Sommarøy day trip from Tromsø: beaches, bridges and the time-free island

Read on for my guide to a Sommarøy day trip from Tromsø: how to get there by car, bus or tour, the white sand beaches, the “time-free zone” story, where to eat and stay, and when to go for the Northern Lights or the midnight sun.

I first made it out to Sommarøy thanks to my guide. On my March trip to Tromsø, my Sámi reindeer tour with Ula carried on from the reindeer camp to this little fishing village at the far western edge of Kvaløya, and it turned out to be one of the most beautiful places I saw in Arctic Norway. Later in the trip, I drove back out under my own steam.

Picture colourful wooden houses, white sand beaches, water so turquoise it looks like it’s been filtered, and snowy mountains across the sound. I spent a couple of hours walking around and watching the fishing village go about its day, and I could easily have stayed longer.

Sommarøy is about an hour’s drive from Tromsø, which makes it one of the easiest and most rewarding day trips from the city. Here’s how to plan yours.

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Why Sommarøy is worth the trip

Sommarøy means “summer island”. The name goes back to the days when farmers from neighbouring Hillesøya brought their cows over to graze here in summer. The village itself only really grew up around 1900, when motorised fishing boats needed proper harbours, and today around 300 people live here, spread across Store Sommarøya, part of Hillesøya and a scattering of smaller islands, all linked by bridges.

Fishing has always been the backbone of life out here. Historically, around 80% of the island’s economy revolved around fishing, and it’s still fundamental to keeping these small islands going. Herring is processed and frozen here for export, and you’ll see the boats and fish-processing buildings around the harbour.

What makes Sommarøy special is how much it packs into a small space. The island is tiny, you can walk around it in a couple of hours, and yet you get the Arctic coast in miniature: beaches, skerries, a working harbour, views out to the open sea and mountains in every direction. It reminded me of the fishing villages I’ve explored on the Lofoten Islands, without the long journey to get there.

How to get from Tromsø to Sommarøy

Driving yourself

I hired a car for my trip to Tromsø, and I’d really recommend it. I think it’s a real shame that so many people visit Tromsø and never explore the islands around it, and the road out to Sommarøy is one of the best drives in the region.

It’s about 60 km from the centre of Tromsø to Sommarøy, and it takes roughly an hour without stops. Cross the Sandnessund Bridge from Tromsø island onto Kvaløya at Kvaløysletta, then follow the signs for Sommarøy. The road heads west past Kaldfjord to Ersfjordbotn, then on through Kattfjord and Straumsbukta to Brensholmen. From there, the 522-metre Sommarøy Bridge carries you across the sound and onto the island.

Build in time for the stops, because there are a lot of them:

• Kaldfjord: the first of the fjords, with the road running right along the water.
• Ersfjordbotn and the Ersfjord viewpoint: only about 20 to 25 minutes from the city, with an amphitheatre of steep, snowy mountains around the head of the fjord. The first time I stopped at the Ersfjord viewpoint, it was foggy and cloudy. The next day it was bright blue skies, and the colours and contrast were just too good to pass up.
• Kattfjord and Straumsbukta: quieter stretches of fjord, with wide views across the water to the mountains.
• Brensholmen: the last village before the bridge, and the port for the car ferry to Senja.

In winter, take the drive seriously. Hire cars come with winter tyres, but the roads are often snowy and icy, so take it slowly, and go for a four-wheel drive if you can. Fill up in Tromsø before you set off rather than counting on finding fuel on the way, and keep a hat, gloves, a flask of something hot and a blanket in the car. The daylight is short in winter, so set off in the morning and plan to do most of your sightseeing in the middle of the day.

By bus

You can get to Sommarøy by public transport, but you’ll need to plan around the timetable. Svipper, the public transport operator for the Tromsø region, runs route 420 from Prostneset, the main bus station in the centre of Tromsø, out along Kvaløya to Hella, Brensholmen and Sommarøy. The journey takes about an hour and a half, departures are limited and timetables change with the seasons, so check the Svipper app before you go and work out your return bus first. You can buy tickets in the app or pay by card on board.

In summer, there’s also a seasonal hop-on, hop-off bus run by Best Arctic under the Arctic Route name. It runs daily from mid-June to late August, leaving from Platform 3 at the Prostneset terminal and stopping outside Sommarøy Arctic Hotel, with a one-way fare of around NOK 290.

On a guided tour

If you’d rather not drive on icy roads, a tour is the easiest way to see Sommarøy, and it’s how I first got there. My Sámi reindeer tour left Tromsø at 9am sharp, stopped at some fantastic photography spots on Kvaløya, took us to feed the reindeer and warm up in a lavvu, then carried on to Sommarøy. You can read all about it in my guide to the Sámi reindeer experience in Tromsø.

If you just want the fjords and the island, these are the tours I’d look at:

• Small-group Kvaløya and Sommarøy fjord tour with lunch: a 5.5-hour minibus tour with stops at Kaldfjord, Ersfjordbotn, Kattfjordeidet and Sandvika, then around an hour and a half on Sommarøy and lunch. The guide doubles as a photographer, and thermal suits and boots are included.
• Sommarøy and Kvaløya fjord tour by car: the most personal option, with a maximum of eight people, lunch at Sommarøy Arctic Hotel and a return loop past Straumsgården and the tidal current at Rystraumen. Allow six hours.
• Sommarøy fjord tour with a salmon picnic: a bigger coach tour and usually the cheapest of the three. It takes 4.5 to 5 hours and includes a Norwegian salmon picnic on the beach, plus a towel if you’re brave enough for an Arctic dip.

The beaches and turquoise water

The beaches are what most people come for, and they really are extraordinary for somewhere this far north. The sand is fine and pale, and where the water is shallow over it, it glows a bright turquoise that looks more Caribbean than Arctic, even on a grey day.

You won’t be sunbathing on them in winter (believe me, you are not), but walking along them with snow on the dunes and mountains across the water is something else. In summer, the beaches fill up with locals and visitors on warm days, and they’re perfect for a picnic. Swimming is for the brave: the sea stays cold all year.

The main beaches are right by the village, and there are quieter coves across the bridges on Hillesøya, including Sandvika, which is a stop on some of the tours. Park in the designated spots near the beaches and the harbour, and never block driveways or boat access, as this is a working village.

Walking around the village

The village of Sommarøy is small enough to explore on foot in an hour or two, which is exactly what I did. Wander between the colourful houses, down to the harbour and out onto the rocks, and you’ll get views in every direction: the mountains of Kvaløya to the east, the coast of Senja to the south, and the open Atlantic to the west.

There are a few small sights to look out for as you go. In Kongeparken, the little park in the centre of the village, there’s a stone signed by King Harald and Queen Sonja to mark their visit in 1992. Låvhaugen is a fisherman’s house from around 1890 that’s been kept as a small museum; ask at the village shop and someone can usually open it for you. The Baptist chapel, built in 1981, is often open to visitors, and the local handicraft group, Hillesøy Husflidslag, sells hand-knitted socks and mittens, usually on Saturdays and on fine summer days.

The island’s history actually starts on Hillesøya. That’s where the original settlement was, and a church stood there from the Middle Ages until the late 1800s, when it was moved over to Brensholmen on Kvaløya.

The “time-free zone” story

You may have heard of Sommarøy before you ever planned a trip, thanks to a story that went around the world in June 2019. Headlines claimed that the islanders wanted Sommarøy to become the world’s first “time-free zone”, abolishing clocks and opening hours because, with the midnight sun in summer and the polar night in winter, time here doesn’t follow normal rules anyway. Watches were strapped to the bridge onto the island, and a petition was handed to a member of the Norwegian parliament.

The idea did come from the islanders and their relaxed attitude to time when the sun never sets. But the campaign itself was a marketing campaign run by Innovation Norway, the government body that promotes Norway as a destination, working with PR agencies in Oslo and London. The parliamentary meeting was staged for photos, and Innovation Norway later apologised for not being clearer about its role. It worked, though: the story appeared in well over 1,600 articles worldwide.

So, to set the record straight, Sommarøy still runs on Norwegian time, the bus still leaves on schedule, and the hotel still serves breakfast at set hours. But it’s not hard to see where the idea came from once you’re standing on one of those beaches.

Where to eat

Options are limited out here, so plan ahead. The restaurant at Sommarøy Arctic Hotel is the main place to eat on the island. It has big windows looking out over the water, serves home-made food from local sources, including lunch, and caters for vegetarian, vegan and allergy-friendly diets. It’s also where several of the tours stop for lunch, mine included. We sat at a shared table of local smoked fish and meats, followed by a lamb main course. It was great, and very hearty, which is exactly what you want after a morning out in the cold.

There’s a small village shop for snacks and supplies, and on the way out, Bryggejentene in Ersfjordbotn is a café and gift shop on the waterfront, good for a coffee stop. Opening hours for both can be short outside the summer, so don’t rely on them.

Where to stay

You can easily do Sommarøy as a day trip, but staying the night gives you the island to yourself after the day trippers leave, plus a much better shot at the Northern Lights in winter or the midnight sun in summer.

Sommarøy Arctic Hotel is the obvious choice, right on the edge of the sea in the village. You can pick from hotel rooms, suites, seaside cabins, fishermen’s cottages and apartments. The newer rooms have balconies or terraces with sea views. There’s a restaurant, a wine lounge, a sauna, a jacuzzi and a seaside bath house, so you won’t need to go anywhere else in the evening.

On the drive out, Yggdrasil Farmhotel Retreat, Spa & Yoga at Straumsbukta is a small boutique farm hotel, with an outdoor hot tub, a wood-fired sauna and a sea sauna. It’s around 45 minutes from Tromsø and makes a lovely base for exploring this side of Kvaløya.

If you’d rather base yourself in Tromsø and do Sommarøy as a day trip, I stayed at Enter St. Elisabeth in town, which has huge suites and is good value. For the Northern Lights, I spent my first nights in a glass-roofed aurora cabin at ÆRA, about half an hour outside the city. For more ideas, see my guide to where to stay in Tromsø.

Hiking near Sommarøy

You don’t have to go far for a view. These are the best short hikes around the island, and all of them are summer hikes. In winter, only go up with solid snow and proper crampons, or skip them altogether.

• Ørnfløya: the classic. The trail starts from a small car park on the road to Brensholmen, just before the Sommarøy Bridge, and climbs steadily to a 154-metre summit with a 360-degree view over Sommarøy, Hillesøya, Senja and the mountain of Håja. It’s about 2.4 km there and back, and the climb takes 20 to 30 minutes. The car park is small and fills quickly in summer.
• Hillesøytoppen: a 214-metre hill on Hillesøya, starting near the community hall (Ungdomshuset). It’s steep at the start, with ropes to help, then easy going. The hike takes about an hour, with views over the skerries and islets.
• Håja: the dramatic peak rising 486 metres straight out of the sea to the north. There’s no bridge, so you’ll need to join a boat trip from Sommarøy to climb it.

If you’re up for something longer, the Brosmetinden trail near Tromvik, just past Grøtfjord on the north side of Kvaløya, is a 4 km return hike to a 525-metre summit with stunning views of the fjords.

Kayaking, boat trips and the Senja ferry

The sheltered, shallow water around Sommarøy is ideal for sea kayaking. Sommarøy Adventure runs guided sea kayaking year-round, with bright midnight sun trips in summer and moodier winter paddles. Their midnight sun sea kayaking trip includes a transfer from Tromsø, all the gear and a guide, and runs through the evening into the early hours.

In spring and summer, boat trips head out to Hekkingen to look for white-tailed eagles, or to Håja for the climb. You can also go out fishing on the Atlantic.

If you’re driving and want to keep going, the car ferry from Brensholmen to Botnhamn crosses to Senja, Norway’s second-largest island, in about 45 minutes. It runs year-round, but it doesn’t take reservations, winter sailings are few and it can be cancelled in rough weather, so arrive early and have a back-up plan.

Northern Lights at Sommarøy

Sommarøy is a great Northern Lights viewing spot during the right season. It faces the open sea, with wide views to the north and west and hardly any light pollution, and the beaches and mountains make a perfect foreground for photos.

The season around Tromsø runs from late August to early April. Remember that you’re not really chasing the Northern Lights, you’re chasing clear skies. I’ve got loads of weather apps on my phone, and Windy Premium has been the most reliable for Tromsø. On my best night, I used its cloud forecast to find a clear spot when the rest of the region was covered. Check it before you drive out, as the weather on the outer coast can be completely different from the city.

The busiest hours, aurora-wise, are usually from 11pm to 2am, and a full moon will wash out weaker displays. If you’re driving back to Tromsø after midnight, the roads will be dark and icy, which is a good reason to stay the night. Read how I did it in my guide to chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø, and see my guide to the best time to see the Northern Lights for the bigger picture.

For more ideas once you’re back in town, here’s my video on things to do in Tromsø.

The midnight sun

In summer, the sun doesn’t set at Sommarøy from roughly mid-May to late July. This is when the island is at its liveliest, with people on the beaches, kayakers out on the water and hikers heading up Ørnfløya to watch the midnight sun.

At midnight, the sun hangs low in the northern sky, and the light is soft and golden. Head to the beaches or one of the hilltops with a clear view to the north for the best of it.

When to plan your Sommarøy day trip

There’s no bad time to visit, but each season is completely different:

• Late November to mid-January: the polar night, when the sun doesn’t rise at all. You’ll get a few hours of deep blue twilight around midday, which is beautiful but short, and it’s prime Northern Lights time.
• February and March: my pick for winter. The light is coming back fast, there’s usually plenty of snow, and it’s still dark enough at night for the Northern Lights. I went in March, and the snow-dusted beaches against the turquoise water were stunning.
• Mid-May to late July: the midnight sun, the best time for the beaches, hiking and kayaking.
• August to October: quieter, with autumn colours, the first dark nights and the start of the Northern Lights season.

If you only want one trip, go in March for the snow and the Northern Lights, or between late June and July for the beaches at their best.

How long to spend

Give Sommarøy a full day if you can. Half a day is enough to drive out, walk around the village and get back, but you’ll be rushing the viewpoints on the way.

For a full day by car, leave Tromsø mid-morning, stop at the Ersfjord viewpoint and Kattfjord on the way out, and spend a couple of hours on Sommarøy walking the village and the beaches. On the way back, take the detour north to Grøtfjord, about an hour from Sommarøy, passing Ersfjord again on your way. It had been too windy to fly my drone anywhere else the day I went, but at Grøtfjord I finally got it up, and the views of the road winding along the edge of the water were spectacular. Time it for sunset if you can, then stay out for the Northern Lights.

If you’re on a longer trip, see my 3-day Tromsø itinerary, which builds a day around Kvaløya and Sommarøy.

Final thoughts

Even after two visits, I can see why you’d want to stay longer on Sommarøy. The scenery is stunning, and it’s the perfect antidote to the idea that Tromsø is just about the city and a Northern Lights tour. Hire a car or book a tour, take your time over the stops on Kvaløya, and give yourself the chance to see this little island in the right light.

If you’re planning the rest of your trip, see my guides to the best things to do in Tromsø in winter, chasing the Northern Lights in Tromsø and where to stay in Tromsø.

Read more Norway guides

• How to chase the Northern Lights in Tromsø, Norway
• 3 days in Tromsø: the perfect Tromsø itinerary
• A snowy Sámi reindeer experience in Tromsø, Norway
• 19 incredible things to do in Tromsø in winter
• ÆRA Tromsø hotel review: Northern Lights and luxury in Arctic Norway
• Norway in winter: why it’s worth visiting
• The ultimate Norway travel guide: what to see + insider tips for your trip

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