Are you planning a trip to Tromso, Norway? Check out the top 5 things i’d recommend adding to your itinerary.
1. Chase the Northern Lights – If you have done any research at all on “the best places to see the Northern Lights,” I assume that Tromso, Norway came up in your research. That’s how i found it. I had no idea Tromsø existed prior to doing this initial research. It is the perfect place to go to witness the Aurora *if* you can get the timing right. Generally, you will have the best chance of seeing the lights in Tromsø between mid-September and April, but you have to hope and pray that the sky is clear enough for them to be visible.
My best advice is to plan to go out for multiple nights during your trip. I intended to go out 3 nights in a row but one of the nights got cancelled due to poor weather conditions, and only did 2 nights. If i ever go back to Tromso, i am definitely going to dedicate more time to the Northern Lights. I did my tour with Arctic Explorers, who watches the Aurora Forecast so that you don’t have to, and takes your group to the spot where you will have the best chance of seeing the lights, from Tromso to Finland. Each night that i went out with them, we went to Finland. Unfortunately, i did not see the lights with my naked eye, but i was able to capture them with my camera in addition to seeing every star in the night sky along with the Milky Way Galaxy.
*Tip: The weather can be finicky in the winter, so go out each night fully aware of the fact that you may not see them, and enjoy the experience anyway. The more nights you go out, the higher your odds!
2. Fjords – This is a must, and probably the 2nd most popular reason why people visit Tromso. I also booked this trip with Arctic Explorers, but i realize shortly into the trip that a tour guide wasn’t totally necessary. Our guide was mostly just a driver who stopped here and there to let us take photos. If you’re good with a map and experienced in driving on black ice, you can totally take this trip on your own.
3. Dog sledding – ABSOLUTELY do this! just make sure to thoroughly research the company that you choose to go with as of course, they are not all ethical. I chose Active Tromso after asking for recommendations and doing a lot of research. The owner races in the Iditarod, but it’s clear that he loves the dogs like they’re his own children.
4. Fjellheisen – This is an aerial tramway located in Tromso. Ride it up to the top of the mountain for great views of the city. If you’re lucky, you can see the Northern Lights form up there!
5. Explore Tromsø – Make sure to leave some time to actually explore Tromso itself. It is a very cute, small town with a lot of restaurants and shopping, plus an Arctic cathedral, a museum, and of course, the northernmost Burger King.
Have you been to Tromso? What would you add to this list?