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Tailor-Made Aurora Break in Tromso

Northern Lights Short Break in Tromso

A holiday to Northern Norway isn’t complete without visiting the city of Tromsø, known as the “gateway to the Arctic”. With a wide choice of flights and accommodation options it is perfect for a short break - giving you a taste of the high arctic environment and possibilities of viewing the aurora borealis. High on everyone’s bucket list!

Tromsø has a small town charm with boutique shops, cosy restaurants, inviting bars and several attractions all within walking distance and embraced within a friendly atmosphere. You can enjoy the best of both worlds: a lively city with wilderness adventures and once in a lifetime experiences further afield.

For the adventure seekers, Tromsø is a great base to explore the surrounding wilderness on some of the memorable excursions available as part of your trip. On this northern lights break we have included three of the ‘must do’ trips to wet your appetite for adventure.

Our holidays and short breaks in Tromsø are tailored around your preferred departure dates and choice of activities and accommodation. If you prefer to change any of the inclusive excursions we can help you choose from our extensive selection of Northern Lights trips and daytime adventures departing from the city.

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The Northern Lights over Tromso

The Northern Lights over Tromso
Northern Lights Tromso

Northern Lights Tromso
Experience a traditional Sami Lavvu near to Tromsø. Image: Terje-Rakke / Innovation Norway

Experience a traditional Sami Lavvu near to Tromsø. Image: Terje-Rakke / Innovation Norway

SUGGESTED ITINERARY

WHAT, WHERE & WHEN

Day 1:

On arrival at Tromsø airport make your way to the city centre hotel. There is a choice between the regular shuttle bus service, taking approximately 10-15 minutes and costing about £10 per person each way. The bus stops at four locations in Tromso and tickets can be purchased on board. Alternatively, take a taxi for the short journey directly to your hotel, or we can book a private transfer where you will be met on arrival and escorted to the city hotel.

In the evening enjoy exploring the city with our recommendations for places to visit and eat. And later try to catch your first glimpses of the Northern Lights in the dark skies.

Day 2:

Tromsø is a delightful small city to explore by foot. Visit the Arctic Cathedral and the many museums like the Polar Museum, Arctic University Museum of Norway, The Science centre, Troll Museum and the Northern Norway Art Museum. Take the cable car to Fjellheisen for amazing views over the city, taste the local beer at Mack brewery and watch the seals feeding at Polaria.

There is plenty to keep you busy by day. And by night, we will include a Northern Lights Visit, taking you away from the city lights in search of the dancing aurora. A transfer takes you to a secluded camp in the mountains with a different climate, better suited for clear skies to give you maximum potential for viewing this natural phenomenon.

Day 3:

We have included a Fjord and Wildlife Sightseeing Cruise excursion as part of this trip, taking you along the coast and into the fjords with beautiful scenery and nature all around. You have the chance to see eagles, otters, seals, porpoises and at certain times of the year, humpback and orca whales. There are different types of cruises available depending on the time of year. Our Sales experts will advise the options at the time of booking.

Day 4:

When travelling to this region we highly recommend you take part in a dog-sledding safari. On arrival at the kennels you will meet the excitable huskies and learn how to mush your own dog sled team. Driving in pairs, you make stops along the trail to swap drivers and take photos, enjoying the breathtaking wilderness all around.

We have included three of the most popular activities during your stay in Tromsø. There are many others to choose from, both during the day-time and evening. Our Sales team will be happy to discuss the options available. Many clients also choose to spend one of their nights at a wilderness camp far from the bright city lights. Or perhaps a night sleeping on ice at the Tromsø Ice Domes. At either one you can try to spot the Aurora as well as join some activities such as reindeer sledding and snowmobiling.

Day 5:

Today you’ll leave Tromsø, returning to the airport. Or extend your stay with additional nights and excursions or a stay elsewhere in Arctic Norway.

The Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon and so we cannot guarantee you will witness it during your trip. The Northern Lights season begins in September and ends during April. Temperatures, colours, snowfall and hours of darkness vary considerably during this period. Compared to other Arctic destinations, Tromsø has a mild climate due to the presence of the Gulf Stream.

Get in touch with our expert team for the full list of excursions and prices and to receive a detailed quote based on your preferred departure date, accommodation and excursions.

BUDGET

From £787 per person (excluding flights), based on two people sharing a room for four nights on breakfast basis and three activities as mentioned in the itinerary.

This roughly converts to: 905 EUR | 1,031 USD

Remember that each trip we craft is unique, and you'll receive a personalised trip proposal based on your travel dates and preferences, and in the currency of your choice (GBP, USD, or EUR).

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Additional Info

This trip has flexible daily departures

Many of trips can be tailored to your requirements and departure dates. Please get in touch with us for a tailored quotation and details of availability for your preferred travel dates. All trips and departures are subject to availability.

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IDEAL TRIP LENGTH:

4 nights

Traveller's Top Tips

Laura from Magnetic North Travel

The city of Tromso is on an island begging you to be at sea for some of your winter holiday - whether to watch for whales or search the Northern Lights. Or why not combine the two and join one of our whale watching expeditions on board a schooner where you can look out for the Aurora after dark. You can also extend your holiday on board Norway's famous coastal express the Hurtigruten whereyour search for the Lights continues in either a northerly direction to Kirkenes or due south to the Lofoten Islands. Our team travels to Northern Norway in all seasons and would be happy to put together a tailor-made program.

Reviews

Northern Lights Short Break in Tromso

5/5

Great trip to Tromso.. lots to do and the dog sledding expedition was great. Really good to experience the wilderness of the mountains and fjords whilst being pulled along by a team of Alaskan Huskies. Caring for the dogs is an important aspect so if you love dogs and the outdoors you can’t go wrong! We managed to see the northern lights whilst on the campsite too. Everything well organised for whole trip. Tromso is a cool place, quite fancy coming back in the summer.

by Mark Cliff, Manchester on Apr 16 .

5/5

Matthew from Magnetic North helped organise our tailormade holiday to Norway to see the Northern Lights and what a fantastic time we had. We fly from Manchester to Tromso and stayed at the Clarion Hotel With for 3 night's, then we boarded the Hurtigruten ferry for 2 night's from Tromso to Kirkenes and finally fly from Kirkenes to Oslo for another 2 night's at the Clarion hotel Folketeateret and finally home to Manchester. The organisation from start to finish was brilliant and the accommodation was excellent. We did manage to see the lights twice - in Tromso (initially from the hotel bedroom window) and on the ferry. This was the icing on the cake of a fabulous holiday. Thank you Matthew for organising this and we now want to go back and see the midnight run. I cannot recommend Magnetic North highly enough.

by Audrey Taylor, Tromso on Mar 21 .

3/5

Tromso is very much a city and wow Norway is expensive for us Brits. Amazing food. Some of the best fish I’ve eaten. The guided activities were disappointing. No one can control the movement of the whales but 2.5 hrs on a catamaran with lots of people to spend 20 mins jostling for a distant view of the beautiful humpbacks, then 2.5 hrs back isn’t right. An overnight stay further north and a Rib to see them is what is needed for the costs involved. The snowmobile is a rip off. Too many people in the group, people who can’t drive, lots of kids, half an hour up a hill and back in the pitch black isn’t worth it. Smaller groups, longer time, more attention to the details. Not packing them in for the money. Having gone on to snowmobile in Finland and have an amazing experience I know how it should be done. And this isn’t it.

by Justine Fisher, Brighton on Dec 31 .

5/5

All very well organised. The two is great. The only issue was with the renders trip. There were not sufficient sledges and had to wait for 1 hour.

by Gillarduzzi, Cortina d'ampezzo on Feb 23 .

5/5

The holiday was wonderfully organised from start to finish, with everything being arranged according to our requests. Vouchers for taxi transfers made every bit of the travelling easy. We were lucky enough to see pods of Orcas and a four hour spectacular show of the Northern Lights. An amazing holiday, thank you Magnetic North!

by Jenny Mather, Exeter on Nov 20 .

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