5 Activities and Tours in Tromsø That Are a MUST (2025-2026)

One of the hardest things about planning a trip to Tromsø is deciding which tours are a must and which ones you can pass on. In this guide, I will discuss my honest thoughts about which tours in Tromsø are a necessity and which ones can be a lesser priority on your itinerary.

I have been to Tromsø more times than I can count and have taken every kind of tour that is offered there, except cross-country skiing (I do that on my own). I frequently return and retake some of these tours to see whether or not I think they are still worth it or if there is a better option for travelers.

While most of what I am putting on this guide are tours, some of them are more of an experience than a tour (like the Sami cultural programs). I will list links to check rates and availability so you can see if this works well for your trip’s dates!

If you have any questions about these Tromsø tours and activities, please let me know in the comments. I would love to help!

A 2025-2026 Season Overview

Before we get started, I just wanted to share some quick thoughts on this season’s tour offerings.

Tours in Tromsø have significantly increased in price over the last few seasons. That is part of the reason I am writing this guide; I want visitors to know exactly which tours are essential and which ones can be skipped (or done on additional days after the essentials).

With that being said, dog-sledding and reindeer excursions are the first to book up in Tromsø.

Why? Well, there is a finite number of dogs and reindeer and there is no way to just ‘add extra vans’ if they fill up (something they do with northern lights tours). These are two tours I recommend in this guide and ones that need to be booked as far in advance as you can manage.

I am also focusing this guide on first-time visitors and not people who have already been to Tromsø. I am also assuming that you have not seen the northern lights in Tromsø just yet!

Therefore, I am going to put a dedicated northern lights tour as a top priority. If you know what you’re looking for and have a car, you can go on a northern lights hunt yourself. But the average person visiting Tromsø will not have that luxury.

Activities and Tours in Tromsø That Are a Must

1. Northern Lights Tour

🗓️ Dates available: September 1, 2025 to April 10, 2026
⏰ Start time: 6:30pm (may shift with daylight changes)
⌛ Duration: 7 hours
🇳🇴 Check prices here

If you have never seen the northern lights before or are traveling to Tromsø for the first time, I highly recommend you book yourself onto an aurora tour! And, I recommend you do this on your FIRST night in Tromsø because if you don’t see them then, you have a chance to rebook (and the tour I am recommending offers a discount on a rebook).

You’ll meet your guide at the Polar Adventures office along the Tromsø harbor and head out into the wilderness to get away from light pollution and to find clear skies! You may even end up in Finland!

This is a long tour and you will get in late at night, but hopefully you will have some epic photos to take home as a souvenir! Please know that the start time will shift with daylight changes in Tromsø. It may start earlier in December and January because of the Polar Night (but never too early that it’ll interfere with morning tours).

I have a comprehensive guide covering the best northern lights tours in Tromsø that you can check out here.

2. Whale Watching Tour

🗓️ Dates available: October 24, 2025 to January 31, 2026
⏰ Start time: 8am
⌛ Duration: 12 hours (do not book other tours with this)
🇳🇴 Check prices here

The whale watching tour I recommend in Tromsø is a silent catamaran tour with Brim Explorer. I have been on their boats in Tromsø and Lofoten both, and I love the operation they run!

Unfortunately, whale watching season is somewhat short, so you will need to ensure you’re visiting Tromsø between the end of October and the end of January. Otherwise, you can take the fjord tour that I recommend a few spots below this!

On your Tromsø whale watching tour, you will head to the Skjervøy area, where the whales are feeding on herring in the fjord. The boat has a bar offering snacks and drinks for purchase, and it is a spacious vessel. There is also lunch available on board.

The whales you will (hopefully!) get to see in Skjervøy are orcas and the occasional humpback. This trip is an absolute must for those visiting Tromsø for the first time. The scenery is also spectacular.

Learn more about the top whale watching excursions in Tromsø on my full guide here!

3. Sámi Cultural Program & Reindeer Feeding/Sleighing

🗓️ Dates available: November 1, 2025 to April 6, 2026
⏰ Start time: 1pm and 6pm
⌛ Duration: 4.5 hours
🇳🇴 Check prices here

There are Sámi cultural programs taking place at 1pm and 6pm (the daytime one is slightly cheaper) but I always suggest visitors sign up for the evening program because you head away from the city and into an area with less light pollution. That less light pollution can turn into a northern lights opportunity if the skies are clear!

A Sámi cultural evening offers stories and education about the Sámi people, dinner, and the opportunity to feed reindeer. You can also (optionally) go reindeer sledding while there. This tour is a fabulous way to learn more about the Indigenous people of Northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. It is a must for your trip.

I have written a complete guide to the top Sámi cultural experiences in Tromsø that you can read here.

4. Dog-Sledding

🗓️ Dates available: November 1, 2025 to April 14, 2026
⏰ Start time: 9am, 11am, and 1pm (depends on the day)
⌛ Duration: 4 hours
🇳🇴 Check prices here

Dog-sledding is the most expensive tour I am recommending in this guide. The price has increased astronomically over the years and it is mostly because there is a high demand for the activity, because people LOVE it. But owning sled dogs and training them is not something that one can just pick up and do. It takes decades of training and skill.

And while this tour is one of the priciest ones, it is also one of the best reviewed. You will be picked up from the city and shuttled out to where the dog-sledding takes place on Kvaløya.

After a briefing, you will head out with the dogs. This is a self-guided tour, meaning you (and a partner) will take turns being the ‘musher’ (driver of the sled). It is so much fun and the dogs are in their element and loving the adventure.

Once done, you will get cake and a hot drink to warm up. This is not for children under 7 years of age. Young children will not be permitted to be the musher.

Click here to see my full guide to the best dog-sledding tours and excursions in Tromsø.

5. Fjord Tour

🗓️ Dates available: Year-round (except from October 24, 2025 to January 31, 2026)
⏰ Start time: 8am (only in winter), 1pm
⌛ Duration: 4 hours
🇳🇴 Check prices here

If you have arrived after whale watching season wraps up (January 31), I still encourage you to get out on the water! The best way to do so is to hop aboard Brim Explorer’s silent catamaran and take a cruise to the fjords around Tromsø and the fish racks.

This tour is only a half-day excursion and should be back by the time you would head out for a northern lights tour. There are pastries and drinks available for purchase on board… as well as a light option.

Brim Explorer’s boat is wheelchair-accessible and plenty spacious. The interior is also heated and comfortable. I highly recommend this tour as it tends to be one of the more affordable ones and it will get you out on the water!

You can check out my full guide to taking a fjord tour in Tromsø with Brim Explorer here.

Additional Tours and Activities in Tromsø Worth Considering

1. Tromsø Ice Domes

🗓️ Dates available: December 20, 2025 to April 6, 2026
⏰ Start time: 8am
⌛ Duration: 6.5 hours
🇳🇴 Check prices here

The Tromsø Ice Domes used to be a ‘must’ in my eyes, but I now think it is only a ‘must’ if you’re coming from somewhere where snow and wilderness and non-existent. What used to be Tromsø’s only ice hotel has transformed into a snow park with ice sculptures and a wilderness program.

You will get bused out to Tamokdalen (Tamok Valley) from Tromsø, where you can explore the area and learn to make a fire, venture through a snow maze, and more.

While I love this program, it was something that was not for me in the end (because I live in the Arctic!). But if you don’t see snow often and want to escape the city in search of gorgeous scenery, this is definitely something to add to your itinerary at the end!

I have a full guide dedicated to visiting the Tromsø Ice Domes that you can check out for further information.

2. Snowmobiling

🗓️ Dates available: December 1, 2025 to April 6, 2026
⏰ Start time: 12:30pm
⌛ Duration: 7 hours
🇳🇴 Check prices here

The last tour I think is worth putting on your itinerary is a snowmobiling one. I don’t think it is something worth doing above dog-sledding (just a personal opinion), but I think it is fun if you have a larger budget and extra days.

This snowmobiling trip takes you to Camp Tamok in the Tamok Valley (where the Tromsø Ice Domes are). From there, you will get a safety briefing and get a chance to snowmobile through the jaw-dropping scenery of Northern Norway. There will also be hot soup, drinks, and more.

If you are an advanced snowmobiler, this is not the tour for you. This is merely a beginner-friendly tour that will move at a pace that is safe for the group. You must have a valid driver’s license to drive the snowmobile (which will have two people on it).

You can read my guide to the most popular snowmobiling trips in Tromsø here.

Do you have any questions about these tours in Tromsø? Let me know which Tromsø activities you think are a can’t-miss for a winter trip. Thanks!

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