We started our 2020 off with a bang by venturing above the Arctic Circle to Tromso, Norway. It’s been a longtime bucket list item of mine to try and catch the Northern Lights, and (from what the Internet told me) Tromso, is one of the best places in the world to see them, with the highest likelihood, that is. I was also excited to have a more wintry getaway, as that’s not the kind of trip our family has taken in the past. This was also Emerson’s first time seeing snow!

Along with my in laws, we packed ALL the winter clothing (which took us about two weeks of research to find warm, appropriate clothing because, well, we’re ridiculous) and hopped on a plane two hours to Oslo, and then another two hours north to Tromso.

This time of year, Tromso only has about five hours of sunlight a day, so when we landed at 1:30 in the afternoon the sun was already beginning its descent.

The city of Tromso actually feels more like a small town. There are cute little restaurants and plenty of shops, especially if you’re still looking for any last minute warm clothing as there seemed to be an outdoor sports apparel store on every corner. My father in law mentioned it reminded him of Lake Placid.

Over the course of four days, we basically spent all of our time in nature. I’ve broken down my favorite Tromoso activities to get the most out of your outdoorsy holiday!

Dog / reindeer sledding

I was most looking forward to dog sledding because it seems like the #1 most exciting and unique-to-winter activity. After some research, I was interested to learn more about the Alaskan husky and see first hand what this incredibly fit breed was all about.

For this excursion, we headed about 30 minutes outside of town to a local farm. Here, we were greeted by HUNDREDS of beautiful huskies all chomping at the bit (literally) to get running. What I learned is that the Alaskan husky is a true sled dog bred solely for working ability, not looks. Because of this, the Alaskan husky is not a specific breed, and therefore not recognized by any kennel club - unlike it’s commonly confused buddy, the malamute, and Siberian husky, who are purebreds. Each husky on the farm looks a little different, but with a few common traits: small to medium build (about 35- 50 pounds), tall, and extremely lean.

Upon arrival, we were provided complimentary snow suits, and immediately ushered to our awaiting sled, and overly excited speed demons. With a “YIP!” from the driver, we took off through the snow. Our team of 10 dogs lead us through the countryside right as the sun was beginning to rise around 10 am. We had a few mishaps along the way as a few sleds in front of ours had to stop for doggie potty breaks, which held the rest of the group up. It was hilarious watching the dogs stop as all they wanted to do was keep running! There were also a few cheeky ones in the group.

After our ride, we sought warmth inside a traditional Sami huts, onsite at the farm where we were served hot drinks, and lunch. For lunch, we dove right into a big, steaming bowl of reindeer stew - my first time trying the local meat. And I have to say, it was really good! I know this is cliche, but it really didn’t taste any different to me than beef, and it wasn’t gamy or tough. After lunch we had time to walk around and play with the dogs. That’s right, complete free reign to get as many snuggles as we wanted, including time with the puppies. It’s a true testament to the temperament of these dogs, and the farm in which they live, that we were able to just walk around and play without being escorted.

Overall, I was pleased with our dog sledding experience and definitely consider it a once in a lifetime opportunity! If you ever find yourself in Tromso and are interested, you can also do reindeer sleigh rides as well.

Eat & drink like a local

Everywhere we travel we make it a point to try and eat as much local cuisines as possible. The main delicacies of Norway include: reindeer, moose and salted cod (known as klippfisk).

As I mentioned above, the reindeer was absolutely amazing! We tried it a few different ways, including raw.

One of my favorite meals from the trip was actually Mr. Dave’s reindeer steak sandwich. We also tried the above mentioned klippfisk, which is such an acquired taste. I won’t say that I disliked it, but it does help to have a huge side of veggies and glass of water to wash down the overly briny taste.

Alcohol is pretty expensive in Norway. On our last night, we learned this the hard way after purchasing a single $18 USD beer before dinner. We’ve drank all over Europe and Asia by this point, and these prices may even beat Hong Kong! Alas, it was well worth it, as these beverages were sampled at Olhallen, Tromso’s oldest pub, owned by Mack, which was once the world’s northernmost brewery. Mack beer is all over Tromso as it remains a major distributor for the area.

We also sampled mulled wine from Raketten, which you must stop by whilst in Tromso! Raketten is Tromso’s famous reindeer hot dog hut located at the center of town. Sadly, we hoped to try the hot dogs on our last day, but Emerson came down with a cold, so we stayed put until our flight.

Although I couldn’t say Norwegian cuisine is the best I’ve ever had (especially given the exorbitant cost), I’m glad we were able to sample some of the Arctics’ best cuisine.

Get outside for a snowshoe hike

Tromso has a lot of great hiking trails, and if you have time, I would suggest renting a car for the day, as many of them are a short drive from the island.

For our trip, we had a limited amount of time for hiking, and made the best of it on our first day by heading straight to Tromso’s most popular attraction, Storsteinen Mountain. Standing at 421 meters (1381 feet) above sea level, Storsteinen has the best views of the entire city, and is easy to get up to via cable car. The top of the mountain has a few trails for hiking, but do so at your own risk, as it can be quite windy and icy.

For our second hiking expedition we opted for a path at the base of Storsteinen, strapped on our snow shoes and blazed a somewhat fresh trail through the woods.

This was my first time wearing snow shoes, and once I got them appropriately strapped to my boots, I was all set. Hiking through deep snow (even with snow shoes) requires much more athleticism than I thought it would. Although, it was not nearly as difficult as hiking Mount Rigi in Switzerland #neverforget.

Cruise the fjords

Part of why Tromso is so beautiful is due to its proximity to water. Begin surrounded by water means there’s plenty of opportunities to see ocean wildlife on a boat cruise. Although, sadly, we missed whale season by a few weeks.

The boat we chose for our four-hour journey was perfect for families as it has a warm indoor area with food and drinks available for purchase, making it great for a 16-month old who is constantly on the move.

Chase the Northern Lights

I saved the best activity for last, although it might have been the most disappointing, to some degree. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, seeing the Northern Lights has been a bucket list item of mine for pretty much ever.

Going in to this trip, Mr. Dave and I were well aware that there are many factors that play into seeing the Northern Lights: time of year (based on light), weather, cloud coverage, etc. so we fully expected to not see them while in Tromso.

Knowing that, we went into the opportunity with open minds and anxious energy as we loaded into a van with a local tour group and headed North to Finland. About two hours into our journey, we stopped at a gas station (because there are no potty breaks in the middle of the wilderness) where we got word from other groups ahead of us, that the lights were out in full force, and we wouldn’t need to venture to Finland to see them.

We excitedly rushed back into our van, and continued on with our eyes focused on the sky.

Side note: Have you seen the movie Twister with Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton? Because that’s exactly what I felt like this entire time.

About 45 minutes later we pulled down a dirt road in the woods and stopped at a clearing at the base of a mountain. It was an absolutely beautiful night with stars brighter than I’ve ever seen and a full moon. From there, we unloaded the van and donned some extremely attractive thermal suits provided by our tour group.

Building a fire while we wait for the Northern Lights

Unfortunately, this is where my flop of a story, ends. For the next four to five hours, a group of 10 of us sat around a campfire chatting, and waiting. We didn’t end up seeing the Northern Lights, after all. Around midnight we started packing up and headed back to Tromso.

Although it was disappointing to not see the lights, it won’t be the last time we try, as it’s just too exciting an adventure not to. The whole time we were sitting outside, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky we were to even be doing it in the first place. I mean, how unreal is this picture? Sitting in the middle of the woods on the Norwegian/Finnish border, with people from ALL over the globe, hoping to capture one of the worlds most beautiful sights. It was an experience within itself, and I’m hopeful we’ll get to see them someday.

Until then, we’ll keep chasing.

The five activities you need to do in Norway