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2 October 2026
Visiting Tromsø in October or November and worried there might not be snow yet? Don’t be. You can see the Northern Lights, go dog sledding on wheels, meet reindeer, search for whales, cruise through Arctic fjords and explore some of Tromsø’s most famous attractions, all without needing snow.
October and November are transition months in Northern Norway. Autumn gradually turns into winter, daylight becomes shorter and the first snow may arrive, but exactly when Tromsø becomes covered in white varies from year to year. The good news is that many of Tromsø’s best activities don’t depend on snow at all. Here are some of the best things to do in Tromsø in October and November when there isn’t enough snow for traditional winter activities.
You don’t need snow to see the Northern Lights. In fact, Tromsø’s Northern Lights season has already started by October, so autumn visitors can search for the Aurora Borealis against landscapes that may still be snow-free. Best Arctic offers two main road-based Northern Lights experiences:
The Aurora Safari Minibus is a small-group Northern Lights chase for a maximum of 15 guests. Instead of following exactly the same route every evening, guides assess weather and cloud conditions and decide where to travel. This flexibility can be particularly useful during autumn, when conditions around Tromsø can change quickly.
Season: Northern Lights season, including October and November
Duration: Approximately 5 – 7 hours
Meeting/departure time: Evening departure; check your selected date and booking confirmation for the exact time.
This is a good choice if you prefer a smaller group and an active, flexible Northern Lights chase.
If you prefer a larger and comfortable tour, consider the Aurora Safari Chase with big bus. The experience takes you from Tromsø to one of Best Arctic’s private Aurora Camps, selected according to the conditions that evening. The camps offer warm shelter, toilet facilities and thermal suits and if weather conditions change, the bus can continue the Northern Lights chase.
Season: Autumn and winter, including October and November
Duration: Approximately 5 – 7 hours
Meeting/departure time: Departure times vary; check the booking calendar and your ticket for the exact time.
Meeting point: Best Arctic Meeting Point, upper floor of Prostneset Bus Terminal.
The bus accommodates up to 45 guests and includes an onboard toilet and Wi-Fi.
Remember: Northern Lights do not require snowy landscapes. They require darkness, aurora activity and sufficiently clear skies.
“But how can I go dog sledding if there is no snow?” With wheels! Before enough snow arrives for traditional sleds, huskies can pull specially designed carts along snow-free trails. It is commonly called dog carting or dog sledding on wheels. You still meet the huskies and experience dog sledding with experienced guides. What changes is the landscape and the equipment underneath you.
This experience is designed for particularly small groups, with a maximum of 8 guests and a minimum age of 4.
Season: Autumn, before sufficient snow arrives for traditional sledding
Duration: Approximately 7 hours including transfers
Meeting time: Check the selected departure and booking confirmation for the current meeting time.
Lunch is included, as well as gloves, a hat, suit and shoes.
Another option is Autumn Dogsledding on Wheels including transfer from Tromsø. This tour accommodates up to 20 guests, with a minimum age of 5.
Season: Autumn, before sufficient snow arrives
Duration: Approximately 7–8 hours including transfers
Meeting time: Check your selected departure and booking confirmation for the exact meeting time.
Lunch and transportation from Tromsø are included, along with overall suits, boots, mittens and hats.
Autumn dog sledding also offers something you don’t get in the middle of winter: colorful landscapes, more daylight, potentially milder temperatures and generally fewer visitors.
End of October/ November brings another major Arctic experience: whale watching. Humpback whales and orcas follow herring into the waters of Northern Norway, creating opportunities to search for them on dedicated whale watching trips departing from Tromsø.
Travel by boat from Tromsø in search of whales and Arctic wildlife while experiencing Northern Norway’s dramatic coastal landscapes.
Season: Whale season, typically from November onwards
Duration: Approximately 7 – 8 hours
Meeting time: Depending on the departure, meet at approximately 08:10 for an 08:30 departure or 08:40 for a 09:00 departure.
Meeting point: Waterside behind Alti Nerstranda Shopping Center.
The Silent Whale Watching experience travels from Tromsø towards the whales’ feeding grounds. Once whales are located, the vessel can switch to silent electric propulsion to minimize disturbance.
Season: Typically November–January, depending on whale migration
Duration: Approximately 8–9 hours, depending on the whales’ location
Departure: Approximately 07:30–08:00 depending on the selected departure
Meeting time: At least 15 minutes before departure
Meeting point: Pier beside Skarven Kro, Kaigata 6.
Please, mind that whales are wild animals, so sightings cannot be guaranteed.
No snow? No problem for the reindeer either. Autumn experiences allow visitors to meet and feed reindeer while learning about Sámi culture and reindeer herding traditions.
Travel outside Tromsø to meet the reindeer herd, feed the animals and learn about Sámi traditions before gathering inside a lavvu for a warm meal.
Season: Autumn, including October
Duration: Approximately 4.5 hours
Meeting time: 09:45
Departure: 10:00
Return: Approximately 14:30
Meeting point: In front of Radisson Blu Hotel Tromsø.
Prefer a later start? The afternoon version offers a similar experience.
Season: Autumn
Duration: Approximately 4.5 hours
Meeting time: 12:45
Departure: 13:00
Return: Approximately 17:30
Meeting point: In front of Radisson Blu Hotel Tromsø.
For an evening alternative, combine reindeer feeding and Sámi culture with dinner and keep an eye on the sky for a possible Northern Lights display. This can be a particularly interesting autumn combination because neither reindeer feeding nor Northern Lights viewing requires snow.
Season: Autumn
Duration and meeting time: Check the live booking calendar for your selected date, as departure details can vary.
Please remember that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, so an aurora sighting is never guaranteed.
Snow isn’t necessary to appreciate the mountains, islands and fjords surrounding Tromsø. In fact, autumn colors can give the landscape an entirely different appearance.
Explore the waters surrounding Tromsø aboard a comfortable boat while taking in islands, mountains and Arctic scenery.
Availability: Autumn departures available; check the live calendar for your travel date.
Duration: Approximately 3.5 hours on the winter fjord-cruise programme
Meeting time: Around 10:40 for the applicable morning departure.
If you like combining scenery with history, board the historic Hermes II, built in 1917. The cruise combines Tromsø’s fjords, wildlife and Northern Norwegian coastal history, including the story of the Tirpitz wreck.
Availability: Check the live booking calendar for October/November departures
Duration: 2.5 hours
Meeting time: 15 minutes before departure
Meeting point: Pier 12, seaside of Kystens Hus.
Want something considerably more adventurous? Put on a specialized floating suit and experience an Arctic fjord from inside the water. No swimming skills are required and the activity operates with small groups.
Season: Available during autumn as well as other seasons
Duration: Approximately 3.5 hours
Departures: 09:30, 13:00 or 19:30 depending on availability
Meeting time: 10–15 minutes before departure
Meeting point: Magic Ice Bar, Kaigata 4.
Some experiences are spectacular with or without snow. Take the Fjellheisen Cable Car up Storsteinen for panoramic views over Tromsø, the surrounding islands, mountains and fjords. The cable-car journey itself takes around five minutes, with regular departures every full and half hour. Once at the top, you decide how long you want to stay within the operating hours.
Availability: All year round; check current opening hours
Duration: Flexible – you decide how long to stay
Meeting time: No traditional guided-tour meeting time; use your ticket within its validity and current operating hours.
Tickets booked through Best Arctic are valid for seven days from the selected visit date, giving you flexibility to choose a day with favorable visibility.
Autumn is also an excellent time to discover the city itself. The Arctic Cathedral and Tromsø Treasures Walking Tour combines a guided city walk, treasure hunt, local history and a visit to one of Tromsø’s most recognizable landmarks: the Arctic Cathedral.
Availability: Check the live calendar for October and November dates
Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours
Meeting time: 13:20
Departure: 13:30
Meeting point: Tromsø Cathedral, Kirkegata 7.
The walking distance is approximately 2.5 kilometres.
Rainy autumn day? Polaria is an easy indoor option in central Tromsø. The Arctic experience center combines aquariums, seals, exhibitions about polar research and a panoramic cinema. It is particularly convenient for families with children or as a shorter activity between longer excursions.
Availability: Daily
Opening hours: 10:00 – 17:00
Duration: Flexible – visit at your own pace
Meeting time: None; visit during opening hours.
Seal training and feeding currently takes place at 10:30, 12:30 and 15:30.
Your Arctic adventure starts as soon as you land. The Best Arctic Airport Express connects Tromsø Airport with several convenient stops around the city center and is an easy option if you don’t want to rent a car.
Availability: Year-round according to the current timetable
Duration: Approximately 20 – 25 minutes between the airport and central Tromsø, depending on the stop
Departure time: Multiple daily departures – check the current Airport Express timetable for your arrival date.
Yes, but if your only goal is to experience deep snow and traditional winter activities such as snowmobiling, then traveling later in the winter may suit you better. But if you want a mixture of Northern Lights, whales, huskies, reindeer, Sámi culture, fjords and autumn landscapes, October and November can be fascinating months to visit Tromsø.
The absence of snow also creates experiences you won’t necessarily have later in winter. You can go dog sledding on wheels through autumn landscapes rather than over snow. You may experience more daylight than during the Polar Night. There are generally fewer visitors than during the busiest winter periods. And by November, whale watching can be combined with Northern Lights experiences during the same trip.
October and November are not simply the months when Tromsø is “waiting for winter”. They are a season of their own. The mountains are changing. The days are getting shorter. The Northern Lights season is underway. Whales begin arriving in Northern Norwegian waters. The huskies are already running. And somewhere along the way, autumn starts turning into winter.
You don’t need to wait for the snow to start experiencing the Arctic.
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