What to Wear Whale Watching in Tromsø: Layer by Layer

Booking choice: The Skjervøy RIB day, from $334 per person. Check dates Tour details

Tromsø's average winter temperature is about -4°C, according to Visit Tromsø, and on a boat you add wind, spray and long periods of standing still. The coldest part of a whale trip is not the temperature on the forecast. It is the twenty minutes on deck waiting for a pod to surface again.

What you need depends on the boat. Big catamarans give you a heated lounge but no suit, so your own clothes do all the work outside. RIBs hand you a flotation suit, boots, mittens and goggles, and guests still say the suit is not enough on its own.

The quick answer

Wear wool next to the skin, a fleece or light down jacket, a windproof shell and insulated trousers, with warm boots, two pairs of wool socks, a hat, a buff and mittens over thin gloves. On a RIB keep those layers on under the suit and bring dry clothes for the bus. Pack seasickness tablets and food.

Guests in flotation suits and hats sitting in a RIB, snowy mountains behind — Suits, hats and mittens on a Skjervøy RIB. Your own layers go underneath.

What should you wear on a whale watching boat?

Three layers top and bottom: wool base, warm middle, windproof outer. Leave cotton at the hotel.

Visit Tromsø recommends wool next to the skin and layers you can add and remove, and that is the whole system. Cotton holds sweat and cold; wool stays warm when it gets damp, which it will.

Layer	What to wear	Why
Base	Merino or wool long-sleeve top and long johns	Warm even when damp from sweat or spray
Middle	Fleece or wool jumper; a light down jacket	Traps heat, and comes off easily in the lounge
Outer	Windproof, waterproof jacket and ski or insulated trousers	Cuts the wind at sea and the spray
Feet	Insulated winter boots with room for two pairs of wool socks	Feet go first when you stand on a cold deck
Hands	Thin liner gloves under warm mittens	You can work a phone or camera in the liners
Head	Wool hat and a buff or balaclava	Wind on deck finds the neck and ears
Extras	Hand and toe warmers; ice grips for the pier	Ice grips are sold at the Tourist Information

Tight boots are a mistake: with two pairs of socks squeezed in, your feet lose circulation and freeze faster. Size up, or bring the boots you would wear for a day of skiing.

What do the tour operators provide?

RIBs lend a flotation suit, boots, mittens and goggles. The big boats lend nothing, except the all-inclusive Polar Adventures trip.

What each listing includes, and what you still need yourself:

Tour	Provided	Bring yourself
Skjervøy RIB day	Thermal suit, boots, mittens, goggles, life vest	Warm layers, hat, buff, snacks for the bus
Frozen Frontiers RIB	Flotation suit (XS to XXL), life jacket, boots, socks, mittens, goggles	Warm layers, hat, gloves, scarf
Arctic Explorers RIB	Thermal flotation suit, Arctic boots	Warm layers, hat
Heated boat	No suit needed: a covered, heated cabin	Full winter clothing for the open deck
All-inclusive safari	Thermal suits	Hat, gloves, warm shoes
Catamarans and Brim Explorer	Nothing; a heated lounge	Everything, top to toe
MS Alba	Nothing; a heated lounge	Everything, plus your own lunch

The suit sizes matter. Frozen Frontiers lists XS to XXL, and one guest praised "sizes suitable for larger individuals". One Skjervøy RIB listing excludes people over 120 kg, so ask before you book if you are near that.

Is the RIB flotation suit warm enough?

Not on its own. Guests who stayed warm wore ski trousers and several layers under it.

The Skjervøy RIB day listing says it in capitals: "DRESS WARM FROM HOME in layers". The suit stops the wind and keeps you afloat. It is not a sleeping bag. Guests on several RIBs say the same thing in different words:

"We kept our ski pants on under the suit they provided, and we were pretty comfortable." (sabrina, Frozen Frontiers RIB)
"I should have heeded the recommendation to bring a second pair of pants, as the suit isn't 100% waterproof." (Daniela, another Skjervøy RIB)
"Suits and boots were provided but I'd heavily reccomend wearing mamy layers of warm clothes. It's windy and you will get splashed. Bring backup cloths for the bus ride home." (Sarah_B, Viator)
"In my case, the cold was only in the feet, otherwise, great." (Ana, Skjervøy RIB)

Feet and hands are the weak points. The boots are big, so a second pair of thick wool socks fits. The mittens can be stiff; one guest found the rubber gloves "not big enough to put your own gloves in", so thin liners work better than ski gloves underneath. Another guest who stayed warm at -15 to -20 degrees wore "4 layers of clothing plus outerwear".

Guests in bright yellow and red flotation suits on a RIB beside an orca fin — Borrowed suits on a Skjervøy RIB. The layers underneath decide how the last hour feels.

The suit, boots, mittens and goggles are included on the Skjervøy RIB day. Bring the wool.

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What should you wear on a catamaran?

Your full winter kit. You will sit inside part of the time, but the whales are watched from the outdoor deck.

The heated lounge lulls people into dressing for a cafe. Then the whales surface, everyone goes out on deck, and the next half hour is the coldest of the day. Wear the full three layers and peel off the middle one inside. Keep hat, buff and mittens in your pockets, not your bag.

Decks can be icy. A MS Alba guest noted "there was ice on the upper deck of the boat, which sometimes made it feel a bit unsafe". Boots with a grippy sole matter as much as warm ones, and you will want one hand free for the rail in a swell.

In rough weather the crew may keep everyone inside on the way home. That is the moment you will be glad you can take a layer off. Only the all-inclusive safari lends thermal suits on a big boat; on the high-speed catamaran, Brim Explorer and the others, your clothes are all you have.

A guest in a dark hat photographing from the back deck of a boat over a white wake, mountains ahead — Out on the back deck of MS Alba. This is where the cold catches people who dressed for the lounge.

What else should you pack?

Seasickness tablets, food and water, spare camera batteries, and a dry bag for a RIB.

Seasickness tablets, taken "well ahead of departure", as one Helgøy listing puts it. Buy them at a pharmacy (apotek) in Tromsø the day before.
Food. MS Alba serves none. The Skjervøy RIB listing tells you to bring snacks because "it will be a long day", and the bus is 4 hours each way. Brim's cafe and the catamaran kiosks sell food, at Norwegian prices.
Spare batteries, kept in an inside pocket. Cold drains them fast; the heated boat listing asks you to bring extras.
A waterproof bag on a RIB. The RIB listing says camera gear on board is at your own risk.
Binoculars, recommended on the catamaran listings. Useful for spotting blows far off.
Passport or ID card for the overnight cruise.
Leave behind: drones, which the catamaran and the Skjervøy RIB both ban.

Short of warm gear? Tromsø Outdoor in the city sells outdoor clothing and equipment, and the Tourist Information sells ice grips (Visit Tromsø).

How do you avoid seasickness on a whale trip?

Take a tablet before you board, eat a light breakfast, sit low and towards the back, and watch the horizon.

Seasickness is the most common complaint in whale trip reviews, and it is not limited to small boats. On MS Alba in January 2026: "please take a travel pill, it was very shaky and almost the whole boat threw up." On Brim Explorer, one guest "took sea sickness tablets and was fine" through a choppy stretch in open water.

Brim Explorer gives the best practical list we have seen: eat a small breakfast, try ginger tea or ginger beer, stay awake with your eyes open, get fresh air on deck, and sit on the lower deck towards the back with a view of the horizon. The NHS adds: avoid reading and screens, skip heavy meals and alcohol before you sail, and ask a pharmacist which tablets suit you.

If you know you get sick, pick your boat with care. The all-inclusive safari, the Helgøy catamaran and the Frozen Frontiers RIB all list people prone to seasickness as unsuited. Late January is rougher, as boats head out to open sea after the whales. Our guide to RIB or catamaran compares the ride.

Feel the cold less: a covered, heated boat at Skjervøy, no flotation suit needed, with an open deck for when the orcas surface.

★ 4.7 · 12 hours · from $381

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a thermal suit on a catamaran?

No. Big boats have heated lounges, so you wear your own winter clothes and go out on deck when the whales appear. Only the Polar Adventures all-inclusive trip lends thermal suits.

Can I wear jeans whale watching?

Not as your only layer. Cotton holds moisture and the wind at sea goes straight through it. Wear wool long johns under ski or insulated trousers.

What shoes should I wear whale watching in Tromsø?

Insulated winter boots with a grippy sole and room for two pairs of wool socks; decks and piers can be icy. On a RIB you are given boots, but your own warm socks still matter.

Should I bring food on a whale watching tour?

Yes, on most trips. MS Alba serves no food, the Skjervøy RIB days give you a sandwich after the boat, and the big boats' kiosks and cafes sell snacks. Only the all-inclusive safari, the Arctic Explorers RIB day and the overnight cruise include full meals.

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