tromsø
As you can see, you can have any type of trip to Tromsø. Here’s a few examples of a possible budget for 5 days, 5 nights in Tromsø, assuming you are sharing a room with at least one other person and splitting that cost.
- Budget Traveler: You select the 2-3 tours or activities you want to do most. You stay at the cheapest possible hotel. You eat lunch at a restaurant but otherwise eat from grocery stores because you stay at a place with a kitchen.
- Estimated trip cost, excluding flights: $1200 USD per person, about $240 USD a day.
Note that you can surely do it cheaper, but you would have to skip activities, not eat any lunches out, and stay in a room at an Airbnb or in a single room, etc. This is meant to reflect a budget for someone doing their main bucket list items and cutting corners in other places.
- Mid-Range Traveler: You choose 1 activity per day and spend the rest of the time enjoying museums and other sites. You stay a mid-range hotel. You eat hotel breakfast and lunch out, but you try to eat at the slightly cheaper options for dinner.
- Estimated trip cost, excluding flights: $2000 USD per person, about $400 USD a day
- Luxury Traveler: You do 2 activities per day, one in the afternoon and one at night. You stay at a rather nice hotel and don’t cut any costs when it comes to meals, ordering wine and appetizers.
- Estimated trip cost, excluding flights: $3500 USD per person, about $700 USD a day
Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. Her blog posts merge her background as an educator with her experience traveling to 70+ countries to encourage ethical, meaningful travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. Now a full-time traveler, she has lived in Prague, Sofia, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
