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When is the best time to visit Tromsø?

Northern lights, midnight sun, dark season, whales and what the weather is like.

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Short answer

Visit Tromsø between September and early April for the northern lights, or between late May and late July for the midnight sun. Winter is the peak season, and Visit Tromsø gives the whale watching season as November to January. Around the winter solstice the sun does not rise at all.

Tromsø a round calendar wheel with four seasons shown as a snowflake, a leaf, a sun and a raindrop around a small mountain

Why

  1. Visit Tromsø gives the northern lights season as September to early April and the midnight sun as late May to late July.
  2. Visit Norway calls winter the peak season in Tromsø, thanks to the northern lights, plenty of snow and the Arctic atmosphere.
  3. MET Norway's sun data show no sunrise in Tromsø on 21 December 2026, while on 21 June the sun stays above the horizon at midnight.

Details

At the Tromsø weather station the 1991–2020 normal is −3.3 °C in February, the coldest month, and 12.3 °C in July, the warmest. Precipitation is highest in October (127 mm) and lowest in May (57 mm). In autumn you can try dog sledding on wheels from August to October, according to Visit Norway.

Tip

Give yourself several nights for the northern lights and stay up late: Visit Norway says peak time is often between 11 pm and 2 am.

What may differ

The two seasons do not overlap, so you cannot see the midnight sun and the northern lights on the same trip. Choose by what matters most to you.

People also ask

  • When should I go to Tromsø?

Sources

Information checked on 15 October 2026.

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