North of the Arctic Circle, the small city of Tromso is a great base for winter activities. It’s really safe for Solo Female Travel, and has a great range of activities. Here’s ultimate my guide to Solo Female Travel in Tromso, Norway in Winter.
Where is Tromso and how to get there
Tromso is a small city in the North of Norway. It’s just above the Arctic Circle, which means it has cold, snowy winters. It’s a great place to visit for winter adventures. And it’s super safe for solo female travellers as well. My ultimate guide to Solo Female Travel in Tromso, Norway in Winter will show you everything you need to know for your trip.
You can fly to Tromso in about two hours from Oslo airport. There are regular flights throughout the day. There are also some direct flights to Tromso from other European cities, but a lot of flights will require you to change in Oslo.
Where to stay in Tromso, Norway
As a small city, Tromso has a good range of options of places to stay. There are quite a lot of hotels in Tromso, for varying budgets. Tromso has some nice hotels – and some have free breakfast which is great for solo travellers! There are more affordable hotels as well with small rooms – these can be perfect if you’re travelling solo as it won’t matter that the room is small. There are also hostels in Tromso as well if you’d prefer.
Tromso, and Norway is general, is a relatively expensive place to visit. So it’s best to book your accommodation early if possible, so you can take advantage of the cheaper advance rates at the hotels.
What warm clothes to pack for Solo Female Travel in Tromso, Norway in Winter
Winter in Tromso can be very cold, so it’s important to have the right clothes to keep you warm and comfortable. Some tours for winter activities will let you borrow thermal suits and boots – but it’s best to have a good selection of warm clothing of your own as well.
Waterproof walking boots or snow boots are essential. The paths and roads in Tromso can be covered in snow, so you’ll need boots for anything that involves leaving your hotel. Make sure you have thick socks as well to wear inside your boots.
For the rest of your clothes, having lots of layers is best. This way, you have options of wearing more or fewer layers for different activities. Having things like a vest top, t-shirt, long sleeved t-shirt, jumper, and fleece. On the bottom half, have things like leggings, walking trousers and waterproof trousers. And of course, a waterproof coat is essential, with scarf and gloves.
Some websites will say that you need to buy wool clothing for your trip – as a wool under-layer, and also a woollen jumper. However, I didn’t buy anything special like this, and I managed ok. I do a lot of hiking in the UK, so I took clothes that I use for UK hiking (with a few extra layers underneath than I’d normally wear in the UK). So as long as you have decent outdoors-y clothes, you don’t need to buy too much new for this trip. Just layer up clothes you’ve already got.
Check out more details on what to pack and wear in my blog here.
Top winter activities for Solo Female Travel in Tromso, Norway in Winter
There are loads of options of great winter activities in Tromso that you can enjoy as a solo female traveller. My ultimate guide to Solo Female Travel in Tromso, Norway in Winter will give an overview of some of the different activities. All these are tours so easy to do as a Solo Female Traveller as you can book a place for one person, and then have the comfort of knowing you’ll be with a group and have a guide for the trip. You’ll be completely safe for the whole tour as the guide will keep you safe. Doing tours like this also gives you a great opportunity to chat to other people and make friends if you want to. You can read more about all these activities in more detail in my blog here.
1. Night-time Reindeer sledding and Sami cultural experience
One of my favourite activities as a Solo Female Traveller in Tromso, Norway in the winter is to meet some reindeer. On this evening tour, you’ll get to meet reindeer up close by feeding them. You can also go reindeer sledding, which is really peaceful and relaxing.
After the reindeer feeding and sledding, you’ll go into the tents and warm up by the fire. Here, you’ll eat reindeer stew and then listen to some stories from Sami people, as they tell you more about the traditional Sami culture in Norway.
2. Sailing in the fjords
Tromso is on the coast of Norway, right in the fjords. So one of the best ways to explore the scenery of the fjords is from the water. Sailing on a catamaran is a great way to see the fjords. You can sit back and relax on the boat as you watch the scenery and take photos. Keep a look out for wildlife too. If it gets too cold outside, you can into the warm, inside part of the boat for hot chocolate and fish soup to warm up.
3. Chase the Northern Lights
One of the highlights of a trip to Tromso in winter is the chance to see the Northern Lights. Seeing the Northern Lights is very weather-dependent so it’s not guaranteed. You’ll need to be lucky to have clear skies and good solar activity. But if you’re lucky, then you might be able to see the Northern Lights. A minibus Norther Lights chase is one of the best ways to see the Northern Lights – the guide will drive you to an area that has a high chance of seeing them. Then you can sit next to a fire in the snow and wait for what, hopefully, can be a really memorable night.
4. Snowshoe hiking
If you’re feeling energetic, snowshoe hiking is another great way to see some amazing views. You’ll be hiking with a group, led by an experienced guide, so it’s a safe way to explore the snowy mountains on foot as a solo female traveller. Snowshoe hiking is hard work – you’ll be climbing up a relatively steep hill in deep snow. But the views and chance to spot wildlife are definitely worth it.
5. Explore Tromso’s museums
If you want a break from winter activities, Tromso has several museums that you can easily visit as a solo female traveller. My favourite was the Polar Museum, which gives details of polar exploration throughout history. There’s also a Troll Museum, which is a really fun unique museum about the myths and legends of trolls in the area.
6. Night time sailing in the fjords
As well as daytime sailing, you can also go sailing at night in the fjords. I loved the night-time sailing. It was so peaceful being out on the water in the dark, seeing the lights from the city around. And when it got too cold and snowy, you could warm up inside the cabin on the boat with a hot chocolate.
7. Husky sledding
Another of the more strenuous activities you can do as a solo female traveller in Tromso in winter is husky sledding. You’ll get to meet the huskies and make friends with them, and then go husky sledding. You can alternative between being the driver and the passenger. Being the driver is fun but a bit scary – you just have a brake, and that’s all you have to try to control and sled and some very excitable dogs. But being the passenger on the sled is more relaxing, as your only job then is to take photos and enjoy the view! Husky sledding is a really unique and memorable experience.
8. Try Tromso’s restaurants and Ice Bar
The last of my recommendations for solo female travellers in Tromso is to visit Tromso’s restaurants and ice bar. You might meet people on some of the above group tours who you can spend the evening with afterwards. One of my favourite restaurants in Tromso is Kaia, which does amazing Arctic fish and chips. And the ice bar is worth visiting as well – there are some amazing ice sculptures, so it’s a great place for photos as well as drinks. It’s the perfect ending to any trip to Tromso in winter.
Hope you enjoyed my ultimate my guide to Solo Female Travel in Tromso, Norway in Winter! Remember to also check out my detailed guide to the top winter activities in 4 days in Tromso and what to pack and wear in Tromso in winter. A lot of these tours can be booked through Pukka Travel, but there are lots of companies offering tours. For more mountain adventures in Europe, check out my guides to Iceland and Austria.
