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

Central Tromso is Rather Accessible

One of the best things about central Tromso is that it is small. Not the smallest of cities, of course, but you can easily walk across the tourist center in about 15 minutes.

Within this area covers just about every museum, restaurant, tour meet up point, and bar you would want to experience in the city, with the exception of the Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen) and the Fjellheisen cable car, which is located across the fjord a short bus ride or a 30-40 minute walk across the bridge.

Staying at a hotel or apartment rental in the flat part of the city center is an excellent idea because of the proximity to everything and subsequent accessibility to explore via Tromso’s robust bus system. 

Of course, rooms with views can be somewhat limited, and if aurora viewing is on your agenda, then staying in the city center may be a bit harder due to the city lights and clouds. That isn’t to say that you can’t see the aurora in the city center, but it is often a lot harder than nearby (we advocate going on a Tromso aurora borealis tour to really increase your chances- simply staying in town isn’t good enough).

So, while we think you would probably want proximity above all else when deciding where to stay in Tromso, if you want a stellar view, you may be going up the hill and further away from the center, and that comes with its own challenges.

The Hills Have Views and Steep Walks

Now, if you’re like us, you may want to stay further up the hill above Tromso to get a rental with a better fjord view. 

We have to admit that we were even looking at staying on the opposing side of Tromso to try and have potential darker skies to see the aurora (note that it is still incredibly difficult even if not facing the city), but we decided to get a rental with a Tromso city view to split the difference. 

Even just being a few blocks out of town, we are glad we did it- for the most part, at least. Tromso is hilly, and our view was quite incredible when it wasn’t a white-out snowstorm, even if it was so cloudy that we never saw the aurora from our place! 

Now, we will say this is partly a good thing. The views you can get by being just a little bit up the hill are exceptional. But there are two key details to keep in mind that may change your mind.

First, the hillside can be fairly steep. Coupled with regular snow, this means the roads and sidewalks can become slick at times. We definitely had unsure footing on a lot of our walks in town, and it was harrowing to say the least. Sure, you could take the bus within a short walk of most rentals. But if you like to walk, keep that in mind if visiting in winter.

Second, if you are heading out for aurora tours, you likely won’t get back in until 1, 2, or even 3 am (or later). Apart from finding a rare taxi, if you’re staying out of town, you’ll likely be walking, and that is quite the trudge when it’s dark, cold, and you are exceptionally tired- a double issue if it is icy out. 

We witnessed many other guests have this realization at the start of a tour, and being outside of easy walking distance would, to put it bluntly, not be fun. (And I say that knowing it was decently warm when we were there, too. Try all this when it is even colder out and it sounds a bit miserable!)

As such, you really need to take weather and late night considerations into mind if staying outside of the city center in winter.

Do Not Plan to Drive Unless You Have Experience

Now, you may be reading these and wonder “well, if aurora viewing is better out of the city center, and we need to get away from Tromso for better chances, should I rent a car?” The answer is a resounding “please don’t do that!”

The simple truth is that driving in the Arctic Circle is not like driving in snowy conditions at home. The roads are often covered in compacted snow and ice at all times, the weather conditions change in an instant, and, as far as aurora driving is concerned, doing this all in the dead of night in the cold makes things even worse.

It won’t take long after talking to people who live in Tromso about tourists who aren’t familiar with the roads are likely to get into an accident, and seemingly everyone has a story about a car in a ditch or someone getting stranded because they thought they could drive in the Arctic winter. Our taxi driver gave us this story within the first five minutes and, well, that was that on our thoughts on whether or not we should drive.

As such, really the biggest consideration you need to have beyond this point is just how central you want to be and whether being up on the hill for a view is worth it despite some of the drawbacks. We thought yes to the latter, but also recognize that most people will be a no, and that is quite fine. 

No matter what, as long as you’re within a 15-minute walk of downtown Tromso, you’re going to be in a great spot, and that’s all there is to it- icy hill considerations and all. Stay close to the center, be prepared for late nights, and you’ll have a great time!

To book a hotel in Tromso, click here. To book an apartment rental, click here.