The trails look alike. What differs is the start point, the minimum age and who brings the ski clothes.
Beginner courses
Backcountry
Pick a day, or the first and last day of your stay in Tromsø. We check the booking calendar of every ski course and tour on this site and show which ones still take bookings.
Duration: 2.5 h
Skill level: Beginners
Skill level: Beginners
Skill level: Some skiing experience
Tromsø has groomed cross-country trails on its own island, several of them floodlit in the evening. The guided options below teach you the basics in two and a half to three hours or take you off the tracks on Kvaløya. Start with the situation that sounds most like yours.
Learn to Ski at Tromsø Ski Stadium by SkiTromsø: two and a half hours on a programme developed with the Olympic champion Erik Valnes, who does not normally guide the daily sessions himself. It is the only course here that lends winter clothing (jacket, trousers, hat and gloves) on top of skis, poles and boots. Snacks and warm drinks are included. Children are welcome from 6; the course is not suitable during pregnancy.
Beginner course with transfer by Tromsø Outdoor: three hours with no more than eight people. You meet at the shop at Fredrik Langes gate 14 and ride up to the groomed trails at the top of Tromsøya. Skis, poles and boots are included, winter clothing can be rented, and the break comes with a hot drink and lefse. It has the strictest age rule of the courses: from 12.
Guided course at Charlottenlund by Tromsø Adventures: two and a half hours (the description says up to three) from the Charlottenlund activity park, with breaks by the lake Prestvannet (currently 4.7 ★ from 597 reviews). Skis, poles and boots, a warm drink and something sweet are included; clothing is not. Take bus 26 to Skoglyst or park there for free. Guests from 7 to 80. If the snow is not good enough, the operator offers an alternative activity.
Relaxed backcountry trip by The Natural North: three hours on wide backcountry cross-country skis, away from the groomed tracks, with a campfire and hot chocolate. It starts at Eide Handel, Fjordvegen 12, on Kvaløysletta. Some skiing experience is recommended and guests must be at least 14. The listing does not state that transport to the start is included.
Start point and how you get there, length, minimum age, what the operator provides and group size. Sorted by number of reviews; tap the reviews or price header to re-sort.
| Photo | Course or tour | Start and getting there | Duration | Minimum age | Provided | Group size | Reviews ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Cross-country course at Charlottenlund Tromsø Adventures AS | Charlottenlund activity park (bus 26 to Skoglyst, free parking); transfer not stated | 2.5 hours (the description says 2.5 to 3) | From 7 (up to 80) | Skis, poles and boots; clothing not included | Not stated | ★ 4.7 (597) | €91 per person | Book now |
|
|
Learn to ski at Tromsø Ski Stadium SkiTromsø - Arctic Ski Experience | Tromsø Ski Stadium, Dramsvegen 192; transfer not stated | 2.5 hours | From 6 | Skis, poles, boots and winter clothing (jacket, trousers, hat, gloves) | Not stated | ★ 4.9 (321) | €88 per person | Book now |
|
|
Beginner course with transfer Tromsø Outdoor | Transfer included from Tromsø Outdoor, Fredrik Langes gate 14 | 3 hours | From 12 | Skis, poles and boots; winter clothing for rent | Up to 8 | ★ 4.8 (209) | €125 per person | Book now |
|
|
Backcountry cross-country trip The Natural North | Eide Handel, Fjordvegen 12, Kvaløysletta; transport not stated as included | 3 hours | From 14 | Not stated | Not stated | New, no reviews yet | €95 per person | Book now |
Course and tour prices here are per person and refresh from GetYourGuide; the booking page shows the final amount for your date and option.
Each of these stands out for one situation. Every cross-country option on this page follows further down.
The only course here that lends a jacket, trousers, hat and gloves as well as skis, poles and boots. The programme was developed with the Olympic champion Erik Valnes, and children can join from 6.
No more than eight people and a ride from the Tromsø Outdoor shop in Fredrik Langes gate up to the groomed trails at the top of Tromsøya. Hot drink and lefse in the break; from 12.
Starts at the Charlottenlund activity park, reached by bus 26 or car, with breaks by the lake Prestvannet. Skis, poles, boots and a warm drink are included; guests from 7 to 80.
Wide backcountry skis away from the groomed tracks on Kvaløya and a campfire with hot chocolate. Some skiing experience is recommended; from 14.
Each one with skill level, minimum age, what is provided and where it starts. Open a card for the full details.
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
Book on GetYourGuideA guided cross-country course that starts at the Charlottenlund activity park on Tromsøya, with breaks by the lake Prestvannet along the way. Skis, poles and boots are provided, together with a warm drink and something sweet.
Winter clothing is not part of the package, so come dressed for a couple of hours outside. If the snow is not good enough for skiing, the operator offers an alternative activity.
Charlottenlund Aktivitetspark, at the car park (parking is free). By public bus: line 26 to the Skoglyst stop. The listing offers two options.
Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
Book on GetYourGuideA learn-to-ski session at Tromsø Ski Stadium, built on a programme developed with the local Olympic champion Erik Valnes, with some local culture and history along the way.
This is the only course here that lends you winter clothing as well as skis, poles and boots: jacket, trousers, hat and gloves. Snacks and warm drinks are included.
Tromsø Skistadion, Dramsvegen 192.
Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
Book on GetYourGuideA beginner course for groups of up to eight. You meet at the Tromsø Outdoor shop in Fredrik Langes gate and ride to the groomed trails at the top of Tromsøya, where the lesson takes place.
Skis, poles and boots are included. Winter clothing is available to rent if you have not packed enough. A hot drink and lefse, the soft Norwegian flatbread, are part of the break.
Outside Tromsø Outdoor AS, Fredrik Langes gate 14.
Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
Book on GetYourGuideA three-hour trip on wide backcountry cross-country skis, away from the groomed tracks, starting at Kvaløysletta on Kvaløya. The pace is relaxed and the trip includes a campfire with hot chocolate.
Some skiing experience is recommended, and guests must be at least 14. The listing does not state that transport to the start is included, so plan your own way to Fjordvegen 12.
Eide Handel AS, Fjordvegen 12, Kvaløysletta.
Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.
Skill level, minimum age, clothing, ski equipment, getting there, group size and food, taken from the product pages. “Not stated” means the listing says nothing about it.
| Tour | Skill level | Minimum age | Winter clothing | Skis, poles, boots | Getting there | Group size | Whole trip | Food |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided cross-country skiing course at Charlottenlund | Not stated | From 7 (up to 80) | Not included | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | 2.5 h | Warm drink and something sweet |
| Learn to ski, developed with a local Olympic champion | Beginners | From 6 | Included | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | 2.5 h | Snacks and warm drinks |
| Beginner cross-country ski course with transfer | Beginners | From 12 | For rent | Yes | Transfer from the meeting point | up to 8 guests | 3 h | Hot drink and lefse |
| Relaxed backcountry cross-country skiing trip | Some skiing experience | From 14 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 3 h | Campfire with hot chocolate |
From the product pages, checked in October 2026. The length of the whole trip is the operator’s figure.
Every beginner course includes cross-country skis, poles and boots. The difference is clothing. SkiTromsø lends a jacket, trousers, a hat and gloves for its session at the ski stadium. Tromsø Outdoor rents winter clothing to anyone who has not packed enough. Tromsø Adventures says plainly that clothing is not included at Charlottenlund, so you arrive dressed for two or three hours outside. The backcountry trip by The Natural North lists a safety briefing, gear instructions and a coaching guide but says nothing about lending skis or clothes. See what to wear for the layers that work.
Boot sizes are worth a look if you have large feet. The Tromsø Adventures listing gives EU 47 as the largest size in one place and EU 48 in another, so check before you book.
Most of the options meet on Tromsøya, the island the city sits on. Tromsø Adventures starts at the car park of the Charlottenlund activity park, where parking is free; by public bus you take line 26 to the Skoglyst stop. SkiTromsø meets at Tromsø Ski Stadium, Dramsvegen 192. Tromsø Outdoor is the only course with a transfer: you meet outside its shop at Fredrik Langes gate 14 and ride up to the trails at the top of the island. The backcountry trip starts on the neighbouring island of Kvaløya, at Eide Handel in Kvaløysletta, and the listing does not state that transport is included. The public trails and how to reach them are on our page about where to ski.
The minimum ages differ more than anything else on this page. SkiTromsø takes children from 6, Tromsø Adventures from 7 and up to 80, Tromsø Outdoor from 12. The listing of the Tromsø Outdoor course gives both 8 and 12 in different places; we show the stricter figure until the listing is consistent. The backcountry trip by The Natural North starts at 14. SkiTromsø also states that its course is not suitable during pregnancy. With a child under 12, compare SkiTromsø and Tromsø Adventures, the courses with the lower age limits. For younger children, see skiing with children.
On every beginner course here, the criticism that comes up on the booking pages is the same: complete newcomers and people who have skied before share one group and one pace. A cap of eight guests, as at Tromsø Outdoor, narrows the spread but does not remove it. If you have skied before, the backcountry trip by The Natural North, which recommends some experience, may suit you better than a beginner lesson.
Courses run on natural snow. In the winter of 2025/26 the snow cover lasted from 9 November to 18 April, but the start varies from year to year, and Tromsø Adventures offers an alternative activity if there is too little snow. Between late November and mid-January the sun does not rise, so daytime sessions take place in blue twilight. Several trails on Tromsøya are floodlit in the evening. From mid-February the light returns quickly; Visit Tromsø advises sunglasses and sunscreen for the Tromsø Outdoor course from then on.
A course on groomed trails is about the basic movement of cross-country skiing in prepared tracks. The backcountry trip by The Natural North uses wider skis, leaves the prepared tracks and builds in a campfire with hot chocolate. It is relaxed in pace, but the operator recommends some skiing experience, so it works best as a second outing after a course or for people who have skied before. Confident downhill skiers who want to climb and descend off-piste will find the options on our page about ski touring.
Most beginners describe patient guides and a good first session. The critical reviews name what this page also points out: groups that mix levels, too little on stopping and steering for some, and a strict start, as late arrivals are not taken along. One traveller who broke a leg the day before got no refund under the 24-hour cancellation rule.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my beginner course with Marta as our guide. The instruction was really clear (although harder putting it into practice!) and the setting was beautiful. By the end of the session, the whole group were able to navigate small up and downhill slopes, and had I been staying longer in Tromsø, I would have felt confident to hire skis and keep practising alone!”
“Astrid and William were perfect instructors! Helped us a lot during the ski! Me and my wife enjoyed a lot the experience! The whole circuit took around 2 hours and 30 minutes, the equipment is very good and near the end, they serve juice and cake. I highly recommend it!”
“The guides could have kept the group together much better. Given the disparate abilities of the group members, the group ended up being dispersed with some unknowingly going off track.”
“It was our first time skiing at all, and this was a very fun introduction! Fell over a few times, got hot despite the snow all around and had a lovely time”
“I found the trail a little difficult as a beginner. it's mainly up hill a little bit so it was a lot of walking with skis on. […] also the guides were lovely! so nice! but I do wish they taught us how to stop, slow down and steer before we went off and actually went fast […] as a beginner I found it a bit difficult and maybe the snow wasn't in best condition when we went (March)”
“Unfortunately, we couldn't do the activity because we were two minutes late. We got lost on the way, even though we left well in advance just to avoid something like this from happening. […] I get that it says to arrive 10 minutes early, but when you're in a country you don't know, sometimes these setbacks can happen even if you try to plan everything in advance.”
“Great! Beautiful scenery! Our guide was amazing, she was so lovely and helpful and great to chat to! Gave great ski instruction! 100% recommend!”
“Broke my leg in a fall the afternoon before I was due to do this. Company would not give me a refund as I was “not within the term of their cancellation policy”. Not like I cancelled for any trivial reason. Some compassion and acknowledgment of the situation would have been nice.”
Reviews by skiers after their course or tour, from GetYourGuide.
None of the courses asks for prior experience, so choose by situation: SkiTromsø if you need clothing as well as ski equipment, Tromsø Outdoor if you want a group of no more than eight and a transfer from its shop, Tromsø Adventures if you prefer to start at Charlottenlund and can get there by bus 26 or car.
For most options, yes. Only the SkiTromsø course lends a jacket, trousers, a hat and gloves. Tromsø Outdoor rents winter clothing, and Tromsø Adventures states that clothing is not included. Skis, poles and boots are provided on every beginner course.
Yes, from 6 at SkiTromsø and from 7 at Tromsø Adventures. Tromsø Outdoor takes guests from 12, and the backcountry trip by The Natural North from 14.
Tromsø Outdoor drives you from its shop in Fredrik Langes gate to the trails. The other options start at their meeting point, which you reach by bus, car or on your own.
Tromsø Adventures states that it will try to offer a suitable alternative activity if the snow is insufficient for skiing. For the other options, check the product page or contact the operator before your date. Most can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start.
The full comparison on the home page includes the ski tours and the sledding evening with mini skis.
See the comparison