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.

January 2027 in Tromsø: Darkness, Then the Light Comes Back

Tromsø sits so far north that the sun stays below the horizon from late November until around the middle of January. That is the polar night. It is not 24-hour blackness: for a few hours around midday the sky turns deep blue and pink, bright enough to see the fjords and mountains clearly. Locals traditionally celebrate the sun’s return around 21 January, when it is visible from the city again.

For a visitor, January has two big advantages. The evenings are long and dark, so any clear night gives you hours of sky to search for the aurora. And the snow is usually well established by now, so the snowshoe hikes and winter landscapes are at their most reliable. The trade-off is cold. Tromsø’s coastal climate is milder than inland Lapland — we know how a Rovaniemi January feels, and Tromsø is generally gentler — but the chase may take you inland, where it gets noticeably colder.

The first few days of January are part of the New Year holiday season. Things usually calm down after that, but check the dates of the city’s January festivals before you book, as they can fill hotels. For a deeper look at aurora planning this month, see our guide to the northern lights in January.

Early or Late January? How the Date Changes the Plan

The same four tours feel quite different depending on which half of the month you come.

Either way, the structure of the plan stays the same: a night tour on day one so you have spare evenings, shorter daytime tours early on, and the biggest daylight day at the end. In late January this matters more, because the light changes noticeably from one day to the next.

All the daytime tours in this plan pick up at 10:00, which in January means you head out in the dark or the first twilight and reach the scenery as the light builds. That is part of the experience, not a drawback.

Days 1 and 2: The Chase, Then a Short Fjord Morning

Day 1 — Arrive, then the Northern Lights Tour

Land by mid-afternoon if you can; in January it will already be dark. Eat lightly — the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 includes a warm meal, snacks and hot drinks — and meet the guide at 18:30 outside Clarion Hotel The Edge on the harbour (look for a black Mercedes). The winter suit goes over your own layers, and in January you will be glad of it. The guide plans the route on the night from the latest forecasts, inland or along the coast, and the tour runs 5–8 hours. Groups are 2–8 guests and the recommended age is 7+.

Day 2 — The Ersfjord & Grøtfjord tour, then a quiet evening

After a late night, a short tour is the right call — and in January, a short tour also fits the short light. The Ersfjord & Grøtfjord Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 picks up at 10:00 and lasts 3–4 hours, heading to two fjords on Kvaløya close to the city. In early January you see them in polar-night blue; later in the month, with the first sun on the peaks. It costs NOK 1,500 per person, ages 7+.

Keep the evening free. If night one was clouded out, this is your first backup evening: book another chase if there is space. If you saw the lights, go to bed early — day three is a long one.

Day 3: Snowshoes in the Midday Light, Then a Night Hike

Day 3 morning — the Arctic Snowshoe Hike

The Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 picks up at 10:00 and lasts four hours including transfers, with a local guide, a Mercedes minivan, snowshoes and poles. Groups are 2–8 and the recommended age is 10+. In January the hike is timed perfectly for the brightest part of the day: you walk out as the twilight builds and are on the snow for its peak. You may see reindeer, foxes or seabirds. You are back in town around 14:00 — rest, eat a proper meal, and warm up.

Day 3 evening — the Aurora Snowshoe Hike or a second chase

If night one gave you a good show, book the Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5: pickup 18:30 from the same hotel, four hours, snowshoe rental, snacks and a hot drink included, NOK 1,500, ages 10+. It is the quiet way to spend a January night — away from the city lights on foot, no minibus, just the snow and the sky. It stays near Tromsø, so it depends on the local weather.

If you have not seen the lights yet, book the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 again instead. The chase has the better odds on any single night because it can move to clearer sky. Two night tours on day three is too much; choose one.

One January-specific point: you will be outdoors and stationary for longer on the night hike than on the day hike, and the snowshoe tours do not include a winter suit. Bring an extra warm layer, warm mittens and a hat you can pull over your ears.

Day 4: Save the Sommarøy Fjord Day for Last

Day 4 — Sommarøy and Kvaløya

In most months we would put this tour earlier. In January we put it last for one reason: every day is brighter than the day before, and this is the tour where the light matters most. The Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 picks up at 10:00 and lasts 5–6 hours, crossing Kvaløya to the island of Sommarøy along coastal roads with fjords, snowy mountains and white-sand Arctic beaches. The guide stops for photos and keeps an eye out for reindeer, moose, white-tailed sea eagles and, in some seasons, whales — none of which can be guaranteed.

Lunch at the Sommarøy Arctic Hotel by the sea is included, with vegan and vegetarian options. Groups are 2–8 guests, ages 7+, and the price is NOK 2,100 per person. In late January, you may see the low sun over the sea from the beaches — which is why we save it for last. For a closer look at this tour in January, see our Sommarøy fjord tour in January guide.

Day 4 evening and day 5

The last evening is free. If you are still waiting for the aurora, see whether there is a last-minute place on the chase — but only if your flight on day five is not early. Tromsø Airport is about 10–15 minutes from the centre by taxi.

What to Book If You Want Fewer Tours — or Are a Family or Group

Five tours in four days is a full plan. Here is how we would trim it:

• Two tours: the Northern Lights Tour and the Sommarøy day — NOK 4,400. The essential night and the essential daylight.
• Three tours: add the Arctic Snowshoe Hike — NOK 5,900. Drop the Ersfjord morning and use day two for the town.
• Four tours: add the Aurora Snowshoe Hike or a second chase on day three — NOK 7,400 or NOK 8,200.

Families with children under 7: the shared chase and fjord tours are recommended from age 7. The Private Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 15,000 per group, all ages, pickup at 19:00 from your chosen address) and the Private Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 15,000 per group, all ages) keep the same plan with no age limit. Both snowshoe hikes are recommended from 10, private or shared.

Groups and families who want culture: the Spiritual Sámi Culture Experience5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 (NOK 17,500 per group, 4 hours, ages 7+, pickup 10:00) can replace the Ersfjord morning on day two.

Large groups with a big budget: January is the last month of the operator’s private whale-watching season (October–January). Private Whale Watching is a 7–8 hour boat charter for up to 12 people from NOK 120,000 per group, starting 08:30. It is arranged on request rather than through the online checkout, so contact the operator directly; our reader code is for online bookings.

What the January Plan Costs per Person

Operator from-prices in Norwegian kroner, per person on the shared tours. The last column is what you pay after entering the code at checkout.

For a couple on the full plan, that is NOK 17,800, or NOK 16,910 with the code. Two of the tours include a meal, which helps in a city where eating out is not cheap.

Book Your Whole Tromsø Plan

Each tour is booked directly with Legendary Adventure on its own live calendar; we never take your payment. Book the night tour first, then the rest:

1. Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — day 1, evening
2. Ersfjord & Grøtfjord Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — day 2, morning
3. Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — day 3, morning
4. Aurora Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 or a second Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — day 3, evening
5. Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — day 4

Enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 in the promo-code field at checkout — it works on every Legendary Adventure tour you book. On the shared tours, cancellation is a full refund more than 48 hours before departure and 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 month guides and itineraries are on our Tromsø activities hub.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

January is a quietly brilliant month for Tromsø. You get the deep darkness that makes the aurora possible on any clear evening, and — if you come in the second half — the drama of watching the light return. Build the trip around that: the chase on the first night, short tours while the days are short, and the Sommarøy coast on your last day, when the light is at its best.

Book the Northern Lights Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5, the Arctic Snowshoe Hike5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 and the Sommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord Tour5% off · HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 — plus the Ersfjord morning and the Aurora Snowshoe Hike if you want the full four days — and enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 at checkout for 5% off each.

5% off · code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5

The tours in this January 2027 plan

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

Small group · 5-6 HoursSommarøy & Kvaløya Scenic Fjord TourFrom NOK 2 100 per personBook with 5% off →Small group · 5-8 HoursNorthern Lights TourFrom NOK 2 300 per personBook with 5% off →Small group · 4 HoursArctic Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 1 500 per personBook with 5% off →Small group · 4 HoursAurora Snowshoe HikeFrom NOK 1 500 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.