Our top pick1,211 reviews
12 hFrom Tromso: Whale Watching in Magic Skjervoy
★ 4.7 · 1 211 reviews
- Twelve hours, the full day north to Skjervøy
- Transfer from Tromsø included
- Longest tour here
- Free cancellation
$361From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
Whale watching Tromso
Booking a whale watching Tromso trip brings you close to orcas and humpbacks in the fjords. We compared 14 tours priced from $211, all with free cancellation, and the top tour rates 4.7 from 1,211 reviews. Around Skjervoy, orcas chase herring through calm winter waters.
From, per person
14 tours compared$211
Today's lowest whale watching fare across all 14 tours
Average rating
All 14 tours46
18,186 verified reviews across 14 tours
Your day
Shortest to longest3–12h
Shortest: Skjervøy RIB Safari
Longest: Magic Skjervøy
Free cancellation 24 h
Prices per person
Mobile voucher
Ten leave from Tromsø
Peak season Nov to mid-Jan
Thermal suits on every RIB
Everything you can book here
Every whale watching tour from Tromsø, and the trips around them
Fourteen listings. Ten leave from Tromsø itself: six- to nine-hour boat days in the fjords near town, and full twelve-hour days that run north to Skjervøy, where the herring gather in midwinter. Two start in Skjervøy for people already up the coast. Two go further afield — the North Cape with a king crab tasting, and a two-day trip in from Finnish Lapland.
6,653 reviewsHybrid-electric
9 hTromsø: Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat
★ 4.5 · 6 653 reviews
- Nine hours, a hybrid-electric boat that runs quietly
- Guides on deck all day
- Most booked
- Free cancellation
$222From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
3,727 reviewsCatamaran
8 hFrom Tromsø: Whale Watching Safari on High-Speed Catamaran
★ 4.6 · 3 727 reviews
- Eight hours, a high-speed catamaran
- Heated indoor seating
- Outdoor viewing decks
- Free cancellation
$223From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
Lowest fare7.5 h
7.5 hTromsø: Whale Watching - fast and comfortable catamaran
★ 4.7 · 662 reviews
- 7.5 hours, a fast and comfortable catamaran
- Warm cabin between sightings
- Large outdoor decks
- Free cancellation
$211From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
1,722 reviewsAll-inclusive
8 hTromsø Whale & Orca Safari – All-Inclusive (Max 50 pax)
★ 4.6 · 1 722 reviews
- Eight hours, an all-inclusive day for fifty guests
- Meals served on board
- Thermal suits provided
- Free cancellation
$266From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
1,953 reviews6 h
6 hTromsø Whale Safari with MS Gabriele
★ 4.3 · 1 953 reviews
- Six hours, six hours aboard MS Gabriele
- Heated saloon
- Guide on deck
- Free cancellation
$212From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
Small shipResponsible
8 hTromsø: Responsible Whale Watching Cruise Aboard MS Alba
★ 4.7 · 53 reviews
- Eight hours, a small ship with responsible distances
- Marine guide on board
- Quiet approach
- Free cancellation
$218From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
Rated 4.8RIB
12 hTromsø: Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour
★ 4.8 · 1 281 reviews
- Twelve hours, a RIB day from Skjervøy
- Transfer from Tromsø included
- Full thermal suits
- Free cancellation
$340From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
Rated 4.8RIB
3–12 hWhale Watching RIB Safari at Skjervøy
★ 4.8 · 136 reviews
- 3 to 12 hours, a RIB safari close to the water
- Thermal suits provided
- Small group
- Free cancellation
$244From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
Rated 5.04 h
4 hFrom Tromsø or Skjervøy: Whale Safari by RIB Boat
★ 5 · 113 reviews
- 4 to 12 hours, a four-hour RIB trip
- Departs Tromsø or Skjervøy
- Thermal suits provided
- Free cancellation
$260From Skjervøy
Check availability→ 
Heated cabinFrom Skjervøy
4 hFrom Skjervøy: Whale Watching in a Heated Cabin Cruiser
★ 4.8 · 72 reviews
- Four hours, a heated cabin cruiser from Skjervøy
- Indoor seating
- Small group
- Free cancellation
$282From Skjervøy
Check availability→ 
Heated boat12 h
12 hTromsø: Orca and Whale Watching Heated Boat Trip
★ 4.7 · 261 reviews
- Twelve hours, twelve hours on a heated boat
- Orcas and humpbacks
- Meals on board
- Free cancellation
$391From Tromsø
Check availability→ 
North CapeKing crab
3.5 hNorth Cape and King Crab Tour with Sámi Camp
★ 4.1 · 342 reviews
- Three and a half hours, the North Cape plateau
- King crab tasting
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$207Further afield
Check availability→ 
Two daysFrom Finland
2 daysFrom Ruka & Rovaniemi: 2-Day Tromsø Tour & Aurora Hunt
- Two days, two days from Ruka or Rovaniemi
- Aurora hunt included
- Transport and guide
- Free cancellation
$1,450Further afield
Check availability→ Three questions
Which whale watching trip is yours?
Fourteen listings, and they come down to three decisions: how many hours of a short winter day you want to spend, how much you want to pay, and whether a heated saloon or an open RIB is your idea of a good morning. Pick what matters and the page picks the trip.
See it before you pay for it
What do you see on a whale watching trip from Tromsø?
A line of black dorsal fins moving along the side of the boat, a humpback tail going down against a pink horizon, and a sky that spends the whole trip at dusk. The herring bring both species into the same fjords, and the crews follow the feeding birds to find them.
Side by side
A town boat, the long day north, or a RIB?
Everything here is one of three things. A day boat out of Tromsø, which sails six to nine hours with a heated saloon and a guide. The full day north to Skjervøy, twelve hours door to door, which goes where the herring actually are in midwinter. Or a RIB, which sits low, moves fast and puts you at eye level with the water in a full thermal suit.
Swipe the table sideways →
| MOST BOOKEDFrom Tromso: Whale Watching in Magic Skjervoy | Tromsø: Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat | From Tromsø or Skjervøy: Whale Safari by RIB Boat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per person | $361 | $222 | $260 |
| Duration | 12 hours | 9 hours | 4 hours |
| Cost per hour | $30.08 | $24.67 | $65.00 |
| Kind of boat | Boat or RIB, after a coach north | Hybrid-electric catamaran | Open RIB, thermal suits |
| Departs from | Tromsø, transfer north included | The quay in the middle of Tromsø | Tromsø or Skjervøy |
| What you see | The fjords around Skjervøy, where the herring winter and the whales feed | The fjords near town, from a boat that cuts its engines to approach | The same water at eye level, from an open RIB in a thermal suit |
| Heated indoor space | Yes, on the boat and the coach | Yes, a heated saloon | A thermal suit instead |
| Rating | 4.7 · 1,211 | 4.5 · 6,653 | 5 · 113 |
| Best for | Going where the herring are | A shorter day and the most evidence | Being at eye level with a pod |
| Book this one→ | Check dates | Check dates |
MOST BOOKED
From Tromso: Whale Watching in Magic Skjervoy
$361- Duration
- 12 hours
- Cost per hour
- $30.08
- Heated indoor space
- Yes
- Departs from
- Tromsø, transfer north included
- What you see
- The fjords around Skjervøy, where the herring winter and the whales feed
- Rating
- 4.7 · 1,211
- Best for
- Going where the herring are
Free cancellation up to 24 h · Reserve now, pay later
Tromsø: Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat
$222- Duration
- 9 hours
- Cost per hour
- $24.67
- Heated indoor space
- Yes
- Departs from
- The quay in the middle of Tromsø
- What you see
- The fjords near town, from a boat that cuts its engines to approach
- Rating
- 4.5 · 6,653
- Best for
- A shorter day and the most evidence
From Tromsø or Skjervøy: Whale Safari by RIB Boat
$260- Duration
- 4 hours
- Cost per hour
- $65.00
- Heated indoor space
- A thermal suit instead
- Departs from
- Tromsø or Skjervøy
- What you see
- The same water at eye level, from an open RIB in a thermal suit
- Rating
- 5 · 113
- Best for
- Being at eye level with a pod
Verdict
Book the full day north to Skjervøy
Twelve hours from Tromsø with the transfer included, into the fjords where the herring winter and the orcas and humpbacks feed on them: the trip that goes where the whales actually are, in the weeks they are there. The one reason to book something else is the length of the day — the hybrid-electric boat at $222 stays nearer town, carries 6,653 ratings and is back before dinner.
Check dates and availability→Before you book
Read the review count, not just the score
One listing on this page carries 6,653 ratings and one is new enough to carry none at all. That does not make the new one weak — but an unrated listing tells you nothing yet, and fifty tell you less than six thousand. Read both numbers before you decide.
Two-minute check
Which trip suits you?
Fourteen listings and a lot of near-identical titles. Three answers narrow it to one: how much of the winter day you want to spend, what you want to pay, and whether you would rather sit in a heated saloon or stand in a thermal suit on an open RIB.
How much of the day have you got?Winter daylight here is short, so this matters
What are you willing to spend?Per person, transfer included where it says so
Warm saloon or open RIB?Both carry thermal gear; only one has a roof
Answer the three questions above
You'll get a straight yes or no, the flight that fits your day, and the specific thing that would trip you up at check-in.
Six kinds of trip
18,186 reviews across fourteen whale watching trips
Ratings are the operators’ own numbers on GetYourGuide, shown exactly as published. We do not write reviews and we do not average other people’s into a score of our own. Thirteen of the fourteen listings carry a rating; the most reviewed has 6,653, and the two-day trip from Finland is new enough to carry none yet.
4.6
★★★★★
Based on 18,186
verified reviews
5 ★77%
4 ★16%
3 ★5%
2 ★1%
1 ★1%
Every rated listing on this page, scored by the people who took it on GetYourGuide.
Read all 18,186→🐋
From Tromso: Whale Watching in Magic Skjervoy
From $361 · 1,211 reviews
★★★★★
Our top pick: the full day north to the herring
Twelve hours door to door from Tromsø, transfer included, into the fjords around Skjervøy where the shoals winter and the whales follow them. 1,211 ratings at 4.7.
🐳
Tromsø: Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat
From $222 · 6,653 reviews
★★★★★
The most reviewed trip on this page
A hybrid-electric catamaran that cuts its engines to approach, nine hours in the Arctic fjords with guides on deck. 6,653 ratings at 4.5 — the strongest evidence here.
⛵
From Tromsø: Whale Watching Safari on High-Speed Catamaran
From $223 · 3,727 reviews
★★★★★
A high-speed catamaran with a warm seat
Eight hours out of Tromsø on a fast modern catamaran with heated indoor seating and open decks, and a free second trip if the fjord stays quiet. 3,727 ratings at 4.6.
💰
Tromsø: Whale Watching - fast and comfortable catamaran
From $211 · lowest fare here
★★★★★
The lowest whale watching fare here
Seven and a half hours by fast catamaran into the fjords, with a warm cabin between sightings and large outdoor decks when the call comes. 662 ratings at 4.7.
🚀
Tromsø: Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour
From $340 · 1,281 reviews
★★★★★
A RIB day, at eye level with the water
A 34-foot open RIB out of Skjervøy with the transfer from Tromsø included, full thermal suits, and a hot drink at the end. 1,281 ratings at 4.8.
🌊
Tromsø: Responsible Whale Watching Cruise Aboard MS Alba
From $218 · 53 reviews
★★★★★
A small ship that keeps its distance
Eight hours aboard MS Alba with heated lounges, open decks and guides who work to the Norwegian viewing distances, plus a Whale Pass that rebooks you free. 53 ratings at 4.7.
What it really costs
How much is whale watching in Tromsø?
A day boat from Tromsø runs from $211 to $266. The full day north to Skjervøy, transfer included, runs from $244 to $391, and our top pick sits inside that band at $361.
Swipe sideways →
| What you are paying for | Price | What you get | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A day boat from Tromsø | $211–$266 | Six to nine hours in the fjords near town, heated saloon, guide on deck | Free cancellation 24 h |
| The full day north to Skjervøy | $244–$391 | Twelve hours door to door: transfer each way, and a boat or a RIB where the herring are | Free cancellation 24 h |
| Further afield | $207–$1,450 | The North Cape with a king crab tasting, or two days in from Ruka and Rovaniemi | Free cancellation 24 h |
What the listing doesn’t show you
- How much of the day is the bus. The twelve-hour trips spend four hours on the road to Skjervøy and back, and the rest on the water.
- How dark it actually is. In December the whole trip happens in twilight, which is beautiful and also means a fast lens if you are photographing.
- Which boats carry a rebooking pass. Two on this page put you on a second trip free if the fjord stays quiet; we say which on their cards.
- That the two-day trip from Finland is new and carries no ratings yet. We label it on every card.
What is genuinely included
- The boat, a crew and a guide who works the feeding birds to find the whales
- A full thermal suit, gloves and boots on every RIB trip
- A heated saloon and open viewing decks on the catamarans and cabin boats
- The transfer to Skjervøy and back on the full twelve-hour days
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, on every listing here
The honest answer
Is whale watching in Tromsø worth it?
For most people in the peak weeks, yes, and the reason is a fish. Herring winter in these fjords, and orcas and humpbacks follow them in. That happens from November to mid-January, which is exactly when the sun stays below the horizon here — so the whales and the blue polar-night light arrive together, and you get both in the same three hours on deck.
What makes it worth it
- Orcas and humpbacks feed in the same fjords at the same time, on the same herring
- From November to mid-January the boats sail inside the polar night, in blue and pink light
- Fares start at $211, and the full day north includes the transfer
- Two boats here add a pass that rebooks you free if the fjord stays quiet
- 18,186 reviews stand behind the thirteen rated listings on this page
Keep in mind
- This is wild animal watching: the operators publish what they saw last season, and most peak-season trips find whales
- The full day north to Skjervøy is twelve hours door to door, much of it on a bus
- Midwinter daylight is three to four hours of twilight, which is what the photographs show
- A RIB is colder and wetter than a saloon, and it is also the closest you get to the water
- The two-day trip from Finland is new enough to carry no ratings yet, and we label it
The day, hour by hour
What happens on a whale watching day
Pickup in Tromsø
The long days north start early, from the bus terminal or a hotel stop. The town boats meet later, at the quay in the middle of town.
The drive up the coast
Two hours along the Lyngen fjord to Skjervøy, with the peaks turning from black to deep blue as the sky begins to lighten.
Suits on, and aboard
Thermal suits, gloves and boots on the RIB trips; a heated saloon and a coffee on the bigger boats. The crew briefs you on where the shoals were yesterday.
Looking for the birds
Gulls and gannets mark the herring, and the whales are under the birds. The crew works the flocks rather than the open water.
Orcas along the boat
A line of dorsal fins, blows you hear before you see, and the engines cut so the pod can pass on its own terms.
A humpback tail goes down
Bigger, slower and closer to the surface. The tail comes up, the whale dives for four or five minutes, and the whole boat waits for it.
Back through the twilight
The sky has been at dusk all day and now it is going. Hot drinks on the way in, and the lights of the harbour ahead.
Back in Tromsø
Twelve hours door to door on the full day north; six to nine on the town boats, which are back before the restaurants fill up.
The one thing to know
The whales and the dark arrive together
Everything else on this page is a preference. This one is the calendar. Herring shoals move into the fjords around Skjervøy and Kvænangen from November, and orcas and humpbacks follow them in and feed there until the fish move on in mid-January. Those same weeks are the polar night in Tromsø: from 27 November to 15 January the sun stays below the horizon, and midday is three or four hours of blue and pink twilight. So the best whale weeks and the strangest light of the year are the same weeks, and you get both on one boat. That is what these photographs are, and it is why the season is short enough to book ahead for.
Four parts of the trip
What you see, in order
The orcas
A pod moves in line along the boat. Skjervøy sees some of the largest winter gatherings in Norway.
The humpbacks
The tail comes up before a deep dive. Humpbacks feed on the same herring, often in the same hour.
The light
From 27 November to 15 January the sun stays below the horizon, and this is what midday looks like.
On deck
A heated saloon between sightings, and everybody outside the moment the crew calls a blow.
Start here
What does a whale watching trip from Tromsø buy you?
Here is the fact that sets the whole season, and it is not a whale: herring winter in these fjords. Huge shoals move into the sheltered water around Skjervøy and Kvænangen from November, orcas and humpbacks follow them in, and both species feed in the same few kilometres of fjord until the fish move on in mid-January.
Those are also the weeks when the sun stays below the horizon. Tromsø sits at 69° north, and from 27 November to 15 January there is no sunrise at all — the middle of the day is three or four hours of blue and pink twilight. So the peak of the whale season and the polar night are the same thing, and every photograph on this page was taken in that light.
The boats go where the fish are, and the fish are north. That is why so many listings here run twelve hours: two hours on a bus up the Lyngen coast to Skjervøy, a few hours on the water where the shoals are, and two hours back. Our top pick does exactly that from $361, transfer included.
The town boats are the shorter version of the same day. Six to nine hours out of Tromsø itself, heated saloons, guides on deck, and fares from $211. They work the fjords nearer the city, and in a good week the whales come to them.
A RIB changes the trip more than the price does. You sit low, you move fast, and a full thermal suit goes on over everything you own. When a pod surfaces beside a RIB you are at eye level with it, which is the whole argument for being cold.
Quiet boats are a real category here, not a slogan. One catamaran on this page is hybrid-electric and runs the last stretch on batteries; MS Alba works to the Norwegian viewing distances and adds a pass that rebooks you free if the fjord stays quiet. Both are ways of getting close while leaving the pod alone.
And the last thing, which no listing says plainly: this is wild animal watching, and the peak weeks are short. Operators publish what they found last season, most peak-season departures come back with sightings, and the good dates sell out first. Book a few weeks ahead and leave a spare day in Tromsø if you can.
If you are already up the coast
Three that start somewhere other than Tromsø
Most of this page leaves from Tromsø and drives north. These three start where they finish: two short RIB and cabin-cruiser trips out of Skjervøy itself, for people staying up there, and a half-day at the North Cape that trades whales for king crab and a Sámi camp.
From Skjervøy, by RIB
From Tromsø or Skjervøy: Whale Safari by RIB Boat
4 h · ★ 5 (113)
$260See dates From Skjervøy, heated
From Skjervøy: Whale Watching in a Heated Cabin Cruiser
4 h · ★ 4.8 (72)
$282See dates The North Cape instead
North Cape and King Crab Tour with Sámi Camp
3.5 h · ★ 4.1 (342)
$207See datesPractical
Plan the trip properly
Four things decide how this goes: which listing you booked, how much of the short winter day it takes, what the boat does about the cold, and how many spare days you left in Tromsø.
Our top pick, $361
Twelve hours north to Skjervøy, transfer included. 1,211 ratings at 4.7.
The most reviewed boat, $222
Nine hours on a hybrid-electric catamaran that cuts engines to approach.
The lowest fare, $211
Seven and a half hours by fast catamaran, warm cabin and open decks.
A RIB day, $340
A 34-foot open RIB out of Skjervøy, thermal suits and a hot drink.
An all-inclusive day, $266
Eight hours capped at fifty guests, with meals and suits in the price.
Two days from Finland, $1,450
Ruka or Rovaniemi to Tromsø, with an aurora hunt on the way.
Orcas
Pods of ten to thirty, feeding on herring right beside the boat.
Humpbacks
Bigger, slower, and the tail that comes up before a deep dive.
The polar night
Three or four hours of blue and pink light in place of a day.
Feeding birds
Gulls and gannets mark the shoal, and the whales are underneath.
The Lyngen coast
Two hours of fjord and alpine peaks on the drive to Skjervøy.
Northern lights
The aurora season runs September to March, straight through the whales.
Ten trips leave from Tromsø
Quays in the middle of town, and bus stops for the long days north.
Two start in Skjervøy
For people already up the coast, four hours on the water.
Thermal suits on the RIBs
Full suits, gloves and boots handed out before boarding.
Heated saloons on the big boats
Indoor seating between sightings, open decks when the call comes.
Dress in wool underneath
The suit handles wind and spray; your base layer decides the last hour.
Seasickness is manageable
Take a tablet an hour before, sit mid-ship, and watch the horizon.
Free cancellation to 24 hours
On every listing on this page.
Book a few weeks ahead
Peak weeks are short and the good dates go first.
Read the review count
The hybrid boat has 6,653; the two-day trip is new and has none.
Check where it leaves from
Tromsø quay, Tromsø bus terminal or Skjervøy itself.
Look for the rebooking pass
Two listings put you on a second trip free if the fjord stays quiet.
Leave a spare day
Weather moves departures in midwinter more often than in autumn.
Best time
When is the best time for whale watching in Tromsø?
The whale season follows the herring. From November to mid-January the fish are in the fjords around Skjervøy and Kvænangen and the boats run daily; the weeks after that stay good while the shoals hold. Summer belongs to the midnight sun and the seabird cliffs, and the whales come back with the herring in November.
Nov – mid-Jan
Peak season, inside the polar night
The herring are in, orcas and humpbacks feed together, and every boat on this page sails. Tromsø spends 27 November to 15 January without a sunrise, so the whole trip happens in blue and pink twilight — which is what the photographs on this page look like.
Mid-Jan – Feb
The light comes back over the fjord
Daylight returns fast, an hour a week, and by early February there is real colour on the peaks by midday. The shoals are thinner than in December but the boats keep running, and the aurora season is still wide open above them.
Mar – Apr
Long bright days on the water
Snow still on the mountains, sun back properly, and the last whale departures of the winter alongside the first spring sailings. A good window for people who want the Arctic scenery with more light in it.
May – Oct
Midnight sun, and the whales out at sea
The sun stays up from late May to late July and the fjords turn green. The whales spend these months feeding in the Barents Sea; the fjord boats run as sightseeing and birdlife trips until the herring bring the season back round.
Worth knowing
Six things that aren't in the listing
01
Book a few weeks ahead. The peak runs from November to mid-January, the boats carry between twelve and fifty people, and the December dates go first in a town that is busy all winter.
02
Wear wool under whatever they give you. The thermal suit handles wind and spray; your base layer decides whether the last hour on deck is comfortable. Wool socks matter more than a big coat.
03
Take the seasickness tablet an hour before, on shore. The crossing to the whale grounds is the roughest part of the day, and a tablet taken at the quay works better than one taken at sea.
04
Follow the birds, not the horizon. Gulls circling low mean herring near the surface, and the whales are under them. The crews scan for birds, and so should you.
05
Put your phone away when the engines cut. The pod passes in a minute or two, and people who watched it with their own eyes describe it better afterwards than people who filmed it.
06
Read the review count, not just the score. The hybrid boat here carries 6,653 ratings at 4.5. The two-day trip from Finland is new and carries none, and we label it that way on every card.
Round out the trip
Booked alongside
Go deeper
More on whale watching in Tromsø
Common questions
Whale watching in Tromsø, answered
How much is whale watching in Tromsø?
From $211 for a fast catamaran day in the fjords near town. The full day north to Skjervøy, with the transfer included, runs from $244 to $391, and our top pick sits at $361.
When is the whale season in Tromsø?
From November to mid-January, when herring shoals winter in the fjords around Skjervøy and Kvænangen and orcas and humpbacks follow them in. Departures continue into February and March while the shoals hold.
Will I see whales?
Most peak-season departures do, and the operators publish what they found last season rather than a promise. It stays wild animal watching, which is why two boats on this page include a pass that rebooks you free if the fjord is quiet on your day.
RIB or a boat with a saloon?
A RIB sits low and fast, and a pod surfacing beside it is at eye level; you wear a full thermal suit for that. A catamaran or cabin boat gives you a heated saloon between sightings and open decks when the call comes. Both find the same whales.
Why do so many tours drive to Skjervøy?
Because the herring are there. Since 2017 the shoals have wintered in the fjords around Skjervøy and Kvænangen, about two hours north of Tromsø, and the whales follow the fish. That drive is what makes those listings twelve-hour days.
Is it dark the whole time?
From 27 November to 15 January the sun stays below the horizon, and the middle of the day is three or four hours of blue and pink twilight — bright enough to watch and photograph whales, which is what the pictures on this page show. Daylight returns quickly through January.
Can children come?
On the bigger boats, yes, with the age limits stated on each listing; heated saloons and indoor seating make a long day easier. The RIB trips set higher minimum ages because of the speed and the cold.
What is included?
The boat, a crew and a guide, thermal suits on the RIB trips, heated indoor seating on the big boats, and the transfer to Skjervøy where the listing says so. Meals come with the all-inclusive day and several longer trips. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every listing here.
Free · no account needed
The whale season, on one sheet
One PDF: all fourteen listings by hours and price, which ones drive north to Skjervøy, which carry a rebooking pass, and what the light is doing week by week from November to March.
- Every trip ranked by hours on the water and by what it includes
- Which boats have a heated saloon and which are open RIBs
- The day in order, from the pickup to the pod to the harbour lights
- Month by month: herring, polar night, returning daylight and aurora
Check your inbox
The plan is on its way. If it isn't there in a minute, look in Promotions.
Why trust this page
How we put this together
Checked, not guessed
Prices, durations and ratings are read off the live listings rather than copied from other affiliate pages. Departure points, what each boat includes and how the transfers work come from the operators’ own descriptions.
We print the hours
Every listing here is sold on a whale and priced on a day. We put the length on every card and the cost per hour in the comparison, because that is the number that separates a four-hour RIB from a twelve-hour day with four hours of bus in it.
We say when a rating is thin
One listing here carries 6,653 ratings and one is new enough to carry none. Both can be good; only one has been tested, and we label them that way rather than sorting everything by score.
Nobody pays to be featured
Fourteen listings, ordered as a shop window rather than by price, ranked on what they include and how much evidence stands behind them. We earn a commission when you book, and it does not change what we recommend.
The answer
Go north with the herring, and go in the dark weeks
If you are booking one whale watching trip from Tromsø, book the full day to Skjervøy at $361. It carries 1,211 ratings at 4.7, the transfer is in the price, and it puts you where the shoals actually winter. If a twelve-hour day is more than you want, the hybrid-electric boat at $222 carries 6,653 ratings, the most on this page, and cuts its engines to approach.
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