Winter in Norway: White Christmas, Northern Lights and Spectacular Nature

There’s something quietly magnetic and magical about Norway in winter. We visited Norway in December 2025 and this 10-day itinerary showcases the three main cities that we visited - Oslo, Bergen, and Tromsø. Our journey allowed us to experience Norway's contrasts: urban creativity, cuisine and culture of Oslo, fjord-side calm and beauty of Bergen, and the raw magic and pristine nature of the Arctic in Tromso. We visited in December during the polar nights, which occurs from roughly November to February, and the sun remains below the horizon, creating a "blue season" rather than 24-hour pitch darkness. If you have ever dreamed of visiting Norway and the Arctic over Christmas, then this is the itinerary for you.

Pro-tips and considerations (when visiting Norway in the winter):

• The weather can be unpredictable - our flight to Tromso was delayed due to excessive winds and our northern lights tours were cancelled and rescheduled due to weather. So you need to be flexible and where possible add extra days into your itinerary to accommodate any rescheduling

• Hire or buy crampons when visiting Tromso to avoid slipping over in the ice and hurting yourself. We hired crampons from Tromso Outdoor

• December in Tromso is peak period and very busy - so highly recommend booking accommodation and tours months in advance. When we were in Tromso, there was not 1 hotel room left in town

• Norway is expensive - so budget for a little extra if you like to eat out. We chose accommodation that included breakfast and dinners and shopped at local supermarkets

• English is widely spoken and credit cards are widely accepted

• Travelling in winter means shorter (and colder) days - which means that you may not be able to see and do as much sightseeing as you would normally do.

• No real need to drive or hire a car if you follow our itinerary. The public transport system was so reliable and easy to use. Driving conditions in winter can also be very dangerous. Download Vy (Trains & Regional Buses): The official app for Vy trains, but also works for booking regional buses, providing tickets, and giving real-time data.

Day 1 - Fly into Oslo

Oslo is often underestimated, but it’s the perfect introduction to Norway. It’s a city that feels thoughtful—modern architecture sits beside forested hills, and everything seems intentionally placed. Take the VY local train, not the FLYTOGET (it is much more expensive) and in about 30 mins you will arrive in Oslo city centre.

We bought an Oslo Pass, which you can buy either online or at the Tourist Information Office at the Oslo Train Station. The Oslo Pass provided us with free access to over 30 museums and attractions as well as free public transport around the city and free travel to and from Oslo Airport Gardemoen with local trains operated by VY. We definitely made use of the Oslo Pass and thought it was good value for money.

Where to stay: Home Hotel Bastion. Highly recommend this hotel as it not only offers a free breakfast but also free dinner and afternoon cakes.

After dropping off your bags at the hotel, start your first day strolling along the waterfront at Aker Brygge and the Oslo Opera House. Walk up its sloping marble roof for panoramic views—it’s one of those rare places where you’re encouraged to climb the architecture. Spend your afternoon exploring the city’s museums, especially the MUNCH museum, home to Edvard Munch’s iconic works. Enjoy the complimentary cakes at 3pm and then dinner at the hotel from 6pm.

Day 2 - Oslo

Day two is ideal for diving deeper into Oslo’s cultural identity. Using our Oslo Pass we caught a local bus out to the Fram Museum - The Polar Exploration Museum (free with the Oslo Pass). Fram is the strongest wooden ship ever built and still holds the record for sailing farthest north and farthest south. At the Fram Museum you can come on board the ship and see how the crew and their dogs managed to survive in the coldest and most dangerous places on earth - the Arctic and Antarctica.

Across the road from the Fram Museum is the Kon Tiki Museum (free with the Oslo Pass). The exhibits include the original balsa raft from the Kon-Tiki expedition and the reed boat Ra II.

Afterwards, catch a bus to the Folkemuseet - The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (free entry with the Oslo Pass). The Stave Church from Gol is one of the main attractions at the Folkemuseum in Oslo.

Stave Church

There are excellent free guided tours around the different exhibitions, and you could easily spend a whole day here. Would recommend that you plan ahead and decide which exhibitions you would like to see in the time you have. Stop by the cafe on site for lunch. Afterwards, catch a bus back into the city centre (in winter the water ferries are not operating and the buses leave from outside the museum) and stop by the Royal Palace to explore the grounds and the nearby Christmas Markets.

Day 3 - Oslo

Akershus Fortress is a great place to get acquainted with the history of Oslo, or simply go for a stroll in picturesque historic surroundings. Start the day with a visit to the Armed Forces Museum (free with the Oslo Pass) to explore Norway's military history at the venerable Akershus Fortress.

Close by is the Norway Resistance Museum (free with Oslo Pass) at Akershus Fortress that documents Norway's domestic World War II history from the years 1940-1945. The exhibitions have re-created five years of occupation through pictures, documents, posters, objects, models, original copies of newspapers and recordings. The Resistance Museum is located in a building from the 17th century, adjoining the memorial for Norwegian patriots executed during the war.

Afterwards, make your way to the Nobel Peace Center (free with the Oslo Pass), which depicts engaging stories about Alfred Nobel, the Peace Prize and the Peace Prize laureates through exhibitions, conventions and digital experiences.

In the afternoon, make your way to the Historical Museum (free entry with Oslo Pass) to see some amazing historical exhibits including the best-preserved Viking helmet.

Days 4 - Fly (or train) to Bergen

If you are short on time, then like us you may want to fly to Bergen as it is the quickest option. But we do hope to one day return to experience the seven-hour train journey from Oslo to Bergen. However, we wanted to arrive in Bergen by lunchtime as it was Christmas Eve and we knew shops would be closing early. Flying into Bergen also provided a fantastic birds-eye view of the Fjords. Bergen feels immediately different from Oslo—more intimate, more historic, and deeply connected to the sea.

View as you fly into Bergen

After arriving at the Bergen Airport, we caught the Flybussen - the bus stops right out the front of the arrivals hall and makes a number of stops in the city centre. Just tell the driver before you hop on where you are staying and he will stop nearby. Purchase your tickets online to save money but you can also purchase tickets with the driver.

Where to stay: Clarion Hotel Admiral. This hotel is on the waterfront and provides spectacular views of the town. It also provided Christmas buffet dinner and daily breakfast.

Alternatively - our friends stayed at the Home Hotel Bryggen, which is near the city centre and also provides complimentary breakfast, dinner and afternoon cakes.

After arriving at the hotel, drop off you bags and head to the local grocery store to purchase a few snacks to get you through the holidays when shops are closed.

Bergen city centre is only a few minutes' walk from the hotel and is a compact, walkable, and historic area nestled between mountains and the sea. Key highlights include the UNESCO-listed Bryggen colorful wooden wharf, the lively Fish Market, and the Fløibanen funicular offering panoramic city views. Your first impression of Bergen will likely be Bryggen Wharf, with its colorful wooden buildings leaning slightly with age.

View of Bergen from our hotel

Day 5: Bergen — Gateway to the Fjords

Day five of our Norway holiday was Christmas Day. With sunrise occurring around 9.30am we were able to enjoy an unusual sleep in. After opening presents and breakfast, we walked only a few minutes from our hotel to the wharves to catch a pre-booked Fjord boat tour. Bergen is renowned for its magnificent fjords, and this tour lets you admire the views in just four hours. This tour cruises through the scenic Osterfjord, a narrow fjord surrounded by steep mountains, waterfalls, and then onto Mostraumen, where the fjord trip really comes alive. The landscape closes in, the mountains feel suddenly much higher, and the waterway tightens into a narrow passage shaped by strong tidal currents.

In the afternoon, after we arrived back in the city centre, we explored the narrow alleyways including Skostredet, an incredibly charming old, narrow street (or alley) that is only a few yards wide in some places.

Being Christmas Day, we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon followed by a buffet dinner in the hotel.

Day 6: Bergen from above

On day six, we started early to be the first to take the Fløibanen funicular up Mount Fløyen. At the top, you’ll find sweeping views of Bergen harbour and endless hiking trails.

We enjoyed a leisurely circuit hike around the Lake Skomakerdiket, which is an easy, family-friendly walk located just a 10-minute stroll from the top of the Fløibanen funicular station. The path offers scenic views, featuring a charming lakeside setting and the lake had a nice thin layer of ice in winter.

After descending back via the funicular to the city centre, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. Reindeer hot dogs in Bergen are a must-try local delicacy, with the most famous spot being the Trekroneren kiosk in the city center. These sausages are known for a mild, savory, and slightly smoky flavor, typically topped with lingonberry jam, mustard, and crispy onions.

Afterwards we explored the Bergen Gingerbread City. Every year since 1991, kindergarteners, schoolchildren, local businesses, and thousands of other volunteers have participated in the construction of Pepperkakebyen in Bergen. Here, you’ll find everything from tiny homes to local landmarks, trains, cars, boats and international signature buildings.

Days 7 - Fly to Tromso

You will want to make an early start to the day. Either book a flight the night before (which may allow you to see the Northern Lights as you fly into Tromso) or an early morning flight to allow for the chance of rescheduling due to bad weather.

I would also recommend pre-booking a Northern Lights tour for the first night you arrive. That way - if like in our situation the weather is not suitable and the tour is cancelled - you can try again for the next few nights. There are many tour operators in Tromso that you can choose from. From small / intimate tours to large group tours. We had our young son with us and some operators would not accept a young child under 10. In the end we were happy with the large tour bus option. This is the tour we ended up taking. Our tour had to drive 4 hours into Finland to find the Northern Lights due to bad weather in Tromso and the surrounding area in Norway.

Where to stay: Home Hotel Aurora. Home Hotel Aurora offers free breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea. It is in the city centre and easily accessible to public transport.

From the airport, if you are travelling in a group I would suggest taking a taxi. It is only about 15 mins from the airport to the city centre and there were plenty of taxis available. However, there is also very good public transport buses operating.

Once you have checked in and dropped off your bags I would suggest exploring the city centre. The hotel is on the waterfront so the best place to start is to walk along the harbour front until you reach the bridge and the iconic Gateway to the Arctic statue. This can be a very popular spot for photos.

Gateway to the Arctic

Walk back to the city centre and make a quick stop at the Tourist Information Centre. Here you can purchase a Polar Certificate - it marks that you’ve crossed a geographical and cultural boundary and been part of an experience many dream of. The certificate has become a collector’s item for travellers - but it is expensive at about 200 NOK.

You may also want to make a stop at the local McDonalds restaurant (which was very busy when we were there in December) but it is renowned as being the world's northernmost McDonalds.

Other stops in the city centre that you may want to experience include the:

• Ice Bar

• Troll Museum

• Polar Museum

Day 8 - Tromso

Take a walk across the Tromso Bridge to the Arctic Cathedral. The foot path is on the right hand side of the bridge from the city centre and the bridge is one kilometre long and takes about 20 minutes to walk across. When we walked across it was windy and there were quite a few pedestrians. If you can get a ticket, you may also want to attend the midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral.

From there catch a local bus to the Fjellheisen Cable Car station that begins in Tromsdalen. After a short ride to the top of the mountain, you’ll have incredible views of the surrounding area. However, be prepared for a long line waiting for the cable car and always pre-check that the cable car is operating. Once you have decided the weather is ok pre-book your cable car tickets BEFORE you arrive at the station. On the day we visited we arrived around lunchtime and by then there was a line up and it took about 30-45 mins to get onto the cable car. When we got back down in the afternoon, the line was twice as long!

At the peak, there is a cafe. If you visit from early afternoon during the Arctic winter, you can linger for a few hours and watch the light completely transform the view from daylight through golden hour, blue hour, and eventually nightfall. Make sure you are wearing your crampons as it is very icy up on the peak.

Day 9 -Tromsø — Into the Arctic

On your final day, if you haven't already you may want to book a tour to go dog sledding, snowmobiling, whale watching or join guided northern lights tour (see above). Seeing the aurora dance across the sky is one of those rare moments that genuinely lives up to expectations—it’s silent, surreal, and deeply moving.

A very inexpensive but popular activity (especially with the locals) is to go sledding in the local park. We joined the locals at Charlottenlund Park – just a short bus ride from city centre. We hired toboggans from the small hut at the park (who was also selling hot dogs).

Day 10 - Fly home

Your final day has arrived and it's time to say goodbye to Norway.

This itinerary isn’t just about seeing the highlights of Norway—it’s about feeling its rhythm. Oslo has the capital city vibes without feeling overwhelming, Bergen offers its history and cute architecture, and Tromsø leaves you in awe of mother nature.

Ten days might not feel like enough—and honestly, it isn’t. But it’s enough to understand why people fall in love with this country. And once you do, you’ll probably start planning your return visit before you’ve even left.

Note - we have provided tour and hotel recommendations based on our experiences in Norway. We may earn a commission on the links provided.