Travel advice, ideas & expert tips

Visiting Tromsø Cathedral (Tromsø domkirke): opening hours, what to see and practical tips

Tromsø Cathedral (Tromsø domkirke) is a Lutheran cathedral built in 1861. It is widely recognised as the world's northernmost Protestant cathedral and the only Norwegian Protestant cathedral built entirely of wood, located at Kirkegata 7 in the centre of Tromsø. This guide covers opening hours,…

Visiting the UiT Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden, Tromsø: opening times, what to see and practical tips

The Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden (Arktisk-alpin botanisk hage) is the world's northernmost botanic garden. It is operated by the Arctic University Museum of Norway and located at Stakkevollvegen 200 on the UiT campus in Tromsø, Norway. This guide covers opening season, admission, how to get…

Sommarøy, Norway: the Arctic island that looks like it shouldn’t exist

An hour west of Tromsø, past fjords and mountains, is a small fishing island with white sand beaches and turquoise water. It looks subtropical. It is very much not. Sommarøy sits 36 kilometres west of Tromsø, connected to the mainland by a bridge, with a…

Visiting the Science Centre of Northern Norway, Tromsø: ticket prices, opening hours and tips

The Science Centre of Northern Norway (Nordnorsk vitensenter) is an interactive science centre and planetarium located at Hansine Hansens veg 17 on the UiT Arctic University of Norway campus in Tromsø, approximately 2.5 km south of the city centre. This guide covers opening hours, ticket…

Visiting the Arctic University Museum of Norway, Tromsø: ticket prices, opening hours and tips

The Arctic University Museum of Norway (Norges arktiske universitetsmuseum) is a natural history and cultural museum covering Arctic geology, wildlife, Sámi culture and Northern Lights research, located at Lars Thøringsveg 10 on the southern edge of Tromsø island, approximately 2.5 km from the city centre.…

Visiting the Polar Museum, Tromsø: ticket prices, opening hours and tips

The Polar Museum (Polarmuseet) is a history museum focusing on Arctic exploration, trapping and polar expeditions, located at Søndre Tollbodgate 11 on the waterfront in central Tromsø, Norway. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, how to get there, parking, accessibility, and practical tips to…

Fire Wave in Valley of Fire National Park, Nevada.

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada: The complete visitor’s guide

There is a moment, somewhere along the road into Valley of Fire State Park, when the desert stops being a backdrop and becomes something altogether more confrontational. The Mojave scrub falls away. The rock — Aztec sandstone deposited by vast dune fields some 150 million…

Beyond the northern lights: why a Sámi reindeer experience is Tromsø’s most rewarding day trip

Everyone goes to Tromsø for the aurora. Far fewer leave having understood where they actually are. Tromsø sits 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, which tends to make it the kind of place people visit with a single objective: dark skies and dancing lights.…

Visiting Polaria, Tromsø: ticket prices, opening hours and tips

Polaria is an Arctic experience centre and the world's northernmost aquarium, located at Hjalmar Johansens gate 12 in central Tromsø, Norway. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, how to get there, parking, accessibility, and practical tips to help you plan your visit. To skip…

Visiting Forest Lagoon, Akureyri: ticket prices, opening hours and tips

Forest Lagoon (Icelandic: Skógarböð) is a geothermal spa set within Vaðlaskógur forest on the eastern shore of Eyjafjörður fjord, approximately 3.6 kilometres from the centre of Akureyri in North Iceland. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport, parking, the free shuttle service, accessibility, and…