14 Norwegian Whale Trips Worth Flying For

1.Whale Watching Tour by Hybrid-Electric Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4,217 reviews · from $195Our pick

Spend up to nine hours sailing from Tromsø toward Skjervøy, where herring attract orcas, humpback, fin, and sperm whales. Brim Explorer’s hybrid-electric catamaran has heated lounges, panoramic windows, Wi-Fi, and several viewing decks. Guides such as Connor, Bee, Adrian, and Ivan share whale facts and local stories while you search.

“Great trip in comfort in the warmth and with freedom of movement, we saw killer whales and whales top”

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2.Tromsø Whale Safari with MS Gabriele

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,937 reviews · 6 hours · from $207

Sail from Tromsø toward Skjervøy on the warm, fast MS Gabriele, searching for orcas and humpback whales that follow the herring. Guides such as Lorenzo, Raul, and Bjørnar explain the wildlife in English. Watch from heated windows or three outdoor decks, with a bar serving drinks, snacks, and light meals.

“the staff were very efficient and the day was seamless. Great informative information given throughout, highly recommend the experience”

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3.All-Inclusive Whale & Orca Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,221 reviews · from $186

Join Polar Adventures at 8 AM for an eight-hour cruise from Tromsø to Skjervøy. Guides such as Juan, Raul, Pedro, and Holly share whale facts while you search for orcas, humpbacks, fin whales, seabirds, and white-tailed eagles. The heated boat includes thermal suits, hot drinks, snacks, lunch, toilets, USB charging, and outdoor viewing decks.

“We saw orcas. The guide answered all our questions. It was a great experience for us. We had a hard time seeing whales. We only saw 1 or 2. The food they gave was also filling, everything was great.”

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4.Whale Watching in Magic Skjervoy

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,207 reviews · 12 hours · from $356

Leave Tromsø at 5:20 a.m. for a scenic bus ride to Skjervøy, then spend 2.5 to 3 hours in a small RIB looking for orcas, humpback whales, and fin whales. Guides such as Kristina, Christina, Norbert, and Brigit have led recent trips. Warm suits, boots, food, drinks, photos, and return transport are included.

“We had a fantastic day out! We were ecstatic to see the orca after only 20 mins of travelling on the boat from the harbour. We were also surprised just how many orca we saw it was amazing. Several of the other boats got very close to a fishing boat in order to get a closer view of a humpback whale which is against the rules. We liked that Green Gold of Norway respected the rules and health of the mammals as shows are a sustainable and responsible tour operator. We were rewarded though as a pod of orca came right up to our boat of their own accord to…”

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5.Silent Whale Watching by Hybrid-Electric Boat from Tromsø

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,017 reviews · 7 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $214

Cruise from Tromsø to the feeding waters near Skjervøy on Brim Explorer’s hybrid-electric boat. You’ll pass Lyngstuva lighthouse, learn about Arctic wildlife from the crew, and spend up to two hours searching for humpbacks and orcas. The boat is warm and comfortable, but the full trip can last nine hours and sightings are never guaranteed.

“It’s great but it’s a very long day and we didn’t see any whales. Not the tour operators fault of course but best to be mindful of this. But we enjoyed the Artic scenery.”

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6.Whale Watching by Speedboat with Puffins and Muffins

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 326 reviews · 3h 30m · from $199

Join Green Gold of Norway for a 3.5-hour RIB safari from Bleik Marina, a 10-minute drive from Andenes. With a maximum of 12 people, you search Bleik Canyon for sperm whales, orcas, pilot whales, puffins, seals, and sea eagles. Guides including Christina, Norbert, Bekka, and Katie share wildlife facts, take photos, and serve hot drinks and muffins afterward.

“We went in deep sea and spotted four sperm whales, which was pretty exciting. But, please be aware that we had to stay one and a half hour still in open sea and this caused several people to become sea sick. And you see the sperm whale not very close. Then we visited two spots for seals and sea puffins (where we also saw many sea eagles from distance).”

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7.Whale and Seabird Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 136 reviews · 3 hours · from $220

Join an English- or Norwegian-speaking crew at Havneveien 24 for a three-hour Alta Fjord safari. Warm suits, indoor viewing, outdoor decks, coffee, tea, and biscuits are included. The autumn herring run attracts orcas, humpbacks, and fin whales, while sea eagles and seabirds add a second wildlife show. A Sami joik may finish the ride.

“We saw orcas & humpback whales! Lucky day! The boat was nice, with large windows for indoor observation (well heated & hot drinks were provided), and there are viewing decks as well. The orcas came right up to our boat 😄”

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8.Whale Watching RIB Safari at Skjervøy

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 136 reviews · 3 - 12 hours · from $251

Join a small group of up to 12 for a 2.5 to 3-hour RIB safari off Skjervøy. You may see orcas, humpbacks, or fin whales against snowy fjords. Guides such as Ina and Iver provide warm suits, boots, gloves, goggles, and careful wildlife viewing. Choose transport from Tromsø or meet the team in Skjervøy.

“Honestly the boat trip was amazing. They took such good care of us and made sure we were comfortable and warm. They were really good at getting us where we needed to be to see the orcas, and predicting where they were going to be. Amazing guides. The coach trip from Tromsø was also fairly painless. The coach was comfortable and the driver was very helpful”

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9.Skjervøy: Whale Watching with RIB Boat and Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 109 reviews

Join local guide Viktor and Reisafjord Xperience for a three-hour RIB boat safari from Skjervøy. You may see orcas, humpback whales, and fin whales feeding in Arctic waters. Warm suits, boots, hats, goggles, and life jackets are provided, but bring your own warm gloves and neck covering.

“In short: highly recommended! I’ve been to Tromsø whale watching 10 years ago and back then I had to say it can’t get better than this. Now the herring has moved further north east and with it the whales and the tourists. This year I wanted to give this experiance to my young daughters and I’ve booked a tour with Viktor. Everything about this tour was highly professional and we felt being in good hands. We got all equipment needed including boots, hats, googles, suits, etc. The weather was nice, we even got sunlight and the snow covered mountains in the distance couldn’t have been more beautiful. There was a…”

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10.Responsible Whale Watching with Classic Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 86 reviews · 4 hours · from $183Best value

From Andenes Harbor, you spend 3 to 5 hours searching Arctic waters for sperm whales, orcas, dolphins, puffins, and sea eagles. Local crew and marine biologists explain whale behavior in English, while a heated cabin serves soup, bread, tea, coffee, and biscuits. The tour includes outdoor viewing, safety gear, and a free rebooking if no whales are seen.

“Malgré une mer agitée, une sortie qui a tenu toutes ses promesses avec 3 baleines observées. Les guides étaient très bien et particulièrement la guide Française qui nous a permis de mieux comprendre les différents types de baleines. Les guides connaissent très bien leur sujet. Despite a rough sea, an outing that kept all its promises with 3 whales observed. The guides were very good and particularly the French guide who allowed us to better understand the different types of whales. The guides know their subject very well.”

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11.Altafjord Whale Watching in a Heated Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 4 hours · from $262Top rated

Join Valerie and the local crew for a four-hour whale safari from Alta Harbor. Sea Runner has heated indoor seating, a toilet, WiFi, and outdoor viewing space. From November to January, orcas and humpback whales follow herring into Altafjord. Sightings are not guaranteed, but the fjord scenery and calm onboard setup make this a comfortable Arctic outing.

“Fabulous day, saw Orcas and Humpbacks. Valerie is a little dynamo, full of energy and a true asset to the company. Highly recommended”

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12.Small Group Whale Watching by RIB

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 28 reviews · 3h 30m · from $278

Meet Æventyr at the Canyon Hotell in Alta, then travel to the harbor where whales were most recently seen. On this 210-minute English-language trip, you will search for humpback whales and orcas from a RIB boat, with thermal suits, gloves, goggles, shoes, hot drinks, and snacks supplied. Whale sightings are not guaranteed.

“Nous avons vus pleins d’espèce : orques, rorqual commun, baleines à bosses. C’était génial ! À cause de la météo nous avons du décaler notre sortie au lendemain du jour prévu nous avons été prévenus et avons échangés facilement par la messagerie. Seul bémol : à cause de la météo ils ont du changer de bateau : un petit bateau avec cabine mais accès extérieur et cela pour le prix du petit bateau à moteur initialement prévu… dommage”

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13.Alta Fjord Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 26 reviews · 4 hours · from $262

Set out from Fiskerihavna with a captain and up to seven other participants for a four-hour search across Alta Fjord. You may see sperm whales, orcas, hourglass dolphins, porpoises, and seals. Warm coveralls, boots, wool socks, mittens, headwear, coffee, tea, and biscuits are provided. Whale sightings are never guaranteed.

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14.3.5 Hour Fjord & Whale Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 8 reviews · 3h 30m · from $231

Meet at Æventyr’s booking point inside Canyon Hotell, then ride to the harbor for a 210-minute MS Åhav cruise. Guide Manon and the boat crew help you scan for humpbacks and orcas, while large windows, open decks, warm drinks, and snacks keep you comfortable. Whale sightings are not guaranteed.

“The whale watching was fantastic but the icy conditions in windy and snowy seas and quite low side barriers on boat was somewhat dangerous.On reflection we probably would have hesitated to carry on but we did and enjoyed the experience despite our and other passengers nervous movements on the small icy deck.”

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