To celebrate Christopher turning 40 this year, we went on a big adventure to Sweden and Norway!

Fourth stop: Tromso, Norway

The Basics

• Airport bus to city center: Airport Express

• We stayed at Thon Hotel Polar

• Excursion: Tromsø: Reindeer Feeding and Sami Cultural Experience

• Taking the bus around town? Get the Svipper App

• Uber is also available

The very first thing we did in Tromso was go to meet reindeer.

Getting to feed and pet the reindeer was an incredible experience. They are so sweet and gentle. So I felt bad when we went inside and ate their friends.

Part of this excursion was getting to hear about the Sami people. They farm reindeer and live predominantly in Northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

We had fun at the Troll Museum learning about the origins of the troll in Norwegian Folklore.

Then we popped into Blaast to see some lovely blown glass. I got a few pieces for our Christmas tree. And how hilarious is that nail-painting chicken?

No trip to Tromso, Norway is complete without seeing the Northernmost Hard Rock Cafe.

We took the bus across the fjord to see the Arctic Cathedral.

We walked through a botanical garden, and Christopher made a friend. There weren’t many plants still blooming in October in the Arctic Circle, but the rocks were cool.

After a little afternoon nap, we rode up the Fjellheisen cable car to see Tromso from above at night and hopefully see the Northern Lights.

The clouds were so dense we didn’t think we’d see the Northern Lights, but after two hours of staring at the sky, they came out.

Seeing the Northern Lights has been a dream for ages, so this was extra special.

On our last day in Tromso, we walked to Folkeparken to see the fjord up close.

We saw some people polar plunging off of the dock, and damn they are brave. We weren’t brave enough to jump in, but we did go down the stairs to touch the fjord. The water was cold and clear and just a hint of salty.

We had such a memorable time in Tromos. It is a charming town to visit.