3 Days In Northern Norway - Tromsø & Senja

Itinerary:

* = recommend

Since 2018, Ross and I try to squeeze in a wee romantic getaway for our anniversary in August. 2018 was Greece, 2019 France and 2020 the Outer Hebrides. This year we decided to do something different and spend it with friends! Ross and I met in Oslo airport on the day of our anniversary ( me having been in Oslo 2 days prior visiting my university friends and Ross flying directly from London), spending most of the day at the airport waiting for our flight up North.

We flew with FLYR which I highly recommend; FLYR is Norway's newest start-up airline and is primarily app-based. Everything was super easy and smooth - from getting our boarding passes, to checking in our suitcases and boarding. Most importantly, FLYR is cheap and they do not charge you for seat selection and checked-in baggage like most other budget airlines.

We stayed with friends this trip and made our own meals so I'll just document what we got up to :) The highlight was visiting Senja which has always been on my Norwegian bucket list.

Day 1

• Car ferry from Brensholmen to Botnhamn (one of the more popular/quicker routes for getting to Senja from Tromsø . No pre-booking needed but try to get there early)

• Short drive to Husøy (photostop)

• Hesten Hike ** - We hiked the Hesten route to get the iconic view of Mt Segla (same car park as Segla but different starting point, about 10 mins away next to bottom of ski slope). It was a short but steep hike, and instead of going directly up to Hesten's peak, we took a left and headed to the ridge between Segla and Hesten. Just looking at Segla, its sheer cliff face and the surrounding fjords was INSANE! Alternatively, you can also hike Segla (more strenuous) and if you have time, the Barden route is a local favourite.

• Fishing at a random spot along Mejford (caught Pollock for dinner)

Day 2

• Ersfjord Beach & Tungeneset** (pictured)

• Hamn*

• Gryllefjord & Torsken

• Back to Tromsø (on E8)

Day 3

• Pust Tromsø* - Floating sauna on the harbour. 1 hr session (need to pre-book in advance). Jumping into the Artic Sea to cool off was such a memorable experience!

• Secret Location in the Lyngen Alps - The bluest glacial lake I've ever seen! The boys carried an inflatable paddleboard for this 4km hike (more of a walk than a hike, but the path gets very rocky and hard on the ankles), and took turns paddling to the middle of the lake. They said it was a serene experience. I chickened out because I didn't want the (albeit small) risk of falling into the icy water with all my clothes on. Then we had freeze dried meal packs for lunch, which was surprisingly yummy! So our friends mentioned (a few times) how this local gem is becoming less hidden and more touristy, so I shall keep the name of this place to myself for now and not add to the problem.