21 Things to Do in Tromso (+ What We Loved After 5 Days in Lapland)
- Shal & James
- Feb 24
- 15 min read
Updated: Apr 17
The very best things to do in Tromso first, plus everything else worth your time (and kroner).
Once a modest fishing village, Tromso evolved into the most developed and accessible city in Northern Norway. It feels wild and special, yet reassuringly easy.
You get the drama of the Arctic, from fjords and northern lights to polar exploration history, while staying in a luxury hotel you can walk back to after dinner. There is a compact, charming city centre, genuinely good restaurants, cosy cafes and an impressive lineup of guided Arctic tours.
Northern Norway forms part of the wider region known as Lapland, a northern European area that largely lies within the Arctic Circle and stretches across Norway, Sweden and Finland, extending into the Kola Peninsula in Russia.
What defines Lapland is not borders but the presence of the indigenous Sami people, whose culture, language and traditions shape life across the Arctic north.
Being in Tromso during Sami Week, which overlaps with Sami National Day on 6 February each year, means experiencing Sami heritage at its most visible, with concerts, reindeer racing through the streets and community events woven into daily life.
P.S. If it’s your first time in Tromso, don’t miss our 8 Lapland Travel Tips, including why you must bring micro cleats and what to wear.
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21 THINGS TO DO IN TROMSO
If you’re searching for the ultimate things to do in Tromso, start with the three experiences we’d prioritise again without hesitation, followed by activities you can walk to from your hotel in central Tromso, guided tours worth booking and Sami Week events if you're visiting in early February.
START HERE: 3 EXPERIENCES WE'D BOOK AGAIN
TROMSO ON FOOT
BEYOND THE CITY
SAMI WEEK (6 FEB)
We’ve included what we paid with currency conversions based on current exchange rates to help with planning, but things change, so it’s always worth double checking to dodge any last-minute surprises.
START HERE: 3 EXPERIENCES WE'D BOOK AGAIN
1 | NORTHERN LIGHTS CHASE
The northern lights (aka aurora borealis) is why most people come. We went on a couple northern lights chases with different companies and recommend booking with Arctic Circle Tours Tromsø.
When the lights appeared, they weren’t faint wisps. They were bold green ribbons shifting across the entire sky. We were totally mesmerised!
If you’re comparing tours and want our honest breakdown, read: Tromso Northern Lights Tours: Which One We’d Book Again.
2 | HERMES II HISTORY CRUISE
Daily 9-11:30AM
Meeting point: Floating pier at Stortorget
£101.72 pp; converted: €116.53 / US$137.23
We boarded the historic wooden boat Hermes II with a small group (30 people max) and cruised for 2.5 hours around a bay that looked every bit like a fjord.
Built in 1917, Hermes II has lived a full Arctic life, from fishing vessel to wartime service. The crew share stories about Tromso's role in the World War II, including the sinking of the battleship Tirpitz nearby, which adds unexpected depth. The crew are warm, knowledgeable and clearly proud of their boat.
Then, the sun rises and steals the show (if you go in the morning).
This was James’ favourite activity of the entire trip (aside from seeing the northern lights), which tells you something.
GOOD TO KNOW
Hot drinks are included, coffee, tea and steaming berry juice (it was good!), plus a traditional Norwegian fish cake. You can buy additional snacks and drinks onboard.
You’re briefed on life vests but don’t need to wear one. There are benches on deck and a warm cabin with two perfectly respectable toilets below.
Dress really warmly. The air out on the water has teeth and you're going to want to spend the entire time on the deck soaking in the views (which you cannot see from the indoor lounge below deck).
Bring sunglasses. The low Arctic sun reflects fiercely off the snow and sea, and squinting your way through the cruise rather defeats the point.
3 | THE REINDEER CARAVAN CONCERT
Kulturhuset
6 February (Sami National Day); 7-8:30PM (no intermission)
NOK 580 pp; converted: £44.96 / €51.53 / US$60.63
In 2026, this unique, large-scale concert featured Marja Mortensson, a joik soloist performing alongside the Arctic Philharmonic and the Norwegian Wind Ensemble. The Reindeer Caravan has only been performed once before in 2021 with the Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra.
Joik is a traditional Sami form of singing that is less about performing a song and more about evoking a person, place or feeling through sound. According to oral tradition, the Sami were gifted joik by the fairies and elves of the Arctic landscape. Long before written records, joik was how stories, knowledge and identity travelled from one generation to the next.
Joik is one of Europe’s oldest living musical traditions and it is hauntingly beautiful and cinematic to hear in person. Shal found it mesmerising and was her favourite activity of the trip.
It felt like stepping into a living tradition rather than attending a concert. The audience was filled with Sami families in traditional dress and the sound felt older than borders, older than maps.
Buy tickets in advance online. We sat in the balcony, first row centre, and felt like we snagged the best seats.
TROMSO ON FOOT
4 | POLAR MUSEUM
Daily 10AM - 6PM; closed 1 & 17 May
NOK 120 pp; converted: £9.31 / €10.66 / US$12.54
Housed in a historic 1830s warehouse, the Polar Museum walks you through Arctic trapping and exploration history across ten rooms.
Allow ~2 hours. Some stories are heroic. Others are sobering. One well-known trapper reportedly killed over 700 polar bears during his lifetime. There are no wild polar bears in mainland Tromso today; they’re found much further north.
5 | TROMSO BRIDGE
24/7
Free
Walking across Tromso Bridge is not the serene Arctic promenade you're imagining. The pedestrian walkway is fairly narrow, there’s steady traffic, and the metal bars along the sides make it surprisingly tricky to get a clean photo without some creative angling. James also took an unexpected splash from a passing truck, which he handled with impressive restraint.
If you walk toward the Arctic Cathedral, pedestrians use the right side in both directions, while the left side is for bicycles.
And wear micro cleats. The bridge arches to a peak, so you’re walking uphill and downhill on what can be properly icy patches. Even though it's only a 10-15-minute walk each way, it’s not the place to test your balance.
6 | ARCTIC CATHEDRAL
Daily 10AM - 5PM
NOK 80 pp; converted: £6.21 / €7.12 / US$8.37
At the far end of Tromso bridge sits the striking Arctic Cathedral, all sharp angles and white concrete rising like a modernist iceberg. Its triangular silhouette and dramatic glass facade make it one of Tromso’s most recognisable landmarks.
Despite the name, it isn’t technically a cathedral. It’s a parish church, officially called Tromsdalen Church. The nickname “Arctic Cathedral” came later, largely because of its bold architecture and the way it dominates the skyline like a grand cathedral would.
7 | FJELLHEISEN CABLE CAR
Daily 9AM - 12AM (midnight)
Return ticket: NOK 595 pp; converted: £46.32 / €53 / US$62.53
Return ticket with shuttle bus: NOK 695 pp; converted: £54.10 / €61.90 / US$73.01
We went twice. Once at night when Tromso shimmered like a jewel box, and again at sunset drifting into blue hour, when the entire landscape turned inky indigo. Two completely different moods. Both spectacular.
It's also supposed to be a solid Northern Lights viewing spot if the sky is completely clear.
The 4-minute Fjelliheisen cable car ride up Mount Storsteinen officially runs every 30 minutes, but during peak times it operates continuously, so the queue moves quickly.
If you're not up for a 45-minute walk to the cable car lower station:
We took a 10-minute Uber (~NOK 200; converted: £15.55 / €17.79 / US$20.95). Never more than 5 minutes wait in either direction, so no lingering in the cold.
There’s also a daytime shuttle bus that runs hourly between Tourist Shop Tromso and the lower station.
You can buy tickets at the machines in the lower station before joining the queue to board or do what we did and purchase them online on the way over. If you use the machine, do not lose your printed QR code. You’ll need it to get back down. Likewise, if you’re relying on a digital ticket on your phone, don't let it die. No one wants to be stranded at the summit because of 3 percent battery.
There’s also the Sherpa Steps (Sherpatrappa) hiking route up the mountain. In winter, given the ice situation across town, it did not look like a relaxed afternoon stroll.
8 | TROMSO CATHEDRAL
Cathedral: Tue & Fri 12-4PM (opening times differ Jun, Jul, Aug); free
Midnight concert: Daily 10:30PM doors / 11-11:30PM concert; £22.92 pp; converted: €26.25 / US$30.97
We went to the 30-minute midnight candlelit concert, (£22.92 pp; converted: €26.25 / US$30.97) performed by a trio who play a mix of Norwegian music and classical pieces, and it was genuinely lovely.
9 | SAMPLE CINNAMON BUNS
Vervet Bakeri: Mon-Fri 7AM - 4PM, Sat 8-10AM (takeaway only) + 10AM - 4PM, Sun 10AM - 3PM
Kaffebonna Stortorget: Mon-Fri 7:30AM - 6PM, Sat 9AM - 6PM, Sun 10AM - 6PM
Cinnamon buns are serious business in the Nordics and they are literally the size of your face.
While Vervet Bakeri was very good and uncrowded, we thought insanely crowded Kaffebonna Stortorget had the better bun. Our only grievance? Cinnamon buns are never served warm.
If you don't fancy queuing at all and happen to be staying at The Dock 69 39 By Scandic, they also have great cinnamon buns as part of their breakfast buffet.
10 | NORDIC SAUNA
Nordic sauna culture is alive and well in Tromso, and several hotels lean into it. The Dock 69 39 By Scandic, for example, has a rooftop sauna with a plunge pool and jacuzzi with a sea view. Not a terrible place to thaw out.
We were too busy chasing Arctic adventures to properly make use of it, and we're not sure if access to The Dock's Arctic Wellness area is exclusively for hotel guests (access is not included in the room rate).
90-minute experience
Daily 8:30AM - 9:30PM
Private (up to 12 people) NOK 3000 per group (converted: £233.47 / €267.44 / US$315.21)
Shared (10 people max) NOK 350 pp (converted: £36.77 / €31.20 / US$36.77)
From the harbour, you'll also spot brave souls jumping into the Arctic Ocean before sprinting back to Pust, a traditional Sami lavvo sauna. Here's where to book if you fancy joining them. A single ticket will set you back NOK 350 (converted: £36.77 / €31.20 / US$36.77).
There’s also this well-reviewed pool complex a short taxi ride away if your hotel lacks the facilities you’re after and an Arctic Ocean dip feels a touch too character-building.
11 | MAGIC ICE BAR
Sun-Thu 11AM - 11PM, Fri-Sat 11AM - 12AM (midnight)
From £23 pp; converted: €26.34 / US$31.05
Many reviews criticise Magic Ice Bar's lack of atmosphere and the mediocre drinks. Fair. But if you think of it as a tiny ice gallery with a complimentary drink attached, it works perfectly as a fun 20-minute photo stop.
We got the cheapest ticket and they kindly let James swap his welcome drink for a bottled beer, which immediately slid off the ice table and shattered on the floor. LOL
12 | OLHALLEN - MACK
Mon-Sat 12PM - 12:30AM, Sun 1-7:30PM
Tromso’s oldest pub, Olhallen, opened in 1928 and is legendary. Order the “choose your own” sampler from their 72 Norwegian beers on tap and pose with the obligatory taxidermy polar bear. It’s practically required.
We enjoyed everything we tried, a solid mix of IPAs and an imperial stout that was particularly good. If you get peckish, the only food on offer is hot dogs, which appear to be a Norwegian staple. You can choose between regular or reindeer, naturally. James had reindeer and liked it.
There’s also a Saturday brewery tour from 2:30-3:30PM that includes a Mack beer tasting. Mack held the title of the world's northernmost brewery until 2015 when Svalbard Bryggeri opened in Longyearbyen. Guess we know where James wants to go next...
BEYOND THE CITY
13 | FJORD ROAD TRIP
Daily 10AM - 3PM
Meeting point: Scandic Ishavshotel, Fredrik Langes gate 2
£104.99 pp; converted: €120.23 / US$141.90
If you do one full-day tour, make it this small-group fjord road trip. And if you happen to get our guide, Nelson, you’ve struck gold. His enthusiasm is infectious, the day flows beautifully, and he somehow doubles as a professional photographer, sending you brilliant shots afterwards at no extra cost.
Every view was jaw-dropping and otherworldly. We drove through frozen landscapes that looked surgically edited for a Netflix fantasy series. Glassy inlets. Fisherman houses straight out of a Nordic postcard.
The itinerary is weather-dependent, so nothing is ever completely set in stone, which is part of the adventure.
On our trip around Kvaloya, we stopped at Kaldfjord, Kattfjordeidet, Ersfjord and Grotfjord, each one more cinematic than the last.
GOOD TO KNOW
Lunch was classic Norwegian turmat field meals with hot chocolate, which tastes significantly better when consumed in sub-zero temperatures.
There’s typically only one bathroom stop, so plan accordingly.
We recommend wearing micro cleats.
14 | ARCTIC FLOATING
Daily 9:30AM, 1PM, 4PM, 7:30PM
Meeting point: Magic Ice Bar Tromso, Kaigata 4
£104.99 pp; converted: €120.23 / US$141.90
Floating in the freezing fjord wearing a survival suit followed by eating waffles with brown cheese might sound unhinged. It was surprisingly serene.
Read the full story here: We Swam in a Fjord in Winter and Lived to Eat Waffles: The Truth About Arctic Floating or book the 3.5-hour experience we did here.
15 | SNOWSHOEING
Daily 10AM - 2PM
Meeting point: Scandic Ishavshotel, Fredrik Langes gate 2
£104 pp; converted: €119.02 / US$140.42
The original plan was a 4-hour small-group snowshoe hike with Wandering Owl, capped at 15 people.
Then Shal broke her finger, which rather ruined the gripping-poles part of the itinerary, so we swapped snowshoes for an arctic floating session instead.
16 | CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
If snowshoeing isn’t your thing, cross-country skiing in Tromso is wildly popular and very much a local way of life. The trails around Tromsoya are supposed to be beautifully maintained, with longer scenic routes stretching out towards Tromsdalen and Kvaloya, where you're supposed to be able to glide past snow-heavy trees with fjord views peeking through.
You can hire gear in town or join a beginner session to learn the ropes.
Broken finger aside, we didn’t have time to try it ourselves, but if you’re up for it, it’s meant to be one of the most peaceful ways to experience winter up here.
17 | DOG SLEDDING
Dog sledding in Tromso is the ultimate Arctic postcard. A pack of huskies yelping with excitement, endless white wilderness, and you steering the sled yourself because most tours are self-drive and far more physical than they look.
It’s been sitting on our bucket list for years, but with Shal’s broken finger and James’ slipped disc in his lower back, sadly it’s one we’ll likely never tick off.
So if something is quietly gathering dust on your own bucket list and you’re able to do it, take this as your nudge. Book it. Bodies and circumstances have a funny way of rewriting plans.
18 | REINDEER CAMP
Daily 10AM, 1PM, 6PM
Meeting point: Bus terminal at Tromso Havn Prostneset
£105 pp; converted: €120.14 / US$141.72
We visited Tromso Arctic Reindeer's camp at night and lucked out with clear skies, the aurora rippling above us as we stood in a herd of 300 reindeer. (You can also visit the camp during the day).
The reindeer sledding element felt a little production line, and dinner was served on disposable plates, tasty enough but hardly intimate with dozens of other tourists.
After all the activities, we warmed up inside a lavvu tent around the fire while a Sami herder (photo below) spoke about generations of reindeer herding (reindeer roam freely but all are owned by individual herders), life in remote Arctic winters that plunge to -45°C / -49°F, and living without electricity or running water.
If you’re not catching The Reindeer Caravan or other Sami concert, this may be your only chance to hear a joik sung.
If you can travel 6-7 hours deeper into Norway there's a much more authentic Sami experience, that the herder we met at the farm told us about. It's run by a friend of his: Sokki Adventures.
SAMI WEEK
Sami Week overlaps with Sami National Day on 6 February each year and celebrates Sami culture, history and identity with concerts, exhibitions, talks and the iconic reindeer race through the centre of town. You can find full programme details on the official website.
19 | REINDEER RACE
Gronnegata
Sun ~1-3PM
NOK 250 pp; converted: £19.38 / €22.19 / US$26.18
Held along Gronnegata, a street right in the centre of Tromso, Norwegian Championship Reindeer Racing is not the sort of event you watch from a distant hillside. You’re right there on along the street as Sami contestants race on skis behind reindeer at astonishing speed.
We bought our tickets the day before at Rodbanken, the Red Bank Cultural Centre, though we also spotted a pop-up stand at the top of the main square selling them. There’s no online booking system, just old-school ticket buying (but credit card only), and you can purchase them on race day too.
20 | SAMI WINTER MARKET
Stortorget (Main Square)
Fri-Sun 10AM - 5PM
Free
During Sami Week the main square in Tromso hosts a small winter market that sounds bigger in theory than it is in practice. Most of the stalls we saw were small and mostly focused on food treats like reindeer sausages, with just a handful of artisans selling handicrafts and traditional wares.
21 | LASSO CHAMPIONSHIP
Stortorget (Main Square)
Sat ~1-3PM
Free
There’s also the Norwegian Championship in lasso throwing right on the main square alongside the winter market. It's a proper competition where ropes are aimed at targets in a test of accuracy rooted in herding skills.
NOT QUITE DONE EXPLORING?
About to check Lapland off the bucket list? Start with our 8 Lapland Travel Tips: How We Prepared for Tromso’s Arctic Winter (And Nailed It) and exact 5 day Tromso itinerary (coming soon).
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