An Arctic Trip of Awesomeness...In Tromso, Norway.
- Siti.A
- Feb 6, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 9, 2020
.....So this starting of the New Year I had some holidays to take....
.....But I was thinking of going to Beijing for a week then I realized for weather wise it wouldn't be a good idea because I sworn if I go to Asia, I would prefer it to be summery and preferably less or no rain at all...
....Then here's me thinking where is a unique destination to go during the month of January? Probably somewhere cold and dark...
....Flashback to a year ago, I remembered wanting to visit Norway but I wanted something for a week not just a short 3 day break...That's when I started surfing places to go in Norway, so I found a unique city called Tromso. I saw many vlogs about things to do and it definitely intrigued me. It was very lucky that a good friend of mine had the same holidays as me so then we agreed to the destination, decided to book the holiday and at least book one excursion in advance...
Here are some tips on how to go about booking the trip.
1. Deciding on the duration?
* 5 days as we wanted to do some adventure excursions for three days and have a spare day to do some shopping so that there is no rush!
2. Which airline?
*Norwegian air because we didn't want to have a long layover and the best is to fly direct or if the options are sold, then at least a minimum duration of transit of no more than 4 hours would be perfect. So we flew on Wednesday morning with only an hour of transit in Oslo (main capital) and on the return for Sunday, a four hour transit which is quite fair as we got to London in the evening. Unfortunately, there was no time to visit Oslo, but did make the most of chilling in TGI Fridays (They have the best burgers and also good options for vegetarians and vegans too!).
3. Acommodation.
*Airbnb is good if you're on a budget, travelling solo or have a few days spare, but if you want a place where the city centre is convenient to get to, especially if you're doing the excursions, then this place is called the Comfort Hotel Xpress, Tromso. What I really liked is the friendly staff, unlimited free hot water and refill water, a cute mini food shop/bar and the spacious room overlooking the gorgeous city view of Tromso. Here is the link:
4. Clothing/Expenses suggestions
*It's the arctic, be prepared if you don't want to freeze or if you're cold blooded like me who loves the heater, then here are some tips for packing: Gloves, thick scarf, woolly/trapper fur hat, warm thick leggings, tall socks, warm jumpers and sweaters, ski-pants, a thick/waterproof jacket with a hood and walking boots specifically for the snow (Shopping tip: For winter stuff, go to Decathlon as it has everything needed to prepare for the cold and prices are very good!).
*Norway is quite expensive, so what would be a good is to bring your own teabags, coffee sachets, sugar, mini croissants and instant noodles and soups. This can be a massive save so that you can treat yourself to dinner!
A rough guide on prices:
*Taxi from airport to the hotel within the city centre: 200 Nok (£20.00)
*Bus ticket from airport: 100 Nok (£10.00)
*Dinner at a restaurant: 150-400 Nok (£18.00-£50.00)
*A bottle of water/Soda: 20/25 Nok (£2.00)
*A glass of wine/beer/cider: 45-60 Nok (£5.00-£10.00).
5. Excursions/Things to do..
There is always something to do every day, so my recommendation is better to have the full 8 to 9 hour excursions on each day as you want to get the most best experience of this holiday or you can combine the daytime excursion with the Northern Lights in the evening if you're only staying short.
*Dog sledding.
Calling all dog lovers out there, this excursion is perfect if you want to experience being surrounded and petting cute huskies and chilling on the sledge. This is the activity we decided to book in advance. The link: https://www.adrenaline-hunter.com/en-GB/activity/norway/tromso/dog-sledding/full-day-arctic-dog-sledding-expeditions-tromso/3870
*It costs £163.00 per person, but prices may vary depending on the time you plan to go.
*It was a really good company and no regrets at all especially for the price because it included meeting at the city centre for pick up and drop off, lunch, hot drinks and thermals.
*Ice Domes Hotel visit with a combination of snow-mobiling and reindeer feeding.
*£180.00 per person. Includes meeting at the city center for pick up and drop off, lunch, hot drinks and thermals.
*Again, no issues at all..everything went smooth and the guide was simply awesome! This is exciting as I have never driven a mobile and it was an amazing adrenaline experience for sure.Also seeing the ice domes was an interesting journey, so if you're a budding sculptor, architect or an art lover, this is the right place for you.
*Northern Lights Chase
*Definitely a fun night not to forget exploring further up the arctic region and learning about the history of the Sami culture and Norwegian reign...not to worry about a tri-pod camera as the guide will take some photos and send it to you via email. Also, don't forget your passport as the drive will be long, they will take you to the borders of Finland and Sweden.The cost is £131.00. It includes pick-up from your hotel and drop-off, hot drinks and snacks, thermal suits and dinner by the cozy campfire (Do try the reindeer wrap, it tastes just like beef so don't miss out! Also there is a vegetarian and salmon option as well).
*Take a stroll across the bridge during the evening and walk around the city center. I promise you will love it as you are walking in the winter wonderland and it's super relaxing.
6. Places to eat.
*Tromso city has many restaurants so there are plenty of choices when it comes to food. The top two I would recommend are:
1. Walter and Leonard
2. Pastafabrikken
Any questions about Tromso? Have you been to Tromso and want to suggest anything I have left out? Please leave a comment below or don't hesitate to tweet me @sitilondoncityx
Thank you.
xo
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