Though working at a school can have its challenges, we do have the benefit of guaranteed breaks throughout the year. Because of this, it’s easy to imagine all the places you want to travel during your time off. But by early 2018 I had done too much imagining and not enough planning, finding myself a month shy of spring break with no plans. I had saved up money to go somewhere, I just hadn’t figured out where that would be quite yet.
I whipped out my handy list of dream destinations I keep in the Notes app of my iPhone and started narrowing it down based on two criteria. It had to be doable in a week or less and I needed to feel comfortable traveling there solo. Due to my obsession with the Northern Lights, and considering March was one of the best months to spot them in Scandinavia, I decided on Norway. After extensive research I determined that Tromsø, a little Norwegian city above the Arctic Circle, would provide me with the best overall trip. I quickly got down to planning an itinerary and two short weeks later, I was off to Norway! Tromsø wildly exceeded my expectations in a lot of aspects, but a few activities from my trip stuck out above the rest.
Continue reading for the top 3 winter experiences you can have in Tromsø, Norway!
1. SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
For years my top bucket list item has been to see the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights, so this is obviously what drew me to Tromsø in the first place. But getting yourself there is just half the battle. In order to see the Northern Lights, so many things have to align: the weather conditions, season, and, honestly, the Green Lady herself. What I learned from all of my research is that the Northern Lights often depend on luck, and seeing them (even in perfect conditions) is not guaranteed.
Keeping all this in mind, I booked a non-refundable tour with the company Chasing Lights, crossed my fingers, and said my prayers. I’m happy to report that luck was on our side the night I took my tour and we had the most spectacular display of Northern Lights I could have imagined. If you plan to do a Northern Lights excursion in Tromsø, I highly recommend this company! Our guide was so knowledgable and friendly (shout out to Jonas!) and the whole thing was well-organized. The tour itself is 6-8 hours long, depending on the Lights, but 2 of those hours are spent driving well outside the city to distance yourselves from any light pollution.
Once we reached our destination in the little valley of Tamokdalen, we all piled out of the bus and our guide got busy making a fire for us to keep warm. Not long after, the Northern Lights appeared and gave us the most beautiful show! The temperature was hovering below 0 degrees that night, but I could have stayed out there for hours just watching the lights dance in the sky. It was a humbling spectacle of nature and I hope everyone gets the chance to experience it at least once in their life.
2. GO ON A REINDEER EXCURSION
Another bucket list item I was able to tick off during this trip seeing real reindeer! There were a few companies to choose from, but Tromsø Arctic Reindeer offered such a wonderful day that went beyond just seeing reindeer.* Not only did I get to feed and play with reindeer all morning on their farm, I also had the opportunity to learn about the Sami people and their culture.
The Sami people are indigenous to the Arctic and can trace their lineage back thousands of years. Learning about their way of life was fascinating; these people thrived in an environment where most would find it difficult to survive. I could sense the pride that these people hold for their heritage. To this day, they still make and wear the traditional clothes of the tribes, speak the Sami language, and, of course, continue to herd reindeer.
After playtime with the reindeer was over, our group was led into a large teepee-style tent and sat around a roaring fire. While warming up we were served traditional cuisine and ate our lunch as we listened to tales and songs of the Sami people. The songs were called yoik or joik and they’re these beautiful songs/chants unique to their culture. What I thought would be a simple little reindeer excursion turned out to offer so much more!
*Reindeer are smaller and fluffier than you think! It was an absolute delight to step into their natural habitat and spend a morning with these creatures.
3. TOUR THE MACKS BREWERY
Macks Olbryggeri, or Macks Brewery, located right in the heart of Tromsø is the northernmost brewery in the world! My initial plan was to just grab a pint of Macks at Ølhallen, the pub connected to the brewery, but when I learned that you can actually take tours of the brewery itself I instantly changed gears.
I’ve been on plenty of brewery tours, but this one was by far the most unique. At Macks, they believe good music helps in the creation of good beer. So each style of beer is brewed while a particular artist or genre is blasted overhead. They had beers brewing that had listened to The Beatles, Patti Smith, Michael Jackson, and even Elvis. This practice came to fruition more recently, but the brewery has been an institution in Tromsø for over 140 years. Because of its long and rich history within the city, we also learned a great deal about the history of Tromsø as well.
Getting to see the production of such a unique beer brand up close and learn more about the city’s origins was an unexpected delight on my trip. And to top it off, the beer was delicious!
Keep in mind, these are only the top 3 things I think you shouldn’t miss if you visit Tromsø in the winter. From their world-famous aquarium Polaria to the beautiful Arctic Cathedral, there are so many more options to explore!
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