Best Things to Do in Tromsø in Winter: Your Guide To The Arctic Capital

I went to Tromsø expecting icy landscapes and auroras – I left with memories of warmth, whales, and a city that feels unlike anywhere else in Europe. If you’re planning a trip to Northern Norway, this guide covers the best things to do in Tromsø, from Arctic adventures to cosy city highlights.

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Is Tromsø Worth Visiting

Perfect for … ❄️ Arctic adventures • 🌌 Northern Lights & winter magic • 🏔️ Fjords & mountain views • 🐋 Ethical wildlife encounters • ☕ Cosy cafés & Nordic charm

I’d wanted to visit Tromsø since childhood. The strange name, the striking triangle-shaped cathedral, and the remote Arctic location definitely had something to do with it. Previous trips to Norway had been a blast, so it seemed inevitable that I would eventually make it to Tromsø.

When I checked out flight prices and found I could get to Tromsø for less than £100 return from the UK, I booked. I expected to go on my own, but my husband, Martin, and my eldest son wanted to join me. So here’s our account of what we found, along with our best tips for Tromsø. We were not disappointed.

Tromso Essentials

Things to Do in Tromsø

For me, seeing the Northern Lights and whale watching were my two ‘must-do’ activities. With both of these, nature will ultimately decide how much you see, but Tromsø is a city where your success rate is about as good as anywhere else. And the good news is there’s a lot more to do in this beautiful small city, so if you’re not so lucky, you can still enjoy yourself.

Northern Lights Tour in Tromsø (Big Bus Option)

It’s possible to look up at the winter night sky over Tromsø and see the Northern Lights without going into the Arctic wilderness to find them. But you won’t fully appreciate them, without the dark skys of the arctic wilderness. If you’ve made it all the way to Tromsø, you absolutely should go with an expert who can find the lights for you, help you take pictures, or better still, take professional ones for you. Plus, they’ll make sure you are safe and protected from the elements. For us it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We took this exact tour: Northern Lights Big Bus Chase, and it turned out to be the best decision we made on the trip. I’ve done a full write up of our Northern Lights experience, so check it out. Here’s one of the many videos from the night, taken by the professional photographers and sent to us our for free to give you a flavour of what you might see.

Whale Watching in Tromsø: Humpbacks & Orcas

So with limited time and budget, I asked my Norwegian friend which activity I should do in Tromsø. He said ‘whale watching in Tromsø’ without hesitating, so that’s what we did. After a previous failed attempt to see whales in New Zealand, I was sceptical. But the silent hybrid catamaran in Tromsø looked warm, comfortable, and less likely to induce seasickness, so I booked it.

➡️ We took this exact tour: The hybrid catamaran was warm and comfortable, and we saw plenty of humpbacks and orcas.

We boarded the catamaran and sailed farther north to the islands, where the waters are rich in herring. These are the feeding grounds of the humpbacks and orcas. We saw whales in large numbers. The orcas were aggressive feeders, and we watched them work in teams to surround the much larger humpbacks and chase them away.

The catamaran had a large viewing platform with room for everybody. It could get close to the whales as it was so quiet. The catamaran didn’t seem to bother the whales. It was in full electric mode while we were whale watching and reverted to using a regular motor for the journey between Tromsø and the feeding grounds.

We were definitely glad we saw the whales. The Arctic coast was spectacular. The marine scientists leading the trip were friendly, attentive, and extremely informative. And the whales definitely made an appearance!

Questions and Answers About Silent Whale Watching

Fjellheisen Cable Car: Best Views of Tromsø

The view from the top platform of the Fjellheisen Cable Car is spectacular. I expected Tromsø to be grey and dark in the winter, but I had not prepared myself for the beauty of the pink-tinged skies set above the stunning Arctic scenery.

It was 415NOK (around £32) return. Not cheap, but definitely something you can’t miss if you visit Tromsø. The base of the cable car is a short walk from the centre of Tromsø, and you can hike up or down the mountain to enjoy the view, if you prefer!

Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen)

The Arctic Cathedral and the Tromsø bridge are the most striking structures in Tromsø, especially against the backdrop of Tromsdalstinden. The cathedral is normally open to visitors in the afternoon, and we took the opportunity to see the impressive triangular stained glass window from the inside. There was a 70NOK (around £5) entry fee per person.

We also walked across the bridge spanning the Tromsøysundet strait, which connects the city of Tromsø on the island of Tromsøya to the Norwegian mainland.

More Arctic Adventures to Try

There’s a wide range of trips and activities from Tromsø. If you’ve chased the Northern Lights, said hello to the whales, and still have time, here are some more fun activities you can book.

City Centre and Harbour Area

Tromsø is pretty. We arrived just as the Christmas lights were going up and space was being cleared, ready for the Christmas market.

Here are some things to see and do in the city centre that we didn’t have time for, but maybe you will.

• Troll Museum
• Polaria, the Arctic Experience Centre, is the world’s northernmost aquarium.
• Visit to see the husky dogs and dog sledging
• Visits to see the reindeer and reindeer sledging
• Sami Culture Tour
• The Polar Museum
• Tromsø city library and archives
• MS Polstjerna – a historic sealing ship
• Hiking, skiing, and trips in nature

Food and Drink in Central Tromsø

Tromsø is a city where you can eat well. We were particularly impressed by the craft ale scene. It was expensive, so we interspersed our ‘splurges’ with bread and cheese and some basic cooking in the apartment. Here are some of our highlights.

Olhalen Brew Pub

As lifetime CAMRA members, we were not going to pass up the opportunity to visit the world’s northernmost brewery, run by MAC Brewery. It also claimed to have one of the largest tap selections in Europe. 72, to be precise. Olhalen was certainly characterful, and the beers were excellent, but over £30 for 3 drinks!. We limited ourselves to one round, said goodbye to the Arctic friends who had been watching us, and left in search of something we hoped might be more reasonably priced

Blarock

In search of food, we found Blarock, which describes itself as ‘Northern Norway’s only proper rock ‘n’ roll venue’. It was dark and pink. We had 3 exceptionally good burgers and 3 beers, and left £80 lighter.

Cafe Sann

When you are confronted with a choice of beers and you don’t know which one to pick, then Cafe Sann comes to the rescue, offering flights in another characterful bar.

You could choose to sit in the light-and-bright section in the middle, or go ‘dark and moody’ around the edges. I naturally headed for the darkest corner! Here you get to see your three Tromso testers.

Skarven Kro

We visited Skarven Kro twice. The first time, we found the incumbents drinking mulled wine and singing traditional Norwegian Christmas carols. It was very full. We moved on.

With its location near the harbour, we wandered in again after our whale watching trip. We had strict instructions from the marine biologists to leave the whale meat alone. We heeded their advice and enjoyed some exceptional (whale-free) fish stew. (£20 per person).

Reindeer Hotdogs!

This cute little kiosk with a fire pit and reindeer-skin-covered benches served as a meeting point to discuss the day’s activities with fellow travellers and also filled us up with Rudolph in a bun! The best Rudolph in the world, apparently!

Tromsø Mikrobryggeri

Our final craft brewery was Tromsø Mikrobryggeri. It was the last night, and we picked the 16% Nordic noir! Possibly unwise, but these hardened travellers managed to get back to the apartment, followed the detailed rubbish-sorting instructions, and were ready at 5 am to leave for the airport. Definitely a result!

Where to Stay in Tromsø

There’s no getting around it: accommodation in Tromsø is expensive, and the smart hotels near the harbour area are prohibitively expensive.

The main tours and activities all have pickups in the harbour area in the centre, so choosing a central hotel is important. We picked the Enter Backpack Hotel, which was one of the most budget-friendly central hotels, and it worked very well for us. It was definitely more ‘hotel’ than ‘hostel’,

💡Top tip for finding cheaper accommodation in Tromsø. Book early!

Practical Tips for Visiting Tromsø

Packing for Tromsø in an Underseat Bag

I always travel with just one small bag, which is small enough to count as an underseat bag on airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air. I’ve pared things down to the point where my pack weighs around 6 kg, including a small laptop, regardless of the season or trip.

My 4-season capsule wardrobe has worked comfortably in zero and a little colder than that, but it did need to be modified for winter Arctic conditions in Tromsø. These are the changes I made:

• Short-sleeved items were switched to long-sleeved items
• Thick thermals (from Uniqlo)
• Thicker hat, scarf, gloves, and socks
• Added a down vest to wear under my puffy jacket (which is not the thickest)
• Swapped my regular boots, which work in snow, for dedicated snow boots with thicker soles.

That’s it, really. With multiple layers worn together, it worked!

As I packed my bag to leave Tromsø, I couldn’t help but compare it with another place I’ve loved in the far north: Iceland. I’m only writing dedicated posts about trips I’ve taken since starting the blog, so there are no Iceland posts from me about my trip around the island. Here’s a quick comparison.

Iceland vs Tromsø: Which Should You Visit?

Both Iceland and Tromsø offer incredible northern adventures: easy to reach from Europe, well connected by flights, and unforgettable once you’re there. They’re also similar in more ways than you might expect: both are famously expensive, both offer world-class Northern Lights and whale-watching opportunities in winter, and both have striking triangular cathedrals that have become city icons.

But the experiences themselves are quite different. Tromsø feels far more remote – a compact Arctic city that’s perfect for a short winter break. It’s small enough to explore on foot, but day trips become more limited once you’ve ticked off the main highlights, unless you’re there to ski or are prepared for long, potentially difficult journeys.

Iceland, by contrast, is a whole island to explore. I’ve visited in summer and travelled as far as the northern fjords and Akureyri, where long daylight hours open up endless options – from driving the Ring Road to snorkelling between tectonic plates, visiting geothermal pools, waterfalls and black-sand beaches, or simply enjoying Reykjavík’s food and culture. Some activities you can only do in the summer; all activities are easier and more pleasurable when it’s warmer!

So my hot take? Visit both. Tromsø shines brightest in winter, while Iceland is at its best in summer. I recommend both of these complementary experiences.

Where to next

Have you been to Tromsø (or Iceland)? What’s your experience?

I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you have any questions or comments, do let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading my blog.

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