Tromsø or Skjervøy whale watching

Where exactly are the whales?

In the fjords around Skjervøy and Kvænangen, north-east of Tromsø, where the herring has wintered since 2017-18.

Visit Tromsø puts it plainly: since 2017, orcas and humpbacks have gathered in the Kvænangen area, including the fjords around Skjervøy, to feed on herring. Before that, from the winter of 2012-13 to 2016-17, the herring sat in fjords on Kvaløya, just west of the city, and the boat trips were short. That is why older photos show orcas with Tromsø's lights behind them.

The exact spot shifts week to week. The all-inclusive safari listing says it cruises about 2.5 hours towards Skjervøy; Brim Explorer's says 3 to 3.5 hours. At the very end of the season the whales can move out to open sea. In January 2026 one Skjervøy RIB group was moved to a bigger boat for that reason, as "the animals move further north at the end of the season and we had to go further out into the open sea". Our season guide covers the timing.

How do the two ways compare?

From Tromsø you trade whale time for comfort; from Skjervøy you trade sleep and bus hours for whale time.

Both are full days. The difference is how the hours are spent.

The boat from Tromsø has the better scenery on the way out: the high-speed catamaran sails past the Lyngen Alps, and you can watch it from a warm lounge with a coffee. The bus has views too, though in polar night you will see most of them on the way back, or not at all if you sleep. The big boats and the Skjervøy buses have toilets on board. A RIB has none, so use the one ashore before you go out.

What is the Skjervøy bus day really like?

Long. You board at about 04:45, ride about 4 hours each way, and are out for roughly 12 hours.

On the Skjervøy RIB day the bus leaves Scandic Ishavshotel at 05:00 "sharp, and will not wait", with boarding from 04:45. Other operators leave from the Prostneset bus terminal between 05:10 and 05:30. Expect to reach Skjervøy a little after 09:00. You change into the flotation suit in a heated room, spend 2.5 to 3 hours on the water, then get a hot drink and a sandwich before the bus back.

Guests are honest about the cost in sleep. One wrote in January 2026 that "the 4-hour bus ride should not be underestimated." Another praised the drivers who "drove us for 4h to get there and back. While the whole bus was asleep they drove us safely to the destinations." Eat before you board: "Grab a bite to eat before or on the bus, as you won't have time for breakfast or coffee before the excursion."

The reward can come on the road home. One guest on the Skjervøy RIB day in January 2026: "On the way back, the bus driver stopped because of the spectacular Northern Lights." Don't book an aurora chase the night before; one Skjervøy operator's listing advises against it because of the early start.

Can you get to Skjervøy on your own?

Yes: by car in about 4 hours with two ferries, by the Whale Route bus, by public bus, or by express boat in about 2 to 3 hours.

Skjervøy is about 160 km from Tromsø by road (Visit Tromsø). The options:

Driving yourself is the riskiest choice. Visit Tromsø suggests that anyone without winter driving experience use public transport or a tour, and two ferry crossings in polar night leave little slack if one is cancelled. The Whale Route bus is timed for the morning boats: its 09:20 arrival and 13:25 departure frame a 3-hour trip.

Should you stay a night in Skjervøy?

Only for a later start, two boat trips or the Skjervøy-only operators. For one day out, a package from Tromsø is cheaper and simpler.

Do the sums for a day trip. The Whale Route bus costs NOK 890 each way, and a RIB from Skjervøy harbour with Explore 70 Degrees costs NOK 1,890 for an adult (Visit Tromsø). That is NOK 3,670, about $362 to $401 in 2026, against $334 for the Skjervøy RIB day with the bus, suit and sandwich included.

A night or two in Skjervøy makes sense in other cases:

• Two trips: a RIB one day and a covered boat the next, with no 05:00 alarm.
• Self-arrival boats: Explore 70 Degrees leaves at 09:30 from Strandveien 70, from NOK 1,890 (children 6 to 14: NOK 945); Arctic Explorers meets at the marina behind Coop Extra at 09:00, from NOK 2,600 (Visit Tromsø). The Frozen Frontiers RIB has a meet-in-Skjervøy option on the same listing.
• Photography: morning light on the water, and a dark harbour for the aurora at night.

Maritim Hotel by the quay is where the Whale Route bus stops. One thing to know: Arctic Whale Tours, which used to run from Skjervøy, now sails MS Alba from Tromsø instead.

One listing, two starts: a 12-seat RIB with the bus from Tromsø, or meet the boat in Skjervøy if you are staying there.

★ 5.0 · 4 to 12 hours · from $256

Check dates → Tour details

Which should you choose?

Tromsø harbour for families, comfort and a later alarm; the Skjervøy bus for whale time; a night in Skjervøy for photographers and repeat trips.

• Families, older travellers, anyone who hates early starts: a boat from Tromsø. The high-speed catamaran is the cheapest at $197; the all-inclusive safari adds lunch and thermal suits for $261.
• Fit adults who want the closest view: the Skjervøy RIB day. It is the best-rated big seller here, 4.8 from 1,281 reviews.
• Skjervøy without the cold: the heated covered boat, 3 to 3.5 hours on the water with a cabin.
• Late January: a big boat from Tromsø. It can follow the whales out to open sea, and the rebooking guarantees are clearer.

Still torn between the boats rather than the places? Read RIB or catamaran, then check the prices.

Frequently asked questions