Tromsø, Norway

Tromso is a large port situated on an island connected by a bridge and tunnel to the Norwegian mainland and is well above the Arctic Circle. It is the regional capital and has a large university and hospital. You will be surprised by the number of international students and tourists making it quite cosmopolitan. Thanks to John Farmer for providing this information on Tromsø.

Getting to Tromsø – by Air

There are flights to Tromso airport from within Norway (particularly Oslo) and a number of UK and European locations. The EasyJet direct flight from Bristol proved remarkably cheap at the time that I flew.

Bus services to Tromsø

The Arctic Route Bus goes from Rovaniemi via Kittila, both of which have airports. This bus also passing through or near other Finnish XC centres like Kilpisjarvi, Ylläs and Pallas. Note however that only one bus runs each way, each day in the winter season ending on last day of March.

By Sea to Tromsø

An exotic option would be to travel by sea on the Hurtigruten or a cruise liner. 

Bus information/timetable

One of its benefits of Tromsø is a superb bus system with some services running from very early to very late 7 days a week at subsidised costs. Real time information, ticketing etc. is best done using the 'Svipper' app with 24 hour period and one off trip tickets being selectable and senior reductions. For short stays I would strongly recommend a 24 hour ticket which means you can hop on and off buses taking you to most places you would need to go including the airport.

Cross Country Ski Map of Tromsadalen

Cross Country Ski Tracks and Routes

I have personally skied in 3 locations, all very accessible by bus from the island. It is actually possible to ski the entire length of the island on a track that goes at high level through the centre, often within stunning views. The track is also illuminated at night and takes you past a number of sites like churches, the cities huge swimming pool / spa complex and the ski jump. One downside of this track is that in parts you share the track with runners, dog walkers and at night Northern lights observers who are looking up into the sky rather than where they are going.


A good place to get back into skiing after a long layoff is Tromsadalen. To get there from the Centre you can take the number 20 bus or better still walk over an amazing bridge which brings you to very near the Arctic Cathedral. This bus goes on to the Fjellheim Cable Car bottom and a little further to a road that takes you up the right side of the valley at high level. The tarmac gives way to track which may be skiable but was churned up by snow scooters and piste machines on my last visit. It is quite a pleasant walk up to Dalheim and then a reasonably straightforward ski back down the valley on various routes, some of which take you back to a large campsite and arena . The campsite has a nice cafe. This would be perhaps a better starting point giving you access to the extensive loipe system and a short walk to bus stops.


Another good place to ski is Kvaloy, an Island on the other side of Tromso Island, accessed by a bridge starting very close to the Airport. The number 42 bus, serves the airport and goes over the bridge as far as Eidskogen. There are reputedly tracks starting not far from there but I would recommend getting off at a stop before there called SkiStadion and walking some distance up hill past school buildings until you come to the ski club buildings. From here you can take a number of loops for skate and classic or continue up the hill until you find a track that will take you at high level to a point above the bridge you bussed over with a steep descent down to bus stops.


There are a number of other trail systems, many of which would be more of the ski touring type which I have not explored and hopefully another intrepid skier can append to this summary!


Here are some other suggested routes and also see the table belowsome below

Tromso Cross Country Ski Routes
  • Buses to ski locations

    For an easy trip, we recommend you take bus 40 to the top of Tromsøya Island, bus 42 to Kvaløya or bus 26 to Tromsdalen Valley and follow the XC-ski trails. There are great trails here for both beginners as well as more experienced skiers. You can also get there by car. There is good parking at Charlottenlund.

  • Snarbyeidet back to Tromsø

    For a longer trip, a great option is to ski from Snarbyeidet back to Tromsø.


    The trail has a total distance of 35 km and it normally takes 1 to 3 days to ski it in winter. The trails are prepared in the spring when there is more daylight time. It`s a relatively safe route, and there are four DNT cabins along the route. You can also ski just parts of the trail. There is a bus from Tromsø to Oldervik that stops in Snarbyeidet. You can find the schedule at tromskortet.no.

Where to Stay

There are some very expensive hotels in the centre. I have stayed in some very small apartments found on booking.com as the most affordable option for accommodation.  They usually come with microwaves etc, enabling self catering. Restaurants  and cafes are also expensive but the supermarket/convenience store ratio to the population must be the highest anywhere I have been.