We decided to plan a trip to the Arctic Circle with the hopes of spotting the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights. As I researched information about the best place to spot the Aurora, the city of Tromsø kept surfacing in my search engine.
The city of Tromsø is a perfect fit for any type of traveler, offering a wide variety of outdoor activities such as dog sledding, reindeer sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and whale watching.
The stunning landscapes, such as the freshly snow covered mountains and partially iced over fjords, add to the appeal and makes Tromsø an even more ideal setting for a trip to the Arctic North. We’ve been to Tromsø five times and have witnessed the northern lights dancing in the sky during each visit.
» Chasing the Aurora Borealis: How to Photograph the Northern Lights
Tromsø is the largest city in Northern Norway located 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. The main city centre and part of town where we stayed is on the island called Tromsøya.
It is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge and is also connected to the island Kvaløya by the Sandnessund Bridge. The island of Kvaløya, which means whale island, is the place where our dog sledding and reindeer sledding excursions took place.
» Dog Sledding in Kvaløya, Norway with Arctic Adventures Tours
Tromsø is a lively and beautiful city that serves as a great home base for Northern Norway excursions. The town of Tromsø is enticing with its colorful wooden houses that line a seemingly endless harbor, the neo-gothic architecture and the many museums dedicated to their wildlife and history.
Where to Stay:
Amalie Hotel–During our first visit to Tromsø we stayed for one night at this charming hotel. Amalie, located near the harbor, is close to the main shops, restaurants and popular attractions. The rooms are comfortable and clean and the hotel offers a continental breakfast and wi-fi. Unfortunately we flew out early that morning to head to Alta so we were unable to enjoy the breakfast. I would recommend staying here, the room rates are very reasonable and the staff was friendly and helpful.
Thon Hotel Polar–We stayed here for the rest of our time (3 nights) in Tromsø during our first visit. There are two Thon Hotels located directly across the street from one another. While the Thon Hotel Polar is the budget hotel, it didn’t feel like that at all. The hotel offered large rooms, good location and a large continental breakfast. They also provide free wi-fi in all areas of the hotel. We had a great experience staying here and I would recommend this hotel as well.
Viking Apartments Hotell–We have stayed at these large, luxurious apartments during each consecutive visit to Tromsø. Each time we travel back, we bring a group of our friends and these apartments are perfect for accommodating larger groups. They are equipped with full kitchens, large bathrooms and plenty of super comfortable beds to make everyone happy. There are lots of plugs so that everyone can charge up their camera batteries at night after exhausting them shooting the northern lights!
AirBnb is also a great option and we have used them here as well. There are many options such as a private room in a home, an entire apartment and other unique stays.
» Get $40 off your first booking on AirBnb by using my link!
How to Get to Tromsø:
We flew Lufthansa from Venice Marco Polo to Frankfurt to Oslo and then to Tromsø! Once we arrived in Tromsø, we used Flybussen Shuttle bus which costs 100 NOK per person for a return trip and has drop off stops at a couple of locations in town. You can purchase the tickets on the bus from the driver.
Once in town it is very easy to walk almost everywhere. If you want to take the cable car up on the other side of the bridge you can catch the local bus in town. The bus goes frequently and is fairly inexpensive for Norway.
Most of the excursions will either pick you up from your hotel or will have their meeting points walking distance away.
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