How Did We Get To Tromsø ?
We flew into Tromsø from Greenland via Copenhagen, which meant an overnight stay in Copenhagen. Flying with SAS we arrived in Tromsø in the early afternoon, catching the Flybussen to our hotel, the Ishavshotel. The Flybussen service was convenient, cheap and friendly, with our tickets pre purchase online before we left. Even better, its drop off point was right at our hotel’s doorstep.
Where Did We Stay?
The Ishavshotel sits on Tromsø Harbour, giving magnificent views when dining and from our room. The picturesque views of a snow covered city were amazing. Being in the centre of town, made it very easy to walk to all of the places we wanted to see, with several of the tours picking up here, or at nearby hotels.
Walking Around Tromsø
Getting around by foot was easy, as long as you were careful of the ice and snow. Some people were wearing spikes, but we chose not to and did not have a problem with slipping. When crossing roads, most cars stopped to let you cross, even without pedestrian crossings.
On the first night, we walked around the town and harbour in the dark. This gave us some great views of the town and its buildings. Snow covered, icey buildings and statues lit up were beautiful.
Polaria
The Tromsø Aquarium is small, but packs a great deal in. Specializing in arctic sea life, the main attraction are the seals in their large tank. Their antics can keep you entertained for ages. The seals can be viewed from above the water, or through windows and Perspex to see them underwater. There are also smaller tanks with fish, crabs and starfish on display.
The building itself is a great attraction, with its design representing blocks of falling ice.
A large gift shop sells a variety of souvenirs and a café on the upper levels have a range of food and drinks. We spent under an hour here as once you have seen the seals, the other displays can be seen quickly. However, if you have kids, there are a lot of activities there to keep them entertained.
Arctic Cathedral
We walked to the Arctic Cathedral on the way to the Tromsø Cable Car. As we passed it a service was preparing to start. Many of the people attending were in traditional Norwegian dress and were happy to pose for pictures. When we returned after our cable car ride to the top of the mountain the service had finished and we went inside to admire its unique design.
Tromsø Cable Car
The Tromsø Cable car operates every 30 minutes in each direction to Fjellheisen. The trip only takes about 5 minutes. Wait until you get to the top to take photos as the cable car is crowded and the windows foggy and icy. Once at the top, there are great
views over Tromsø and the surrounding countryside. During winter, the snow at the top of the mountain is deep and slippery in places so take care. You can take spikes in your backpack and then put them on once up on top of the mountain..
There is a very nice café serving food and hot drinks with panoramic views over Tromsø.
Tromsø Ice Domes
The Ice Domes are located at Camp Tamok a 90 minute bus drive from Tromsø . The tour commences with a fascinating video of how the ice comes are made, from the dome itself, to the ice sculptures that decorate it.
The tour through the hotel rooms is interesting, with each bedroom having a different Norwegian theme, from polar bears and wolves to vikings. The beds are made on wooden frames with reindeer hide for insulation. You are allowed to try them out during the visit and they are surprisingly warm.
The Ice Bar decorated with two ice sculptures of giant vikings, giving the bar a great atmosphere. The walls are also decorated with ice sculptures. Our tour allowed us one free drink at bar after which we could purchase more. The drinks are served in glasses made of ice.
Next to the Ice Domes, there is a wooden building with a café serving hot drinks and meals. This was a great place to go after the icey interior of the domes and warm up before the trip back to town.
Fjord Cruise by RIB Boat
The Fjord Cruise by RIB Boat was an exciting trip around the waterways surrounding
Tromsø. It was snowing heavily when we did the trip, so part of the fun was being blasted by snow flakes as you speed along at 45 knots.
You are provided with all the protective gear you will need, arctic overalls, hat, glasses and gloves. Even with all this, we still got cold, but had a great time.
On the way, we stopped at the remains of the German world War Two battleship Tirpitz, as well as some islands, where birds breed in spring. Due to the weather, we did not see any wildlife, except for some seagulls.
Polarmuseet Tromso Polar Museum
This small museum has a collection dedicated to arctic exploration and early settlements in the far north. There are some interesting displays and if you have some spare time, worth having a look through.
Northern Lights Trip
The night we booked a northern lights bus trip for was cloudy and we did not see the aurora. We spent four hours driving around the countryside, trying to find a break in the clouds, but had no luck.
As it was our last chance to see the aurora and the forecast was for a high chance to see it we booked another trip out of town. Our guide took us to several locations until we had an amazing view of the lights. Our guide helped us set cameras to the best settings and was determined that we were going to get at least a glimpse of them. He was constantly talking to other guides to see what location was providing good viewing.
Our tour operators were determined to drive for as long as needed for us to see the lights, even if it mean that we would cross the border into Finland. We were lucky after seeing the initial magic, we got into the bus, and were asked to quickly jump off as the operator noticed a huge wave of purple and green lights, which we were all lucky to see before it disappeared . We would definitely recommend Northern Lights Tromsø as a tour company.
What Did We Think?
We loved Tromso, mainly for the activities that can be done there, such as the northern lights and RIB boat. In summer when more wild life is visible, it would be a great place for more outdoor activities.
Our photos are available for purchase on