Troms through 12 months

Polar Night and Midnight Sun, Northern Lighs and autumn colours, frostbite and bikini, atmospheric winter festivals and lighthearted summer culture - the Troms experience varies vastly throughout the year.

From darkness to light

January View calendar
  • Troms is in the grip of the Polar Night in early January
  • The sun returns in mid or late January
  • Film Festival and Northern Lights Festival in Tromsø
  • Ilios Festival of Music in Harstad
  • The Arctic cod comes to the coast; yummi!
Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø Ingun A. Mæhlum (c) Visit Tromsø
Februar View calendar
  • The days grow longer every day
  • The coldest month, but still perfect for outdoor activities
  • Clear skies give excellent Northern Lights chances
  • Sami week in Tromsø
  • Reindeer sledding in the main street of Tromsø
Kjetil Skogli (c) Visit Tromsø Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø

Sunny Winter - White Spring

  • The day grows longer than the night, from March 21
  • Northern Lights viewing excellent until the last week of March
  • Loads of snow, but mild temperatures
  • Perfect for snow activities, such as skiing and dogsledding
  • Latino Music Festival with samba parade in the snow in Tromsø
Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø Shigeru Ohki (c) Visit Tromsø
  • The nights turn from black to velvet blue
  • Snow on the ground all month
  • Perfect for long cross country treks
  • Mild in the day, freezing at night
  • Lyngen Winter Festival
Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø

The sun chases the night away

  • The snow melts all over Troms, from sea level to the mountains
  • Expect anything from beach life to snow showers
  • Numerous public holidays are spent outdoors
  • There is hardly any darkness all month
  • The Midnight Sun is visible from around May 20
Knut Hansvold (c) Troms Reiseliv
  • The sun is above the horizon all month
  • Dry weather with refreshing temperatures, occasional heat waves
  • The Festival of North Norway in Harstad
  • Midnight Sun Marathon in Tromsø
  • Activities and festivals last until midnight, no reason to sleep!
Knut Hansvold (c) Troms Reiseliv Ingun A. Mæhlum (c) Visit Tromsø

Lazy days of summer

  • Midnight Sun until around July 20-25
  • Temperatures range from +5 °C to +28 °C
  • Riddu Riddu Festival of Indigenous Peoples in Manndalen
  • Bukta Open Air Festival in Tromsø
  • Tour d´Andørja tough bike ride
Mikael Westh Hammer (c) Visit Tromsø Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø
August View calendar
  • Darkness creeps in slowly, real darkness by mid August
  • Often summery with high temperatures the first weeks
  • The first Northern Lights at the end of the month
  • The first autumn leaves the last days of the month
  • Kalottspel folk music festival
Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø Ingun A. Mæhlum (c) Visit Tromsø

Darkness strikes back

September View calendar
  • The mountains are ablaze with colours
  • By September 21, nights are longer than days
  • Sparkling, clear autumn days or wet and windy
  • Silent movie festival in Tromsø - the only silent thing ever in Tromsø
  • Concerts, café visits and good food in dark evenings
Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø Mikael Westh Hammer (c) Visit Tromsø
October View calendar
  • Sugar-coated mountain tops
  • Clear days, rain, snow, clear days, rain, snow...
  • Northern Lights on clear nights
  • Ordkalotten Festival of Literature in Tromsø
  • Game and mutton are at their best
Mikael Westh Hammer (c) Visit Tromsø Knut Hansvold (c) Troms Reiseliv

Dark winter

November View calendar
  • The snow struggles to settle on the coast, but is knee-deep inland
  • The Polar Night starts at the end of the month
  • Northern Lights on clear nights
  • Pre-Christmas concerts in churches
  • Christmas markets of handicraft
Bård Løken (C) Visit Tromsø Kjetil Skogli (c) Visit Tromsø
December View calendar
  • Troms is in the firm grip of the Polar Night, no sunshine all month
  • A festive atmosphere of Christmas
  • Snow, but usually not the coldest temperatures
  • Lots of Northern Lights
  • Rundhaug market: Perfect Christmas Shopping!
Bård Løken (c) Visit Tromsø Shigeru Ohki (c) Visit Tromsø
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