When you think of a winter wonderland, you probably think of the attraction in London, or perhaps Rovaniemi, “Home of Santa Claus” in Finland. If you go even further north up the Norwegian coast, you reach Tromsø, a land of “Northern Most” attractions, and often known as the home of the Northern Lights, which arguably beats America’s best Northern Lights spot.
I first traveled to Tromsø in early 2022, hoping to spot the Northern Lights with my then-fiancée. That time we weren’t lucky. This year, however, the sun is at the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. Knowing this, and having found cheap flights from Berlin with easyJet, we traveled back to the Arctic Circle in search of the Northern Lights and some winter recreation.
We spent a long weekend in Tromsø, arriving on Friday evening and leaving Monday evening. This was a slightly risky strategy, as it only gave us a handful of nights to potentially see the Northern Lights. But we had faith; we were right in the prime time to see Tromsø’s Aurora Borealis, after all.
Day 1: A Winter Wonderland Upon Arrival
Tom Boon takes photographs in Tromsø, Norway.Credit: Tom Boon
The Christmassy vibes had already begun by the time we landed. While the runway at Tromsø Airport had been cleared of snow, the surroundings hadn’t. We took a taxi to our Airbnb, and, having learned to drive where it doesn’t often snow, I was glad that I had not opted to rent a car.
Norway’s 9th biggest city, Tromsø is located at a latitude of 69° North, and is a two-hour flight due north from Oslo, the country’s capital city. Tromsø itself is an Island on Norway’s west coast. On one side, it is connected to the mainland with a bridge and tunnel, while a bridge on the other side connects it to Kvaløya, another island.
Not only was an Airbnb cheaper than a hotel, but it also gave us the luxury of our own kitchen, allowing us to keep food costs down. The accommodation was located a half-hour walk from the city center. We took a stroll to the city and soon found a cool attraction.
After I visited “the world’s coolest McDonald’s” in New Zealand two years ago, my colleagues joke that I can’t travel without visiting the local McDonald’s. Tromsø claims to have the Northernmost McDonald’s, and unlike the adjacent Burger King, they go all out with their branding.
Tom Boon visits the world’s northernmost McDonald’s in Tromsø, Norway.Credit: Tom Boon
I was already excited to see a sign proclaiming that this was a special McDonald’s (though some may argue it isn’t quite as standing ovation-worthy as the world’s most beautiful McDonald’s), but while ordering a snack inside, I discovered that you could also purchase business cards and postcards commemorating your visit for around a dollar. Of course, I got one of each! We left, and then something incredible happened.
We were walking back to our accommodation, sad that we had not yet seen the Northern Lights. I randomly decided to hold my camera up to the sky, and what I had thought was a cloud suddenly had a green tinge. Out of nowhere, the lights were dancing right over the city. My wife quickly searched Google Maps for a viewing point, and we walked to a park at the top of a very snowy hill.
In the park, named Tromsø Utsiktspunkt, we found unobstructed views of the sky and sat for an hour as the lights danced overhead. Given how difficult it had been to see the lights in 2022, we were surprised that it seemed so easy to spot them this time around.
Day 2: Trekking Across The Arctic
Tom Boon goes snowshoeing in Tromsø, Norway.Credit: Tom Boon
Saturday was a busy day for us, which meant an early start before sunrise. Actually, as we were north of the Arctic Circle, the sun did not rise above the horizon at all during our stay. In fact, it won’t rise in Tromsø again until January 15th.
However, just because the sun doesn’t rise doesn’t mean that it is dark out 24/7. In fact, there were around three or four hours of twilight during which the sky was emblazoned with fantastic orange hues.
Before twilight began, we reported to the city where we met our guide for a snowshoe hike on Kvaløya, the Island of Whales. As we drove 40 minutes across the snowy landscape, we passed wild reindeer wandering along the road, giving a very Christmassy feel.
A reindeer walks along the road in Tromsø, Norway.Credit: Tom Boon
Upon arriving, we donned our snowshoes and followed our guide up a “hill” (spelled mountain) covered in a deep layer of fresh snow. Our group of seven walked one behind the other on the way up. The trip covered 1.25 miles laterally and around 1,300 feet vertically! Climbing up the mountain was hard work, and despite the temperature being below freezing, I was taking off layer after layer until I was just in my T-shirt.
I cooled down quickly as we reached the summit, where there was nothing sheltering us from the wind. At the top of the mountain, it was 19℉, but the wind chill took it to a ‘feels-like’ temperature of just 10℉. We stopped for a snack and a hot blackcurrant drink. I also sipped my water, which was ice-cold.
The way down the mountain was even more fun. With gravity on our side, we all chose our own path through the deep snow, sometimes falling and sinking up to our knees. The ascent took 55 minutes, and the descent took 47 minutes due to all the fun we were having. When we got back to the city at 2 p.m., it was already dark.
Northern Lights over Tromsø, Norway.Credit: Tom Boon
We had around four hours until our next adventure, so we popped back to the Airbnb to warm up and rest, and then walked back into the city. Our destination was the city bus station, where we boarded a coach heading back to the island we had left only a few hours earlier. This was our booked “Northern Lights Chase”, insurance in case we had not seen the lights the previous night.
The bus left Tromsø at around 6:30 p.m. and drove just under 40 miles to a random layby near a single-track bridge at the end of the island. Here we stood in the cold, staring at the sky for an hour or so until the faintest light appeared in the sky.
Having seen a spectacular display the night before, it was somewhat underwhelming. However, just as we were about to make our return trip to the city, the lights started to go crazy. We stayed another hour, until around 11 p.m., taking photograph after photograph.
By the time we woke up on Sunday and enjoyed a restorative full English breakfast, it was already getting dark. We returned to Tromsø Outdoor, where we rented a couple of padded plastic sheets for around $7 a day to use as sleds on groomed hills in the public park. We took the bus to the park, which was lit with floodlights. It felt like 8 p.m., despite being just 3 p.m.
My wife and I took turns sliding and spent around 30 minutes going up and down the hill. Eventually, our gloves became wet, our faces became cold, and the fun began to dry up. We took the bus back down the hill, handed the sleds back, and went on in search of a warmer activity.
Tom Boon enjoys a pint at the oldest pub in Tromsø, Norway.Credit: Tom Boon
Ølhallen is Tromsø’s oldest pub, attached to the world’s northernmost brewery. Having visited in 2022, this was a must-see for us. We each had a pint of beer, which surprisingly seemed to be the only thing that got cheaper in between visits, thanks to exchange rates. The cost of the beer increased from 276 NOK in 2022 to 300 NOK in 2025. However, thanks to the change in exchange rates, what was once €27.61 (just over $32) only set me back €25.60 (around $30).
Day 4: Already Saying Goodbye To Tromsø
On our final day in Tromsø, we visited the city one last time to buy souvenirs at the city’s first-ever Christmas market. Living in Germany, I am spoiled by access to some of the best Christmas markets in Europe. Compared to what I’m used to, Tromsø’s setup still has a long way to go.
Tom Boon enjoys a reindeer sausage at the Christmas Market in Tromsø, Norway.Credit: Tom Boon
There were a handful of huts, though they didn’t seem to have any direct relationship to Christmas. The food options were Asian wok, jacket potatoes, and pasta from a big wheel of cheese. I did, however, opt to try an expensive reindeer hot dog. This was good, but tasted a lot like the beef “rindwurst” I can find year-round in Frankfurt. While the Market itself wasn’t the most Christmassy, the city definitely had a jolly atmosphere with lights, snow, and people enjoying themselves all around!
We said one last goodbye to the city and hiked back up the hill to our accommodation, grabbed our suitcases, and made our way to the Tromsø Airport. After de-icing due to the cold, we took off into the night. Once we passed through the clouds, I had hoped to spot the northern lights one last time. But alas, it was not to be.