How to Spend One Day in Tromso

Tromso was one of those places that felt so impossible when I first started planning my Norway trip. A city this far north, sitting above the Arctic Circle, surrounded by mountains and fjords, strange language, 5 hours of sunlight, felt like somewhere that belonged in a documentary rather than somewhere I could actually visit.

I spent 4 exploring Tromso in February, and the biggest thing I learned was that visiting here is all about timing, weather and nature. The daylight disappears quickly and that allows you only a short time for outdoor stuff, the weather changes fast, and you have to plan your day carefully if you want to experience most of the best things to do in Tromso.

Because I spent so much time planning this trip and explored a lot of the area and things to do in Tromso, I think like I have a very solid idea of what a great 24 hours in Tromso would look like.

One day in Tromso: My experience

Before getting into the itinerary, I want to explain how I built this day. Tromso is not a city where you can just walk around and randomly discover everything. The biggest mistake I noticed while planning was underestimating how much time the cold and limited daylight would take away.

When I visited in February, sunrise was late and the city stayed in this beautiful blue twilight for hours. It was one of my favorite parts of Tromso, but it also meant I had to be intentional with how I spent those daylight hours.

I also learned that you cannot do every Arctic activity in one day. Dog sledding, reindeer experiences, fjord tours, and northern lights chasing all take several hours. For a one-day trip, I would focus on seeing the city, getting the mountain views, and saving the evening for the Northern Lights. If I could just do one thing in Tromso with 100% certainty, it would be to see the northern lights.

Morning: Tromso City Center

The first place to start exploring is in the city center, where there are colorful wooden buildings, small cafes and shops. I was actually really shocked by how lively and modern the city here is for somewhere so far north and so small. Tromso city is very walkable, like any typical European town.

Another must see and popular place in Tromso for travelers to take pictures is the Arctic Cathedral. I really didn’t spend a lot of time here. i thought it was actually underwhelming for how iconic it is. It has a triangular shape that stands out among the other structures here. You can admire it from just outside or inside if you want. It has a really modern and sleek design, synonymous with Norwegian culture.

One of my favorite parts of Tromso city is Storgata street. this is the main shopping street in Tromso. You can really get a sense of how regular life is in Tromso for the people living here. There are malls, shops selling artisanal crafts, restaurants and hotels. Here is where I ate my first piece of Reindeer meat.

For breakfast you can go to one of the small cafes that have warm pies, pastries and coffee. I can imagine you’d want to drink something hot because it’s going to be cold. Tromso is a very expensive place. Food and everything else costs much more than most other places that I’ve visited.

If you want reasonably priced food and items, you can look for the store “Rema” or “Kiwi”. Snacks, food, sandwiches and drinks were still expensive, but cheaper than cafes and other places. This wasn’t a shock to me initially, because I read about it everywhere. How expensive Tromso and Norway is for food. Until i actually got there and say the prices, I was like “yikes”.

Next, you can move towards some of Tromso’s fjords that you can see from within the city. Fjords are spectacular to see and makes you think about the more nature side of Tromso and I think that’s what here is really about. It also looks like something out of a fantasy movie. A great place to take pictures.

Midday: Museums and Culture

Now, you can look for an opportunity to explore some of Tromso’s more cultural places. I actually stumbled upon Polaria, the Arctic museum. This wasn’t on anyone’s plan or itinerary for out time here in Tromso. But it kept coming up as something to do for a few hours. Polaria shows you Norway’s Arctic expeditions and the city’s history as a starting point for polar exploration. You can get tickets right at the counter in the lobby of the museum. A Polaria ticket costs $29 USD.

The experience starts with in a theater, with a movie on the Arctic, polar expeditions and polar bears. I thought it was very short, maybe like 15 minutes. After the movie, you can walk through the museum at your own pace looking at fish, pictures and depictions of birds, whales and other animals. There are headphones you can walk over to and put on to actually hear the sounds each artic animal makes.

Then there is a more interactive and fun seal feeding session. This was my favorite part of the entire thing and I think this is what everyone waits on when they come here. You can walk out to an open area where the seals live. The staff will begin to make the seals do smart things to get food and it’s really a neat experience.

After Polaria, you should visit the Tromso museum. Here you can get a glimpse into Sami culture, local wildlife and history. When you see the history and meaning behind a lot of things in the city, you get more context to visualize in your head, why everything is the way it is.

As I mentioned earlier, how important it is to plan around daylight hours. If you visit in the summer months, you will have daylight that goes onto the evening and will allow you to do more things and more exploration. If you come in the winter like I did, you will have only a short window of daylight and it can limit your actions.

Have a lunch break at one of the local restaurants. I recommend trying some reindeer. Either a steak or a burger. Now, in my opinion, Norwegian food isn’t great. Norway isn’t known for their food being really tasty or unique. But you can get some really well made, high quality food here. Find a warm cozy spot to sit, eat and recharge. The afternoon ahead will take you outdoors more.

Afternoon: Arctic Adventures and Scenic Views

In the afternoon you can explore the Fjellheisen Tromso cable car and Arctic wildlife. The Tromso cable car is one of the most popular things to do in Tromso. You can do it as a quick little experience or make it into a full day trip for those of you who have more than a day in Tromso. First you have to either walk or take a bus to the cable station in Tromso. The cable car will then carry you up Storsteinen mountain in about 1 minute.

At the summit, there is the main building that acts as a gateway for other cooler activities. There is a restaurant and cafe serving hot drinks and food with panoramic views of the city below. You can go outside on an open deck where the sky is exposed and has very low light pollution. You can see the northern lights from here. It shows you Tromso from up top, sprawled out below.

Now, you can do something that shows the culture of northern Norway, Arctic dog sledding. Dog sledding is an experience where teams of huskies pull you across the snow. This is how Arctic people used to travel long years ago. This is really an exhilarating experience. The dogs huffing and barking, the snow gliding past you. There is something primal and satisfying about it. You can just look online for tours that offer dog sledding and choose the best time slot for you.

Another option is reindeer feeding and sledding. The Sami people are usually the ones who offer these interactions with Arctic animals. They teach you songs and about their families and culture. There are even stores in Tromso that only sells Sami clothes and items. You can feed the reindeer and then go for a sleigh ride right after. These activities are usually half day excursions and need a few hours dedicated to just this. So, don’t book one of these activities if you are really pressed for time.

Evening: Northern Lights

The highlight of your day in Tromso is the northern lights. With some good timing and luck you can witness what most people still have on their bucket list. Tromso is one of the best places to experience the northern lights. When it’s dark and the sky is clear, you can possibly see the northern lights. I was so glad I got to see the northern lights with a proper tour that drove us 4 hours from Tromso into the Finnish forest hunting the Northern Lights.

One of the best places to see the lights with little light pollution is up the Tromso cable car. I also went up here hoping to see the Northern Lights, but it wasn’t showing at that time. But, the most guaranteed way to see the lights is a guided tour. There are many tour operators to choose from. There are smaller more private guides and there are larger, grouped ones where you go on buses.

A typical northern light tour will involve hunting the lights. Sometimes you have to drive past cloud coverage and chase the lights. When I did a northern light tour in February. We had to drive from Tromso, all the way into Finland in order to see the lights. It can come and go instantly, so when you spot it your guide will tell you to come out the car quickly for you to take pictures.

Often seeing the northern lights is the last thing on a 1 day Tromso itinerary. But, if you get back early and have some time, consider returning to the city center. There are bars and cafes that get lively around this time. The city is small and compact, so going around at different places is normal and will be quick.

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