Tromsø –> Kaldfjord –> Ersfjordbotn –> Buren –> Sommerøy and back — September 5, 2026

Mother Nature smiled upon us in Tromso, and we were blessed with brisk (to this Texan) temperatures and partly sunny skies. Since we would have been going to our first college football game of the season if we had been home (where it was 100+ degrees😳) I donned my gameday sweatshirt and earmuffs and posted a photo to let friends and family know what the temperature was where we were. Obnoxious, I know!

We chose a small group tour called “Tromsø Arctic Fjords Adventure Tour with Local Lunch” for our day in Tromsø. We booked the excursion through Viator, and it was provided by Aurora 7 Nordic Adventures. Our tour was in a smallish, comfortable bus, the scenery was stunning, and we had ample time to walk around at each stop. The only disappointing aspect of the day was our guide. He was nice enough, but really didn’t say much and didn’t solicit questions either. The guide’s assistant was more enthusiastic and eager to help.

I don’t know that I would consider it an adventure, but we had a very pleasant day seeing some sights that are unique to the arctic. From fjords to hardy flora to white beaches and turquoise water that looked like it would be at home in the Caribbean, we saw it all.

We passed through tiny villages on hilly, winding roads where we saw almost as many cyclists as cars!

Our first two stops were at scenic areas overlooking fjords where we also saw Arctic flora. Many of the plants in the region are characterized by their low growth and mossy appearance. Plants have to be hardy and resilient to survive in the harsh climate.

Our next stop was the picturesque village of Sommerøy. In a vehicle the only way to reach the village is by crossing a one-way bridge.

We had lunch and some time to explore in Sommerøy. The meal was simple — a very hearty, piping hot chili and homemade bread in a comfortable, rustic dining room at the Sommerøy Arctic Hotel. The hotel is right on the water, and overlooks a cove where we actually saw people swimming!

After lunch we took a very short drive to a nearby beach where we found white sand and turquoise seas! On the way to the beach we saw some quintessential Norway scenes.

Once we were at the beach we had a snack and a hot drink around the fire pit, and about 30 minutes to explore and take it all in.

The ride back to Tromsø was slightly delayed, and I was the cause of the delay. There was ONE bathroom at the beach, and since the ride back to the ship was about an hour and a half I thought I should take advantage of it. Unfortunately there was one “gentleman” (one of the breed of pushy tourists who always has to be first) saving space in line for all his friends, so my wait was pretty long. Additionally, I’m not sure what people were doing in the restroom, because when I got in there I thought it was gross, but it seemed to take people forever!

We made one more stop on the way back to the port, because our guide spotted a reindeer. I didn’t take a picture. The reindeer was a little skittish, and didn’t really care for the people chasing after him waving their selfie-sticks.🙄 I did like the barn in the field though!

We didn’t spend much time on shore once we got back to the port. After all, We had to get ready for the Morimoto Pop-Up dinner in Tamarind, one of our favorites.

We spent some time watching the beautiful sail out, and then even after we were seated for dinner I had to keep going over to the windows to capture the scenery!

Up next — Harstad, Norway, a day without a tour!