Whale Watching from Tromsø: Big Catamaran or Open RIB at Skjervøy?
Updated October 13, 2026 · 7 min read
For most visitors, book the Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat: €176.05 per person, 8 to 9 hours, 6,687 reviews at 4.5 stars, heated saloons and three outdoor decks. If you want to be close to the water and can take cold and speed: the Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour costs €299.49, runs 12 hours and rates 4.8 from 1,281 reviews. For the same price with fewer guests on board: the Whale Watching – fast and comfortable catamaran carries at most 90 guests on a 147-seater and is rated 4.7, though from only 660 reviews.
The whales that Tromsø is known for gather in the fjords around Skjervøy, a long way north-east of the city, while the herring are there. A tour from Tromsø is therefore mostly transport, by sea or by road. That is the number to compare, not the title.
| Tour | Boat | Time with the whales | Duration | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat | hybrid-electric catamaran, up to 135 guests | about 1–1.5 hours | 8–9 hours | €176.05 | 4.5 (6,687) |
| Whale Watching – fast and comfortable catamaran | high-speed catamaran, max. 90 guests | not stated | 7.5 hours | €176.05 | 4.7 (660) |
| Whale Watching Safari on High-Speed Catamaran | high-speed catamaran, 08:30 departure | about 2.5 hours | 8 hours | €196.08 | 4.6 (3,731) |
| Tromsø Whale Safari with MS Gabriele | catamaran with seats for everyone | not stated | 6–8 hours | €187.18 | 4.3 (1,953) |
| Whale & Orca Safari – All-Inclusive (Max 50 pax) | heated boat, max. 50 | about 2–2.5 hours | 8 hours | €233.98 | 4.6 (1,722) |
| Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour | open RIB from Skjervøy, 4 hours by bus each way | about 3 hours at sea | 12 hours | €299.49 | 4.8 (1,281) |
What the big boats do
The boats leave Tromsø in the morning and sail to the whales. The hybrid-electric tour describes about 3 to 3.5 hours to reach them and 1 to 1.5 hours around the feeding grounds, with the electric engine switched on once whales are in sight to reduce noise and vibration. The €196.08 high-speed tour gives roughly 2.75 hours each way and 2.5 hours at the whales, and names two vessels, one slightly smaller and faster. The ships have heated lounges with panoramic windows, outdoor decks, toilets and a kiosk, which suits you if you do not want to be outside the whole time.
What you give up is distance: a ship that carries more than 100 guests will generally keep you farther from the animals than a small open boat. The Helgøy listing adds that from 20 October to 9 November the tour uses a smaller boat with a maximum of 45 guests.
What the RIB does differently
The RIB tour is not a boat tour from Tromsø. It is a four-hour coach ride to Skjervøy, a briefing, about three hours at sea in an open 34-foot RIB, and another four hours back. The bus leaves at 05:00 from outside Scandic Ishavshotel, so you meet at 04:45, and the operator says it cannot wait. You are given a thermal floating suit, boots, goggles and gloves; the operator still asks you to dress warm in layers and to bring your own food and snacks for a long day.
You get closer, but you buy that in hours and in cold. The booking page says plainly that children younger than 14 years or shorter than 140 cm cannot join, and that pregnant women are excluded. A different RIB listing, the Skjervoy Whale Watching RIB Boat Tour at €365.01, calls the trip physically active and not recommended for children under 12, pregnant guests or anyone sensitive to cold or motion. If you are prone to seasickness, take a large catamaran instead.
When the season is on, and what happens when it ends
The whales follow the herring into the fjords in winter. One operator names mid-October to the end of January for its tour; another says the waters around Skjervøy are busy from October to late January, and the MS Gabriele listing says December and January are the peak months and that whales are often still present in February. None of these listings promises whales outside that period.
At either end, the weather and the animals decide. Operators say sightings are not guaranteed, and the better ones tell you what happens next: a free second tour for the high-speed catamaran in winter 2026/27 and for the Helgøy tour, a free ticket within the same season for MS Gabriele, which also offers a full refund or another day if bad weather cancels the trip. Read the rebooking rule before you pay, because it differs by listing.
Who should skip which
Several of these listings are less accessible than the boat suggests. The hybrid-electric and the high-speed catamaran listings carry a wheelchair accessible tag, but the high-speed listing also names wheelchair users under “not suitable for”, and the Helgøy listing says plainly that boarding is by a gangway that tides make difficult and that the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or guests with significant mobility difficulties. Ask the operator before you book.
The €233.98 boat with up to 50 guests excludes children under 4, wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments and people prone to seasickness. If someone in your group gets seasick, read the exclusions on the listing before choosing a boat.
How to choose
Book the €176.05 hybrid-electric tour if you want a large, heated, steady ship with the most reviews. Book the €176.05 Helgøy catamaran if fewer guests on board matter more than review volume. Book the €299.49 RIB tour only if you can take 12 hours, cold and open water, and you value closeness over comfort. If whales are not the main reason you are in Tromsø, compare the options in our whale watching tours from Tromsø with the fjord cruises, which are often shorter and cheaper.
