Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden

About us

Explore plants from Svalbard, the Himalayas, South America and several other regions, all within easy reach of Tromsø city centre.

The garden is an outdoor attraction and is normally open from May to October, depending on snow conditions. It is closed during the winter months, when the plants are dormant and the garden is usually covered in snow.

Plants from around the world

Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden features more than 7,000 plant species across 27 collections. The plants originate from polar regions and mountain areas around the world, from the Himalayas and South America to the northernmost parts of the Arctic.

The garden is particularly known for its collections of saxifrages, gentians, primroses and large-flowered Meconopsis. It also has a collection dedicated to plants traditionally grown in gardens in Northern Norway.

From Chile to Svalbard

Stone ridges and mounds have been carefully constructed to recreate mountainous and Arctic growing conditions. The plants grow among rocks and boulders naturally covered in moss and lichen.

The warm, south-facing slopes provide suitable conditions for alpine plants from countries including Türkiye, Lebanon, South Africa and Chile. The cooler, north-facing slopes are home to plants adapted to snow beds and other cold environments, including species from Svalbard. In just a few steps, you can walk from Chile to Svalbard.

The Svalbard collection includes Ranunculus wilanderi, a critically endangered species known in the wild from only one location at Kapp Thordsen on Svalbard.

A garden that changes throughout the season

The garden changes continuously during the short Arctic growing season. The first plants normally begin flowering in May, while other species reach their peak later in the summer. Depending on the weather and snow conditions, flowering can continue into October.

Weekly highlights and information about plants currently in bloom are published on the Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden website, where you can also find current information about opening hours, the café and guided tours.

Opening period: May to October

Admission: Free

Address: Stakkevollvegen 200, 9019 Tromsø