Exploring Polar Night Above the Arctic Circle

Hotels

I would recommend staying close to the city center since the town is very walkable. Consider Scandic Islavhotel to be close to the water (and most tour meeting points) with picturesque view of the fjords or Clarion the Edge for a rooftop cocktail to warm you up after a day of sight seeing.

What to do

Polar night is the only time you will see the northern lights, but you may have to hunt for her. Definitely download apps to increase your chances of when to travel up the Fjellheisen (which has a moon-like feeling) or pick an aurora-chasing tour from a local operator. We love going on the silent catamaran to stay warm, have a glass of wine and spot aurora peaking through. (Do not expect to see her every night — we were lucky!).

Dog-sledding is a must and there are many local operators that offer this, but we wanted to ensure there were best practices with the pups. Arctic Adventure Tours was our pick and we were not disappointed. All the dogs were excited to run, play and zoom through the countryside (tip: do not take your foot off the sled brake). Be sure to make time visit the local Sami people and help feed reindeer. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you want to be like locals, go to Pust for time in the sauna and then an Arctic plunge.

Day trips

I would recommend that anyone wanting to see orcas while whale-watching go closer to December or January. Most boats leaving from Tromsø will have a three-hour ride to Skjervøy, Norway (and this can be rocky, so bring sea sickness meds) for you to watch from comfort and warmth. Other adventurers may want to go onto a rib boat after a two- to three-hour bus ride and have a more up-close encounter with whales, as the catamarans/boats cannot get as close.

Cocktails were great in Norway. Misfit Tiki Bar was a fun place to stop, as well as Roburba Pub, an old fishing cottage converted into bar/pizzeria. Make time to stop at the northermost brewery in the world, Ohallen. Bakeries, seafood and pub fare are solid staples in Tromsø, but make a pit stop at the smallest bar in the universe, Rakettkiosken, for spiced wine and, of all things, a hot dog.