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Being in the northmost part of the world during some of the coldest months of the year may or may not be on your bucket list, but it was on mine! In 2024, the Northern Lights are projected to be at their most visible, so I took a chance to go see them. This trip was like a winter wonderland, filled with great Scandinavian food, reindeer, and of course, the Northern Lights.

This itinerary is based on items that I did on my trip, but I have changed some scheduling that I wish I had implemented when planning my own trip. As a crucial note: while you are in the best place to see the Northern Lights, it is not guaranteed 100% that you will see them – it is halfway due to chance and halfway due to weather. As long as you’re in the artic circle, all you can do is hope for a clear sky.

Here are my overall recommendations:

• For your stay in Tromsø, you don’t need to stay right in the town – there is an amazing bus system that works will get you wherever you need to go
• 3 nights in Tromsø is ideal – you get more chances to see the Northern Lights
• Best to fly directly to Tromsø first (with a layover in Oslo), then finish the trip in Oslo

Day 1

• As we stayed in a lovely Airbnb with great views, they served us breakfast each morning and picked us up from and took us back to the airport. Super lovely people and a great way to get local recommendations
• Take the bus into town where you have a selection of cool museums like the Troll museum or the Polar museum
• Our Airbnb hosts called into a restaurant they enjoy in town called Lotus and got us a reservation by the window there for dinner – the view is of the harbor and mountainside which is stunning when there is still light out
• I would recommend having a Northern Lights tour scheduled for each night until you get to see them! Just schedule day of – we had amazing luck with Norwegian Travel on our second night in Tromsø (just be aware you might have to drive to Finland, and it will take 6-7 hours to return to your hotel or Airbnb)

Day 2

• After a late breakfast, our day started with taking the bus to the cable car that took us up the side of the mountain. Make sure you buy tickets at the lodge or on their official website – other 3rd party guides will upcharge you. The cable car is great for a clear day, or in our case, an on-and-off clear and snowy day. You just have to time it right! The cable car trip itself takes roughly 5 minutes each way, but they only come every 30 minutes. There is a cafe at the top of the mountain if you want a treat or drink. Highly recommend wearing ski pants and snow boots at the top – NOT jeans as there will be high snow
• Coming down from the cable car, you can walk past a beautiful cathedral on your way back to the town. We had our next excursion planned – Reindeer sleighing, lunch, and Sami culture tour booked through GetYourGuide with the provider Tromsø Arctic Reindeer
• After the 4-hour excursion, we came back to town and had a quick dinner at Yonas Pizza
• If you didn’t get to see the Northern Lights on the night before, definitely have another trip booked for this night. If you did see the Northern Lights, head into Rorbua Pub for live music on Friday nights starting at 10:00pm

Day 3

• There are quite a few cafes in town, so you can head down to get a start on your day
• I highly recommend taking the Husky sledding tours, snowmobile tour, or snowshoeing. We were recommended to not do a whale watching tour as the whales don’t come close to the town in Tromsø anymore, and you would have to go out into waters that are a little bit more rocky to see them
• If you have time, there are nice shops in the town, and you have endless amazing views from wherever you are
• After spending a day on an excursion, you might want to take a late flight from Tromsø to Oslo, or you can reserve another evening for the Northern Lights. Again, these are totally up to chance, so if you haven’t seen them yet, you can still go on another tour. Really, your final day in Tromsø should be getting as much of the excursions in as possible

Day 4

• We flew from Tromsø to Oslo which was very easy and quick
• Once in Oslo, we stayed at both CityBox and The Comfort Hotel Børsparken which were both incredibly close to the train station from the Oslo airport
• We began our day by heading straight to the Akershus Fortress which is completely free unless you want to visit either of their two museums. The fortress also has a castle that you can walk through (not for free) that is only open on Sundays
• After that, we headed to the Nobel Peace Center where they had all of the stories of past inductees and an entire exhibit for the Nobel Peace Prize holder for 2024. This was one of my favorite parts as you get to learn about Alfred Nobel and the reasons why each person or organization received a Nobel Peace Prize
• We then took the tram to Frognerparken which has really cool statues of people playing, and in the winter, truly looks like a winter wonderland
• Next on our list was the Munch museum (and a late dinner), so we took the tram back to the hotel and changed into something nicer. The Munch museum was a collection of Edvard Munch’s work, including all 3 The Scream pieces that show on 30-minute rotations. The Munch Museum took us about 2 hours because we wanted to wait to see all versions of The Scream, but it could have easily been an hour or so
• We finished the night with a 6-course dinner at Vaaghals which was just what we wanted – a delicious modern Norwegian meal. They have a separate English menu and describe each dish to you when it is served

Day 5

• We started our day with pastries and coffee at one of the Kaffebrenneriet shops around Oslo, but make sure you grab a seat before ordering because they fill up quickly
• The Royal Palace was nearby, so we got to walk up and see guards doing their routines outside. We then walked back down to go through Karl Johans Gate to see the shops and the parliament building
• Make sure you have ski pants and snow boots on, and take the subway up to Frognerseteren for sledding and skiing. They also have a cafe and restaurant where you can enjoy pastries, coffee and wine, and traditional Scandinavian food. You can rent sleds and skis once you are up the mountain
• We finished the day by going back to Oslo and having a late dinner at Kos Kos, a Lebanese restaurant that served authentic, tasty, and filling dishes

Some things to note when you leave from Oslo airport if you are going back to the US – you will need to actually check in at the desk to receive your boarding pass. You can’t get a boarding pass online or in the app. If you have a stopover, make sure you know if you need a stamp before boarding. You will likely need extra assistance at the Help Desk if you are only taking carry-on luggage.

If you visit Norway in the winter, just make sure to pack snow-proof pants and snow boots. You might even want to purchase spikes that can be attached and taken off of your shows for ease when walking through snow and on ice.

Norway is the cleanest and most stunning country I have visited so far. I’m already planning my next trip back to see it in the Summer. You are guaranteed to enjoy your time and make the most out of your trip even in just a few days!