Several catamarans sail the whole way from Tromsø: one approaches the whales almost silently on electric power, the others shorten the transfer with speed. All of them have a warm lounge.
Pick a day, or the first and last day you are in Tromsø. We check the booking calendar of every whale tour on this page and show which boats still have places.
In the whale area: 60–90 min
In the whale area: 2.5 h
Duration: 7 h
In the whale area: 2 h
The catamarans are the answer for anyone who wants the whales without the 5 am bus and the open boat: the whole trip runs by water from the Tromsø waterfront, with heated panorama lounges for the long transfer legs towards the Skjervøy herring grounds. Brim Explorer’s hybrid-electric catamaran and the Arctic Resorts high-speed catamaran solve the distance problem in opposite ways. Helgøy Skyssbåt and Arctic Whale Tours (MS Alba) run two more fast catamarans from the city centre.
Each boat with the same facts: duration, time with the whales, what is included. Open a card for the full tour details.
Silent electric approach · warm panorama lounges · 8–9 h depending on the whales’ position.
Brim Explorer runs its whale trips on hybrid-electric catamarans: on electric power the boat approaches the animals almost silently, and passengers wait out the transfer legs in heated panorama lounges instead of on an open deck. Expect roughly 3–3.5 hours of sailing each way and about 1–1.5 hours at the whale grounds, 8 to 9 hours in total, depending on where the whales are that day.
The trips follow the herring migration that draws orcas and humpback whales into the fjords around Skjervøy between mid-October and the end of January. Where the boat actually goes on the day depends on where the herring, and therefore the whales, are. Sightings are likely in season but never guaranteed; on days when weather makes the whale grounds unreachable, the operator converts the trip into a fjord cruise, and at the end of the season guests are offered a fjord cruise with a partial refund or the option to cancel.
Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.
8-h day all by boat · ~2.5 h with the whales · second-chance guarantee · German-speaking guide.
Arctic Resorts runs this trip entirely by boat from the Rødne quay in Tromsø: a high-speed catamaran covers each transfer leg in about 2 hours 45 minutes and leaves roughly 2.5 hours in the whale grounds, an 8-hour day in total, spent in a warm lounge with panorama windows whenever you are not out on deck.
Two details set it apart in this comparison: a second-chance guarantee for days when no whales are sighted, and guiding that is also offered in German. As everywhere in this region, sightings follow the herring migration around Skjervøy and are never guaranteed. The guarantee here buys you another try, not a promise.
Rødne quay, Tromsø city centre
Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.
Fast catamaran from the city waterfront · 7.5 h · max. 90 guests · another trip in the same season if no whales show.
Helgøy Skyssbåt runs this whale trip as a fast catamaran day from the Tromsø waterfront. The speed is the point: less time in transit, more time where the crew last saw orcas, humpbacks and fin whales. On board there is a heated lounge with large windows and an open upper deck, and the operator caps the passenger list at 90 on a boat with 147 seats.
If no whales show up, you can join another trip in the same season at no charge. Several reviewers describe the operator warning them ahead of rough days and at the end of the season, offering either a full refund or a fjord trip with half the price back. Food is not included; hot drinks are, and a kiosk sells snacks.
Kaigata 6, 9008 Tromsø, on the waterfront in the city centre
Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.
MS Alba to the whale area near Skjervøy · ~2 h there · hydrophone · bring your own lunch · Whale Pass if no whales.
Arctic Whale Tours sails the MS Alba from Fr. Nansens plass in Tromsø, close to the Tromsø Bridge. According to the route on the booking page, the catamaran needs about two and three quarter hours to the whale area near Skjervøy, spends about two hours there and sails the same distance back. Inside there is a heated lounge with large windows, outside roomy decks, and when the sea allows the crew lowers a hydrophone.
Plan your own food: only hot drinks and biscuits are included, so bring a packed lunch. There is no hotel pickup and no check-in desk; you board directly at the boat. If you see neither whales nor dolphins, the Whale Pass lets the same guests rebook for free within 12 months.
Fr. Nansens plass 1, 9008 Tromsø, near the Circle K petrol station and the Tromsø Bridge. No reception or check-in desk: boarding is directly at the boat. No hotel pickup.
Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.
Sorted by review count. Tap the price header to sort by price.
| Photo | Tour | Boat | Getting there | Duration | Price ↕ | Book |
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Whale Watching by Hybrid-Electric Boat
Brim Explorer ★ 4.5 (6,816 reviews) |
Hybrid-electric catamaran | All by boat from Tromsø | 8–9 h · 1–1.5 h with whales | €165 per person | Book now |
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Whale Watching by High-Speed Catamaran
Arctic Resorts ★ 4.7 (3,762 reviews) |
High-speed catamaran | All by boat from Tromsø | 8 h · ~2.5 h with whales | €172 per person | Book now |
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Whale Watching by Fast Catamaran from the Waterfront
Helgøy Skyssbåt ★ 4.8 (699 reviews) |
Fast catamaran (max. 90) | All by boat from Tromsø | 7.5 h | €182 per person | Book now |
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Whale Watching on the MS Alba
Arctic Whale Tours ★ 4.7 (53 reviews) |
Catamaran MS Alba | All by boat from Tromsø | ~8 h · ~2 h with whales | €104 per person | Book now |
Seat prices for each whale trip come live from GetYourGuide and include taxes and booking fees, so checkout shows the same amount.
Both boats chase the same herring grounds around Skjervøy; the difference is how they spend the distance. Brim Explorer treats the transfer as part of the experience: a hybrid-electric catamaran that switches to near-silent electric power when the whales are close, with warm indoor panorama lounges, presentations on board and food and drinks for purchase. Arctic Resorts treats the transfer as a problem to be minimised: its high-speed catamaran covers each leg in about 2¾ hours and banks roughly 2.5 hours in the whale grounds, inside a predictable 8-hour day from the Rødne quay.
Plan for 8 to 9 hours. The operator itself gives the range, because the day is set by where the whales are. Sailing time is roughly 3–3.5 hours each way, with about 1 to 1.5 hours at the whale grounds. That ratio surprises people: most of a whale day on any Tromsø boat is travel, and the RIB safaris exist precisely to flip it. If maximising water time with the whales matters more to you than warmth, read the RIB safari page. If the balance of comfort and price matters more, the catamarans win.
Helgøy Skyssbåt leaves from Kaigata 6 on the waterfront for a 7.5-hour day. Its catamaran has 147 seats, and the operator takes no more than 90 guests so that everyone has a seat and a place at the rail. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are included, food comes from the kiosk.
Arctic Whale Tours sails the MS Alba from Fr. Nansens plass, near the Tromsø Bridge. According to the route on the booking page, the boat needs about 2¾ hours to the whale area near Skjervøy and stays there for about two hours. Guiding is in English, Finnish, Italian and German, and a hydrophone lets you listen under water when the sea allows. Only hot drinks and biscuits are included, so bring a packed lunch.
Sea state comes first. Brim’s own listing warns that rough seas can make the trip uncomfortable. On a bad day, seasickness hits even large catamarans, especially during the drifting time at the whale grounds (a February guest counted a third of the boat with vomit bags; the transfer legs ride smoother). Take precautions if you are prone; our seasickness guide covers what helps. On Brim, food and drinks are for purchase, not included, and according to the operator you cannot bring your own on board. And the boat takes more than 100 guests. The panorama lounges absorb the crowd well, but if you want 12 people on the water, that is the RIB format.
The operators answer the no-guarantee problem differently, and both answers are worth knowing. Brim Explorer converts the trip into a fjord cruise when weather rules out the whale grounds. At the end of the season, when the whales have left, guests are offered the fjord cruise with a partial refund or the option to cancel. Arctic Resorts backs its catamaran with a second-chance guarantee: a day without sightings earns you another try, not your money back, and it is not a promise of whales. Neither policy changes the biology; both are reasonable ways of handling it. Two of the other catamarans add their own safety net: Helgøy Skyssbåt lets you join another trip in the same season, and Arctic Whale Tours issues a Whale Pass for a free rebooking within 12 months (not transferable, no cash refund).
Families (warm lounges to retreat to, no age or height limits like the RIBs), anyone prone to seasickness who still wants to go (bigger hulls ride steadier), travellers on a budget (the lowest prices in the comparison), and anyone who simply wants a civilised start instead of a 5 am bus. Guiding on the Arctic Resorts boat is also offered in German. The full boat-type trade-off, including the heated all-inclusive ship, is in the Catamaran vs. RIB guide.
Guests on the hybrid-electric catamaran, on good days and rough ones.
“Best day ever! We saw so many whales it was truly magical!”
“We enjoyed this activity … HOWEVER … about 1/3 of the boat was throwing up or had vomit bags in their hand by the end. The journey out and back in is rather smoother. However for the hour you are there whale watching it is rather bumpy. … The tour out was about 4 hours as well as the way back in and you are whale watching for an hour. For us it was worth it … but I don't think we'd do it again. … there is food for purchase on board but I recommend bringing snacks as well”
A rough-sea day. The transfer legs on the large catamaran ride comparatively smoothly. The swell is felt most during the drifting time at the whale grounds, on every boat type.
“Glad I didn't get seasick 😅 We didn't see any whales but a sperm whale and the Northern Lights on the way back. The presentations … were very interesting and the food was excellent!”
“Very nice trip … Too bad the whales had left the day of our excursion. … the service provider does not manage mother nature.”
Real traveller reviews from GetYourGuide.
Between 8 and 9 hours, depending on where the whales are that day. Sailing time is roughly 3–3.5 hours each way, with about 1 to 1.5 hours at the whale grounds. The Arctic Resorts high-speed catamaran runs a more predictable 8-hour day with roughly 2.5 hours in the whale grounds.
Not on Brim Explorer's boat: food and drinks are sold on board, and according to the operator you cannot bring your own. The Arctic Resorts catamaran includes coffee, tea and water and sells snacks at a kiosk. The heated ship includes drinks, baguettes and snacks. Helgøy Skyssbåt includes coffee, tea and hot chocolate and sells food at a kiosk; on the MS Alba only hot drinks and biscuits are included, so bring a packed lunch.
Yes, though less easily than on a RIB. The operator's own listing warns about sea state, and the drifting time at the whale grounds is where swell is felt most. If you are prone, take seasickness medication before departure and stay where you can see the horizon.
Arctic Resorts offers it on the high-speed catamaran: if no whales are sighted on your trip, you can come back for another try. It is a safety net, but a second attempt is not a sighting guarantee. No operator can promise whales.
The whales usually leave around the end of January. Brim Explorer then offers the trip as a fjord cruise with a partial refund, or lets you cancel entirely; February guests confirm this in their reviews. Our season page explains the timing in detail.
Pick Brim Explorer for the silent electric approach and the fuller on-board experience; pick Arctic Resorts for the shorter, cheaper day with the most time in the whale grounds of the two, the second-chance guarantee and German-speaking guiding. Current prices for both are in the table above.
The table above has each boat with its current price.
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