A small open boat launched right at the herring grounds: about 3 hours at sea, bought with an early bus and a ~12-hour day.
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: 3 h
In the whale area: 2.5–3 h
In the whale area: 3 h
In the whale area: 3 h
The RIB safaris are the most intense way to meet the orcas and humpback whales of the Tromsø region. Instead of sailing the whole way, they put you on an early bus to Skjervøy, about 160 km away by road, and launch a small open boat right where the herring and the whales winter. Several operators sell this format as a day trip from Tromsø, and you find them all below. If you are staying in Skjervøy or driving up yourself, the RIBs that start in the harbour are on our Skjervøy page.
Each boat below stands out on one point. Every tour on this page follows further down.
Book it with the bus from Tromsø, or meet the boat in Skjervøy if you are already up there. An open 12-seat RIB, about three hours at sea, then a hot drink, sandwich and muffin on shore.
Fresh baguettes, biscuits, tea and coffee in a warm clubhouse after the boat, and photos of the trip come with it. No more than 12 people per RIB; at least 140 cm, up to 120 kg.
Bus from central Tromsø, about three hours on an open RIB with no more than 12 guests, light snacks and drinks included. At least 140 cm.
Each boat with the same facts: duration, time with the whales, what is included. Open a card for the full tour details.
Open 10-m RIB · ~12-h day, ~3 h at sea · bus from Scandic Ishavshotel at 05:00 sharp.
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.
Bus from central Tromsø · ~3 h on an open RIB · max. 12 guests · from 140 cm.
Arctic Explorers runs its Skjervøy RIB safari as a full day from Tromsø: an early bus through the fjords, about four hours each way, then a safety briefing, Arctic suits and roughly three hours on an open RIB with at most 12 guests.
It is a long and physical day. The operator asks guests to dress in wool from head to toe, bring their own food and drinks, and skip the aurora tour the night before.
Samuel Arnesens gate 5, 9008 Tromsø
Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.
Max. 12 guests · ~3 h at sea · book with the scheduled bus from Tromsø or meet in Skjervøy · from age 14.
Frozen Frontiers runs the same RIB trip in two versions: meet the crew directly at the harbour in Skjervøy, or book the option with a scheduled bus from Tromsø, about four hours each way. Either way you spend roughly three hours at sea in an open 12-seat RIB, searching the fjords where the herring winter, and warm up on land afterwards with a hot drink, a sandwich and a muffin.
The limits are strict: minimum age 14, minimum height 140 cm, and the operator advises against the trip for people prone to seasickness or with low fitness. The boat is fast and exposed, so dress in as many warm layers as you can under the suit.
Two options: meet the crew at the harbour in Skjervøy, or take the scheduled bus from Tromsø, run by a partner company. The exact meeting point for your option is sent after booking.
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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Skjervøy RIB Whale Safari (full day)
Arctic Adventure Tours ★ 4.8 (1,291 reviews) |
RIB (open 10-m boat) | Bus 05:00 (Scandic Ishavshotel) | ~12 h · ≈3 h at sea · back ~17:30 | €308 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 05:20 (Prostneset) | ~12 h · 2.5–3 h on boat | €327 per person | Book now |
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Skjervøy RIB Whale Tour from Tromsø
Arctic Explorers ★ 4.6 (309 reviews) |
RIB (max. 12 guests) | Bus from Samuel Arnesens gate 5 | ~12 h · ~3 h at sea | €279 per person | Book now |
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Whale Safari by RIB, from Tromsø or Skjervøy
Frozen Frontiers ★ 5.0 (115 reviews) |
RIB (12 seats) | Scheduled bus, or meet in Skjervøy | ~12 h with the bus · ~3 h at sea | €217 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.
With Arctic Adventure Tours, the bus leaves the Scandic Ishavshotel at 05:00 sharp (the operator does not wait for latecomers) and drives about 4 hours to Skjervøy. Green Gold of Norway follows the same pattern from Prostneset at 05:20, and Arctic Explorers leaves from Samuel Arnesens gate 5 in the centre. Frozen Frontiers uses a scheduled public bus run by a partner company. In Skjervøy you change into a thermal suit (suits, boots and goggles are provided on every RIB), board the boat and spend roughly 3 hours at sea in the fjords where the herring shoals winter. Then the same 4 hours back: Arctic Adventure Tours has you back in Tromsø around 17:30. That is a ~12-hour day for ~3 hours of whale time, spent at water level in the herring grounds.
In recent winters the herring, and with them the orcas and humpbacks, have wintered in the fjords around Skjervøy, not outside Tromsø itself. The catamarans and ships spend 3+ hours sailing each way to get there. The RIB format skips the sailing legs: the bus covers the distance on land, and the small boat starts the search right at the grounds. That is where the ~3 hours of water time come from: almost all of it is search-and-watch time, not transfer. The full background, and the tours that start in the harbour itself, are on our Skjervøy page.
A RIB is a small open boat in the polar winter. The operators provide thermal suits, boots and goggles, and you should still wear warm layers underneath; Arctic Explorers asks for wool from head to toe. How to build those layers, from wool next to the skin to boots and hand warmers, is covered in the Tromsø winter clothing guide. At speed there is wind chill; on the water you feel every wave. One January guest described it as “a thrilling version of a log flume ride”. If you are prone to seasickness, read our seasickness guide before booking a RIB, because this is the boat type where it hits hardest; Frozen Frontiers explicitly advises against its trip for people prone to seasickness.
Arctic Adventure Tours: minimum age 14 and minimum height 140 cm, not suitable for pregnant women or people with back problems. Green Gold of Norway: minimum height 140 cm, maximum body weight 120 kg. Arctic Explorers: minimum height 140 cm, not suitable for pregnant women or people with back problems or limited mobility. Frozen Frontiers: minimum age 14 and minimum height 140 cm, not suitable for pregnant women, people with back problems or limited mobility, or people with low fitness. Drones are not allowed on the Arctic Adventure Tours trip. The exact restrictions are always on the booking page. Read them before you pay.
Twelve hours is a long day, and most of the operators recommend bringing your own snacks and drinks, and Frozen Frontiers suggests breakfast for the bus as well. According to the listings, a hot drink with a sandwich or snacks is included after the boat leg, but no full meal.
If an open boat or the restrictions rule you out, there are two ways to the same whales. Skua Nature Group runs the same bus day from Tromsø with a covered, heated boat instead of a RIB. It is on our Skjervøy page, together with the heated boats that start in the harbour. Or you sail the whole way from Tromsø: warmer and easier, but further from the water surface. The Catamaran vs. RIB guide walks through the full trade-off, and the catamaran tours and heated ship pages cover those options in detail.
From the Skjervøy RIB safaris, including notes on cold, spray and luck.
“Amazing from start to finish … Our guide Hans Christian was awesome, very knowledgeable about the orca and reading their movements so always got us into good position … Sandwich and hot chocolate when we got back was delicious”
“… Hans put the welfare of the whales first as he would not approach the whales if he felt there was too many boats around them … The boat ride and the views around you are absolutely breathtaking … 10/10”
“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!”
“Amazing activity! The small boat is comfy and fast and also much nicer than being on a bigger boat as you are closer to the water. Honza, our guide, was very nice and knowledgeable and found the whales quickly. We saw many many orcas feeding on herring and also a few humpback whales. I would do it again immediately! :)”
“… Yes, it is expensive but it's definitely a once in a lifetime experience …”
Real traveller reviews from GetYourGuide.
Around 12 hours door to door. The buses leave Tromsø early (Arctic Adventure Tours at 05:00 sharp from the Scandic Ishavshotel, Green Gold of Norway at 05:20 from Prostneset, Arctic Explorers from Samuel Arnesens gate 5) and drive about 4 hours to Skjervøy, and you spend roughly 3 hours at sea before the 4-hour drive back. Arctic Adventure Tours has you back in Tromsø around 17:30.
The whales winter in the fjords around Skjervøy, about 160 km from Tromsø by road. A small open RIB is not the boat for a 3-hour open-water transfer in the polar winter, so the bus covers the distance and the RIB launches right at the herring grounds. That is why the RIB tours spend almost all of their boat time searching and watching.
Yes. Frozen Frontiers sells its RIB trip with or without the bus, and several operators run RIB trips that start in the harbour of Skjervøy. They suit travellers who stay in Skjervøy or drive up themselves; the drive from Tromsø takes about four hours. Our Skjervøy page compares them.
Yes. Every RIB operator here provides thermal or flotation suits, boots and goggles, most also gloves or mittens. Wear warm layers underneath regardless: it is an open boat in the Arctic winter, and the wind chill at speed is serious.
Every one of them requires a minimum height of 140 cm. Arctic Adventure Tours and Frozen Frontiers also set a minimum age of 14; Green Gold of Norway has a maximum body weight of 120 kg. Pregnant women and people with back problems are excluded on most trips, and Frozen Frontiers also advises against it for people with low fitness or prone to seasickness. If any of this applies, the heated boats and the catamaran and ship tours reach the same whales.
Yes, most operators recommend bringing your own snacks and drinks for the ~12-hour day. According to the listings, a hot drink with a sandwich or snacks is included after the boat leg, but no full meal.
No tour can promise that. The whales follow the herring, and every boat searches the same grounds. The RIB's advantage is time and closeness when whales are found, not a higher chance of finding them. Operators communicate openly: one January guest was warned by e-mail the day before that conditions looked poor, and then saw orcas half an hour after setting off.
Departure point, time at sea and current price in one table.
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