Making the most of Tromso
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Tromsø stands above the Arctic Circle at 69ºN, midway between the Lofoten Islands and North Cape. The city occupies an island linked by two bridges.
Prostneset dock, used by Hurtigruten, is directly in the city centre. Breivika dock serves larger cruise vessels 4 km north of town and has no facilities. When a cruise ship arrives, shuttle buses costing 19.95 Euro run regularly between Breivika harbour and the centre. Bus 42 also covers the route about every 30 minutes. A Tromso day pass costs about 11 Euro.
The Port of Tromsø is making major investments in the city centre through new and improved piers and facilities, including a new cruise terminal. As a result, cruise ships will be able to call in the heart of town, placing passengers and crew amid every activity. The piers and building facilities in the port's new terminal are complete.
Carry a printable map ashore.
Most large ships berth at Breivika. When yours does, the famous Botanical Gardens are immediately across the main road from the pier; simply follow the painted "steps".
This ancient whaling capital and base for North Pole expeditions has an appealing frontier atmosphere
Among the places drawing the most visitors to Tromsø are The Arctic Cathedral, the Botanic Garden, The Cable Car, Polaria, the Polar Museum and The Tromsø Museum.
Polaria museum is devoted to these subjects and everything arctic. Shaped like an iceberg, the building lets visitors experience a snowstorm and contains the world's northernmost aquarium, filled with marine life from the arctic seas
Getting around
A cable car climbs to Mt. Storsteinen, 420 metres above sea level, where a panoramic site has a restaurant and outdoor café. This view is recognised from presentations of Norway and simply must be experienced! The journey lasts four minutes, and each car holds 27 passengers. The restaurant seats 150 people.
Directions from Breivika: first walk to the road, using the underpass to reach the side with the bus-stop. Take city bus 42 into the city centre, a journey of about 10 minutes. Leave at Stortorget, the first stop after passing through 2 sets of traffic lights. Cross towards the ocean and turn right; after 20 metres you will reach the stop for citybus number 26. Ride to "Fjellheisen", with departures every 30 minutes, which is beside the cable cars.
After visiting the cable-car summit, board route 26 again. It runs in a loop and returns towards the city centre from the same stop. For route 42 back to the vessel, walk about 200 metres south from the Stortorget drop-off and catch the northbound service at Urmaker Jørgensen; it travels opposite to your earlier direction. Leave at Breivika. Buses are plentiful and highly reliable. An all-day pass is NOK 60, while a return cable-car ticket) costs NOK 120. A taxi from the harbour to the cable car will be slightly faster, but also…
Nearby places
Lyngen is a municipality in the Region of Troms in Northern Norway. This peninsula is characterised by towering mountains rising 1833 metres directly from the Arctic Ocean. Some 3200 people live in Lyngen.
Food and shopping
Tromsø is one of Norway's leading regions for handmade art and craft, with a wealth of shops, especially along Storgata pedestrian street, selling local and international goods. Buy art from numerous galleries or craft businesses, including glass-blowing and candle-making studios, or choose Arctic delicacies such as reindeer sausage.
Money
Known as norske krone and shortened to kr, the Norwegian crown is Norway's currency. Its 1/100th subdivision is the øre. About 8 NOK equals 1.00 EUR.
Norwegian ATMs are called Minibank.
Almost every shop accepts major cards such as Mastercard and Visa. Bring a passport or driver's licence because identification is required when using a credit card.
Staying connected
Norwegian is Norway's official language. It is very close to, and mutually intelligible with, the two other Scandinavian languages, while English is widely spoken.
Free Wifi is available in several places, including Burger King in the centre of Storgata.
Opening Hours and
Norwegian opening hours have improved, although many small shops still close early on Saturday, with 1 PM or 3 PM typical, and nearly everything is shut on Sunday. Door signs often read "9-21 (9-18)", meaning 9 AM–9 PM on weekdays and 9 AM–6 PM on Saturday.