Season guide · Tromsø · Norway
Tromsø in autumn
September–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Olivier Bruchez, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Dark nights return and aurora season starts, with autumn colour, wet weather and first snow; whales arrive in November. Expect highs up to 10°C (50°F) and lows around -3°C (27°F), with about 47 rainy days across September–November.
Key facts
- Months
- September–November
- Temperatures
- -3°C (27°F) to 10°C (50°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 47
- Sea
- 6°C (43°F) to 9°C (48°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 10°C (50°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 15 | 13.1 h | 3/5 |
| October | 5°C (41°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 17 | 8.7 h | 3/5 |
| November | 2°C (36°F) | -3°C (27°F) | 15 | 3.6 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 6°C (43°F) against a yearly 6°C (43°F), and 47 of the year's roughly 170 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- October: Insomnia — electronic music festival (usually October)
Good choices for autumn
Aquarium · Sentrum
Polaria
The Arctic experience centre's building looks like ice floes toppled against each other.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Architecture
Museum · Sentrum
Polar Museum
Combine it with a walk along the old harbour and the wooden houses around Skansen.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Day trips in autumn
- Lyngen Alps (About 1 hour 30 minutes–2 hours by car and ferry) — A chain of glaciated peaks rising up to about 1,800 metres straight from the fjords east of Tromsø, famous for ski touring in spring, hiking and fjord kayaking in summer, and dark-sky northern lights viewing in winter.
- Senja (About 2–3 hours each way by car) — Norway's second-largest island has some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in the north: jagged peaks rising from the sea, fishing villages such as Mefjordvær and Husøy, and viewpoints such as Bergsbotn.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit Tromsø?
It is a trade-off: Dark nights return and aurora season starts, with autumn colour, wet weather and first snow; whales arrive in November. The best months overall are January–March and June–July.
+What is the weather like in Tromsø in autumn?
Highs of up to 10°C (50°F) and lows around -3°C (27°F), with about 47 rainy days over the season.