Planning to ride the Fjellheisen cable car in Tromsø? Here’s everything you need to know: ticket prices, opening hours, how to get there, the best time to go for the view, the Northern Lights and the midnight sun, and what it’s really like at the top in a snowstorm.
Ask anyone what to do in Tromsø and the Fjellheisen cable car will be near the top of their list. In four minutes, it lifts you 421 metres up Mount Storsteinen, on the mainland side of the sound, to a viewing platform with the whole of Tromsø spread out below: the island city, the arching Tromsø Bridge, the Arctic Cathedral and the mountains and fjords beyond.
I rode it on my winter trip to Tromsø, in the late afternoon, hoping for one of those famous sunset views. What I got was a snowstorm. Below, I’ll tell you how to give yourself a better shot at the view than I had.
Fjellheisen at a glance
- What: A cable car from Tromsdalen up Mount Storsteinen, with a viewing platform and a café-restaurant, Fjellstua, at the top.
- Height: The upper station is 421 metres above sea level.
- Ride time: About four minutes.
- Departures: On the hour and half hour.
- Opening hours: 9am to midnight, every day. Fjellstua is open from 9am to 11.30pm.
- Tickets: A return is 645 NOK for adults and 310 NOK for children aged 3 to 15. A family return (two adults and two children) is 1,360 NOK. A one-way ticket is 415 NOK for adults.
- Getting there: Bus 26 from Torgsenteret in the centre, about 10 minutes by taxi, or about 45 minutes on foot.
- Good to know: A big rebuild, the new Fjellheisen, is under way, but the cable car stays open. Parking at the lower station isn’t currently possible, and wheelchair access isn’t available until the end of 2027.
Buy tickets on the official website
PS: Want to see the cable car, the Arctic Cathedral and the rest of Tromsø in action? Watch my video!
My ride up the mountain
I’d timed my trip up for the late afternoon, because the classic advice is to go just before sunset, when the sky turns gold and pink and the city lights start to come on below. That’s the theory, anyway.
When I went, it was snowing, and riding up into the cloud felt like being loaded into the Matrix. At the top, I spent a while chucking snow around before the view very vaguely came out. Oh, and it was so cold.
Was it the picture-perfect sunset view? No. But that’s the reality of travelling in the Arctic in winter, and honestly, it’s part of the fun.
Afterwards, I headed to the Arctic Cathedral at the foot of the mountain. I rolled up at 5.20pm and found it had closed at 5. So close. If you want to combine the two (and you should, as they’re only about 15 minutes’ walk apart), do the cathedral first. My Arctic Cathedral guide has the opening times.
The view from the top
On a clear day, the view from Storsteinen is one of the best in northern Norway. You look straight across Tromsøysundet, the sound that separates the mainland from Tromsøya, the island the city centre sits on. The Tromsø Bridge sweeps across the water to your left, the city fills the island in front of you, and beyond it are the snowy peaks of Kvaløya.
At the top, there’s an open-air viewing platform and terrace, with Fjellstua behind it. Walk around the platform for different angles, and stay well back from any edges, especially when it’s icy or the visibility is poor.
Top Tip
The temperature at the top is often several degrees colder than in town, and the wind can be fierce. Wrap up as if you’re going out to watch the Northern Lights, even if you’re just going up for an hour. There’s more in my guide to what to wear to see the Northern Lights.
Fjellstua: the café-restaurant at the top
Fjellstua is the panoramic café and restaurant at the upper station, with big windows looking out over the city. It serves coffee, cakes and waffles as well as warm dishes, and it’s open from 9am to 11.30pm. You can book a table online, which is worth doing if you want a window seat at sunset or on a clear evening in aurora season, when the tables in front of the glass are in demand.
The restaurant has a bit of history too. The cable car opened in 1961, and the original restaurant building burned down in 1979. Today’s Fjellstua opened in 1992, and the whole system was modernised with new cabins and machinery in 2016.
When to go
The view, and what you’ll see from it, changes dramatically through the year.
Sunset and blue hour: The classic time to go. In late autumn and early spring, the low sun turns the sky pink and gold, and then the city lights come on during the blue hour. Check the sunset time for your dates and aim to be at the top about half an hour before.
The polar night: From roughly 27 November to 15 January, the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon at all in Tromsø. That doesn’t mean total darkness, though. Around midday, the sky glows a deep blue and pink, which can be beautiful from up here.
The Northern Lights: From September to April, this is one of the easiest places to watch for the aurora without a car or a tour. The cable car runs until midnight, so you can ride up after dark and wait. The city lights below do wash out a faint display, so it’s best on nights with a strong forecast. My Northern Lights forecast guide explains how I read the forecasts.
The midnight sun: From around 20 May to 22 July, the sun doesn’t set at all. Riding up late in the evening to watch the sun circle above the horizon at midnight is a very Tromsø thing to do.
Top Tip
Check the weather and the cloud forecast before you buy your ticket. If the mountain is in the cloud, you might see very little (I can vouch for that). I check cloud cover on Windy, which was the most reliable weather app on my Tromsø trip.
Can you see the Northern Lights from Fjellheisen?
Yes. The cable car’s own team describe it as one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in Tromsø, and it’s a popular spot on clear nights. You’re above much of the city’s light, with a huge, open view of the sky.
Be realistic, though. You’re still right next to the city, so the light pollution is much higher than out on Kvaløya or the fjords. A strong display will look spectacular from up here, with the city lights below adding to the photo. A faint one might be hard to pick out.
If seeing the lights is your main goal, I’d get out of town on a clear night. On my trip, my best displays were at ÆRA, in the dark countryside outside Tromsø, and at Oldervik, which I found by mapping the cloud forecast. But if you don’t have a car, the cable car is a brilliant, easy option for an evening of aurora watching with a hot drink close by. Read my guide to chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø for more spots and tours.
How to get there
The lower station is in Tromsdalen, on the mainland side of the Tromsø Bridge, not far from the Arctic Cathedral.
By bus: Take bus 26 from Torgsenteret in the city centre and get off at the Fjellheisen stop. Check times in the Svipper app, where you can also buy your bus ticket.
By taxi: It’s about 10 minutes from the centre and costs roughly 150 to 250 NOK.
On foot: It takes about 45 minutes from the centre, walking across the Tromsø Bridge and through Tromsdalen. In winter, the bridge is very exposed, so wrap up and wear boots with good grip.
Bridge works in autumn 2026: Until 1 November 2026, the Tromsø Bridge is closed to ordinary car traffic. It stays open to people on foot and on bikes. Buses use the bridge from 7am to 5pm and the Tromsøysund tunnel after that, so check Svipper for the latest bus 26 times.
By car: Parking at the lower station isn’t possible during the rebuild. There’s free parking about five minutes’ walk away at Solstrandvegen 30 in Tromsdalen. Follow the signs.
Tickets and prices
At the time of writing, these are the official prices:
- Adult return: 645 NOK
- Child return (3 to 15): 310 NOK
- Family return (two adults and two children): 1,360 NOK
- Adult one way: 415 NOK
- Child one way: 195 NOK
- Family one way: 850 NOK
Children under three ride free, and so do dogs (though they’re not allowed in the café). You can buy tickets online or at the lower station. A one-way ticket is handy if you want to hike up or down.
Hiking up instead: the Sherpa steps
If you’re visiting in summer and fancy earning your view, you can climb Sherpatrappa, the Sherpa steps. This staircase of more than 1,200 stone steps was built by Sherpas from the Khumbu region of Nepal, using mainly local stone. It starts in Tromsdalen, and it takes at least 40 minutes to an hour to reach the top, depending on your fitness and how often you stop for the view.
Plenty of people walk up and then buy a one-way ticket down.
Don’t try it in winter, though. When the steps are covered in snow or ice, they’re extremely slippery and parts can be hidden, so take the cable car instead.
Combine it with nearby sights
The lower station is in Tromsdalen, and a few of Tromsø’s best sights are close by, so it’s easy to make an afternoon of it.
- The Arctic Cathedral: The iceberg-shaped church is about 15 minutes’ walk from the lower station. Its glass front glows beautifully after dark. Go before the cable car, as it closes earlier.
- The Tromsø Bridge: If the weather’s kind, walk back to the city across the bridge for big views of the sound and the island. It’s a brilliant spot to watch the city lights come on.
- Dinner back in town: Head back to the centre for dinner. Mathallen is great value by Tromsø standards (I had the burger), but it gets busy, even at lunch, so book ahead.
My guide to things to do in Tromsø in winter has plenty more ideas.
Things to know before you go
- The weather rules everything. The cable car sometimes closes in strong wind. Check the website on the day before you head out.
- Combine it with the Arctic Cathedral. They’re about 15 minutes’ walk apart in Tromsdalen, but check the cathedral’s closing time first.
- Bring your camera, but keep it warm. Batteries drain fast at the top. My guide to how to photograph the Northern Lights has tips on shooting in the cold.
- It can get busy around sunset. Go a little earlier to beat the queue.
- Accessibility: Wheelchair access isn’t available during the rebuild, which is due to run until the end of 2027.
Is Fjellheisen worth it?
Yes. It’s one of the quickest and easiest ways to understand where you are in Tromsø, and on a clear day or night the view is spectacular. Go at sunset if you can, check the weather first, and if the Northern Lights forecast is strong, ride up after dark and see what happens.
And if you get the Matrix treatment like I did, grab a waffle in Fjellstua and wait for the snow to ease.
Read more Tromsø guides
- Things to do in Tromsø in winter
- Visiting the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø
- Chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø
- ÆRA Tromsø hotel review
- A Sámi reindeer experience near Tromsø
- Lyngen Alps road trip from Tromsø
- Tromsø itinerary
- Sommarøy day trip from Tromsø
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