Tromsø, Norway - Guide to a Dreamy Winter Escape in Tromsø on a Budget

Dates: 11-15 December, 2022

Budget: £600

The allure of Norway, just across the pond from the UK, has tempted me for years. But alas, Norway is a country renowned for having one of the highest costs of living in the world, certainly not a realistic dream for a broke student... But what if I told you that it’s possible to do Norway on a budget (well, Tromsø specifically). What if I told you it was possible to see the Northern lights, ride a reindeer sleigh, view the city from a mountaintop, and much more for only £600, including flights from London Heathrow and four nights accommodation! Read on if you would like to find out how…

Transport

Airplane: London Heathrow - Tromsø return: £257

To travel to Tromsø from the UK on a budget, it is likely you will have to take multiple flights purely because it is in the farthest North region in Norway and is relatively small. Therefore, we booked flights via Oslo. We booked through Skyscanner, a great website to find low-cost flights for any destination, and flew with Scandinavian Airlines, very comfortable and great service for a lower cost than Norwegian Airlines. Checking in was super easy with the SAS app (Scandinavian Airlines), and as with most tickets these days, you can download your boarding pass onto your phone/Apple wallet. One tip I would recommend for flights to Norway (in Winter anyway) would be to leave at least 2.5 hours between connecting flights as Winter often comes with the challenges of snowy/challenging weather conditions which can cause delays. Most of our flights were delayed and we nearly missed our final flight to London (made it to the gate as people were boarding!).

When in Tromsø, I would recommend taking a taxi from the airport to your accommodation, especially if you are with a group of people to split the cost with (just over £20 fare). There is a bus, but be aware buses in Tromsø require cash payment and the cost of the bus is often more expensive than splitting a taxi between a few people. There are no Ubers but there were plenty of taxis so no need to worry! Aside from that, within Tromsø everything was walkable despite our Airbnb being located out of town, and if you book day tours they all include coach transport to the tour location from the centre of town. Finally, if you are looking to go further afield into the depths of the fjords then it may be easier and more flexible to rent a car, but I won’t go into that, I don't think that would fit into my £600 budget.

Accommodation

(Our Airbnb was the middle floor)

Price for 4 nights: £122

While there are plenty of hotels in Tromsø, from small local ones to well-known multinationals (Raddisson Bleu etc), we chose to stay in an Airbnb. There are many Airbnbs in Tromsø at very reasonable prices especially for groups and couples, scattered around the city centre and slightly further afield. Our airbnb was a spacious flat located located 20 minutes walk North of the city centre, just by the water with beautiful views of the sea and mountains beyond. It had two double bedrooms, a large comfortable couch in the living room, spacious kitchen, as well as a large bathroom (shower no bath) and laundry room. I would definitely recommend the Airbnb option if you are a group and are willing to share beds to save money. What’s more, with Airbnbs you will get kitchen facilities which can save you lots of money on food (there was a local reasonably-priced supermarket called Kiwi ten mins walk away).

Throughout our stay, we cooked most of our meals and took packed lunches during the day which saved us the high price of restaurant meals in Tromsø. The total cost of all our meals over our stay was around £10-£15 each - not bad at all! Tromsø does have plenty of restaurants and cafes too, as well as chains such as Burger King and 7-Eleven so it’s not mandatory to cook even if you want to stay within budget.

Things to do

Northern Lights - free!

One of the main appeals and reasons to justify the full day of travelling to get to Tromsø is the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. We were incredibly lucky to see the Northern Lights on the night we arrived in Tromsø, just outside of our Airbnb. The Northern Lights have been on my bucket list for years, and they really are magical, especially when surrounded by the snowy mountains around Tromsø and rippling sea below. In truth, the Northern Lights can be fleeting and rather faint to the naked eye, and often a phone camera can yield a brighter more impressive display, but it is certainly a special experience and one which certainly made the trip worth it. Seeing the Northern Lights, while more likely in Tromsø than most other places in Norway, is very dependent on the weather (clear skies) and luck, so don’t count on seeing them.

*Top Tip: turn off the lights in your room for a higher chance to see if the Northern Lights are out

Reindeer Sledding and Feeding Experience - £111.50 (prices may vary)

When planning our trip to Tromsø, we were set on going on a husky or reindeer experience, infamous in the area. Our decision ultimately came down to price and availability - you must book far in advance to get a place on the most popular tours at this time of year (months in advance ideally). Husky tours are generally more expensive, if you are looking for a sledding experience. In the end we booked a reindeer feeding experience with a ten minute sleigh ride. Expensive - yes, worth it - definitely. In fact, we were all in agreement that the reindeer experience was preferable to the husky experience; it is not often you are able to feed wild reindeer (they are released into the mountains in summer and migrate back to the enclosure in winter) and have a Santa-esque sledding experience through the most beautiful snowy landscape, followed by a traditional Sami cultural experience (including reindeer stew - eek but also delicious). All in all I would thoroughly recommend booking a reindeer experience, and would encourage you to choose the ten minute sleigh ride rather than the 30 minute one which is significantly more expensive and not all that different. The easiest way to compare day trip offers is on GetYourGuide.

*Top Tip: book your reindeer experience for the time of day where there is daylight to enjoy the beautiful scenery

Fjellheisen Cable Car - £23.70 student price

The Fjellheisen Cable Car is a must-do when visiting tramso. At night, it is possible to see the Northern Lights from the top of the mountain much more vividly than in town due to lower light pollution. There is also a beautiful viewing deck over the city where you can see the twinkling lights by night and the amazing surrounding landscape by day. We went at night which was frosty cold yet beautiful (we even saw a glimpse of the Northern Lights). There is a restaurant at the top of the cable car where you can warm up over a delicious hot meal with views over Tromsø.

*Top tip: I would recommend going at sunset (look at the weather app to check when sunset is when you visit), so you can benefit from seeing the landscape in the most beautiful time of day as well as the night sky and twinkling stars

You can purchase tickets for the cable car at the entrance, or book in advance. The cable car is around a 30 minute walk from Tromsø's centre, but it is possible to take a bus to just outside the entrance. The walk is nice, as you can visit the Arctic Cathedral - an architectural beauty designed to reflect the snowy peaks around the city - as well as walking over the infamous Tromsøbrua (bridge) (it was rather windy and cold going over).

Museums and the City Centre - varying prices

There are many museums in Tromsø, some free and some ticketed. You can see everything from a museum centred around arctic survival and hunting (Polarmuseet), to the Troll Museum, to photography and art (Perspektivet Museum, Tromsø Centre for Contemporary Art) and much much more. The museums are spread around the centre of town and not massive, so perfect for a warm indoor activity once the sun has disappeared. The centre of town is filled with chocolate-box cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops adorned with twinkling lights so you can easily spend a day or two exploring the town and museums.

A Few Bonus Top Tips for Tromsø:

*Make sure to spend a few nights in Tromsø as you will be more likely to see Northern Lights

*Get up in morning to go out while there is daylight (it was dark by lunchtime)

*Wear many layers - really insulating gloves, hat and scarf and thick socks (two pairs)

*Bring cash if want to use the buses

*Bring a tripod for your camera/good phone for Northern Lights photos as you need to use long exposure

I would thoroughly recommend a long weekend or longer in Tromsø for a truly memorable Winter getaway - and you don't need to wait until you're wealthy to go! Feel free to send me a message here or on Instagram if you have any questions.