Tromsø and Senja 7-day Itinerary for the Midnight Sun Marathon
Day 1: Travel to Tromsø
Today is about relaxing. Take a walk on the water, try some baked goods, and just unwind from all the travel.
There is a bus from the airport into the city center. To reach the bus, go outside via the parking garage and continue straight to the road. The bus stop to the city center is on the opposite side of the street. You can buy tickets with a credit card when you arrive at the bus stop.
On day one take the chance to stretch your legs and familiarize yourself with the city. Bib pick up won’t be available yet, but you can walk to the Rødbanken so you know where to go.
If you have time after arriving this could also be a great time for a short run around the city.
Day 2: Senja
The island of Senja is both beautiful, and conveniently close to Tromso. You can either rent a car, or take the Best Arctic Hop On/Hop Off bus to one of the small villages in Senja. There are three villages that the bus passes with hotels and restaurants for you to choose from.
At the end of this guide you will find more information on the three villages and some of the hikes and activities that are available at each one. I recommend doing something at midnight every night leading up to the race.
Note: the village of Skaland is the only one with a grocery store. The others you must bring food or rely on the hotel restaurants.
Day 3: Senja
If you have more than 7 days for this trip, I would suggest taking the opportunity to travel between some of the villages on Senja and add in some additional hiking on this beautiful island. Due to the mountains, every village seems to be its own weather system.
If you are traveling by bus back to Tromsø, then you should know the bus comes through twice a day. You can get on the bus earlier and see more of the island, or get on the bus during the return journey to Tromsø and spend more time enjoying the village you chose.
Once back in Tromsø I would suggest making your way to the Rødbanken to grab your bib. They do allow bib pick-up on race day, but it’s always better to get it earlier.
As always, try your hardest to stay awake until after midnight. Tomorrow is race day and you will want your body to adjust to this time change.
Day 4: Race Day!
It’s race day! I recommend taking today to rest your legs and explore some of the amazing museums in Tromsø.
At the end of this guide you will find a list of museum recommendations, and other day time activities in Tromsø. I would stick to a museum for today in order to best rest your legs.
The pre-race activities will also be in full swing on the green outside the Tromsø Cathedral. You can grab some snacks and head over to the starting area at 5PM to watch the 0-12 children’s race. It’s always adorable.
After watching the kids race, it’s time for dinner. You’ll want to eat something with carbs and protein 3-4 hours before your race. For the half marathon that would be 5-6PM and for the marathon that will be 3:30-4:30PM.
After dinner, continue your rest and relaxation. Grab a seat outside to people watch, or head back to your hotel to start getting ready. The marathon starts at 8:30PM, with a warm up kicking off at 8:15PM. The half marathon starts at 9PM with warm up starting at 8:45PM.
When it comes to the race course be prepared for lots of small rolling hills and one big hill. The roads around Tromsø are not perfectly flat, but the hills are so small they are barely worth a mention. The one hill you do need to know about is the Tromsø Bridge. This bridge is essentially a giant hill that you will have to run over heading out and coming back.
Throughout the race there will be water, energy drinks, and bananas every 5km. There will also be restrooms near these stations.
Day 5-6: Post-Marathon in Tromsø
You did it! Congrats. Now time to soak in the rest of your trip and embrace everything that Tromsø has to offer.
Since you are in Tromsø for the Midnight Sun, my suggestions for the next two days revolve around embracing the night time.
Take time to enjoy your day, sample local pastries, and check out some of my day time activity recommendations. But don’t feel a need to spend the entire day running around. Tromsø is beautiful to visit for its nature, but it is a very small city. Your days are for letting your legs recover.
Your nights are for activity.
For one night of your trip I suggest taking a kayaking tour with Active Tromsø. The guide (and owner) picks your group up in Tromsø before traveling to a nearby fjord for kayaking. The water is shockingly clear, and you’ll be surrounded by majestic waterfalls and mountains. If you are lucky you might even see a dolphin or some reindeer (I did).
The guide with Active Tromsø is very passionate about Northern Norway, and has so many amazing stories to tell. Not only is he also a marathon runner, he has done the Iditarod with his sled dogs. Just a very cool person to chat with.
And for you remaining night, take a hike up the Sherpatrappa. This 1200 step staircase brings you to the top of a mountain overlooking Tromsø. It should take about an hour to climb, depending on breaks. There are also additional trails at the top if you would like to keep heading up the mountain and finding more views. Enter Sherpatrappa on your phone and follow the Google walking instructions to make your way to the trailhead.
Note: the trail can be buggy while you are in the trees, and there may still be snow on some of the steps.
Day 7: Traveling Home
The time has sadly come to head home from the amazing land that is Northern Norway. Depending on your flight time this is the perfect chance to squeeze in one last day time activity, or to just enjoy the water and views.
Since Tromsø is a smaller airport and you will be flying domestically, arriving two hours early for your flight will be enough time to head through security and get yourself ready to fly.
Daytime Activities in Tromsø
Nighttime Activities in Tromsø
Restaurant Recommendations in Tromsø
Hotel Recommendations in
Senja Village Options:
When selecting where to stay on Senja, you have three options to choose from, Skaland, Hamn, and Mefjordvær.
Skaland Hotel and Activities
Sommerdalen Trail - same trail head as Husfjellet
Myran above Skaland - same trail head as Husfjellet
Hamn Hotel and Activities
Mefjordvær Hotel and Activities
More Resources
Thank you for taking the time to read this, if you have any more questions please feel free to reach out to sadie@jetsettingrunner.com for help.
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