Tromsø in winter gives you northern lights, whales and the polar night on the same trip. Here are the dates for 2026/27, prices for the big experiences, the new direct flights and a four-day plan, so you know what is worth the money before you book.
In short: Tromsø in winter 2026/27
• Polar night: 27 November 2026 – 15 January 2027. The sun stays below the horizon, but around midday you get a few hours of blue and pink light.
• Northern lights: the season runs from late August to early April. Activity usually peaks between 8 pm and 2 am.
• Whales: usually from early November to late January, north of the city near Skjervøy and Kvænangen.
• Most expensive: whale safaris and dog sledding, from around €180–190 per person.
• Cheapest: the city bus for around €4.50 and the free outdoor cinema in Stortorget square during the January film festival.
Updated November 2026. All prices are approximate and given in euros. Sources: Visit Tromsø and Pixidia.
Experience | When | Price (approx.) | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
Guided northern lights chase | Late Aug – early Apr | €157–310 | Allow at least three evenings |
Whale safari | Nov – late Jan | From €180, RIB from €290 | Takes the whole day |
Dog sledding | Winter | €185–360 | Pick a tour where you drive the sled yourself |
Fjellheisen cable car | All year, 09:00–24:00 | €45 return | Check the wind the same morning |
Arctic Cathedral | All year | From €8 | New Year’s concert on 31 December |
Polaria | All year | Around US$40 | Seal feeding at 10:30 and 12:30 |
Sources for the table: Visit Tromsø (Tromsø Pass), Visit Tromsø (Fjellheisen) and Polaria. Prices apply to winter 2026/27 and may change.
Winter in Tromsø has three phases. From late November to mid-January it is polar night. Visit Tromsø gives 27 November 2026 as the last day with sun and 15 January 2027 as the first. That does not mean it is pitch dark around the clock. Around midday, the twilight gives you a few hours of soft blue and pink light over the mountains.
December is peak season, with Christmas lights, northern lights and whales at the same time. January gives you both whales and the film festival, and on 21 January the city celebrates the return of the sun with sun buns and hot chocolate. February and March bring longer days, more snow and still good chances of northern lights, but by then the whales are gone.
Best for: December and January if you want everything on one trip. February–March if you want more daylight for activities.
Tromsø has direct flights from Oslo and several European cities, and new routes are coming in winter 2026/27:
Reykjavik: Icelandair flies twice a week from 23 October 2026 to 29 March 2027.
Helsinki: Norwegian flies on Wednesdays and Sundays from 18 November 2026 until mid-March.
Warsaw: LOT launches its direct route on 1 December 2026.
Glasgow: Norwegian flies on Mondays and Fridays from 11 December 2026 to 22 March 2027.
The airport is on the island of Tromsøya, just a few minutes from the city centre. The airport bus costs around €11 one way, and the regular city bus around €4.50. Buy city bus tickets in the Svipper app or from a ticket machine, as buses in Troms no longer take cash. A taxi to the centre costs around €18–29.
Tromsø sits right under the auroral oval, and during the polar night the sky is dark enough for the chase to start as early as the afternoon. What really decides it is cloud cover. Nobody can promise you northern lights on a given night.
Northern lights over snow-covered mountains in the Tromsø region. Photo: Deniz Dinc / Unsplash
Stay at least three nights. That gives you backup evenings if it is cloudy.
Choose a guided tour that follows the weather. The best tours drive to wherever the sky is clear, sometimes all the way to the Finnish border. Expect €157–310 per person, often including warm clothing, food by the campfire and photos.
Try on your own from Fjellheisen. The cable car runs until midnight all year, and the view over the city makes for great photos when the aurora is strong. When it is weak, light pollution from the city becomes a problem.
Bring a spare phone battery. The cold drains batteries fast.
Best for: everyone. This is what most people come for.
A humpback whale dives in front of a RIB full of whale watchers in the fjords north of Tromsø. Photo: Simon Infanger / Unsplash
The whales follow the herring. A few years ago you could see orcas and humpbacks just outside Tromsø, but since 2017 they have gathered in the fjords around Skjervøy and Kvænangen, north of the city. The season usually runs from early November to late January, but both timing and location can vary from year to year.
You can take a boat all the way from Tromsø, or a bus to Skjervøy and a boat from there. Either way, it takes the whole day. A larger boat costs from around €180–190, and a RIB tour from around €290. The trip can be long and choppy, so bring seasickness tablets.
Visit Tromsø advises against swimming or snorkelling with the whales. Choose an operator that follows the local whale-watching guidelines and keeps its distance from the animals.
Best for: travellers with a full day to spare who can handle a bit of sea.
Dog sledding through snowy valleys outside Tromsø. Photo: Bernal Fallas / Unsplash
Dog sledding is the most expensive activity, but also the one many people remember best. Tours take around three to five hours including transport from the centre. On the cheapest tours you often spend only 10–15 minutes on the sled, while longer tours let you drive your own team for an hour or more. Always check how long you actually spend on the sled.
Prices start at around €185 per person, and small, exclusive tours cost up to around €360. Some operators charge more during Christmas week and in February.
Best for: anyone who wants one big experience and is ready for sub-zero temperatures.
Tromsø seen from the mountain, with the Tromsø Bridge, the harbour and the Arctic Cathedral at the bottom right. Photo: Daniel Vogel / Unsplash
The cable car takes you 421 metres up to Storsteinen in four minutes. From there you can see the city, the bridge, the Arctic Cathedral and the fjords. Fjellheisen is open every day from 09:00 to midnight, and a return ticket costs around €45 for adults, €25 for children (3–15) and €97 for a family.
Be aware that Fjellheisen is being rebuilt. The large viewing platform at the top is closed, the café operates from a temporary building, and there is no parking at the lower station. According to Visit Tromsø, the cable car is not wheelchair accessible until the end of 2027. Fjellheisen also often closes because of wind, so check fjellheisen.no the same morning.
Getting there: bus 26 from Torgsenteret, around ten minutes.
Beat the queue: go early in the day. The queue to get down can be long on winter evenings, so don’t wait for the last cabin.
Don’t hike up in winter. The Sherpa Steps are closed for winter use and not recommended from November to May.
Best for: everyone, especially on a clear evening.
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The Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø lit up on a winter evening, with a Christmas tree by the entrance. Photo: Dana Andreea Gheorghe / Unsplash
The Arctic Cathedral from 1965 is Tromsø’s best-known building, inspired by Arctic nature and with a large glass mosaic inside. Entry costs from around €8. On New Year’s Eve the church holds an organ concert at 9 pm (around €32).
Polaria is an Arctic experience centre with an aquarium and bearded seals. The seals are fed at 10:30 and 12:30 every day. A ticket costs around US$40.
If you plan to see several museums, the Tromsø Pass can pay off. The Classic pass (around €123) includes a Fjellheisen return trip, the Polar Museum, the University Museum, Polaria, the Science Centre and the Arctic Cathedral. The pass is only sold at the tourist information office.
Best for: bad-weather days and families.
Mid-November: the Christmas lights are switched on in the streets.
Sunday 29 November (first Sunday of Advent): the Christmas tree in the city centre is lit.
31 December: New Year’s concert in the Arctic Cathedral.
18–24 January 2027: Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF), Norway’s largest film festival. The winter cinema in Stortorget is free for everyone.
21 January: the city celebrates the return of the sun.
Late January or early February: the Northern Lights Festival.
Tromsø is not cheap, and the big experiences cost the most. Here is an example per person for four nights, with two people sharing a hotel room:
Hotel: around €280 (mid-range hotel, around €110–180 per night for the room)
Guided northern lights chase: around €200
Whale safari: around €180
Dog sledding: around €190
Fjellheisen: €45
Bus and airport bus: around €30
Total: around €925 per person, before flights and food. To save money, pick one of the big activities and spend the rest of your time in the city and on Fjellheisen.
Day 1: Land, check in and take a walk around the centre. Fjellheisen in the evening if the sky is clear.
Day 2: Dog sledding in the morning, the Arctic Cathedral on the way back, northern lights chase in the evening.
Day 3: Whale safari all day (November–January). Outside whale season: Polaria and the museums.
Day 4: Relaxed morning and fly home. Backup evening for the northern lights if you leave late.
Travelling as a group? Split the activities and vote on what you want to do. Read our guide on how to plan a group trip without the chaos.
Wool as your base layer, ideally in several layers, with a windproof jacket on the outside.
Warm winter boots with good soles. Tromsø’s pavements are often as slippery as an ice rink, so bring ice cleats.
Hat, mittens and a neck warmer, plus a head torch for evening outings.
Many tours lend you thermal suits. Check what’s included before you buy expensive clothes.
Save the activities you want to try, add them to your itinerary day by day, and keep flights, hotel and tickets in one place. Travelling with others? Invite the rest of the group so everyone sees the same plan and knows which evening is set aside for the northern lights.
The season runs from late August to early April. The nights are longest from November to February, and during the polar night from 27 November to 15 January you can see the aurora as early as the afternoon. Activity usually peaks between 8 pm and 2 am. Stay at least three nights, since cloud cover decides.
Yes, when the aurora is strong you can see it above the city. Light pollution makes weaker displays hard to see. Fjellheisen gives you a better view, and a guided tour can drive to wherever the sky is clear.
No. The sun does not rise above the horizon, but around midday the twilight gives you a few hours of blue and pink light. Many people think it is the most beautiful time of the year.
Usually from early November to late January. The whales gather near Skjervøy and Kvænangen north of Tromsø, so a whale safari takes the whole day. Timing can vary from year to year, and nobody can guarantee that you will see whales.
Four days is a good starting point. That gives you time for the northern lights, dog sledding and a whale safari, plus a backup evening if it is cloudy.
With a hotel, a northern lights tour, a whale safari, dog sledding and Fjellheisen, expect around €900–950 per person for four nights, before flights and food. Each of the big activities costs around €180–200.
Cover photo: Daniel Vogel / Unsplash
Collect the places that inspire you, build a day-by-day itinerary and keep every ticket, booking and note in one place.
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Tromsø, Norway
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