Things to do · Tromsø · Norway
16 best things to do in Tromsø
16 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Olivier Bruchez, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Tromsø are Northern lights tours, Arctic Cathedral and Fjellheisen cable car. Of the 16 picks below, 5 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Northern lights tours
- Free sights
- 5
- Good on a rainy day
- Polaria
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern lights tours | Tromsø region | 6–9 hours, evening into the night | Expensive |
| Arctic Cathedral | Tromsdalen | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Fjellheisen cable car | Tromsdalen | 1–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Dog sledding | Kvaløya and Tamokdalen | 4–6 hours including transfers | Expensive |
| Sherpa steps | Tromsdalen | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Polaria | Sentrum | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Polar Museum | Sentrum | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Tromsø Cathedral | Sentrum | 20–30 minutes | Low cost |
| Reindeer and Sami culture visits | Tromsø region | 3–5 hours | Expensive |
| Whale-watching trips | Fjords north of Tromsø | 6–9 hours | Expensive |
| Midnight sun | Tromsø region | An evening | Free |
| Ølhallen | Sentrum | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Prestvannet | Tromsøya | 1 hour | Free |
| Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden | Breivika | 1 hour | Free |
| Telegrafbukta | Southern Tromsøya | 1 hour | Free |
| Fjord and wildlife boat trips | Harbour | 3–5 hours | Expensive |
The 16 best things to do
Experience · Tromsø region
1.Northern lights tours
From about September to early April, dozens of operators run evening tours that drive away from city lights and coastal cloud, sometimes inland towards the Finnish border, to find clear skies for the aurora. Small-group minibus chases, big-bus tours, boat trips and stays at remote camps are all on offer, and many include hot drinks, a fire and photography help. Sightings are never certain because they depend on clear skies and solar activity.
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.
- Time needed
- 6–9 hours, evening into the night
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Popular small-group tours fill up in the peak months of December to March; book a few days ahead.
- Iconic
- After dark
- Couples
- Nature
- Photo spot
Religious site · Tromsdalen
2.Arctic Cathedral
Jan Inge Hovig's white, triangular church of 1965, officially Tromsdalen Church, rises in stacked concrete and aluminium panels said to evoke ice and the shape of a Sami tent. Its east wall is filled with one of the largest glass mosaics in Europe, and the church hosts midnight-sun concerts in summer and northern lights concerts in winter.
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.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- After dark
Viewpoint · Tromsdalen
3.Fjellheisen cable car
The cable car rises in about four minutes from Tromsdalen to Storsteinen, about 420 metres above sea level, for a panorama over the city, the bridge, the islands and the mountains. On clear winter evenings the aurora can sometimes be seen from the top, and in summer it is a popular spot to watch the midnight sun.
Go up before sunset in winter, or late in the evening between late May and late July, for the most dramatic light.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Experience · Kvaløya and Tamokdalen
4.Dog sledding
Husky farms on Kvaløya and in the valleys inland run sledding trips through snowy valleys from about late November to April, either driving your own small team or riding as a passenger. Many also offer night trips under the aurora, and in summer some farms offer kennel visits and cart rides.
Wear the thermal suits and boots the operator provides; you sit still for long periods and the wind chill on the sled is intense.
- Time needed
- 4–6 hours including transfers
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Book well ahead for December to March, when trips sell out.
- Iconic
- Kids
- Active
- Outdoors
- Nature
Nature · Tromsdalen
5.Sherpa steps
A stone staircase of more than 1,200 steps, built by Sherpas from Nepal, climbs from Tromsdalen up the mountainside to the Fjellheisen upper station at Storsteinen. It is a steep but well-made climb of about an hour, usually free of snow and ice only from early summer to autumn.
Climb up and take the cable car down to spare your knees, and do not attempt it when the steps are icy.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
Aquarium · Sentrum
6.Polaria
The Arctic experience centre's building looks like ice floes toppled against each other. Inside are aquariums of Arctic fish, a panoramic film about the Arctic and Svalbard, exhibits on climate and sea ice, and bearded and harbour seals with daily feeding and training sessions.
Time your visit for a seal feeding session, which children love.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Architecture
Museum · Sentrum
7.Polar Museum
In an 1830s customs warehouse on the harbour at Skansen, the Polar Museum tells the story of Arctic trapping, sealing and hunting on Svalbard and of the polar expeditions that set out from Tromsø, including those of Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen.
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
Religious site · Sentrum
8.Tromsø Cathedral
Built in 1861 in the Gothic Revival style, Tromsø's Lutheran cathedral in the city centre is one of the largest wooden churches in Norway. The yellow-painted church and its square sit right on Storgata.
Look in during the day, then return at night when the church is lit against the snow.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
Experience · Tromsø region
1.Reindeer and Sami culture visits
Sami-run reindeer camps near the city offer reindeer feeding, short reindeer-sled rides and evenings in a lavvu tent around a fire, with joik singing, stories about herding life and often a meal of bidos, the traditional reindeer stew.
Choose a camp run by Sami herders, where you hear about reindeer husbandry directly from the families involved.
- Time needed
- 3–5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- History
- Outdoors
- Nature
Experience · Fjords north of Tromsø
2.Whale-watching trips
From roughly November to January, orcas and humpback whales follow the herring into fjords north of Tromsø. Boat trips from the harbour and from fjord villages reached by bus aim to find them; where the herring winters changes from year to year, so some trips involve long journeys and sightings are not certain.
Choose an operator that explains where the whales are this season, and dress for hours on a cold deck.
- Time needed
- 6–9 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Book early for December; the season is short and boats fill.
- Nature
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Experience · Tromsø region
3.Midnight sun
From about 20 May to 22 July the sun does not set in Tromsø. Locals hike, kayak and barbecue late into the night, and midnight-sun cruises, hikes and concerts at the Arctic Cathedral are popular ways to experience it.
Take the cable car or climb the Sherpa steps around midnight for the sun circling low over the islands.
- Time needed
- An evening
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Experience · Sentrum
4.Ølhallen
The pub at the Mack brewery's historic premises has served beer since 1928, with dark-wood walls, a stuffed polar bear and dozens of taps of Mack and other Norwegian beers. It is one of the city's best-known pubs.
Ask for a tasting paddle to try several local beers without paying Norwegian prices for full pints.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
- History
Nature · Tromsøya
5.Prestvannet
A lake on the top of Tromsøya island, ringed by a walking loop with birdlife in summer and floodlit ski trails nearby in winter, when locals cross-country ski straight from their homes. It is a quick way to see everyday outdoor life in Tromsø.
Walk the loop on a summer evening, or bring snowshoes or skis in winter.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
Garden · Breivika
6.Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden
The university's botanic garden displays Arctic and alpine plants from around the world in rock gardens and terraces. It is free to visit and open only in the snow-free season, roughly from late May to autumn, with flowers flourishing under the midnight sun.
Visit in July for the best flowering, and combine it with the university area at Breivika.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Beach · Southern Tromsøya
7.Telegrafbukta
A small beach and coastal park at the southern end of Tromsøya looking across the sound to the peaks of Kvaløya. Locals barbecue here on summer nights, the Bukta festival is held here in July, and on clear winter nights it is one of the darker places in town to look for the aurora without a tour.
Bring a flask of something hot and look south-west for the aurora on a clear night away from street lights.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- After dark
- Views
Experience · Harbour
8.Fjord and wildlife boat trips
Boat trips from the harbour sail out among the islands and fjords around Kvaløya, with chances of seeing sea eagles, seals and porpoises. In winter they offer pale polar-night light; in summer, sailings run under the midnight sun, and some offer fishing or fish-soup lunches on board.
Choose a boat with an indoor heated cabin in winter, and keep a camera ready for sea eagles.
- Time needed
- 3–5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Nature
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Polar Museum |
| History | Polar Museum, Tromsø Cathedral, Reindeer and Sami culture visits and Ølhallen |
| Views | Fjellheisen cable car, Sherpa steps, Telegrafbukta and Fjord and wildlife boat trips |
| Outdoors and nature | Northern lights tours, Dog sledding, Sherpa steps and Polaria |
| Food and markets | Ølhallen |
| After dark | Northern lights tours, Arctic Cathedral, Midnight sun and Ølhallen |
| With children | Fjellheisen cable car, Polaria, Dog sledding and Reindeer and Sami culture visits |
| On a rainy day | Polaria and Polar Museum |
What to book ahead
- 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.
- Whale-watching trips: Book early for December; the season is short and boats fill.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Tromsø?
Northern lights tours. From about September to early April, dozens of operators run evening tours that drive away from city lights and coastal cloud, sometimes inland towards the Finnish border, to find clear skies for the aurora.
+What can you do for free in Tromsø?
Sherpa steps, Midnight sun, Prestvannet, Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden and Telegrafbukta. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Tromsø when it rains?
Head indoors to Polaria and Polar Museum.
+What is there to do in Tromsø at night?
Northern lights tours, Arctic Cathedral, Midnight sun and Ølhallen are best after dark.