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In Tromsø you will find many fun and exciting activities for people of all ages. Choose between activities tailored specifically for children and activities that is suitable for the whole family. Get up close with arctic sea animals and species at Polaria, enjoy the beautiful outdoors and nature, play and learn at the world's northernmost science center or visit one of the city's many museums. Check out our 5 recommended family-friendly activities in Tromsø here!
1. Polaria
Polaria, the northernmost aquarium in the world, is also an experience center filled with knowledgeable experiences and activities. Here, the whole family can explore and discover life below the sea surface in the Arctic, and how it depends on life on land.
At Polaria you will find Arctic themed exhibitions, aquariums, two types of seals, and you can also enjoy fantastic panoramic films from Northern Norway and Svalbard in the attraction's own cinema. The building itself is also worth a look with its distinct design representing ice floes that have been pushed ashore. A perfect place to go for a family experience.
One of the most popular activities at Polaria is the training and feeding of their four seals which is from two different species. Two of the seals belong to a purely Arctic Species, bearded seals, and the other two are harbour seals. The seals are very active and playful, and the training is important to stimulate the animals, and also for their development.
In the aquariums you can also experience other northern species such as fish, plants, starfish, sea urchins and shellfish in many sizes and shapes. A visit here gives both the adults and the children a unique opportunity to get up close to the Arctic sea and animal life.
This summer, Polaria also offers tailor-made activities for children in the age group 6-12 years. Through Arctic knowledge-based activities, children can become a seal specialist, mini-biologist and environmental expert at Polaria. These are exciting and educational activities that combine knowledge with play. And the best part is that these activities are included in the entrance tickets.
2. Sherpa stairs and Cable Car
Sherpatrappa is the city's most popular hiking destination and a “must do” while in Tromsø. This trip is a fantastic way to see the city, and is also a suitable activity for the whole family. The stairs make the terrain easy to walk in, and you will also find several benches on the way up where you can enjoy a break.
At the top 410 masl you are greeted with the city's best view. Here you can enjoy panoramic views of the city with its islands, fjords, mountains and sea. At Fjellstua café, the whole family can enjoy lunch or just something good to drink, or just enjoy the spectacular view.
You also have the opportunity to the take the Cable car down, should the hike be to touch for both kids and adults. Or vica versa if you want - take the easy way up with the gondola and the stairs down. Either way, a fun way to get up and down the mountain.
This particular hike has always been a favorite among the locals, even before the stairs were built, which led to the trail being characterized by great wear and tear. This led to the need of creating a more sustainable path that could handle all the visitors. The result was the Sherpa stairs with 1200 steps - one of the longest in Norway of its kind. Do not miss out on this during your Tromsø holiday!
The Cable car and Sherpa stair is located on the mainland in Tromsdalen, and is easy accessible by either foot, bus, taxi and car.
3. North Norwegian Science Center (Nordnorsk Vitensenter)
Explore, play and learn at the world's northernmost science center and planetarium. The science center offers a lot of educational fun and almost a hundred interactive exhibitions with different themes and scientific phenomena such as energy and environment, climate and weather, the sky above us, and the body and the brain. The Science Center also houses Norway's largest digital planetarium, where knowledge and experiences about the Northern Lights and astronomy are conveyed through 360-degree planetarium films.
A visit to the North Norwegian Science Center is suitable for the curious of all ages, and offers exciting and fun activities for the whole family. Here both children and adults can play, explore in teams and have fun. The many interactive installations are spread over 4 themes and over 3 floors, so here you will find plenty of space where you can explore and have fun.
Whether you want to find out more about the magical northern lights, study the earth's magnetism, learn more about weather phenomena, explore ways to create energy or explore how the body looks and works - the Science Center is the place to explore all this. Both young and adults will definitely learn something new here.
This summer, the science center also have some new and fun activities available, such as a creative workshop and an experiment lab. In the creative workshop, you can, among other things, make your own vinyl print on a t-shirt or a shopping net. Feel free to bring your own garment to make prints on, so you have a great summer memory to take with you.
The North Norwegian Science Center is located by the university area in Tromsø with good bus connections and parking opportunities. By foot, the walk from the city center to the science center takes approx. 40 fresh minutes.
4. The Arctic University Museum of Norway
The Arctic University Museum of Norway, also known as Tromsø Museum, takes you on a journey through northern Norwegian social, nature and cultural history. The history is conveyed via photos and text, sound and light, and important findings that are displayed in the museum's many exhibitions. A visit to this museum is both exciting and educational - for both children and adults.
The museum is set up for you to try, explore and experience for yourself. So a visit to the university museum is a great activity that can engage the whole family. In the exhibitions you will find buttons and objects that you can press and touch, and around you will also find questions and tasks you can answer - either alone or as a team.
Through the various sections you get knowledge and insight into the history, culture and nature of Northern Norway. From Arctic wildlife, Sami culture, archeology, geology, church art and the Northern Lights, the exhibitions at the museum embraces widely. The museum has several permanent exhibitions that focuses on the Arctic wildlife and how human evolution has affected animals and nature, Sami culture and their development into modern indigenous people, and church art and objects from old northern Norwegian churches. At the museum you can also learn more about the northern lights and actually get to experience the phenomenon all year round.
The museum also has temporary exhibitions. This summer, they have a language exhibition about hereditary language, multilingualism and dialects based on research in northern Norway. In this exhibition you can interact and test the family's knowledge in and about language through the exhibition's many tasks.
5. Charlottenlund´s activity and outdoor area
At the top of the Tromsø island you will find the popular outdoor area Charlottenlund. The park is a beloved recreation area for the locals during the summer as well as the winter, and the area offers a variety of activities and facilities for the whole family to enjoy.
During the summer season the park offers a 9-hole frisbee golf course, 2 sand volleyball courts, climbing tower, ball binge, pump track for cycling and skateboarding, bouldering and climbing stones, running track, trails for trail cycling and a outdoors training equipment. In other words - the city's best place for outdoor play and fun for both young and adults.
In the park's surroundings there is also room for some relaxing and coziness. Around in the area there are fireplaces with tables and benches availables. Perfect for enjoying a snack and a break between all the activities, or if you want to enjoy dinner outside in the fresh air.
The Charlottenlund area is a gem of a sanctuary just a short distance from the city center and is easily accessible on foot, by bike, bus and car. The park is for free use for everyone and extends over a good area, so you do not need to worry about crows. There is also a dog park for those who have their four-legged friend with them on holiday.
The park is operated by Bydrift Park. Service house with two toilets and water tap outside, in addition to garbage silo and box for disposable grills are also available on the site.
