Norway in January

Polar night in the north returns to light mid-month; Tromsø aurora and whale season; south is cold and short.

• Oslo and the east · Oslo, Lillehammer, Røros, Jotunheimencool

  Continental: snowy winters of −5 to −10 °C inland, warm summers of 20–25 °C. Ski season December–April.

• Fjord coast · Bergen, Stavanger, Flåm, Geiranger, Ålesundrainy

  Mild and very wet: Bergen averages rain on more than 200 days. Mountain roads (Trollstigen, Aurlandsfjellet, Sognefjellet) open late May–June and close in October — check.

• Arctic north · Tromsø, Lofoten, Senja, Alta, North Capecool

  Warmer than its latitude thanks to the Gulf Stream. Polar night in Tromsø about 27 Nov – 15 Jan, midnight sun about 20 May – 22 July; North Cape about 14 May – 29 July. Aurora season September–March.

• Svalbard · Longyearbyencool

  High Arctic: polar night late October to mid-February (true darkness mid-Nov to end of Jan); midnight sun about 20 April – 23 August. Snowmobile season March–May.

Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.

• New Year's Day

  1 Jan

  Public holiday; transport on Sunday timetables.

Crowds · Norway

Low

Prices · Norway

Medium

• Layers: a fleece or light jacket
• A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast

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