Jeremy

Jeremy founded Living the Dream in 2008 to chronicle his long-term trip around Asia. Since then he has been on two long-term trips, visited 69 countries, and is just getting started. He is now on a Lifestyle Design quest to build businesses to pursue a life of travel.

How to Plan Tromso Day Tours in Winter

Tromso, Norway, is such an interesting city. 

Nestled in the Arctic Circle, you have stunning fjords, beautiful mountains, aurora opportunities in the winter, and so, so much more. To say there is a lot to do is an understatement, and this is especially true in the winter months.

The challenge is finding the time to pack it all in, and after five days in Tromso, we honestly think we hit the day tours, experiences, and aurora chases a little too hard- so much so that we had very little free time to enjoy the city, nearby highlights, and even sleep!

So in this one, we want to talk a bit more about the logistics of taking day tours in Tromso in the winter. It may seem weird to talk about booking logic with regard to tours, but when you are taking late-night aurora tours that are heavily weather (and solar activity) dependent, there are some additional layers to consider!

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5 Packing List Items for Winter in the Arctic Circle

There are cold climate vacations, and then there is vacationing in the Arctic Circle in the dead of winter cold.

To put it bluntly, if you’re heading to the Arctic Circle and are planning on outdoor experiences (be it dogsledding, chasing the aurora borealis, or something else outdoors), you’ll want to plan on some extra items in your packing list. 

So in this one, we wanted to discuss winter items that you really should consider adding to your packing list (or upgrading to a better quality item) if you are heading up to the Arctic Circle in the colder months!

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Where to Stay in Tromso – In City Center or On The Hill?

If you’re heading to Tromso in the winter to try and see the aurora borealis, you’re going to the right spot. This city is a great gateway to get out on an aurora chase with decent odds of seeing the aurora (in town, not so much, however).

But, as with all travel destinations, you may be wondering where the best play to stay in Tromso is. Should you stay in the city center, on the hillside overlooking Tromso, or on the opposite side of the hill looking away from the city for less light pollution?

Well, there are pros and cons to each, and we have to admit, staying closer to the city center may end up being a great choice all around. In this one, we thought we’d share a few key points to keep in mind about the different areas you may consider for your stay.

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Everything to Know About Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

For the longest time, Angie had mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda on her bucket list, and in early 2019 we finally made that dream a reality with our trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

When visiting, we really weren’t sure what to expect.

We heard the hike could be easy, moderately challenging, or terrible. We heard the roads are okay and awful. And we have heard mixed feelings on the experience overall as well in terms of whether or not it is worth the $800 per person fee for non-residents to spend an hour with the gorillas (2026 prices).

Not being deterred, we did it anyway and had a fabulous time. To help share some of the information we learned about the experience, this guide was born!

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