Sjursnes — aurora escape on Ullsfjord south of Tromsø

Quick answer: Sjursnes is a small settlement on Ullsfjord’s western shore, about 55 km and 45–55 minutes south of Tromsø on E8 then Fv866. Visitors come to drive here for aurora watching in genuinely dark conditions away from Tromsø’s light pollution. No car ferry leaves from Sjursnes; the Ullsfjord crossing towards Lyngen is the Breivikeidet–Svensby ferry. There is nothing else in Sjursnes for tourists — it is a fjord landscape with minimal infrastructure.

Where	Ullsfjord western shore, 55 km / 45–55 min south of Tromsø
Cost	Free to self-drive; guided aurora tours from around 1 000 NOK
Time needed	Evening trip, or a half day
Getting there	Self-drive only — no public bus
Best time	September–April for aurora; June–July for midnight sun

Getting to Sjursnes

Drive E8 south from Tromsø for 40 km to the Fv866 junction (signed Sjursnes/Ullsfjord), then west for 10–15 km down to the fjord shore. Total: 45–55 minutes. The minor road in (Fv866) is a single-track road in places — be prepared to use passing places in winter. No public bus serves this route.

No ferry from Sjursnes

Sjursnes has no car ferry. The official lists of ferries around Tromsø (Visit Tromsø and the Svipper ferry routes) name the Breivikeidet–Svensby and Lyngseidet–Olderdalen crossings for Lyngen, and none from Sjursnes. For Lyngen, use the Breivikeidet ferry or drive around via Nordkjosbotn.

Aurora watching at Sjursnes

The Sjursnes area is notably dark for aurora viewing — only small settlements in the area, and the fjord provides an open northern sky. Aurora tour minibuses occasionally route through this corridor, but most self-drive aurora chasers come here because it is less frequently trafficked than the main Tamok Valley and Breivikeidet routes.

Parking along the Fv866 road as it descends to the fjord gives good open-sky aurora views. The fjord itself, viewed from the shore, gives a reflection effect on still nights that doubles the visual impact of the display.

Conditions: in deep winter (November–January), expect -10°C to -20°C on clear nights. Dress for extended outdoor waiting — the aurora may not be visible for an hour after arrival, then suddenly erupt. Thermal layers, a balaclava, and good gloves are essential. See our what to wear for northern lights guide.

If you would rather not navigate the Fv866 in the dark yourself, several Tromsø-based aurora hunts route through this and similar corridors depending on where the clear-sky forecast points that night.

Northern lights all-inclusive hunt from Tromsø — a guided minibus chase that adapts its route nightly to the clearest forecast, sometimes including the Sjursnes/Ullsfjord corridor; thermal suits and hot drinks included.

Northern lights small group minibus tour — smaller vehicle, fewer guests per guide, useful if the large-coach aurora tours feel too crowded for a quiet corridor like this one.

Landscape in other seasons

In summer, the drive down Fv866 is a pleasant scenic road through birch forest and mountain meadow to the fjord. The fjord view from the shore is quiet and largely unvisited — the kind of place locals know but tour itineraries do not include. For photography, the reflections of the Lyngen peaks across the fjord are clearest in June and July on still mornings.

The area has no established hiking trails. The terrain above the fjord road is open mountain for those comfortable with unmarked routes in summer.

Combining Sjursnes with Malangen

Malangen is 15–20 minutes east of the Sjursnes junction (back on E8 and then west on Fv91). A day combining a Malangen reindeer farm visit in the afternoon with aurora watching at Sjursnes in the evening makes sense geographically. Both are in the same southeast-of-Tromsø corridor.

For the Lyngen Alps, take the Breivikeidet–Svensby ferry from the E8 instead; Sjursnes itself is not a crossing point.

The Ullsfjord in winter and spring

The stretch of Ullsfjord visible from Sjursnes changes dramatically through the year. In January and February, the fjord surface can partially freeze in the shallow inner sections, creating intricate ice patterns that are excellent for abstract photography. The mountains on the Lyngen side rise to over 1 500 m and are snow-covered from October to June.

In March and April, the light quality around Sjursnes reaches its annual peak — the sun is back above the horizon for several hours, the snow on the Lyngen peaks is bright and sharp, and the angle of light along the fjord produces long golden shadows on still mornings. This is arguably the best season for landscape photography from this side of Ullsfjord.

Spring is also when the birch forest above the Fv866 road starts to green, providing a contrasting foreground for mountain shots. The visual shift from ice-and-snow to mixed spring tones happens quickly in April — often within a 2-week window — and the roadside viewpoints above the fjord capture this transition well.

Self-drive aurora strategy from Sjursnes

If you are self-driving for aurora and Tromsø’s urban glow is frustrating faint displays, the Sjursnes corridor is one of three recommended escape routes southeast of the city (alongside the Tamok Valley road and the Malangen fjord road). The critical difference from the Tamok road is direction: the Sjursnes route opens sky to the northwest and directly north above Ullsfjord, which is particularly good when the aurora is active in the north-northwest quadrant.

Practical aurora-chasing approach from Sjursnes:

• Check the Norwegian Meteorological Institute’s cloud forecast (yr.no) before leaving Tromsø — look for clear sky over Troms county inland areas.
• Leave Tromsø around 21:00 in winter (full dark by this point from November–January).
• Park at the fjord viewpoint about 3 km above the shore on Fv866 — wide unobstructed northern sky, no roadside lighting.
• If clouds push in from the coast, the valley behind Sjursnes (east on Fv91) is sometimes shadowed under the cloud band while the fjord corridor stays partially clear.

See our aurora cloud strategy guide for the full technique on reading satellite imagery before you drive.

Midnight sun over Ullsfjord

In June and July, the midnight sun viewed from Sjursnes is an atmospheric and uncrowded experience. The sun travels north along the horizon from around 23:30 to 00:30, and from the fjord shore — looking north-northeast across the water toward the Lyngen peaks — the combination of orange light on snow, reflections in the fjord, and the sheer silence of the place is extraordinary.

The Lyngen shore across the fjord is visible from Sjursnes in clear conditions, lit in golden midnight light.

Practical guide for a self-drive visit

If you are driving to Sjursnes independently (for aurora or for the landscape), here is what to bring:

• Full petrol tank from Tromsø (no petrol on the Fv866 road)
• Food and hot drinks in a thermos — no facilities en route
• Winter tyres essential in winter; the Fv866 is a minor road with less frequent gritting
• Offline map downloaded — mobile signal is unreliable on the western section of Fv866
• Tripod and camera if you are going for aurora or landscape photography
• A sleeping bag or warm blanket in the boot — if you are planning to wait outdoors for 2+ hours at -15°C and need to warm up

The drive from Tromsø centre takes 45–55 minutes. The junction with Fv866 from E8 is signed but small — look for “Sjursnes” on the road signs at approximately km 40 south of Tromsø. The road then descends through forest to the fjord over 10–12 km.

What Sjursnes is not

Sjursnes is not a tourist destination in the conventional sense. There are no cafés, no shops, no accommodation, no organised activities. There are no facilities for tourists. Visitors who come expecting infrastructure will be disappointed. This is a working Norwegian fjord community — functional, atmospheric, but not set up for tourism.

Sjursnes as part of a wider aurora strategy

Sjursnes is one option among several dark-sky corridors around Tromsø, and understanding how it fits the bigger picture helps set expectations. Kvaløya is the closest dark-sky option if you don’t want a 45-minute drive; the Tamok Valley road is the most heavily used by tour operators and therefore the busiest with other chasers; Malangen offers a similarly quiet fjord corridor a short distance east. Sjursnes’ advantage over all three is the near-total absence of settlements along the Fv866, which means genuinely dark skies rather than just “darker than the city.” Its disadvantage is the same isolation — no backup plan, no facilities, and a minor road that needs real winter driving confidence.

Serious aurora hunters treating a Tromsø trip as a multi-night chase often rotate between two or three of these corridors depending on the nightly cloud forecast, rather than committing to one location for the whole stay. Read our aurora forecast guide for how to read the KP index and cloud cover together before choosing a direction each evening.

Frequently asked questions about Sjursnes

Is the Sjursnes aurora viewing better than staying in Tromsø?

Clearer — the absence of urban light pollution makes a significant difference for fainter aurora displays. If the KP index is below 2 (weak aurora), you will see more from Sjursnes than from the city. If the aurora is active (KP 3+), it is visible from Tromsø city itself. The tradeoff is the 45-minute drive each way; see our self-drive aurora guide.

Is there a ferry from Sjursnes to Lyngen?

No. The ferries for Lyngen listed by Visit Tromsø and Svipper are Breivikeidet–Svensby and Lyngseidet–Olderdalen; none sails from Sjursnes. Check the Svipper ferry timetables before planning a Lyngen crossing.

Is there accommodation at Sjursnes?

No tourist accommodation. The nearest accommodation is at Malangen Resort or back in Tromsø. Sjursnes is best visited as an evening or day trip, not as a base.

Can I take a bus to Sjursnes from Tromsø?

No regular public bus serves Sjursnes. You need a car. Organised aurora tours sometimes route through this area — check the itinerary description when booking.

Is the road to Sjursnes (Fv866) difficult in winter?

It is a minor road with occasional steep and winding sections. In fresh snow or ice, extra caution is required. Gritting is less frequent than on the E8. Winter tyres essential; 4WD or chains recommended after heavy snowfall. Check road conditions at vegvesen.no before driving in January–February.

Should I self-drive to Sjursnes or book a guided aurora tour instead?

Self-driving gives you full control over timing and the option to leave the moment the aurora activates, but requires confidence on a minor, poorly-lit winter road and no backup if you get stuck. A guided tour removes that risk and often adapts its destination to the best forecast of the night, which may or may not include Sjursnes specifically. If you are not confident driving unlit rural Norwegian roads in winter, choose the guided option.

Is Sjursnes safe to visit alone at night?

Yes, in the sense that it is not dangerous from a crime perspective — this is rural Norway. The real risks are practical: getting stuck on ice, running low on fuel with no nearby station, or being underdressed for extended outdoor waiting at -15°C or colder. Prepare as described in the practical guide above and you will be fine.