My Ultimate Fantasy List of Things To Do In Tromsø

I don’t know about you, but Tromsø has absolutely and completely taken over my Tik Tok for you page! With videos of pink sunrises over snow covered hills with a real life reindeer standing nearby, I am in awe that this place is real! With each video I watch, I want to visit more and more. For anyone else feeling inspired like I am, I’ve decided to do the research for you. I will unfortunately not be going to Tromsø anytime soon. Hopefully you might be and can use this list of the coolest things to do in Tromsø, Norway.

Things To Do In Tromsø, Norway

Get Pulled By Reindeer Or Dog Sled

Tromsø is the northernmost city in the world – so it’s basically the closest thing we have to the north pole! While you might not see Rudolph, there are tons of other reindeer you might see. Tromsø has multiple reindeer farms and experiences you can take part in.

You don’t see reindeer everyday so seeing one is one of the most unique things to do in Tromsø! You can pet and feed them, ride in a sleigh pulled by them, or both!

If you love dogs, you could opt for a dog sled ride as well! No matter what animal is pulling you, it is a great way to get to the more beautiful yet remote areas of Tromsø and enjoy those as well.

winter scene of a reindeer pulling a sleigh

man with dog sled team near snow covered mountains

Go Northern Lights Chasing

Being the northernmost city in the world, it also gets the most northern lights activity of anywhere in the world. Some people have been lucky enough to see an aurora from their front step. If that wasn’t you, Tromsø is the place to go to catch them.

Of course, seeing the northern lights is never a guarantee. Going to Tromsø in the winter will give you the best odds. Visiting Tromsø from late September to early April will give you the highest likelihood of seeing them. And if you want an amazing experience, you can book a northern lights hunt via dog sled or being pulled by a reindeer. Talk about a once in a lifetime experience!

blue, purple, and green northern lights over snow cover hills in Tromso

Ride The Cable Car To The Top Of Town

One of the most beautiful views that you don’t have to travel too far for, is the Tromsø Gondola. The gondola will take you up and through the town, taking you to one of the hill sides that overlooks Tromsø. From there, you can get the most stunning views of the city in its entirety.

I can imagine going at sunset or sunrise would be breathtaking – or if you’re lucky enough to be up there when you can see the northern lights over the city, it would be unreal!

Tromsø city view from the top of the Fjellheisen cable car

Fjellheisen cable car ascending hill in Tromsø, Norway

Go Skiing

If you have never skied before, I’m sorry to say that Tromsø is not the place to try it out. Tromsø has some great ski mountains nearby, but they have mostly intermediate to advanced terrain.

If you do have the skills to confidently ski up by Tromsø, it sounds like another once in a lifetime experience. Just look at these photos. The views look INSANE. And imagine if you saw an aurora while skiing? That’d be a core memory. Please go and do this for me!

Ski mountain in Tromsø, Norway with views from the snow covered hills to the water/

Visit An Ice Hotel

For me personally, staying and living in a hotel made of ice for the duration of my vacation sounds WAY too cold for me. For that reason, I would go take a visit to one of the ice hotels near Tromsø.

The level of detail they go into while sculpting looks incredible online, and like it’s even more mesmerizing to see in person!

living room of an ice hotel in Norway with intricately carved trees into the walls.

Relax In A Sauna

One thing Norwegian people love is a good sauna! While in Tromsø, this is a great activity to try out to truly get the full Norway experience. There are two that I’ve seen online that seem promising!

Both are floating saunas, so the building is built with direct access to the ocean!

Vulkana is the first I heard about, and Pust I also saw a great video about it. The inside of the building is dark with colorful LED lights. They have a traditional sauna, which in fahrenheit, gets up to 170 degrees!

Conveniently, the sauna is right next to a deck where you can jump off and polar plunge into the Arctic Ocean. This sounds a bit scary to me, but if you’re in Norway it’s one of the best things to do in Tromsø!

Sauna in Tromso, Norway, floating on the arctic ocean with the northern lights in the sky above

Try Local Food

To me, Norway has never been a place that I associate with having the most amazing, world class food. Honestly, I don’t associate Norway with bad food either, it’s more so neutral. In fact, not a ton of food comes to mind when I try to come up with Norwegian food.

As I went through every article and video I could find about the best things to do in Tromsø, I was able to learn more. Some local food you should consider trying are hot dogs, smoked salmon, or any locally caught fish! Lots of people are obsessed with Smash Chocolates that are sold in Norway. Through Tik Tok, Bubs are an extremely popular Swedish candy, but I believe you can find and try them in Norway as well!

Whale Watching Cruise With Dinner

On this excursion, you relax inside of a warm and beautiful cruise ship that takes you on a path to hopefully catch a glimpse of whales or orcas. You’ll be seated at a dinner table next to the window, so you can enjoy your meal while also keeping an eye out for marine life!

It can be difficult when it gets dark so early to not get sleepy and want to go to bed early. Going out on a trip like this can help you adjust to the timezone, if you’ve traveled from far, or adjust to the lack of sunlight.

An orca whale surfacing in the Arctic Ocean near Tromso, Norway on whale watching cruise

Stop By The Troll Museum

When I visited Iceland, I didn’t realize how important trolls are to the mythology of the Nordic countries! While in the US, we have Santa that comes and delivers presents, in the Nordic countries, they have mischievous trolls that come into your house!

I never thought that other countries that celebrate Christmas could have such different stories and explanations. If this is something that sounds interesting to you, you should stop by the Troll Museum while in Norway! I’m sure it will be quite entertaining for you and whoever you go with.

Visit The Arctic Cathedral

As I researched the most interesting things to do in Tromsø, this came up on almost every list. This cathedral is perched atop one of the hills surrounding Tromsø. It’s built with lots of glass that illuminates the interior when it’s shined on, and looks surreal lit up while surrounded by snow.

This is one of the most iconic, landmark spots to visit while in Tromsø!

The Arctic Cathedral in Tromso, Norway with green and pink northern lights in the sky

Go To The Tromsø Southern Beach – Telegrafbukta

If you’re going when it’s not as snowy out, taking a visit to Telegrafbukta can be a relaxing activity to hang out here. It has beautiful views, and it is also near the Arctic-Alpine Botanic Gardens.

The parking is free, but doesn’t have a ton of amenities nearby or great swimming. When there, you can explore the nearby nature through hiking or various bike paths.

Visit Polaria

Polaria is an aquarium you can visit in Tromsø to learn about the local marine life! You can see tanks of jellyfish, king crabs, and all kinds of local fish. One of the coolest experiences you can do here is see the seals! Polaria has tons of seals, and you can buy ticket to meet and hang out with the seals,

seal looking around corner in Polaria aquarium, Tromso, Norway

What To Do In Tromsø

Tromsø is one of the hottest up and coming travel destinations! As you’re planning your trip, use these things to do in Tromsø to make the most of your time in Norway. Happy and safe travels!