With kids · Tromsø · Norway
Tromsø with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Olivier Bruchez, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Tromsø is an exciting Arctic adventure for children: husky rides, reindeer feeding, seals at Polaria, the cable car and snow everywhere. Very long, cold aurora tours are hard work for young children, so choose shorter trips and plan naps. Top picks: Polaria, Fjellheisen cable car and Dog sledding. Families usually base themselves in Sentrum.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Sentrum
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- February–March and December
Best things to do with kids
Aquarium · Sentrum
1.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
Viewpoint · Tromsdalen
2.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
3.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
Experience · Tromsø region
4.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
5.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 · Harbour
6.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
Rainy-day ideas
- Polaria — Time your visit for a seal feeding session, which children love.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, food lovers and couples
Sentrum
The city centre on the east side of Tromsøya runs along Storgata and the harbourfront, with 19th-century wooden houses, the wooden Tromsø Cathedral, the Polar Museum and Polaria. Most hotels are here, and almost every northern lights, whale and husky tour picks up from the centre or the harbour, so it is the most practical base.
- Good
- Tour pick-ups on the doorstep; Restaurants and bars within a few minutes; Walk to the Arctic Cathedral over the bridge
- Watch out
- Expensive hotels, especially in winter; City lights mean you need a tour to see the aurora well
- Nearby
- Storgata, Polaria, Polar Museum, Tromsø Cathedral
Family travel tips
- Many husky and reindeer operators offer family trips with minimum ages; check before booking.
- Aurora tours often return after midnight; choose shorter tours or a cabin with dark skies for young children.
- Dress children in wool base layers and windproof outer layers; operators often lend thermal suits in adult and child sizes.
- Polaria and the cable car are good options for days when the weather closes in.
- Book family rooms or apartments early for the winter school holidays.
Day trips for families
- Ersfjordbotn and Kvaløya fjords (About 30 minutes by car) — The road across Kvaløya leads to Ersfjordbotn at the head of a narrow fjord walled by steep peaks, with a small beach and a wooden pier.
- 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.
When to go with children
The best months overall are January–March and June–July. February–March and December are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Tromsø good for kids?
Tromsø is an exciting Arctic adventure for children: husky rides, reindeer feeding, seals at Polaria, the cable car and snow everywhere. Very long, cold aurora tours are hard work for young children, so choose shorter trips and plan naps.
+What can kids do in Tromsø?
Polaria, Fjellheisen cable car, Dog sledding, Reindeer and Sami culture visits and Whale-watching trips.
+Where should families stay in Tromsø?
Sentrum: Wooden houses, Storgata's bars and the harbour where tours depart.