One of the top things I wanted to do while in Norway was the sauna and fjord experience. While we were in Oslo, we chickened out of doing it after seeing ice floating in the fjord. I was already regretting this failure when we got on the plane to Tromsø. But luckily we would get another chance once on the ground in Tromsø.
Saunas are very popular throughout the Scandinavian countries. In Norway, combining sitting in a steamy sauna with refreshing dips in the cold fjords has become quite popular in many cities around the country. Tromsø is one of those cities.
Getting to Tromsø
The flight up to Tromsø was short and actually an awesome experience itself. It was just under 2 hours to fly from Oslo to the northern city of Tromsø. As we got close, the views out of the plane window were stunning! Clouds covered parts of the view, but below them the mountains and deep branching fjords spread out below us. Gorgeous!
Making the Decision
We stayed in a private room in a shared house listed on Airbnb. Our hosts were friendly and one afternoon they shared what they had done that day. They had gone on a walk, a run, and then went to the sauna and fjord. We started asking some questions about the sauna and it turns out they go every week. That was enough for me to tell myself that we had to do it!
There is only one floating sauna on the fjord in Tromsø. It is called Pust Sauna and it cost 360 NOK for a one time / one hour visit. If you want to stay for 2 hours, it is 540 NOK. (In February 2025 these equalled $33 USD and $50 USD.). You can book your session online on their website: www.pust.io/en/badstue/tromso/
Two types of sauna experiences are offered. The original sauna is a silent sauna that has up to 12 people inside per session. The Lavoo sauna has up to 16 people inside per session and talking is allowed. We chose the Lavoo sauna so we could talk during the experience.
Floating Sauna and Fjord Day
We booked our one hour sauna session for 8:30 am. This way we would get it over with early instead of dreading the freezing water all day. We walked out to the floating buildings, checked in, and were able to enter the changing rooms 5 minutes before our session. Inside the changing rooms there are cubbies to put your stuff in but no way to secure them. This is Norway though, so nobody is concerned about the safety of their items. There is a cold water shower inside but no toilets at the facility.
Now dressed in only swimsuits, we entered the sauna, placed a towel onto the wooden benches and let the heat built up a dripping sweat down our bodies. The wooden structure has panoramic windows looking over the fjord around it and out to the mountains on the other side of the water. The temperature was about 180 degrees F inside (85 degrees C). It could probably get hotter, but nobody in our group was putting water on the coals to heat it up more.
Once we were overly toasty, it was time for the challenge of swimming in the icy fjord. The water in the fjord was about 37 °F (3 °C). I was up first. I started stepping down the closest one ladder into the water. The water was shockingly cold as I submerged my feet. I slowly eased further down into the fjord until I was waist deep and on the last step. Brrr!! I wasn’t sure I would actually be able to swim while my body dealt with the shock of the cold water. As I glided off that last step, I kept my hands gripping the ladder as I submerged myself to my shoulders. Now it was hard to breathe calmly as my instinct was to start hyperventilating. I only made it 10 seconds all the way in, though it felt like much more. It was short, but I had done it!
Now Dave was up. He did great! He stayed in longer than me and even let go of the ladder to actually tread water. But soon he was up the ladder as well and we headed back into the heat of the sauna.
Our bodies tingled as we sat in the sauna and started making conversation with the other people inside. Everyone was a tourist and doing it for the first time like us. Soon we had sweat dripping down us again and decided to go for round two. We were feeling excited for it rather than anxious this time. The second time was still freezing, but easier than the first.
In the end, we dipped into the fjord four times during our hour. Each time was for a longer period and more enjoyable. At the end of the hour, we changed out of our wet suits and into dry warm clothes. We left feeling elated that we had done it, agreeing that we would do it again if we had the chance. We walked away with giant smiles on our faces.
Other Things to Do in Tromsø
Cable Car or Hike to Mount Storsteinen
Taking the cable car to the top of Mount Storsteinen to see the view over the city of Tromsø is one of the most popular things to do here. We really would have liked to do this, but we also needed to watch our budget. The cost for the cable car with return was 545 NOK ($49 USD). There are also trails to hike up but with the snow and ice we would have needed to buy some good hiking spikes. We sadly chose to not see the view from the top this time.
Drink a Local Mack’s Beer at Øhallen
Mack’s Brewery claims to be the most northern brewery in the world, though now Svalbard Brewery also exists and it is further north. So I guess this claim no longer is valid. Mack’s Øhallen brewpub is the oldest pub in Tromsø. It was opened in 1928. There are about 50 beers on tap, many Mack’s beers as well as other Norwegian beers. Øhallen has a nice ambiance to hang out and enjoy a beer, but you are in Norway and drinks here are very spendy. Expect to pay $15-20 USD for a half liter (about a pint).
Visit the Arctic Cathedral
The Arctic Cathedral is another tourist spot. This unique structure is visible from the banks of the fjord. It has a beautiful stain glass mosaic of Christ that covers the entire wall. There is a charge to enter the church and since we were really trying to watch our spending during our trip we chose not to enter. As of 2025 the cost was 80 NOK to enter the church.
Walk and Shop on the Storgata
Walk along the Storgata (the Main Street). This street is a pedestrian only street for about 4 blocks. The buildings that line this area of Tromsø are charming and full of souvenirs, shops, and restaurants.
Visit a Museum
We chose to visit The Arctic University Museum of Norway. We enjoyed their exhibit about the native Sami people. They had a couple other exhibits including some medieval church art from Norway.
Some other museums in the area include ones that are dedicated to maritime explorations by famous Norwegian explorers. There are also art museums. We didn’t visit any of these on this trip.
Northern Lights Tours
Tromsø is located north of the Arctic Circle and therefore is supposed to be a great area for seeing the northern lights. The lights from town will make it harder to see them, but they are still sometimes spotted if you have clear skies. We had cloudy skies in town most of our time here. We traveled to Tromsø to board a Hurtigruten Cruise that would take us to the far north of Norway in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights. We boarded our cruise ship the day after our sauna and fjord experience.
You can book a tour to take you out late (on land) at night to search for the northern lights while visiting Tromsø. Some people we met in the sauna did one of these and succeeded in seeing the lights. Their guide drove them 2 hours over into Finland to spot them. We didn’t book a northern lights tour as we were hopeful our cruise would provide the experience. Watch for an upcoming post about our cruise.
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