Into the Arctic! My first time in the Arctic circle, at winter time. Tromso in Norway is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern lights, and in general to experience the Arctic and Arctic nights in the winter. I was definitely not sure what to expect; would it really be dark all day and very cold? And would we actually get to see those green lights dance across the sky?
We touched down to a snowy evening in Tromso, and made our way to our accommodation, TA Stakkevollevegen, a self catering apartment. It was a bit small, but cosy and clean and easy to get a bus into town. The next morning we were off early, to meet some reindeer. We organized the tour with Tromso Arctic Reindeer and were taken by coach. The ride there was beautiful, just as it started to get light (around 10am), through the Arctic landscape.
It was a lovely day; we got to meet over 200 free roaming reindeer, feed them, and we even went snowshoeing and got to see even more of the beautiful landscape, complete with snowy peaks, rivers and of course those adorable reindeer. It was lovely weather; the three or four hours of light were glorious, kind of like a long sunrise and sunset and twilight all put together. And blue hour, just before the darkness was surreal, especially when we walked among the herd just us.
That evening we set off again, in search of those lights. We couldn’t have picked a better night. Just a short way from the light pollution of Tromso, and we had already found the aurora. Getting out of the bus, the whole sky seemed to come alive in green. It is hard really, to describe. The thousands of galaxies above were bathed in this green light that seemed to grow and spread around, until the whole sky was green and purple and even blue. And then it danced, as if alive. It brought tears to my eyes. We stayed there for ages, barely feeling the bitter cold, mesmerised by nature’s show. But we were lucky, and got to see one more show, almost at midnight, and this time there was red too in the sky. Truly something everyone should see once in their life.
By the time we got back, it was well past midnight. And we only had a few hours to sleep because soon it was time to get going for the next day’s activity. We made our way early to the harbour, and boarded the Brim Explorer, a large boat that was going to take us deep into the fjords in search of whales and orcas. The way there took about four hours, but it passed fast going out on deck to admire the view of the fjords and the little red cabins on the banks, and the moon suspended in a lavender sky. So surreal, so peaceful. By the time we got to the whale grounds, we were super excited. And didn’t have to wait long to see our first pods of orcas. It was like a nature documentary; seeing those long dark dorsal fins, and their white spots as they came up for air near the boat. We saw a few pods, and even got to see a humpback family. And, to top it all off, a lone sperm whale, as the sun set. Magical. Our journey back was quieter, but we did get to see the northern lights from the deck as we neared Tromso. Unforgettable.
Our last full day, and it was for the huskies. We were driven to the husky camp, again through stunning scenery. We got dressed in warm clothes and got our snowshoes, and then finally got to meet the huskies! We had five dogs joining us for our walk. They were all so sweet! We got to take it in turns to walk them. My girl was just desperate to run! She was only young and will make a great lead sled dog one day. Floyd, whom Maya walked, was an older chap who looked after the puppies. They were all so sweet, and it was such fun being out in the snow with them. Back at the camp, we got to meet the whole pack who all wanted hugs. And we got to help train the puppies! They were so cute and we even got to pick them up! And of course, like the other activities, at the end you get to warm up in a Sami hut with a warm drink. It was another amazing day and experience.
We spent the evening enjoying the little shops of the town as Christmas music played, and exploring some of the neighbourhoods full of cute houses and Christmas lights, just as a light snow started up again. Flying home the next day, the view as we left Tromso was like flying through a snow globe. Visiting the Arctic circle had been an incredible experience- we had been super lucky to see so much and have wonderful weather. The lights, the whales, the huskies and reindeer, the scenery… our hearts were full.
Practical Information
Getting here- Tromso airport has connections to many European cities. You can also connect there via Oslo, or Stockholm (like we did).
Where to stay- as I mentioned, we stayed in an apart hotel part of the Total Apartments chain. It had a good location and we could cook our own meals. There also some hotels in the Center of town that looked nice.
Getting around- the number 42 bus is easy to use and runs every half an hour. Most of the tours out of Tromso include transportation by coach. Driving is not recommended because of the wintery conditions.
What to do- definitely go looking for those lights! You can join a group which will have a better chance of finding the lights. We booked through Get your guide. You can also book the husky experience on there, as well as the reindeers. For whale watching, Brim Explorer is a reputable company to use with real researchers on board. I’ve linked all of these tours and companies at the bottom.
When to visit- every season has its charms in the Arctic, but to really experience Arctic nights, it has to be between December and January. This is an unforgettable experience, but not total darkness, so there is still time to see things, and lots of time to look for the northern lights! The lights are visible on clear nights between September and March, you just have to get a bit lucky! The summer brings near 24 hour light, which would be another cool experience! If coming in winter, bring warm clothes, like ski clothes, shoes with good grip, and you’ll be fine! It doesn’t get as cold here as other parts of the Arctic.
All in all, this was a trip like no other. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks to Maya for all the laughs, photos and silly memories x
https://www.visittromso.no/book-activities
https://www.tromsoarcticreindeer.com
