Since it’s not the Northern Lights season, why bother with a post on Norway in Winter? The answer is simple. This is the time to plan for your Northern Lights tour. The trip of your lifetime, should take a year to plan. So, start Googling, and find our what you need to know about this city in Norway. Find out what are the available Daytime Activities in Tromsø, Norway during Winter.
Tourist Information Center
Address: Kirkegata 2, Tromsø 69°38’53.2″N – 18°57’37.3″E The tourist information center has all the information you need. From what to do, where to go, and even discounts for various tours. There are many brochures in the Center which you can bring it back to the hotel with you. However, regardless of which tour company you’ve decided to go with, I would still highly recommend you to do research on Google/TripAdvisor to avoid any disappointment. After all, there isn’t such a thing as a 1 size fits all policy.
Dog Sledding
The dog sledding tour with Villmarkssenter was a last minute decision. In that short time that I went about frantically seeking a tour company, Villmarkssenter was the only one that was able to guarantee me a chance to drive my own sled. I took up their Aurora Camp with Dog Sledding Experience. Since the northern lights isn’t a total guarantee, at least my night could’ve been spend hugging the dogs!
The dogs themselves are obviously well taken care of. They’re happy around humans, and sitting around with them in the dark without supervision is very safe. Some of these dogs used to be old racing dogs. However, they have now been retired, and are permanently kept & well fed at Villmarkssenter until the end of their lives.
Preparing the Dogs for Exercise
And.. off we go!!
Polar Park
The Polar Park is the Northern most wildlife park in the world. It is an almost 3 to 4h drive from Tromso. Or…. maybe I’m just a slow driver. It has Norway’s predators such as arctic foxes, bears, wolfs & lynx. Definitely not the the usual stuff you find in the Singapore Zoo.
Do note that this is a wildlife park, and NOT a zoo. If you expect the experience to be like a Zoo, you’ll be sorely disappointed. The animals are not always ‘on display’. The enclosed area is big, and you would never be able the other end of the fence. This feature is actually great for the animals, but unfortunately, not-too-great for the average visitor. There is a free tour at 1pm where the guide tries to lure the animals out with food. But even then, getting to see the animals isn’t always a guarantee.
However, it is still highly encouraged that you bring your children for a visit. Teach your kids on how animals should be treated. Show them the natural environment they actually to live in. Tell your kids that there are more important things in life than their own priorities. It’s a form of education that you’ll never get from the Singapore Zoo.
And if you still have got some extra $$$ to spare, there’s a wolf lodge for you too wake up seeing faces of wolf plastered on the window. Do get back to me if it was a good deal to stay there. It’s WAY out of my budget.
Where’s Little Red Riding Hood?
Tromso Fjords
For scenic drives & up close encounters with the wildlife. After a few days, the city can be boring after you’ve walked the same streets again and again.
Dive the Northern Lights Route
The Northern Lights Route runs through Norway, Sweden & Finland. There is less light pollution from the cities along this route, and the frequency of appearance & intensity of the Aurora seems to be higher. If there is no cloud coverage in this region for the night, why not drive up this route and check of the lights? Maybe you’ll be lucky and get to see ‘the elusive lady’.
In the daytime, it’s really good for a scenic drive. There are lots of rest stops & rest room facilities for drivers and passengers. Photo taking opportunity is aplenty.
Have fun photobombing your friends!
Northern Lights Tour
I highly recommend Chasing Lights. Don’t trust me, trust TripAdvisor. My own experience with them was amazing. Every night, they drive ~2 or 3 vans out hunting for the lights. This allows them to check actual cloud coverage of a few places at 1 go. Their vans communicate with each other, increasing the chances of everyone seeing the northern lights.
One of they things I like about them is that they will drive for many hours on the road just for you to get a chance to see the Northern Lights. The other Northern Lights Tours I’ve tried did not feel up to par compared with Chasing Lights. I feel that the guides there did not try their best for the customers. Some where reluctant to drive towards Finland & Sweden due to the long journey. If you made the enquiry before payment “everything also ok lah”. But, that may not be the case in reality.
Note: If you’ve deiced to go with a company operated by a single guide, please take note that the guide may be too tired to drive far if he has been doing it for the past few days. Driving ~10h a day for Northern Lights is really no joke. If you want to book with them, try to book the 1st tour after their rest day.