Travel tips

• Northern lights in Tromsø

  You can see the northern lights in Tromsø from late August to early April, whenever the sky is dark and clear. Activity is often strongest between about 20:00 and 02:00. Nobody can promise a sighting, so plan more than one evening for it and choose tours you would enjoy even if the sky stays grey.

• Whale watching in Tromsø

  Whale season in Tromsø is in winter, usually from early November to the end of January. Orcas and humpback whales follow the herring into the fjords north of the city, around Skjervøy and Kvænangen. A trip from Tromsø takes the whole day, and nobody can promise you'll see whales.

• Reindeer and Sámi culture in Tromsø

  You can often see reindeer around Tromsø, by the roads, in fields and on beaches outside town. Every one of them belongs to a Sámi herding family, so watch from a distance and don't feed them. To meet a herd up close, feed them with the herders and hear about Sámi life, you visit a reindeer camp on a tour.

• Tromsø in December, at Christmas and New Year

  December in Tromsø is the polar night, so the sun stays below the horizon and the city is full of Christmas lights. Christmas Eve on 24 December is the big day in Norway: shops close that afternoon and most stay shut until Monday 28 December. Many tours keep running over the holidays, so book early and buy your food before the 24th.

• Best time to visit Tromsø, month by month

  Tromsø has two very different halves to its year. From September to early April the nights are dark, and that's northern lights time, with whales in the fjords from November to January and the most snow from January to April. From late May to late July the sun doesn't set at all, and that's the time for hiking and camping. Pick your month by what you want to see.

• Tromsø with kids

  Tromsø works well with children. The centre is small, nature starts right at the edge of town, and most of the tours you can plan with MyTripTo take kids of all ages. The thing to plan around is length: a 3-hour boat trip or a reindeer visit suits small children much better than a long evening chase.