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Trails in and around Tromsø

Where to ski in Tromsø

The floodlit trails on the island, in Tromsdalen and on Kvaløya, and where the guided courses start.

Top picks
Guided cross-country skiing course at Charlottenlund
Tromsø Adventures AS Guided cross-country skiing course at Charlottenlund
★ 4.7 (597) from €91
Book now
Learn to ski, developed with a local Olympic champion
SkiTromsø - Arctic Ski Experience · 2.5 hours Learn to ski, developed with a local Olympic champion
★ 4.9 (321) from €88
Book now
Beginner cross-country ski course with transfer
Tromsø Outdoor · 3 hours Beginner cross-country ski course with transfer
★ 4.8 (209) from €125
Book now
Compare all 3 options

See which ski courses and tours still take bookings on your dates

Tromsø has prepared cross-country trails within the city: on Tromsøya itself, in Tromsdalen across the bridge and on Kvaløya to the west. Many of them are floodlit, so you can ski after dark during the polar night. A guided course is the easy way to start, because it brings the equipment and the technique. After that, the trails are open to everyone.

The floodlit trails

AreaDifficultyWhere to startLit until
Tromsøya Easy to medium Prestvannet or Charlottenlund Midnight
Tromsdalen Easy to medium Not stated 23:30
Kvaløya Difficult Storelva Midnight

Sources: Visit Tromsø (areas, difficulty, start points), Tromsø Outdoor (lighting times). Trail lengths are not published in these sources, so they are not listed here.

Start with a guided course

The beginner courses use the same trails on Tromsøya and lend you skis, poles and boots. Sorted by number of reviews; tap the reviews or price header to re-sort.

Photo Course or tour Start and getting there Minimum age Provided Reviews ↕ Price ↕ Book
Cross-country course at Charlottenlund Tromsø Adventures AS Charlottenlund activity park (bus 26 to Skoglyst, free parking); transfer not stated From 7 (up to 80) Skis, poles and boots; clothing not included ★ 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 From 6 Skis, poles, boots and winter clothing (jacket, trousers, hat, gloves) ★ 4.9 (321) €88 per person Book now
Beginner course with transfer Tromsø Outdoor Transfer included from Tromsø Outdoor, Fredrik Langes gate 14 From 12 Skis, poles and boots; winter clothing for rent ★ 4.8 (209) €125 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.

The beginner courses in detail

Each one with skill level, minimum age, what is provided and where it starts. Open a card for the full details.

Guided cross-country skiing course at Charlottenlund
Tromsø Adventures AS

Guided cross-country skiing course at Charlottenlund

  • Duration: 2.5 hours (the description says 2.5 to 3)
  • Skill level: No experience requirement stated
  • Minimum age: From 7 (up to 80)
  • Start and getting there: Charlottenlund activity park (bus 26 to Skoglyst, free parking); transfer not stated
  • Provided: Skis, poles and boots; clothing not included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €91 ★ 4.7 (597 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full details

Highlights

  • Skis, poles and boots included
  • Breaks by the lake Prestvannet
  • Warm drink and a sweet snack
  • An alternative activity if there is not enough snow

About this trip

A 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.

What’s included

  • Cross-country skis, poles and boots
  • Warm drink and something sweet

Not included

  • Winter clothing

Meeting point

Charlottenlund Aktivitetspark, at the car park (parking is free). By public bus: line 26 to the Skoglyst stop. The listing offers two options.

Know before you go

  • The largest boot size is given as EU 47 in one place and EU 48 in another. If you have large feet, check before booking.
  • If the snow conditions are insufficient, the operator will try to offer a suitable alternative activity.

Not suitable for

  • Children under 7
  • People over 80

Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.

Learn to ski, developed with a local Olympic champion
SkiTromsø - Arctic Ski Experience

Learn to ski, developed with a local Olympic champion

  • Duration: 2.5 hours
  • Skill level: Learn-to-ski format; no experience requirement stated
  • Minimum age: From 6
  • Start and getting there: Tromsø Ski Stadium, Dramsvegen 192; transfer not stated
  • Provided: Skis, poles, boots and winter clothing (jacket, trousers, hat, gloves)

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €88 ★ 4.9 (321 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full details

Highlights

  • Course developed with Olympic champion Erik Valnes
  • Ski equipment and winter clothing included
  • Snacks and warm drinks
  • Some local culture and history along the way

About this trip

A 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.

What’s included

  • Cross-country skis, poles and boots
  • Winter clothing: jacket, trousers, hat and gloves
  • Snacks and warm drinks

Meeting point

Tromsø Skistadion, Dramsvegen 192.

Know before you go

  • Erik Valnes developed the course but is not normally the guide on the daily tours.

Not suitable for

  • Children under 6
  • Pregnant women

Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.

Beginner cross-country ski course with transfer
Tromsø Outdoor

Beginner cross-country ski course with transfer

  • Duration: 3 hours
  • Skill level: Beginners
  • Minimum age: From 12
  • Start and getting there: Transfer included from Tromsø Outdoor, Fredrik Langes gate 14
  • Provided: Skis, poles and boots; winter clothing for rent
  • Group size: Up to 8

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from €125 ★ 4.8 (209 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full details

Highlights

  • Small group of up to 8
  • Transfer to the groomed trails at the top of Tromsøya
  • Skis, poles and boots included
  • Hot drink and lefse

About this trip

A 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.

What’s included

  • Transfer to the trails
  • Cross-country skis, poles and boots
  • Hot drink and lefse

Not included

  • Winter clothing (available to rent)

Meeting point

Outside Tromsø Outdoor AS, Fredrik Langes gate 14.

Not suitable for

  • Children under 12

Taken from the operator’s product page on the booking platform.

Check the grooming before you go

The trails on Tromsøya, at Kvaløysletta, in Tromsdalen and at Kroken are groomed regularly when snow conditions allow, according to Visit Tromsø. Whether a trail was prepared today, and when, is shown on sporet.no and skisporet.no. Early and late in the season, and after heavy snowfall or rain, it is worth a look before you set out.

Getting to the trails

For Charlottenlund on Tromsøya, the listing of the Tromsø Adventures course names bus 26 to the Skoglyst stop, and there is a free car park. One traveller on that course described the place as feeling like the middle of nowhere while being right in Tromsø, easy to reach by bus. Another traveller noted that the pin on the map and the actual car park are some distance apart, so allow a few extra minutes. Storelva on Kvaløya, where the more demanding trails start, is also where the night ski tour by The Natural North meets. See ski touring for that tour.

Renting skis

If you want to go out on your own after a course, ski rental is available in the city; Tromsø Outdoor, for example, rents cross-country and touring equipment. One traveller wrote that after the Tromsø Outdoor beginner course they would have felt confident to hire skis and keep practising alone. Without any experience, a guided first session is the safer start: the falls and the getting up again are easier with someone showing you how. The courses are compared on cross-country skiing in Tromsø.

Downhill skiing at Kroken

Tromsø also has an alpine ski area, Tromsø Alpinpark at Kroken, which Visit Tromsø describes as ten minutes from the city centre. According to the park, it has 11 runs, a beginner area, a sledding hill and equipment rental. Lift passes and lessons are sold by the park itself; there is no guided product to compare, so this site does not cover downhill skiing further. The park does not publish fixed season dates.

Travellers on the trails

Comments from course participants about the location and the next step. One of them points to a practical detail: the map pin and the actual car park at Charlottenlund are not in the same spot.

“Great activity! Even with really bad weather, it was truly fantastic. As someone who is used to downhill skiing, I thought cross-country skiing would be similar and easier, but it’s a completely different sport. Our guide was wonderful; she really helped us improve! The location was great too—it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, but we were actually right in Tromsø, so it was easy to get there by bus :)”
Océane · France · March 2026 · translated review Cross-country course at Charlottenlund · Tromsø Adventures AS
“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!”
Laura · United Kingdom · March 2026 Beginner course with transfer · Tromsø Outdoor
“Our instructor was very kind and friendly. We really enjoyed the whole experience, it was so much fun. I would definitely recommend it! The only small issue was with the meeting point. There was a distance between the location shown and the actual parking area, so we waited at the pinned location and got a bit cold. Other than that, everything was great. Thank you so much!”
Irem · Turkey · March 2026 Cross-country course at Charlottenlund · Tromsø Adventures AS

Reviews by skiers after their course or tour, from GetYourGuide.

FAQ

Can I ski the trails on my own?

Yes, with your own or rented equipment. One participant felt confident enough after the Tromsø Outdoor beginner course to hire skis and keep practising alone. The guided courses lend skis, poles and boots.

Can I ski in the dark in Tromsø?

Yes. Many trails are floodlit: according to Tromsø Outdoor, the lights on Tromsøya and Kvaløya stay on until midnight and in Tromsdalen until 23:30.

Where can I see if the trails are groomed?

On sporet.no or skisporet.no. Visit Tromsø notes that the trails are groomed regularly when snow conditions allow.

Is there downhill skiing in Tromsø?

Yes, at Tromsø Alpinpark at Kroken, which sells its own lift passes and lessons. This site compares guided cross-country, backcountry, touring and family sessions only.

Related on this site

Cross-country skiing

Which course fits: age limits, clothing and start points.

Best time to ski

When the snow comes, polar night and spring light.

Skiing with children

Sledding, mini skis and the courses for younger children.

Ready for your first session?

All courses, trips and tours side by side.

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