Review Tromso 🇳🇴
Tromso - is the largest city located behind the Arctic Circle in Norway, – known as the "Gateway to the Arctic". This is a dream destination for those who want to hunt Northern Lights, experience true Nordic winter, and feel the slow pace of life amidst wild nature.
✈️Flight tickets
The tickets for the trip I took to Tromso were quite expensive, round-trip tickets within Europe around 10.5 million including 25kg checked baggage. If bought early, they seem cheaper.
The outbound flight I took from Gdansk - Tromso (Wizzair): 6 million
The return flight from Gdansk - Geneva (Scandinavian Airlines & EasyJet): 4.5 million (3 legs: Tromso - Stockholm, Stockholm-Nice, Nice-Geneva).
🚌Transportation
Here I mainly got around by bus, from the airport there's a bus straight to the accommodation. Everyone download the Svipper app to buy tickets on it. The 24h ticket is quite cheap, unlimited travel. 24h ticket is 133 NOK (~345k)
I stayed 3 days so I bought 2 24h tickets total ~700k.
Tromso center is also small, can walk, and to nearby towns and villages like Eidkjosen, Sommarøy, Ersfjordbotn all have direct buses from the center, included in the 24h ticket. For farther places like Narvik or down to Lofoten, need to buy long-distance bus tickets.
🏨Accommodation
Hotels here are quite expensive so I chose AirBnb.
The place I stayed was quite close to the center. For 3 nights it was 7.9 million. Per person nearly 4 million.
🍔Food
Although in Norway food is quite expensive, however costs here are much more affordable than in Iceland.
I stayed in Airbnb with cooking facilities so I chose to go to the supermarket to buy ingredients to cook, so for 3 days my cost was ~2 million.
🌌Sightseeing
I came here in mid-November so days are very short, sun rises at 10am but sets at 1pm, if going in December there's no sunrise at all. Therefore I mainly strolled around Tromso and nearby towns by bus. In the evening went to hunt aurora.
Main spots in central Tromso to visit like:
- Tromsø Havn harbor, where there are colorful Nordic-style houses
- Tromsø Cathedral, the cathedral in the center
- The Polar Museum
- McDonald's shop near the northernmost point in the world
- Arctic Cathedral, church with striking glass windows
- UÚtiktspunkt: View the whole panorama of Tromso from above, round-trip cable car ticket to the top is 595NOK (~1.5 million)
- Ersfjordbotn: a beautiful fishing village just 1 hour by bus from the center, located between 2 narrow fjords
In addition, here there are notable tours like: - Aurora hunting tour
- Whale watching tour
- Fjord sightseeing tour
- Reindeer farm exploration and Sami culture tour
These tours can be booked via Klook, GetYourGuide apps or directly at tourist counters in the city center. These tours range from 2-6 million/tour.
I only chose 1 aurora hunting tour. This tour I bought for 2.5 million. Departs at 6pm and returns home nearly 3am. The tour goes from Tromso to the border with Sweden, stops anywhere along the way that feels clear with potential for aurora. The day I went was a bit unlucky because it snowed continuously, very cloudy sky, drove very far, had to reach the border with Sweden to see it. When going remember to wear really warm clothes and bring a thermos with hot water to drink.
Total cost for my Tromso trip was about ~20 million. - Flight tickets: 10.5 million
- Food: 2 million
- Accommodation: 4 million
- Transportation: 700k
- Aurora tour: 2.5 million
Tromsø is very worth it for those who: Want to hunt Aurora, experience nature, winter, snow and the peacefulness of the Nordics.
If have more time, can take bus from here to Lofoten islands or fly direct to Leknes (Lofoten). Since I didn't have much time, only visited Tromso.
Cre: Thành Công Lê
