Catamaran or RIB: Whale Watching from Tromsø
Catamaran from Tromsø harbour or a RIB from Skjervøy: time with the whales, comfort, cold, ages, seasickness and price, and which to book for whom (Oct 2026).
A catamaran from Tromsø harbour is the warmer, easier day for most people: you board in town at half past eight, sit in a heated lounge on the way, and go out on deck in the whale area. A RIB from Skjervøy puts you low on the water with a dozen people for about three hours, but it starts with a 3.5 to 4 hour bus ride at five in the morning, and it turns away children under 14 and anyone with back problems. For most groups we would book Arctic Resorts’ catamaran, rated 4.7 from 3,762 reviews and from $192 a person in current promotion (usually $226) (checked October 2026).
Where each one starts
The catamarans leave from the middle of Tromsø. Arctic Resorts’ catamaran boards at Nerstrandkaia, the Rødne Fjord Cruise quay by the Nerstranda shopping centre, and the others are a few minutes’ walk along the same waterfront. They sail north through Grøtsundet and past the Lyngen Alps and reach the whale area around Kågsundet, between Arnøya and Kågen, west of Skjervøy, in 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
The RIB tours start in Skjervøy, a fishing town on its own island at the mouth of Kvænangen, about 3.5 to 4 hours from Tromsø by road. The tours’ buses leave Tromsø between 05:00 and 05:20, from the Scandic Ishavshotel or the Prostneset bus terminal, and a few listings also sell the boat trip alone, for people who drive to Skjervøy or stay there.
Side by side
| Catamaran from Tromsø | RIB from Skjervøy | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | Arctic Resorts' catamaran | Arctic Adventure Tours' RIB |
| Day starts | 08:30 or 09:00 at the Rødne Fjord Cruise quay | Bus at 05:00 from the Scandic Ishavshotel |
| Getting there | 2.75 hours by boat each way | 4 hours by bus each way |
| In the whale area | About 2.5 hours | At least 3 hours on the water |
| Whole day | About 8 hours | About 12 hours |
| Guests | A large boat with a lounge, decks and a kiosk | 12 a boat |
| Warmth | Heated lounge; your own clothes on deck | Open boat; floating suit, boots, mittens and goggles lent |
| Who it does not suit | Wheelchair users | Children under 14, pregnant women, people with back problems, anyone under 140 cm |
| Food | Coffee and tea; snacks to buy | A hot drink and a sandwich |
| From, per person | $192 in current promotion (usually $226) | $346 |
| Rating | 4.7 (3,762) | 4.8 (1,295) |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways.
From the two GetYourGuide listings, read in US dollars on 29 October 2026; the catamaran’s quay from Visit Tromsø.
What the RIB gives you
The view. In a RIB you sit at the height of the whales’ backs, the boat is quick to move when a group surfaces somewhere else, and there are only a dozen of you to share it with. Arctic Adventure Tours promises at least three hours on the water near Skjervøy, against about two and a half in the whale area on the catamaran. Of the newest 350 reviews of that RIB tour, read on 29 October 2026, 310 give five stars.
The cost is comfort. An open boat at speed in winter is cold even in a floating suit, and the wind and spray come straight at you: one guest called it the coldest thing they had ever done, several tell you to take seasickness tablets, and one found the 3.5-hour bus long, if warm. The low reviews are about days with no whales, when other boats nearby had found them.
What the catamaran gives you
An easier day. No 05:00 bus, a lounge to warm up in, toilets and a kiosk, and decks to step out on when the whales come close; Arctic Resorts’ guides give a talk about the whales on the way. The catamarans do not lend thermal suits, so you dress for the deck yourself. The trade-off is distance and company: you watch from higher up, with many more guests along the rail, and spend a little less time in the whale area.
Which one to book
Book by the day you want:
Catamaran from Tromsø
Arctic Resorts: heated lounge, 2.5 hours near Skjervøy, a second tour free if no whales are seen. No age limit in the listing.
Check dates →RIB, with the bus
Arctic Adventure Tours: the 05:00 bus from the Scandic Ishavshotel, at least three hours in a 12-seat RIB, suit and goggles lent. From 14.
See the RIB tour →RIB, boat only
Frozen Frontiers: three hours at sea from Skjervøy harbour; book the option without the bus if you get there yourself. From 14.
See the boat-only RIB →Prices, ratings and review counts from GetYourGuide (checked October 2026); operators change prices, so treat them as a guide, not a quote. The from-price of a listing with two options can be the option without the bus.
Can't Make These Dates?
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Find a tour that fits your schedule. Dates and cancellation terms are on each listing.
A middle way: a covered boat from Skjervøy
If you want the shorter boat ride from Skjervøy but not the open RIB, Skua Nature Group's heated, covered boat runs from Skjervøy with the bus from Tromsø, with 3 to 3.5 hours on the water and an open terrace for photos, rated 4.7 from 261 reviews. It takes children from 6.
Smaller boats from Tromsø
Between the big catamaran and the RIB there are boats from Tromsø that cap the numbers: Helgøy Skyssbåt takes at most 90 guests on a 147-seat catamaran, Polar Adventures about 50 with snacks and hot drinks included, and Njord Adventures 36 with a soup lunch. Whale watching prices in Tromsø sets them side by side, and what to wear covers the cold on each kind of boat.
Departures, harbours, times on the water, ages, heights, inclusions and prices from the GetYourGuide listings, read in US dollars on 29 October 2026; guests’ accounts from the newest 350 reviews of Arctic Adventure Tours’ RIB tour, read the same day.
The Comfortable Way to the Whales
Arctic Resorts' catamaran from the harbour behind Nerstranda: a heated lounge, outside decks, about 2.5 hours in the whale area near Skjervøy, coffee and tea, and a second tour free if no whales are seen. 8 hours in all, on GetYourGuide in October 2026, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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