One day in Tromsø

Day by day

1. Day 1: Arctic Cathedral and Fjellheisen cable car

   Arctic Cathedral, Fjellheisen cable car, Sherpa steps and Dog sledding, then Northern lights tours in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Arctic Cathedral

      Walk over the Tromsø Bridge in about 20–25 minutes for the classic view of the cathedral with the mountains behind, then continue to Fjellheisen. Allow 45 minutes.

   2. Late morning

      Fjellheisen cable car

      Go up before sunset in winter, or late in the evening between late May and late July, for the most dramatic light. Allow 1–2 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Arctic char

      Restaurants serving Arctic cuisine along the harbour and Storgata.

   4. Afternoon

      Sherpa steps

      Climb up and take the cable car down to spare your knees, and do not attempt it when the steps are icy. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Dog sledding

      Wear the thermal suits and boots the operator provides; you sit still for long periods and the wind chill on the sled is intense. Allow 4–6 hours including transfers.

   6. Evening

      Northern lights tours

      Book on your first night, so a cloudy night leaves room to try again, and choose an operator that offers a retry if you see nothing.

Before you go

• Northern lights tours: Popular small-group tours fill up in the peak months of December to March; book a few days ahead.
• Dog sledding: Book well ahead for December to March, when trips sell out.

If it rains

• Swap in Polaria (Sentrum): Time your visit for a seal feeding session, which children love.
• Swap in Polar Museum (Sentrum): Combine it with a walk along the old harbour and the wooden houses around Skansen.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–19 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 0 hours in January to 24 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Storgata, the harbour, Polaria and the Polar Museum are within 10 minutes of each other; walking over the bridge to the Arctic Cathedral takes about 20–25 minutes.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Tromsø
• 3 days in Tromsø
• 5 days in Tromsø

Questions travellers ask