3 Days in Tromsø: Northern Lights, Reindeer & Winter Adventures

The Arctic in winter…sounds crazy, right?! That’s what I told myself as I booked my flight to the tip top of Norway in January, but it turned out to be one of my absolute favorite destinations I’ve ever been to. 

Northern Lights seen from Telegrafbukta.

With only three days in Tromsø, my itinerary was packed—one of the rare times I’ve actually planned out multiple days in advance. The short timeframe played a role, but honestly, it was mostly because Norway can get expensive fast if you’re not prepared. Makes sense, considering it sits 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle.

One of the main reasons I wanted to go to Norway in the winter was to try and see the northern lights - a classic. Many people flocked to the fjord with the same hope, but there is so much beyond just the northern lights that makes this place so magical. Here’s a breakdown of the things I did in my time, and some that I wish I would’ve done different. 

Arrival:

Fjords outside of Sommarøy, Norway.

I flew into Tromsø Airport, Langnes (TOS) on January 25th — just four days after the Sun Day celebration, when the sun finally breaks the horizon for the first time in roughly 60 days. In other words, the Polar Nights were officially over! My goal was to make it, but sometimes you can’t line everything up. I still got a whopping 21 hours of darkness each day I was there. The neat thing about this was how warm and cozy the city felt at all times; lights were strung up everywhere, homes were lit with the softest glows, people were out doing activities at all hours - time truly didn’t matter here. 

I stayed 3 nights at the Tromsø Activities Hostel which was located right near city center - it’s super easy to walk around and there’s a bus stop right down the block that comes often and can get you most anywhere of the fjord. Make sure to book in advance, it fills up quick since it’s the only hostel in Tromsø.

Activities:

There were three main things I did during my stay in Tromsø: see the northern lights, go on a Sami Culture and reindeer tour, and cross country ski!

I have to say, I got lucky with the northern lights. On my first night, I went out with some people from the hostel, and we walked—actually, we trekked across the island. We spent about 4 hours wandering and ended up landing at Telegrafbukta Treningspark. We weren’t sure it was going to happen - the northern lights aren’t as predictable as one may think. There’s a lot of solar tracking and forecasting involved, but like the weather, even a high probability doesn’t guarantee a sighting. So around 11:30pm when we were freezing and ready to give up, we were gifted the brightest, most expressive light show I could’ve imagined. In this area, there are tons of tours you can take that pull you out to upper Finland and Norway, but it is possible to find the lights yourself with a bit of work and luck.

Learning about the Sami Culture was right up there with the lights - the tour I attended drove us out to Sommarøy, Norway which falls on the coast of the Norwegian Sea. We were taken to a reindeer farm where we got to feed and pet the herd, followed by a lovely chat with Sami tribe members in the lavvu about their day to day life, how the reindeer play a huge role, and what its like living in the arctic. This tour was about 8 hours, but the scenic drive was full of pit stops to see the beautiful scenery and fjords, as well as a full lunch at a nearby restaurant. I love immersing myself in the real-life experiences of the people who call these places home, so this was a highlight for me.

The last big thing I did on this trip was go cross country skiing. Funny enough, I lived in Minnesota for six years and never tried it—guess it takes a change of scenery to spark some interest. This was a shorter tour; we went to a park close to town and got an introduction on how to do basic movements, and then we were set free. This was a nice short tour to do some fun physical activity and also get to see a new part of the fjord - and honestly it made me pretty sore. 

Takeaways:

Norway is stunning. Honestly, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did—especially since winter isn’t exactly my favorite. (Funny how I willingly chose to go here, right?) The people were lovely, the food was fantastic, the experiences I went on were 10/10. The only thing I regret—genuinely—is that I didn’t get to stay longer. Norway is on the pricier side, and being that far from any major cities does make it even more so. I definitely recommend buying groceries and planning ahead to find the best deals to save a little bit if you are traveling for a while. 

Oh, and they do serve cake for breakfast at Svermeri Kafén og Redesign — I went for the Island, of course — if you have a sweet tooth like me.