Traveling opens up a world of adventures, in so many ways. When we visited Norway two years ago, we stopped into a cafe for dinner, got chatting with the guys who were playing music there, and this past summer returned to Norway to see one of them get married. You never know where chance encounters might lead you.

In this case, since we were already traveling all the way to Norway, we took advantage of being there and hopped on a flight to spend a few extra days exploring northern Norway. We arrived in Tromsø, rented our car at the airport and hit the road. I’d seen beautiful photos of Sommarøy, portraying it as some sort of tropical chain of islands, so much different than the snowy, reindeer-filled picture I had in my head of northern Norway. The best way to get that view I was hoping for was from above, so we opted for the easy but rewarding “hike” up Ørnfløya.

Ørnfløya Hike

Height: 500 feet (150 meters)
Trail length: 1.5 miles round trip (2.4 km)
Time: 1 – 1.5 hours
How to get there: To get there by car, take 862 from Tromsø all the way out toward Sommarøy, and when you get to the point where you have to turn and Sommarøy is to the right, turn left instead. There is a small parking area just down the road, and the trailhead will be on your right.

After the hike, we had a quick look around Sommarøy that definitely didn’t do it justice. I initially considered spending a night here, and if we have the chance to return that will be a priority, because this would have been such a fun place to explore by kayak.

Ersfjord Beach / Hiking Segla

To save driving time, we opted to take the Brensholmen to Botnhamn ferry, which only operates during the summer months, so it may not appear on our Google mapped route above, but you can view the time schedule here if you’re planning a trip.

Norway’s “right to roam” is a concept that I love and one that opens up so many possibilities for seeing the beauty this country has to offer. Since we were carrying limited equipment with us on this trip, we opted to pitch our tent in some of the more popular camping spots, stopping at Ersfjord Beach on our first night.

Our trip was in August, so I’m sure it’s a popular time to visit, but the number of tents easily doubled as the night went on, something to keep in mind if you like your privacy. We got there later in the day, but other campers kept arriving and stayed active well into the night. I kept waking up to peek outside where, incredibly, it just never quite got dark.

The following morning we hit the road early, finding a a colorful roadside picnic table to enjoy breakfast at before making our way to the trailhead to hike Segla.

I am NOT known for my ability to relax while on vacation, but in my defense it’s extra hard to do when you’re traveling through such stunning scenery. I could have easily spent several weeks exploring these roads, trails, and camping spots. Even the viewpoints are beautifully designed to flow with, rather than distract from, the surroundings.

We did break up our camping with a night in an Airbnb to clean up and regroup. Notably, that was the least memorable part of our trip! After that, we had one more day to explore before heading back to Tromso. We opted to hike Husfjellet, a beautiful and rewarding walk, and made our way to Bøvær beach for a post-hike swim before finding our camping spot for the evening.

Husfjellet Hike

Height: 2089 feet (635 meters)
Trail length: 5 miles round trip (8 km)
Time: 3 – 4 hours
Trail notes: Moderate hill walking for much of the way. Narrow path toward the end, but plenty of views to take in if you’d prefer to skip that section and stay on solid ground.

I love a good roadside attraction, so naturally we had to stop at both the Bergsbotn viewpoint as well as the Senja Troll. I’m writing this well after our trip and am sad to learn that the troll has since burnt down.

For our final night of camping, we found a spot on Ballesvika beach. Further off the beaten path, this was a much less crowded and quieter option than Ersfjord, which we appreciated. It was another beautiful night of watching out our tent window, where the sun never fully set.