Arctic Floating and Sauna in Tromsø: Is It Worth It, and Which Tour?
Updated October 13, 2026 · 6 min read
For most visitors, book Arctic Floating with Snacks and Drinks: €168.47 per person, three to three and a half hours, about 100 minutes at the water by the listing’s itinerary, a campfire and hot drinks, rated 4.9 by 807 reviewers. If you want the longer list of extras: the Arctic Fjord Floating in Survival Suit costs €205.90 and includes a towel, photos and videos, a diploma and waffles. If the water is not for you: the public pool at Tromsøbadet is €36.41 and has a heated outdoor pool and a sauna.
“Floating” is the word the tours use for lying on the surface of a cold fjord in a thick suit. You are not expected to swim: the suit keeps you afloat, and the €205.90 listing says no swimming skills are needed. What you pay for is the transfer, the equipment, the guide and the fire afterwards.
| Tour | What you do | Duration | Group | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Floating with Snacks and Drinks | float in a rescue suit, campfire, snacks | 3–3.5 hours | small group available | €168.47 | 4.9 (807) |
| Arctic Fjord Floating in Survival Suit | float in a neoprene suit, towel, diploma, waffles | 3.5 hours | small-group tours | €205.90 | 4.9 (545) |
| Sauna and Arctic Sea Swim with Transfer | portable sauna, then a dip in the sea | 3.5 hours | up to 7 | €233.98 | no reviews yet |
| Fjords & Sommarøy Arctic Sauna + Ocean Swim Tour | fjord drive, beach, sauna, optional swim | 5 hours | not stated | €59.50 | 4.5 (4) |
| Tromsøbadet public pool | heated outdoor pool, 50 m pool, sauna | your own time | public facility | €36.41 | 4.4 (1,214) |
What happens on a floating tour
Both floating tours drive you out of town in about 25 minutes. On the €168.47 tour the itinerary lists the guided floating at 100 minutes and a 30-minute break with coffee, tea and snacks by a campfire, and the listing says you can pick a daytime or a night visit, the night one with a chance of the Northern Lights. On the €205.90 tour the itinerary is more detailed: a 20-minute safety briefing, then 45 minutes in the water, then a short break and 30 minutes of snacks. The longer time on the cheaper tour is a real difference, though itineraries are approximate.
The listing for the €205.90 tour also says that a little water can sneak into the suit and recommends bringing a set of dry clothes. It names warm clothes under the suit and extra dry clothes as things you provide yourself. The evening versions of that tour mention a chance of the lights between October and March.
Who they will not take
The restrictions are the main thing to read before booking, and they are very different.
- Arctic Floating with Snacks and Drinks: its booking page lists children under 8, people under 130 cm and people over 150 kg as not suitable. No health conditions are listed.
- Arctic Fjord Floating in Survival Suit: not suitable for people with back problems, mobility impairments, heart problems or high blood pressure, wheelchair users, people under 35 kg or over 135 kg, people over 70 years and hearing-impaired people.
- Sauna and Arctic Sea Swim: not suitable for people with heart problems or wheelchair users.
Cold water and heat both put strain on the body. If you have a heart or blood-pressure condition, or you are not sure, the right person to ask is your doctor, before you book.
The sauna and swim options
The Sauna and Arctic Sea Swim with Transfer takes up to seven guests in an electric car or minivan to Kvaløya. You help set up a portable sauna, which the listing says takes about ten minutes to build and 10 to 15 to heat, then take a short walk and plunge into the sea. At €233.98 it is the most expensive of the group and has no reviews yet, so you are the first to find out.
The Sommarøy sauna and ocean swim tour is cheaper at €59.50 and takes five hours, with a seaside sauna, a white-sand beach, hot drinks and cookies and a towel. Only four reviews stand behind it, the swim is optional, and the listing says prices may vary. Treat it as an unproven, low-cost option and compare it with our guide to fjord tours from Tromsø, which covers the standard Sommarøy tours.
And the public pool
Tromsøbadet is not an arctic experience in the tours’ sense: it is the city’s public aquatic centre with a 50-metre pool, a heated outdoor pool with mountain views, a Finnish sauna and a steam bath. Entry costs €36.41. The listing says that swimwear, towel and toiletries are not included and that you can rent a towel. It is a public facility, so expect locals and families; the listing suggests a weekday morning or evening for a quieter visit and names bus routes 20 and 24, a 5 to 10 minute walk away. The listing also notes that northern lights can appear over the outdoor pool on clear winter evenings. It will not substitute for the fjord.
Is it worth it?
If the idea of lying in a cold fjord appeals to you, yes, and the €168.47 tour is the one to book: of the two floating tours it has the most reviews, the lower price and the broader eligibility. If it does not, no tour will change that, and the pool or a sauna is the better use of an afternoon. Book a Northern Lights tour separately rather than counting on a night floating tour to deliver the lights. The full list is under arctic floating and sauna in Tromsø, which starts at €36.41.
