Practical information for visitors – Tromsø 

Climate/weather 

In Tromsø, we have long winters and mild summers. Sometimes, it might snow until mid-May! We always recommend checking the weather forecast when packing clothes for your trip in Tromsø. 

While we would recommend bringing winter shoes with good grip, layers, and a warm coat in winter, the rest of the year you do not need any special attire. Just dress for the season! 

You can check the long-term weather forecast at Yr. Yr also has an app that can be useful to have during your stay in Tromsø. 

Transport 

The local transportation in Tromsø consists of buses, with regional buses and ferries going between Tromsø and other towns in the region. You can check departure times and get route recommendations on the website of the company running the buses Svipper, or in their app, which is also available in English. In Tromsø, most buses go through the city centre at some point in their journey. 

The price of a single bus ticket for adult is 30 NOK, which lasts for 90 minutes. You can also buy youth tickets (18-29) for cheaper. You can buy these in the same app as the travel planner, but some bus stops, usually in the city centre and at the airport, also have ticket machines. 

Arrival/Departure

From Tromsø Airport there are an average of 55 planned flight departures every day with 46 direct destinations in 17 countries. 

Arriving by plane in Tromsø will land you at Tromsø Lufthavn (Airport). The airport lies on the same island as the city centre of Tromsø, and getting from the airport to the city centre is relatively easy. 

You can take bus lines 24, 26, 40, and 42 from the bus stop Tromsø Lufthavn to the city centre. “Sentrum” means (city) centre in Norwegian, so if the bus says “via sentrum” it is going through the city centre. There is a ticket machine at the bus stop. 

There is also an airport shuttle to the city centre which stops right outside the airport exit. While it is a little more expensive than the public bus, if you have a lot of luggage or you are a large group, we recommend using this option out of consideration for the locals using the public transport. There are also youth tickets available. You can find the timetable and the ticket purchase for the airport shuttle here. 

Stores 

An important general rule for Norwegian stores is that they are closed on Sundays. Cafés, bars, and restaurants are still open. 

Most grocery stores are open until 23:00 Mon-Sat, but are closed on Sundays. There are some stores open on Sundays, but these have a very limited selection. 

Pharmacies usually close at 16:00-17:00. The most common stores are Apotek 1 and Vitus Apotek. 

If you want to buy alcohol stronger than 4.7%, you have to go to Vinmonopolet, which is the only entity permitted to sell liquor in Norway. Note that Vinmonopolet has limited opening hours. Whether at Vinmonopolet or a grocery store, you should provide your ID to the cashier without being asked if you are younger than 25 years old. You can legally sell or serve alcohol in Norway to people 18 years or older for alcoholic beverages under 22%, and 20+ years for alcoholic beverages above 22%. Note that some bars might not allow entrance to those under 20 on busy nights because of this. 

Apps like Google Maps are usually up-to-date on all opening times. 

Disruptive construction work in Tromsø 

Here is some general information about disruptive construction work in Tromsø at the moment: 

  • Tromsøbrua (The Tromsø Bridge): The bridge connecting Tromsøya and the mainland will be undergoing construction between the 7th of April 2026 and the 1st of November 2026. For travellers, this means that cars and other private vehicles will have to go through Tromsøysundtunnellen (a tunnel) during this period. Public transport will be able to cross the bridge between 07:00 and 17:00, and then via the tunnel outside of these hours. This schedule is active while schools are still open, meaning that buses will have to go through the tunnel all day between the 20th of June and the 16th of August. Most relevant for visitors who maybe want to visit e.g. the Arctic Cathedral is that pedestrians and bikes are always allowed to cross the bridge. Please follow signage. Bus schedules are updated with this construction in mind, meaning that you can just follow the route guidance given online or in the app. 
  • Some visitors might want to go with the gondola up Storsteinen to see the famous panorama view of Tromsø. Unfortunately, the gondola will be closed because of construction until the 1st of June 2026, and will not be accessible for wheelchair users until 2027. 

Emergency numbers 

  • Fire: 110 
  • Police: 112 
  • Medical emergencies: 113 

The different emergency units can always transfer your call to the relevant entity, so remembering the European emergency number, 112, is good enough! 

Other useful tips 

  • Tap water is drinkable in Norway, so you can always fill your water bottle 
  • In Norway, we use the standard two-pin Europlug (220 V). This is used in most European countries 
  • Please ask permission before taking photos of others as this might cause conflict 
  • The vast majority of businesses in Norway will accept credit and debit cards such as VISA, Mastercard etc., especially in a city such as Tromsø. If you want to be safe, you can take out money (NOK) in ATMs. The current exchange rate from NOK to EUR is 11.09 NOK for 1 EUR 
  • If you buy a plastic bottle or can, you will have to pay a small additional fee. If you return this at the designated machine in a grocery store, you get the fee returned as a discount coupon for that store 
  • Some Norwegian phrases (but most Norwegians speak a decent level of English): 
  • “Hei” - Hello 
  • “Tusen takk” - Thank you 
  • “Hvordan går det?” - How are you? 

Use It has a map made by locals and local artists with tips for places to visit in Tromsø. You can find it online here. 

If you need more help with planning your trip to Tromsø. Feel welcome to visit the site VisitTromsø for more information and simple bookings. 

Other travel information

To get to, and around in Northern Norway it’s often best to fly as it is the most time efficient. We have airports most places, but the biggest ones are in Tromsø, Bodø and Harstad/Narvik. SAS, Norwegian, Widerøe and some charter flights fly here. Otherwise, it is primarily Widerøe that flies to smaller airports around the North.  

Do you have other questions regarding travel to Tromsø or other places in Northern Norway, in connection with activities under True North? Please get in touch!