People come to Tromsø for the Northern Lights, but I'll stay, and return for everything else this special place has to offer. I went there purely with the intention of seeing the famous Aurora Borealis (we saw the green Northern cloud... it was definitely the lights but not quite on the level you see on the pictures), but I would have gone even with the knowledge that I wouldn't see the lights in all their glory. I do however have a rather lovely selfie of my friend and I with the lights, which is totally 100% real and definitely not just a picture of us in front of a large poster of them....
I've never been so far north before, and it was pretty special to get to visit the Arctic Circle. It's a place of endless wonders, of mountains smothered in snow, of sea so incredibly clear and vibrant the bottom was visible peering down from the bridge, of picture perfect houses, and the general feeling that you were living in a snow globe temporarily.
I've never been so far north before, and it was pretty special to get to visit the Arctic Circle. It's a place of endless wonders, of mountains smothered in snow, of sea so incredibly clear and vibrant the bottom was visible peering down from the bridge, of picture perfect houses, and the general feeling that you were living in a snow globe temporarily.
It's stunningly beautiful, and despite the bitter cold, you will likely have no desire to stay inside with the vast array of places to explore and things to experience. Ten of us descended on a beautiful Air B n B, which I can definitely recommend if there's a few of you, since you have so much more flexibility and freedom. We spent our evenings relaxing and making food together, with some cheeky running around the snow in our underwear and lots more which I'm not going to get into right now, but I will say that us girls who stayed at home made the boys in our group regret going out rather than staying in and partying at home with us....
It was one of those trips where I smile involuntarily every time I think of it, and I have come away with memories which I will always treasure. I can't recommend it more, and I wanted to write this post to give you all the inspiration to visit such an underrated and special place.
So here are my top five tips for visiting Tromsø:
1. Husky or reindeer sledding is worth the money
Also, definitely book this in advance. My group all made the mistake of trying to book sledding individually, and pretty much all of us ended up doing it on our own! It's a testament to how phenomenal this experience that all of us came back raving about it, despite not sharing it with our friends.
The feeling of controlling a sled pulled by five beautiful, powerful dogs across tumbling hills and powdery snow, with no sound except for howls of joy and no light except that of the stars is one I'll never forget. I felt like I could have been anyone, in any time period, surrounded by perfect tranquility and an escape from civilisation.
It's not cheap, and I had my reservations about doing this, but I have to say it was worth it. If you have the chance to do this, take it- who knows when you'll get to do it again?!
2. Hire snow shoes and marvel at the astounding views
Walking around with what are essentially pimped up tennis rackets on your feet is one of pure joy and ridiculousness. We plodded along for miles, sinking deeply into the thick and watching everyone fall down ditches, or almost getting run over by cross country skiers. It's also very hard work, within ten minutes I was stripping like I was an extra in Burlesque or Moulin Rouge from the effort it takes.
They also come in very useful if you decide it's a great idea to traipse to the middle of a football field, stomp until you make hard snow, and wait for hours in the middle of the night in the hopes that you might get a glimpse of the lights.
Update: this was not successful, but it was entertaining in a surreal, 'what is wrong with us?' way.
3. Walk or get the cable car up Fjellheisen
Ah bless our naive, idealistic selves. We set off all ready to hike up this hill, only to be waylaid by the knowledge that there was a very high avalanche risk and probs could resemble snowmen more than is desirable. So cable car it was, but I love heights, and it was amazing to see across Tromsø.
We got up to the top and set off in the hopes of seeing the lights (are you seeing a theme here?), yet within minutes clouds rolled over, and we could barely see each other, let along the sky. And so hiking and exploring the mountain turned into playing cheat with hot chocolate and illicitly eating cookies we'd hidden in someone's bag.
Yet we persisted with the weather, and before long ended up crowded around the heater and attempting to take a group photo with the 'view', i.e. a blurry photo where the predominant feature is a mass of snow.
4. Go with a big group of people
This trip was such a whim for me, my friend invited me to go along with a group of her flatmate's friends, who needed two extra people to fill up their accommodation. I spontaneously booked my flight, and set off to go on holiday with eight people I'd never met before. Yet within hours I felt included, and as if I'd always been a part of their group. Travelling and exploring with them, as a big group together, was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip for me.
You could be in the most incredible place, but if you're with people who aren't up for excitement or doing as much as you can, you'll never get the best experience or really see the charm of a place. Go with people who make you laugh until you cry, who won't moan when you throw a snowball and it hits their neck in just the spot their scarf doesn't cover, who will binge eat chocolate and crisps with you, and who will make the most of being in Tromsø.
5. Pack LOTS of waterproofs
Practical, and oh so essential. Unless you've been somewhere very similar to Tromsø you won't believe the sheer amount of snow there is. When I say I was up to my waist at points, I'm not exaggerating in the least, in fact I'm probably underestimating it. So ignore the fact that you resemble a) the Michelin tyre man, b) a football with legs or c) an actual blob, and relish in how toasty warm you are when everyone around you is soggy and freezing.
6. Forget about everything except having fun
I initially named this tip 'Be a child for the weekend', intending to write about snowball fights, making snow angels, and racing up hills and tumbling back down again in the snow, then realised that title probably wasn't particularly in keeping with the photo...
If you need a break from everything, this is the place to be. You feel isolated and cut off from normal life, in a place of possibilities and excitement. Go and be crazy and stupid. Book expensive tours and have the most amazing experience. Try weird food and browse the touristy beers and souvenirs (shoutout to northern lights nail files as the most random gift shop item).
But most of all, go and explore this incredibly space, and have the time of your life.
Honor xxx
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