This guide is built from our own winters in the Arctic and from the live Legendary Adventure tour pages in Tromsø — prices, pickup times and what is included come straight from the operator, never invented.

Who This Plan Is For — and the Three Days at a Glance

This itinerary is for travellers who are reasonably fit, enjoy a few hours on their feet in the cold, and would choose a trail over a viewpoint car park. It is not a mountaineering trip. Snowshoeing is walking with wider feet, and the standard hikes are steady rather than strenuous. The advanced option is where it becomes a proper workout.

From our Arctic winters in Rovaniemi we know snowshoeing well, and Tromsø is a different kind of place to do it. Finnish Lapland is forest and rounded fells. Around Tromsø the mountains drop straight into the fjords, so even a modest climb opens up a view of sea, peaks and islands. That is the reason we would build an active trip here around snowshoes.

Ages matter for this plan. Both standard snowshoe hikes are recommended for 10 and up, the advanced adventure for 16 and up, and the Sommarøy tour for 7 and up. With younger children, look at the family or private plans on our hub instead.

Day 1: Snowshoe Into the Dark on Your First Night

Day 1 — Arrive, then the Aurora Snowshoe Hike

Land by mid-afternoon if you can, check in, and walk around the centre to wake up your legs. Eat a proper early dinner — unlike the minibus chase, this hike includes snacks and a hot drink rather than a meal.

The Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 picks up at 18:30 outside Clarion Hotel The Edge on the harbour (look for a black Mercedes). Over four hours, including the transfer, a local guide takes a group of 2–8 out of the city glow on snowshoes, with rentals included. It is the same kind of terrain you will see in daylight on day two, but at night it is a completely different experience: quiet, dark, and if the sky is clear, lit by the aurora overhead rather than seen through a windscreen.

Why put it on night one? Two reasons. First, it is only four hours, so you are back at a reasonable time and fresh for day two. Second, it is your first aurora attempt, and in Tromsø the first attempt should always come early. The hike stays near the city rather than driving to clear sky, so its odds depend on the local weather. If night one is cloudy, you still have two evenings to fix it.

We compare the night and day hikes in more detail in our Arctic snowshoe hike or aurora snowshoe hike guide.

Day 2: Snowshoes in Daylight — Standard or Advanced

Day 2 — Choose your level

The standard option: the Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 picks up at 10:00 from the same hotel. It lasts four hours including transfers, with a local guide, transport in a Mercedes minivan, and snowshoes and poles provided. Groups are 2–8 guests and the recommended age is 10+. Expect snow-capped mountains, fjord views and, with luck, reindeer, foxes or seabirds along the way. You are back in town around 14:00.

The step up: the Arctic Snowshoe Adventure (Advanced)5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 lasts six hours including transfer, takes up to eight people, and is for ages 16 and up. The meeting point is different — Kaigata 6, 9008 Tromsø — so check the time on your booking confirmation. It costs NOK 2,100 rather than NOK 1,500. The operator’s listing for this tour does not spell out the inclusions the way the standard hike does, so check the tour page for what is provided before you go. Book this if you hike regularly at home and want a full day out; book the standard hike if you are unsure.

Our standard vs advanced snowshoe comparison goes through the difference in detail.

Day 2 evening — rest, or the backup chase

If you saw the lights on night one, take the evening off. If you did not, book the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 2,300, 5–8 hours, pickup 18:30). The guide plans the route on the night from the latest forecasts and drives to clearer sky — the one thing a hike cannot do. A warm meal, hot drinks and a winter suit are included.

Day 3: The Sommarøy Fjord Day as Active Recovery

Day 3 — Sommarøy and Kvaløya

After two days on snowshoes, a day in a warm vehicle sounds like a step down. It is not. The Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 shows you the coastline you have been looking at from the ridges: 5–6 hours across Kvaløya to the island of Sommarøy, along coastal roads with fjords, snowy peaks and white-sand Arctic beaches. The guide makes several stops for photos and short walks, and keeps an eye out for reindeer and moose near the road and white-tailed sea eagles over the water. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

The local lunch at the Sommarøy Arctic Hotel by the water is included, with vegan and vegetarian options. Pickup is 10:00 at Clarion Hotel The Edge, groups are 2–8 guests, and the recommended age is 7+.

Why last? It is the gentlest day, so it doesn’t matter if you are tired from the day before — and if you took the backup chase on night two, it lets you doze between stops. It also leaves your last evening free for packing or one more look at the sky.

If you have an evening flight and want something shorter, the Ersfjord & Grøtfjord Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 1,500, 3–4 hours, pickup 10:00, ages 7+) is a half-day version closer to the city. One honest note: we would not head into the mountains alone in winter on a spare afternoon. Avalanche terrain and short light are exactly why guided hikes exist.

What to Choose: Two, Three or Four Tours

Only two tours: book the Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and the Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — NOK 3,000 for both, two different sides of the same landscape. If seeing the aurora matters more than the walking, swap the night hike for the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, which has the better odds on any single night.

Three tours: the plan as written. It balances one night out, one active day and one scenic day, and keeps every evening after day one flexible.

Four tours: add the Northern Lights Tour on night two or three, whether or not night one was clear. The two formats are different enough that we would book both on a longer active trip: one quiet and on foot, one mobile and chasing clear sky. Just don’t stack it the night before the advanced hike.

Shared or private? For two to five people, shared. For a group of eight friends, the Private Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and Private Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 cost NOK 12,000 per group each — NOK 1,500 per person for eight, the same as the shared price, with your own guide and pickup point. For six it is NOK 2,000 each.

What the Active Plan Costs per Person

Operator from-prices in Norwegian kroner, per person, for the shared tours. The last column is the price after entering the code at checkout.

For two people on the core plan, that is NOK 10,200, or NOK 9,690 with the code. Accommodation, flights and most meals are extra.

Kit and Fitness for Two Days on Snowshoes

Snowshoes and poles are provided on both standard hikes. What you bring decides whether you enjoy them:

• Boots: insulated, waterproof winter boots with room for a thick sock. This is the one thing not to compromise on.
• Layers: a wicking base layer, a fleece or wool mid-layer, and a windproof, waterproof shell. You will warm up quickly on the move and cool quickly when you stop.
• Hands and head: thin liner gloves under warm mittens, a hat that covers your ears, and a buff or neck warmer.
• Day pack: water, a snack, a spare warm layer and a phone kept in an inside pocket so the cold doesn’t drain the battery.
• At night: a head torch helps, and an extra layer, because the night hike involves standing still under the sky.

For fitness, a good benchmark for the standard hikes is being comfortable walking for a couple of hours on uneven ground. For the advanced adventure, you should be a regular hiker. The winter suit that comes with the Northern Lights Tour is not part of the snowshoe hikes, so your own layers do all the work.

Book Your Whole Tromsø Plan

All tours are booked directly with Legendary Adventure on their own live calendars; we never take your payment. Book in this order, so the night tour gets the date you want:

1. Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — day 1, evening
2. Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 or Arctic Snowshoe Adventure (Advanced)5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — day 2
3. Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — day 3
4. Optional: Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 on night 2 or 3

Enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field at checkout — it works on every Legendary Adventure tour you book. Cancellation on the shared tours: a full refund more than 48 hours before departure, the full price inside 48 hours.

Full transparency: we are Legendary Adventure’s partner and may earn a commission on bookings made with our code. It never changes your price. More itineraries are on our Tromsø activities hub.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

Tromsø rewards people who get out of the vehicle. A night hike, a day hike and a coastal day show you the same landscape three ways, and the costs stay modest because two of the three tours are among the cheapest Legendary Adventure runs. Keep the aurora attempt on night one, keep a later evening free for a chase, and choose the advanced hike only if you are genuinely a regular hiker.

Book the Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, the Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and the Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, and enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off each.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

The tours in this active 3-day plan

Tap a tour to see live dates and prices. Enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field at checkout for 5% off.

Small group · 4 HoursAurora Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 1 500 per personBook with 5% off →Small group · 4 HoursArctic Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 1 500 per personBook with 5% off →Small group · 6 Hours (including transfer)Arctic Snowshoe Adventure (Advanced)From NOK 2 100 per personBook with 5% off →Small group · 5-6 HoursSommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord TourFrom NOK 2 100 per personBook with 5% off →

Code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 works on every Legendary Adventure tour booked online. We are Legendary Adventure’s partner and may earn a small commission — it never changes your price.