Day 1 - Oslo
Your first destination will most likely be Oslo. There are plenty of things to do in the capital of Norway. To get to know the city book a walking tour and make sure to visit the City Hall. It is very beautiful inside and is free to enter. If you’re into art, go to the Munch Museum, where the famous painting “The Scream” is part of the collection. You can also go for a performance or book a tour at the Opera House.
Don’t know what to eat? Visit the foodhall at Vippa or Oslo street food.
Day 2 - Oslo
When in Oslo, try out the sauna on the water near the Opera House. At KOK, it’s possible to hire a private sauna, go on a sauna cruise, or just share the sauna. Afterwards, you can jump into the icy water to cool down. There are different locations to choose from.
If saunas are not for you, try to visit Vigeland Park. It’s a park with 200 sculptures made by Gustav Vigeland. The best way to get there is by taking the tram (about 20 minutes from the Opera House) or the bus (30 minutes from the Opera House).
End the day at Aker Brygge, a waterfront with many restaurants and shops. There is also a boat tour that takes you to see the fjords.
Day 3 - Tromso
Evening
Welcome to the Arctic! On the first evening in Tromso, try to go on a northern lights tour. If the northern lights are not visible, then you can always try again the following evening. If you have your own car, you could drive outside of Tromso to have a better chance of seeing the northern lights. Less light pollution, no clouds, and no full moon will give you a better chance of seeing them. However, there is also a chance to see the northern lights in Tromso, and you can still see them with a full moon (see the photo below). I downloaded the app Aurora to check the probability of seeing the northern lights.
We booked an Aurora Husky Visit with Villmarksenter, where we cuddled with the huskies first and then had a warm drink in a Sami tent. Dinner is included in the price, but you might be too busy chasing the northern lights.
I can definitely recommend Villmarksenter. They take good care of their dogs. During COVID, a few dogs were placed with people to keep them socialized. After COVID, the dogs stayed with the people because they were so used to the life with their new family. Also, if the dogs are too old to go sledding or if some dogs don’t like sledding, they get placed with people.
Day
During the day, challenge yourself to walk up the Sherpa Steps (Sherpatrappa). Make sure to put on some ski pants and put on your spikes. If there is snow on the steps (trust me you won’t see the steps), then you will need some grip to walk up the hill. There is also a cable car to take you up. When we were there it was too windy and the cable car was closed, so we had to walk up. Make sure to start your hike in the morning, as it gets dark early. Enjoy the view over Tromso!
Cinnamon bun cravings? try out the Vervet Bakeri
Day 4 - Tromso
Become a musher and book yourself on a self-drive husky dog sledding tour with Arctic adventure tours.
After the dog sledding tour, visit the northernmost brewery called Mack. It is also possible to do a guided brewery tour. Their Ginger beer with chili is really nice!
If you don’t want to break the bank you could also visit a museum. We visited the Polar museum and Perspektivet museum.
The Polar museum is a small museum. It is interesting to read about life and the expeditions in the Arctic late 19th century, but also a bit depressing as it is all about the hunt for seals and wales.
The Perspektivet musuem has two exhibitions. The most interesting exhibition was about photographer Evgenia Arbugaeva. She traveled on an icebreaker ship to deliver supplies to remote areas in the Arctic. Especially after the fall of the Sovjet Union a lot of the remote communities were abandond. The second exhibition is about Sara Fabricius a painter, writer and local from Tromso.
Feeling cold? Have a mulled wine with almonds and a hotdog outside near the fire at Raketten in Tromso.
Day 5 - Tromso
The port to port cruise on the Hurtigruten is a great way to see the beauty of the Arctic and experience the unique culture of Norway. It takes 2 nights to travel from Tromso to Kirkenes by boat. The boat arrives in Tromso around 2 pm and leaves Tromso around 6 pm. We traveled on the MS Trollfjord. On the port-to-port cruises, the boat stops quite often. This is to drop off and pick up supplies at the different towns. If the stopover is longer than 20 minutes, you are allowed to get off the boat. Otherwise, you will have to stay on the boat.
On the boat you have restaurants, a small shop, a bar and a café. There is also a sauna and small pool outside. It is possible to pre-book a food package online. Different options are offered, such as full board, half board, breakfast, lunch and dinner. On your booking you will see the name of the ship with a link that shows more information about the boat, such as the layout and the amenities.
Feel like a hot curry? Go to Asian Healthy Foods in Tromso.
Day 6 - North Cape
Honestly, I couldn’t wait to go outside in the morning. To watch the endless fjords and feel the icy air. The view was so amazing!
Once we arrived at Honningsvag, we got off the boat, and the tour guide for the North Cape was already waiting for us. We were lucky because it was the first day in one week that the North Cape was open. The weather can be quite extreme in the Arctic, so don’t be surprised when activities get canceled. We booked the tour with NorthCapeTours. In the winter, the tour might be subject to convoy driving. We were happy we were with a small bus with only 5 people and not on the bus with the Hurtigruten boat, so we had time to walk around the building and watch the globe standing lonely at the end of the cliff.
Inside the North Cape visitor center, there are some historical exhibitions, and a movie is shown about the North Cape and Honningsvag. There is also a lunchroom.
The tourguide will make sure to drop you off at the Hurtigruten before it leaves.
Day 7 - Kirkenes
Activities Snowhotel Kirkenes
The Hurtigruten arrives at the port of Kirkenes around 9 AM. The bus of the Snowhotel will be waiting to pick up passengers. In terms of activities, the Snowhotel offers a variety of winter-based experiences, such as dogsledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and crabbing. We booked the snowmobile tour and the ice fishing. Before you go on the snowmobile, someone will explain how the snowmobile works, and you will have to drive a few laps to get comfortable. A driver’s license is required to drive a snowmobile. Kirkenes is close to the Russian border, so there are also Russian border expeditions on the snowmobile.
Between activities, warm up in the café and have a warm drink and some lunch or cake. At 1 PM, the second activity starts. We planned the ice fishing. The tour guide will take you on the snowmobile to the river and drills holes in the ice. Unfortunately, we didn’t catch anything.
Stay at the Snowhotel Kirkenes
There is the option to stay in the Snowhotel, where you can experience sleeping in a room made entirely of ice and snow. Alternatively, if you prefer warmer accommodation, you can stay in the Gamme Cabins, which are small wooden cabins with windows that provide views of the surrounding landscape. The hotel stays open all year around. It is not in the center of Kirkenes, so if you don’t stay overnight, someone will drop you off in the city center. It is also possible to be dropped off at the airport. Discuss the different options with the Snowhotel. We had dinner in the center of Kirkenes before taking the bus to the airport. Kirkenes has a small airport with flights to Oslo and Tromso in the evening.
How to get around/ to Norway
Flights
From Amsterdam you can fly to Oslo or Bergen. From there, you could take a flight to Tromso. If you have more time you could also take the train.
Keep in mind that there are two airports near Oslo. Gardermoen and Torp Sandefjord. Gardermoen Airport is only two stops on the train to Oslo Central station.
There are two trains that go to Oslo Central from Gardermoen airport.
- The Flytoget train. Please don’t take this train. It costs 230 NOK (20 Euro) one way and takes 20 minutes (2 stops) to get from the airport to Oslo Central.
- The Vy train (RE10, RE11, RE12). This is the cheaper option. It also takes 20 minutes (2 stops) to get from the airport to Oslo Central station, and it only costs 118 NOK (10 Euro). You know you are at the right ticket machine when the ticket says: “This ticket is not valid on the Flytoget trains.”
From Torp Sandefjord Airport to Oslo Central Station:
- Take the Express bus from the airport to the bus station in Oslo. The journey takes 1.5 -2 hours one way and costs from 309 NOK (28 Euro)
- Take the shuttle bus to Torp train station and then get on the RE11 to Oslo Central station. The journey takes about 2 hours. Cost of the train is 329 NOK (30 Euro) and the cost of the shuttlebus is 35 NOK (3 Euro).
We traveled from Oslo to Tromso by plane and northbound to Kirkenes on the Hurtigruten. We flew back to Oslo from Kirkenes. It is also possible to do it the other way around and travel southbound on the Hurtigruten.
Public transport
Oslo
If you want to take the public bus in Oslo, download the app Ruter Billett. You can add your credit card and will get cheaper tickets than when you pay the bus driver.
Tromso
If you want to take the public bus in Tromso, download the app Troms Billett. You can add your credit card and will get cheaper tickets than when you pay the bus driver.
Kirkenes
Check the timetable to get from Kirkenes to the airport. FB92 is a direct bus to the airport and takes you there within 30 minutes. The bus will pick you up at the Scandic hotel.
Hurtigruten
Pre-book the Hurtigruten boat in advance. Hurtigruten does expeditions and port-to-port trips.It is possible to travel from Bergen to Kirkenes by boat. You can book the activities last minute on the boat, but it is possible that they are fully booked if you book the activities last minute.
Your budget in Norway
Hotel: 100 – 300 Euro per night
Airbnb: from 80 Euro per night
Boat Hurtigruten (Tromso – Kirkeness): from 340 Euro per person
Flight: 400 Euro per person
Price per meal: From 50 Euro
Aurora borealis incl. dinner: 110 Euro per person
Dog Sledding: 200 Euro per person
Snowmobile tour: 250 Euro per person
Ice fishing: 190 Euro per person
North Cape: 76 Euro per person
What to wear in the Arctic?
When travelling to Norway in winter, it’s important to check the weather forecast before you leave. Here are a few essential items you will need:
- Winter shoes or snow boots – brands like North Face, Columbia or Sorel are great for keeping your feet warm and dry in the winter.
- A good winter coat.
- Mid-layer, such as a woolen jumper from Icebreaker, to keep you extra warm.
- Base-layer clothing such as woolen thermal leggings and top from North Face, to keep you warm and dry.
- Woolen socks.
- Spikes to prevent slipping on icy surfaces.
- A warm beanie and gloves to keep your head and hands warm.
- A balaklava or scarf to protect your face from the cold.
- A swimsuit if you plan to go to a sauna or hot tub.