The boat you pick decides your price, your warmth, your seasickness risk and how close you get to the whales. Here is the full trade-off.
The short answer
Pick a catamaran if warmth, a steadier ride and a lower price matter most: it sails the whole way from Tromsø in an 8–9-hour day with heated lounges. Pick a RIB if you want to get as close to the whales as possible: a bus leaves Tromsø for Skjervøy at 05:00–05:20, and you spend about three hours at sea in a small open boat within a day of about 12 hours. If you get seasick easily, the catamaran is the safer choice.
Catamaran & ship
RIB
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
In the whale area: 2–2.5 h
Duration: 7 h
Duration: 8 h
In the whale area: 2 h
In the whale area: 3 h
In the whale area: 2.5–3 h
Every whale tour from Tromsø chases the same thing: the herring shoals around Skjervøy that draw orcas and humpback whales into the fjords from mid-October to the end of January. What differs a lot is the boat you chase them on: a catamaran (including Brim Explorer’s silent hybrid-electric boats), a small open RIB, or a heated ship with an all-inclusive format. Below are the bookable tours, then the boat-by-boat trade-off.
Each boat below stands out on one point. Every tour on this page follows further down.
About three hours at sea on an open RIB that launches in Skjervøy, where the whales feed. The cost is a long day: the bus leaves Tromsø at 05:00, and you need to be at least 14 and 140 cm tall.
The listing allows children from age 4. The whole day is by boat from Tromsø, leaving at 08:00, with a heated lounge to retreat to and hot drinks, baguettes and snacks included.
The hybrid catamaran switches to its electric engine near the whales, so the approach is close to silent. Heated saloons with panoramic windows for the long legs out and back; food is sold on board.
At most 36 passengers on a fast boat from the harbour by the Scandic Ishavshotel, leaving at 08:30. About two and a half hours out to the whales across the Lyngenfjord, with coffee, tea, biscuits and a soup lunch included.
Usually one of the lower-priced tours, by high-speed catamaran all the way from Tromsø. About two and a half hours in the whale area, a warm lounge, and coffee and tea included; food comes from the kiosk.
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.
Heated ship, max. 50 passengers · drinks and snacks included · departs Front Pier 08:00.
The comfort pick: Polar Adventures sails a heated ship with an indoor lounge and outdoor viewing decks, capped at 50 passengers, on an 8-hour round trip entirely by boat from Tromsø's Front Pier. Departure at a civilised 08:00; drinks, baguettes and snacks are included, lunch on board costs extra according to the booking page. You trade the up-close intensity of a RIB for warmth, space and an easier day, a sensible trade for families, for anyone worried about the cold, and for anyone who wants to be able to step inside whenever they like.
Two restrictions to know before booking: the tour is not open to people over 70, and the listing names people prone to seasickness as not suitable. And as everywhere here, sightings follow the herring, not the brochure: likely in season, guaranteed never.
Front Pier, Tromsø, departure at 08:00
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.
Max. 36 passengers · soup lunch, coffee, tea and biscuits included · 08:30 from the harbour by the Scandic Ishavshotel.
Njord Adventures takes at most 36 passengers on a fast boat from the harbour by the Scandic Ishavshotel. Departure is at 08:30, and the run out to the whales takes about two and a half hours, first through sheltered water and then across the Lyngenfjord. At the whales the boat slows down and there is no fixed timetable.
Coffee, tea, biscuits and a light lunch with warm soup are included; beer, wine and soft drinks are for sale. Reviewers mention the heated cabin, being close enough to the crew to ask questions, and on clear January afternoons northern lights on the way back. Some also found the sea hard going, so bring seasickness tablets if you need them.
Harbour next to the Scandic Ishavshotel (Killengreens gate 8, Tromsø); check-in 08:00–08:15
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.
The bus-to-Skjervøy format: early start (05:00–05:20 from Tromsø), small open boats launched right at the herring grounds, maximum closeness and the longest day.
Open 10-m RIB · ~12-h day, ~3 h at sea · bus from Scandic Ishavshotel 05:00.
This is the trip for people who want maximum time close to the whales and are willing to pay for it, in money and in stamina. Arctic Adventure Tours starts the day early: the bus leaves the Scandic Ishavshotel in Tromsø at 05:00 sharp for the roughly 160 km drive to Skjervøy (about 4 hours each way), where the open 10-metre RIB launches right at the herring grounds. In return for the ~12-hour day you get about 3 hours at sea in a small open boat, exactly where the orcas and humpbacks hunt; the bus is back in Tromsø around 17:30. Thermal suits, boots and goggles are provided, and the operator recommends bringing your own snacks.
Check whether it suits you before booking: a RIB is an open boat in the polar winter, with a minimum age of 14 and a minimum height of 140 cm, and the trip is not suitable for pregnant women or people with back problems. It is colder, bumpier and more physical than the catamaran and ship options, and like every tour here, it comes without a sighting guarantee.
Bus departs from the Scandic Ishavshotel, Tromsø, at 05:00 sharp
Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.
Max. 12 guests · 2.5–3 h on the boat · photos + orca documentary included.
Green Gold of Norway caps this RIB at 12 guests, the smallest group of the compared tours. The day follows the Skjervøy pattern: bus from Prostneset in Tromsø at 05:20, roughly 160 km to Skjervøy, then 2.5–3 hours on the water where the herring shoals, and the orcas and humpbacks that follow them, winter. Photos from the trip and access to an orca documentary are included.
Small open boat, big exposure, no guarantee: that is the deal of every RIB safari in this region. Note the limits: minimum height 140 cm, maximum body weight 120 kg.
Bus departs from Prostneset, Tromsø, at 05:20
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 (6,750 reviews) |
Hybrid-electric catamaran | All by boat from Tromsø | 8–9 h | €163 per person | Book now |
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Whale Watching by High-Speed Catamaran
Arctic Resorts ★ 4.7 (3,737 reviews) |
High-speed catamaran | All by boat from Tromsø | 8 h · ~2.5 h with whales | €171 per person | Book now |
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Whale & Orca All-Inclusive Cruise
Polar Adventures ★ 4.6 (1,723 reviews) |
Heated ship | All by boat from Tromsø | 8 h · departs 08:00 | €215 per person | Book now |
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Skjervøy RIB Whale Safari (full day)
Arctic Adventure Tours ★ 4.8 (1,287 reviews) |
RIB (open 10-m boat) | Bus to Skjervøy, RIB from there | ~12 h · ≈3 h at sea | €306 per person | Book now |
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Magic Skjervøy RIB Whale Safari
Green Gold of Norway ★ 4.7 (1,215 reviews) |
RIB (max. 12 guests) | Bus to Skjervøy, RIB from there | ~12 h · 2.5–3 h on boat | €326 per person | Book now |
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Whale Watching by Fast Catamaran from the Waterfront
Helgøy Skyssbåt ★ 4.7 (670 reviews) |
Fast catamaran (max. 90) | All by boat from Tromsø | 7.5 h | €180 per person | Book now |
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Small-Boat Whale Watching
Njord Adventures ★ 4.8 (73 reviews) |
Fast boat (max. 36) | All by boat from Tromsø | ~7 h · departs 08:30 | €225 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 | €165 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.
The route shapes your day as much as the boat. The catamarans and the heated ship leave from the Tromsø waterfront and sail the whole way to the whale grounds, an 8–9-hour day with a civilised morning start (the Polar Adventures ship departs Front Pier at 08:00, Arctic Resorts’ high-speed catamaran leaves from the Rødne quay).
The RIB safaris skip the long sailing legs. An early bus (05:00 from the Scandic Ishavshotel with Arctic Adventure Tours, 05:20 from Prostneset with Green Gold of Norway) drives you the roughly 160 km to Skjervøy, and the small open boat launches right at the herring grounds. So it is a later start and a warm boat all day, or a 5 am alarm, a ~12-hour day and the most time close to the whales.
| Catamaran | RIB | Heated ship | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting there | Entirely by boat from Tromsø | Bus at 05:00–05:20 to Skjervøy, RIB from there | Entirely by boat from Tromsø (Front Pier, 08:00) |
| Price | The lower end of the range (see table above) | The top of the range; you pay for closeness | In between, drinks and snacks included |
| Closeness to the whales | Good; hybrid-electric boats approach almost silently | Maximum: small open boat at water level | Good, from a higher deck |
| Warmth | Heated panorama lounges | Open boat, thermal suits, Arctic wind chill | Heated throughout |
| Seasickness risk | Lower (larger, steadier hull) | Highest: you feel every wave | Not suitable if you are prone, per the listing |
| Day length | 8 h (Arctic Resorts) to 8–9 h (Brim Explorer, set by the whales’ position) | ~12 h incl. bus transfer, of which ~3 h at sea | 8 h, departing 08:00 |
| Who can come | The family-friendly pick | Min. height 140 cm on both; from age 14 (Arctic Adventure Tours); max. 120 kg (Green Gold of Norway) | From age 4, not open to guests over 70 |
The catamarans differ a lot. Brim Explorer runs hybrid-electric boats: on electric power the boat closes in on the whales almost silently, and between whale stops you sit in warm panorama lounges instead of standing in the wind. The trip takes 8 to 9 hours from Tromsø and back, depending on where the whales are that day. If weather makes the whale grounds unreachable, Brim converts the trip into a fjord cruise.
Arctic Resorts answers with speed: its high-speed catamaran (from the Rødne quay in Tromsø) compresses the transfer to about 2¾ hours each way and spends roughly 2.5 hours in the whale grounds, inside an 8-hour day, with a warm lounge and panorama windows to retreat to, at one of the lower prices in this comparison (currently €171 per person). It adds a second-chance guarantee for days without sightings (another try, not a promise of whales), and guiding is also offered in German.
Two more catamarans leave from the city centre. Helgøy Skyssbåt runs a 7.5-hour day with no more than 90 guests on a 147-seat boat and lets you join another trip in the same season if no whales show. The MS Alba of Arctic Whale Tours spends about two hours in the whale area near Skjervøy; only hot drinks and biscuits are included, so bring lunch. And Njord Adventures takes at most 36 passengers on a smaller fast boat, with soup for lunch.
…you want warmth and the whole trip by boat from Tromsø, you are travelling with kids, your budget matters, or you value a safety net like Arctic Resorts’ second-chance guarantee, without the physical toll of an open boat.
The RIB safaris skip the long sailing legs entirely: an early bus takes you to Skjervøy, about 160 km from Tromsø by road, and the small open boat launches right at the herring grounds. The result is about 3 hours at sea, the most whale time of any tour type here, at water level, with nothing between you and the animals. Arctic Adventure Tours sails an open 10-metre RIB, with the bus leaving the Scandic Ishavshotel at 05:00; Green Gold of Norway caps its RIB at 12 guests, departs Prostneset at 05:20 and includes photos from the trip plus access to an orca documentary. Both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours.
…you are prone to seasickness (a RIB feels every wave), you dread the cold (it is an open boat in the polar winter; thermal suits are typically provided, but it is still the most exposed option), or a ~12-hour day starting with a 5 am bus sounds like too much. Mind the limits, too: minimum height 140 cm on both boats, minimum age 14 with Arctic Adventure Tours, maximum body weight 120 kg with Green Gold of Norway. The RIB is the most intense option, which is both its appeal and its cost.
Between the two sits Polar Adventures’ all-inclusive cruise: a heated ship capped at 50 passengers, with an indoor lounge and outdoor viewing decks, departing Tromsø’s Front Pier at a civilised 08:00 for an 8-hour day, drinks and snacks included, the whole trip by boat. You give up the RIB’s intensity and the hybrid catamaran’s silent approach and get the easiest day in this comparison. The restrictions: the tour is not open to guests over 70, and the listing names people prone to seasickness as not suitable.
No boat type buys you a guarantee. Orcas and humpbacks follow the herring, and every operator, whether catamaran, RIB or ship, is searching for the same shoals on the same days. In season, sightings are likely on every boat type. On a bad day, every boat type can miss them. Pick the boat for the experience you want on the water, not for a promise no operator can keep.
One catamaran day and one RIB day, in the guests’ words.
“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.
“The day before departure, we were notified by email that the whale watching conditions weren't good … However, we saw orcas just half an hour after setting off! … our guide was also a marine biologist … The boat experience was great … it was like a thrilling version of a log flume ride!”
Real traveller reviews from GetYourGuide.
If closeness is your priority: yes. The Skjervøy RIBs are the most expensive tours in this comparison, and in return they give you roughly 3 hours at sea right at the herring grounds, in a small open boat at water level. That is the most intense whale encounter you can book here. If warmth, budget or an easier day matter more, the high-speed catamaran delivers the same whales from a more comfortable platform at a noticeably lower price, with a second-chance guarantee on top.
A RIB puts you at water level in a small, manoeuvrable boat, so the encounter feels much closer and more direct than from a catamaran or ship deck. The hybrid-electric catamarans counter with a different strength: on electric power they approach almost silently.
It is the most exposed option here: an open boat in the polar winter, with wind chill on top. RIB operators typically provide thermal suits, and you should still wear warm layers underneath. On catamarans and ships you can retreat into heated lounges at any time.
Not the RIB. Small open boats feel every wave, and in rough seas up to a third of passengers can feel seasick. Pick a catamaran, whose larger hull rides steadier, and take seasickness medication before departure. The Polar Adventures ship lists people prone to seasickness as not suitable.
The catamarans are the family-friendly picks, with warm indoor lounges to retreat to. The RIBs have hard limits: both require a minimum height of 140 cm, Arctic Adventure Tours a minimum age of 14, and Green Gold of Norway a maximum body weight of 120 kg. The heated ship takes children from age 4 but is not open to guests over 70. The exact restrictions are always on the booking page.
Arctic weather has the final word on every boat type. Brim Explorer converts its trip into a fjord cruise if the whale grounds are unreachable; Arctic Resorts backs its catamaran with a second-chance guarantee for days without sightings; other tours may be rescheduled or cancelled. The Arctic Resorts, Polar Adventures, Arctic Adventure Tours and Green Gold of Norway tours all come with free cancellation up to 24 hours. Given the weather, book something cancellable.
Catamaran, ship and RIB with duration, route and current price.
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