Tromsø in One Day: Polaria, the Arctic Cathedral and the Fjellheisen Cable Car
Updated October 13, 2026 · 6 min read
For one day in Tromsø, book the Polaria entrance ticket at €36.97, the Fjellheisen Cable Car round trip at €60.37, and see the Arctic Cathedral on the Arctic Cathedral and Tromsø Treasures walking tour at €60.37. That is about €158 per person for the three, and it leaves the evening free for the Midnight Concert at €27.61 if you want a fourth thing.
Tromsø is a small city and you can see its main sights on foot and by cable car in a day. What you cannot do is rely on the weather for the view from the mountain, so plan the cable car for the part of the day that looks clearest.
| Sight | What it is | Key facts from the listing | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polaria | Arctic centre with aquarium, exhibitions and films | open daily 10:00–17:00; seals fed and trained at 10:30, 12:30 and 15:30; ticket valid all day | €36.97 | 4.4 (792) |
| Fjellheisen Cable Car | cable car above the city | about 5 minutes each way; every half hour from 09:00 to 00:00 | €60.37 | 4.4 (1,104) |
| Arctic Cathedral and Tromsø Treasures walking tour | city walk, treasure hunt and cathedral visit | 2.5 hours, groups of up to 10, ends at the cathedral; only ten reviews so far | €60.37 | 5.0 (10) |
| Midnight Concert Ticket | 30-minute concert in Tromsø Cathedral | doors 22:30, starts 23:00 | €27.61 | 4.8 (2,092) |
| Magic Ice Bar | bar and gallery made of ice | welcome drink in an ice glass, poncho and gloves | €30.42 | 4.1 (1,126) |
| Troll Museum | museum of Norwegian trolls and folklore | audio guide in seven languages, no entry in the last 30 minutes | €18.72 | 4.3 (413) |
| Full Steam Museum | coastal museum in a historic sea house | Sea Sami culture, Northern Lights photography, Arctic maritime history | €16.38 | 4.2 (47) |
Two cathedrals, one is yellow
This is where visitors go wrong. The Midnight Concert is held in Tromsø Cathedral, the yellow wooden church in the city centre, and the listing says so twice: it is not the white, triangular Arctic Cathedral across the bridge. The walking tour starts at the yellow cathedral and ends at the Arctic Cathedral, which is why it takes a public bus over the Tromsø Bridge; the listing puts the walk at about 2.5 km and includes a bus ticket valid for 90 minutes and admission to the cathedral. Keep the two apart when you plan the evening, because they are on opposite sides of the water.
A day that holds together
Morning, Polaria. The centre opens at 10:00. The three daily seal feedings are at 10:30, 12:30 and 15:30, so arrive for the first and you have seen the part most visitors come for. The ticket is valid all day, which means you can leave for lunch and return for a film or a later feeding. The listing names bearded seals and harbour seals, three short films of 9 to 14 minutes in the panoramic theatre, and an exhibition on Arctic climate research.
Afternoon, the cathedral side. Take the walking tour as your route to the Arctic Cathedral, or go on your own. The cable car lower station is at Tromsdalen, on the mainland side where the cathedral stands, and one local hiking listing has its guide meet visitors at the cathedral before walking to the mountain. The two are close together. The listing for the cable car says the ride takes about five minutes each way, that the ticket is valid until midnight and that the last car down leaves at 00:00, so you can go up late. In winter that is a place to wait for the lights; in summer, the listing says, the Midnight Sun.
Evening. The Midnight Concert is short, and with 2,092 reviews it is the most-reviewed ticket in the table. The listing names psalms, folk tunes, North Norwegian and Sámi music, performed by two musicians and a vocalist, and says the programme can vary.
What to skip, honestly
The Magic Ice Bar is a novelty. It is an ice bar with sculptures and a welcome drink, priced at €30.42 with a 4.1 rating. It is a novelty stop rather than a reason to plan the day around, and 4.1 is the lowest rating in the table. The museums are for rain. If the weather turns, the Troll Museum and the Full Steam Museum at €18.72 and €16.38 are the indoor options. If you only have one day, the cod-tasting tour at €60.83 combines a 45-minute tasting with entry to the Full Steam Museum and saves a second booking.
The cable car is a view, and you pay before you know the view. €60.37 buys five minutes up, five minutes down and whatever the cloud allows. Go on the clearest part of the day. If it is cloudy all day, the €36.97 Polaria ticket is the better use of the money.
If walking is a problem
The Polaria, Troll Museum, Full Steam Museum and Midnight Concert listings carry a wheelchair-accessible label, the Magic Ice Bar listing both carries one and lists wheelchair users among those it does not suit, and the walking tour lists wheelchair users as not suitable. Confirm access with the operator before you plan around any of them. The one tour built for this is the Tromsø Island Sightseeing Tour with Arctic Cathedral Entry: four hours for €131.03, in adapted vehicles, with a guided visit to the museum and admission to the cathedral. The operator says it takes wheelchair users and guides people with visual or hearing impairments; ask about your own case first.
How to choose
Book Polaria and the cable car on the same day, with the walk to the Arctic Cathedral between them. Add the concert if you are still awake. Leave the ice bar for a free hour. For something that is not a ticket, the next step is tickets and attractions in Tromsø, which starts at €16.38, or Northern Lights tours for the evening.
