Tromsø, the Arctic Heart

There are places you visit, and then there are places that change you. Tromsø did the latter. Tucked high above the Arctic Circle, this small glittering city feels like a frontier – part everyday life, part myth… where mountains fall straight into the sea and winter isn’t something you endure, but something you learn to love.

We arrived wrapped in layers and expectation, the kind that comes from years of romanticising the north. Tromsø didn’t disappoint. If anything, it felt instantly familiar.

Dog Sledding in the Polar Night

Our first real taste of the Arctic came fast and loud, the excited chaos of huskies desperate to run. Dog sledding isn’t quiet at the start. It’s barking and tangled harnesses and pure kinetic energy. And then suddenly, you’re moving. The noise falls away. The dogs settle into rhythm. Snow stretches endlessly ahead of you, blue and untouched, and the only sound left is breath and runners cutting across snow. An absolute must!

Reindeer, Stories, and the Weight of History

Feeding reindeer with @reindeer.herder was unexpectedly grounding. Their soft muzzles, the steam of their breath in the -20 freezing air. They feel ancient, like they belong to the land in a way humans never quite can.

Listening to stories of Sámi culture and tradition added a depth to the experience that stayed with me long after we left. This wasn’t a performance. It was connection. Tromsø isn’t just about landscapes; it’s about people who have learned how to live with them.

Tromsø From Above

We took the Fjellheisen cable car as dusk settled in, the sky shifting through grey cloud and bruised blues. When we got to the top, the view was entirely lost in clouds and we all felt disappointed. We went inside to the café to share some red wine in the hope the sky might clear. In true arctic fashion the clouds dispersed and the view was revealed.

From above, Tromsø looks glittering and ethereal… lights sparkling across islands, bridges threading everything together, mountains standing guard in every direction.

The Arctic Cathedral below looked almost unreal, all sharp angles and stillness, a modern monument in a timeless place. There’s something about seeing a city from above that makes you understand it better.

Whales in Winter Fjords

Heading out with Njord Adventures for the orca and humpback tour was one of those experiences that leaves you speechless. The sea was dark and cold, the kind of cold worth respecting. Then the whales arrived.

Black fins cutting through steel-grey water. The slow rise of a humpback’s back. The sound of breath breaking the surface. One word comes to mind, awe. Watching these animals move through Arctic waters felt like witnessing something secret, such is the stillness and seeing nature so close feels deeply profound.

Food, Warmth and Tromsø Nights

Dinner at Skarven was everything you want after winter adventures… warm, buzzing, comforting. The kind of place where layers pile up on chairs and cheeks stay flushed long after you’ve come inside. Highly recommend.

Raketten Bar & Pølse, is the smallest bar in the world. Barely more than a historic kiosk in the city’s main square, it serves one thing exceptionally well: reindeer hotdogs with creative toppings, paired with cold brews or warm gløgg. An essential Tromsø experience.

NYE 25/26: When the Sky Lights Up

We went aurora hunting about 1.5hrs away from Tromsø near the reindeer farm. Our second time in Norway seeing the sky come alive. This time gentle. Subtle. Soft green ribbons painting the sky. We all stood and watched them in the -20 weather as long as we could but eventually had to leave to go home to warm up!

Being NYE, Brad and I settled onto the couch in our gorgeous Airbnb house and chatted over red wine watching random fireworks light up the sky. People all over Tromsø let of firwwoirks in the backyard parties and events at any time over the evening well into the early hours. Then at 2am the aurora appeared, dancing right above Tromsø and our house. Twice in one night! So, so lucky.

Why Tromsø Stays With You

Tromsø is a place where adventure feels accessible, where nature is always present, and where the Arctic isn’t something distant, it’s something you step into. I came here chasing winter. I left feeling like a part of me belongs to it.

And honestly, I don’t think Tromsø is done with me yet.