Skjervøy Whale Tours

Each winter the herring packs into the fjords around Skjervøy, a fishing island north-east of Tromsø, and orcas and humpbacks come in after it. You can reach them two ways. Ride a dawn bus up from Tromsø for a long day on the water, or start at the Skjervøy harbor itself on a short trip in a heated boat or an open RIB. Four tours cover both, with the price and the small print side by side.

  • Whale season: November to JanuaryThe listings name October to January, and the herring decides which weeks are best
  • Small boats, few seatsThe harbor boats take 12 to 16 guests, so holiday weeks fill early

In a hurry? Our top pick is Arctic Adventure Tours' bus and RIB day from Tromsø: ~$343 a person, with the 05:00 bus, about three hours on the water and a full cold-weather suit. Book it here.

Book on GetYourGuide Book on Viator Compare all 4

Skjervøy whale trips at a glance

  • Twelve hours or fourFrom Tromsø the day runs about 12 hours with the bus. From the harbor a trip takes 3 to 4 hours
  • Two kinds of boatAn open RIB in a flotation suit, or a heated cabin boat with a deck to step out on
  • About 160 km from TromsøRoughly four hours by road, usually with a ferry on the quickest route, a long drive in the dark
  • Likely, never promisedEvery listing says sightings are not guaranteed. Storms can keep a boat in harbor

If you only have a minute

Which Skjervøy whale tour should you book?

It depends on one thing before anything else: where you sleep the night before.

Staying in Tromsø without a car? Book Arctic Adventure Tours' RIB day, from ~$343. A bus leaves at 05:00, you spend about three hours on an open RIB off Skjervøy, and you are back in town around 5:30 pm. It has the most reviews of any Skjervøy trip, 4.8 from 1,200+ on GetYourGuide.

Already in Skjervøy, or driving up? Skip the bus. Skua Nature's heated boat for twelve costs ~$279, and Dervola's cabin cruiser costs ~$284 with a 9:30 am start. Frozen Frontiers' 12-seat RIB starts at ~$241 and has a perfect 5.0.

No boat can promise whales. Read where to start your day and which weeks work best, see how each trip is spent, then what the listings play down.

Our pick

The day we would book from Tromsø: Arctic Adventure Tours

A long day for a short time at sea, and still the easiest way to reach the Skjervøy whales without a car. Nobody else on this page has as many happy guests behind it.

Guests in yellow flotation suits on a grey RIB in a dark blue fjord below snow-covered mountains Our pick

Tromsø: Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour, Arctic Adventure Tours

★★★★★ 4.8 from 1,200+ reviews on GetYourGuide · 4.7 on Viator

You meet outside Scandic Ishavshotel in Tromsø at 04:45, and the bus pulls out at 05:00 sharp. It has Wi-Fi and a toilet, which matters on a ride of about four hours each way.

At Skjervøy you zip into a thermal flotation suit, with boots and mittens to match. Then come about three hours on an open RIB that sits low on the water. A hot drink and a light sandwich wait when you come ashore.

The bus has you back in Tromsø around 5:30 pm. It is a long day, but you never drive an icy road in the dark or change hotels.

Price
from ~$343 per person
Duration
About 12 hours
On the water
About 3 hours
Boat
Open RIB
Departure
05:00 bus, Scandic Ishavshotel, Tromsø
Food
Hot drink and a light sandwich afterward
Ages
14 and up, at least 140 cm
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
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How the day runs, step by step

Time at sea depends on where the herring sits that week and on the wind. This is the outline the listing gives:

Out of Tromsø

  • Meet outside Scandic Ishavshotel at 04:45
  • Bus leaves at 05:00 sharp, about 4 hours north along the fjords
  • Suit up at Skjervøy as the sky starts to lighten

Off Skjervøy

  • About 3 hours on the RIB looking for orcas and humpbacks
  • Ashore for a hot drink and a sandwich, then the bus south
  • Back in Tromsø around 5:30 pm

What the price covers

The kit is the expensive part, and it is all in. Food beyond the snack afterward is up to you.

Included
  • Return bus from Tromsø with Wi-Fi and a toilet
  • Thermal flotation suit, boots, goggles, mittens
  • Life vest and about 3 hours on the RIB
  • A hot drink and a light sandwich
Not included
  • Breakfast and snacks for the bus
  • Your own warm layers under the suit
  • Cover for your camera (bring a dry bag)
  • A guarantee of whales

Between us, before you go

The listing is firm. No children under 14 or under 140 cm, and nobody pregnant or with back problems, because a RIB slams over the swell. Cameras ride at your own risk.

Pack a real breakfast for the bus. Wool under the suit decides how long you enjoy the cold, and our layering guide covers the rest.

Why we pick it over a harbor boat

From Tromsø you have no other easy way to Skjervøy in winter. The road is long and dark, the quickest route usually needs a ferry, and the public options take planning.

This bus takes all of that off your hands for one fixed price. The rating comes from more than a thousand guests, which no Skjervøy harbor boat can match yet. Tromsø or Skjervøy start weighs it against sleeping up north.

Who we would not send on it

Families with children under 14, and anyone who should not ride a bouncing boat. They are better off in Skua's heated boat or Dervola's cabin cruiser. Anyone who hates early alarms and long buses should also sleep in Skjervøy and book from the harbor.

Book it if

You are based in Tromsø with no car and want one well-run day out to the whales. You are 14 or older and happy in wind and spray. You like having every piece of cold-weather kit handed to you.

Skip it if

Ready for the dawn bus?

The tour is on GetYourGuide and on Viator. GetYourGuide shows far more reviews and lets you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can watch the wind forecast first.

GetYourGuide Viator

The day itself

How a Skjervøy whale trip works

The whales are in the same fjords whichever tour you take. What changes is where your day begins, and whether you sit in a heated cabin or out in the spray.

Start · Tromsø, no car

Bus north, RIB, bus home

Arctic Adventure Tours, Frozen Frontiers (with transfer)

12 hdawn bus, about 3 hours on a RIB, back by early evening

No driving and no hotel change, at the price of a 5 am alarm and about eight hours on a bus. Only open RIBs run this way, so the age limit is 14.

Start · Skjervøy harbor

Walk down to the boat

Skua Nature, Dervola Adventure, Frozen Frontiers

3–4 ha heated cabin boat or a RIB, straight out to the whales

A slower morning and a choice of heated boats that take children from 6 on Skua. You need a car or a bus ticket north and a bed in Skjervøy.

Skjervøy weather and whale odds, month by month

  • Chance of finding whales on a trip
  1. Jan−2°C high28 °F

    Good odds until the herring moves on late in the month

  2. Feb−2°C high28 °F

    One harbor boat lists the month, sightings thin out

  3. Mar0°C high32 °F

    Herring gone, the whale trips stop

  4. Apr2°C high36 °F

    Long days back, no regular whale trips

  5. May6°C high43 °F

    Midnight sun begins, snow on the peaks

  6. Jun11°C high52 °F

    Seabirds and eagles, no herring in the fjords

  7. Jul15°C high59 °F

    The warmest weeks on the coast

  8. Aug13°C high55 °F

    Late summer, the first dark nights

  9. Sep8°C high46 °F

    Northern lights season opens

  10. Oct3°C high37 °F

    The first trips run late in the month

  11. Nov0°C high32 °F

    Herring in the fjords, a little daylight left

  12. Dec−1°C high30 °F

    Peak weeks, polar night, holiday crowds

Temperatures are rough daytime highs on this stretch of coast; at sea the wind makes it feel several degrees colder. The bars show roughly how likely a trip is to find whales, which depends on where the herring settles each winter. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick. The season in detail.

How each trip is spent

  • Getting there and back
  • On the water
  • May run longer

Hours come from the listings. The harbor trips include the briefing and suiting up, and the RIB times are approximate because the boats go wherever the herring is that day. Dervola meets at 9:30 am and is back about 2 pm.

  1. Decide where you sleepTromsø with a long bus day, or Skjervøy with a short boat trip. Both compared.
  2. Choose your weekNovember to January gives the best odds and the deepest darkness. Month by month.
  3. Leave a spare dayIf the sea is too rough or the whales stay away, you can try again. Plan B.
  4. Dress for wind and sprayWool next to the skin, something windproof on top, spare gloves in a pocket. What to wear.

Tromsø to Skjervøy in winter covers the road north and the tour buses. It also covers what driving yourself in the polar night really involves.

How to choose

How to pick the right Skjervøy whale tour

All four go to the same fjords. What differs is the boat and how many people share it, plus how much of your day goes on the road.

Start point

One bus day from Tromsø, or three boats from the Skjervøy harbor. Frozen Frontiers sells both. Tromsø or Skjervøy.

Boat type

Open RIBs put you at eye level in a suit; heated boats keep a warm cabin a step away. The boats compared.

Group size

Skua and Frozen Frontiers take 12, Dervola 16. Every boat here is small by Tromsø standards.

Who is coming

The RIBs take nobody under 14. Skua takes children from 6, and Dervola lists no age limit. Who can join.

Northern lights too?

A midday boat from the harbor leaves the evening free under a dark sky. Planning both.

Price

From ~$241 a person on a harbor RIB to ~$343 for the full day from Tromsø. Every price in one table.

Everything else to do around Skjervøy

The 4 tours

Four ways out to the Skjervøy whales, side by side

We read every whale listing for Skjervøy on both booking sites and kept the four that cover each kind of trip. Each card gives the price and the length, then names the catch.

A RIB full of guests in yellow suits crossing a fjord in front of snowy peaks Our pick

Tromsø: Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour, Arctic Adventure Tours

The one we would book without a car.

The bus leaves Tromsø before dawn, and the RIB spends about three hours with the whales. The suit and kit are included, with a hot drink and a sandwich afterward.

  • Rating4.8 from 1,200+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 12 hours, meet 04:45
  • Tour companyArctic Adventure Tours
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsTransport and full kit in one price; the most reviewed trip
  • Ideal forFit adults based in Tromsø with no car

Good to know: About eight hours on the bus in total. No children under 14 or 140 cm, and not for pregnant travelers or anyone with back problems. The road north.

~$343per person
GetYourGuide Viator
Skua Nature's dark covered boat cutting through green water past a snowy shore Warmest ride

Skjervøy: Orca and Whale-Watching Heated Boat Trip, Skua Nature

Twelve guests in a heated cabin, with a naturalist aboard.

A brand-new covered boat leaves Skjervøy for about three and a half hours. You watch from a heated cabin or step out onto an open terrace, with no survival suit needed. A captain and a nature guide run it, with wildlife photographers on board.

  • Rating4.9 from 40+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 3.5 hours
  • Tour companySkua Nature
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsWarm and stable; photo tips; hot drinks and snacks
  • Ideal forPhotographers, couples, families with children of 6 and up

Good to know: Sold on GetYourGuide only, and you make your own way to Skjervøy. Not for children under 6 or pregnant travelers. RIB or heated boat.

~$279per person
GetYourGuide
A tall orca fin close to the camera with Dervola's white cabin cruiser waiting behind No early alarm

From Skjervøy: Whale Watching in a Heated Cabin Cruiser, Dervola Adventure

A 9:30 am start and waffles on board.

You meet at Dervola's office at Skjervøy Marina at 9:30 am and are back about 2 pm. The cruisers have heated cabins with indoor and outdoor seating, plus dry storage for camera bags. The skipper may drop a hydrophone so you can hear the whales.

  • Rating4.7 from 70+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 4 hours, from 9:30 am
  • Tour companyDervola Adventure
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsSuit and gloves lent; hot drink and waffles
  • Ideal forFamilies and anyone who wants the longest trip from the harbor

Good to know: Sold on GetYourGuide only. Up to 16 guests, the largest group of the harbor boats, and you need your own way to Skjervøy. Age and health limits.

~$284per person
GetYourGuide
Guests in a small RIB watching an orca fin rise beside them in a grey fjord Top rated

From Tromsø or Skjervøy: Whale Safari by RIB Boat, Frozen Frontiers

The highest score on this page, with or without the bus.

A 12-seat RIB spends about three hours at sea from the Skjervøy harbor. You can meet there, or book the option with a scheduled bus from Tromsø. Afterward there is a hot drink and a muffin on shore.

  • Rating5.0 from 110+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 4 hours from Skjervøy, 12 with the bus
  • Tour companyFrozen Frontiers
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsLowest price; insulated suit, boots, mittens, goggles included
  • Ideal forFit adults who want eye-level whales at the best price

Good to know: ~$241 is the price from Skjervøy; the bus option costs more, so pick the right one. Under-14s and the seasick-prone cannot join. Prices compared.

~$241per person
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Before you go

Eight things about Skjervøy whale trips that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page. Each one decides whether you come home with a fluke on your camera or a long, cold day of grey water.

What you should know

  1. Skjervøy is not next to Tromsø. It is about 160 km (100 miles) away, roughly four hours by road, and the quickest route usually takes a ferry. The route north.
  2. The whales follow the fish. Orcas and humpbacks come for the wintering herring, and the herring can shift fjords from one winter to the next. Nobody can book the whales for you.
  3. No listing promises a second try. If you see nothing, a retry means booking again. Sleeping in Skjervøy makes that much easier. If it goes wrong.
  4. Bring your own breakfast. The bus days start at 5 am and the listings ask you to pack food. The harbor boats serve hot drinks and a snack, not a meal. The full costs.
  5. Seasickness is real out there. RIBs bounce over the swell and even a covered boat rolls. Take a tablet about two hours before you board, as Skua advises.
  6. It is dark most of the day. Skjervøy lies near 70° north, and around midwinter the sun stays below the horizon. The boats go out in the blue and pink midday twilight.
  7. The age limits differ a lot. Both RIB tours require 14 and over. Skua takes children from 6, and Dervola lists no limit. Who can join.
  8. The sea is colder than the forecast. A day near freezing feels far colder at speed in the wind. A suit helps, but only wool keeps you warm underneath. What to wear.

Everything in one table

Four Skjervøy whale tours, catch included

The four tours side by side, each row setting a strength against its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price Length Starts from Tour company and rating Strength and catch Book
Arctic Adventure bus and RIB (our pick) Tromsø without a car ~$343per person About 12 h Scandic Ishavshotel, Tromsø, 04:45 Arctic Adventure Tours
4.8 on GetYourGuide		 Bus and full kit in one price. 5 am start; ages 14 and over.
GetYourGuideViator
Skua Nature heated boat Warmth and photos ~$279per person About 3.5 h Skua's base, Skjervøy Skua Nature
4.9 on GetYourGuide		 Heated cabin, naturalist, max 12. Few reviews so far; get there yourself.
GetYourGuide
Dervola cabin cruiser Families, slow mornings ~$284per person About 4 h Skjervøy Marina, 9:30 am Dervola Adventure
4.7 on GetYourGuide		 Longest harbor trip, waffles, hydrophone. Up to 16 guests.
GetYourGuide
Frozen Frontiers RIB Eye level for less ~$241per person About 4 h, 12 with the bus Skjervøy harbor or Tromsø Frozen Frontiers
5.0 on GetYourGuide		 Top score, 12 seats, full kit. Strictest health list; bus option costs more.
GetYourGuide

About the numbers. Prices are regular "from" rates per person in US dollars, and GetYourGuide often shows them lower on sale. Dates and exchange rates move them, so check the booking page, which has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who went out from Skjervøy

Fourteen travelers on what won them over and what they would do differently. Some had a pod feeding beside the boat; others saw blows far off in a choppy sea.

★★★★★Bus and RIB from Tromsø

The bus left Tromsø in total darkness and I slept most of the way north, which I recommend. By the time we were zipped into the suits at Skjervøy the sky had gone a deep blue, and twenty minutes out the skipper cut the engine next to six orcas working a ball of herring. You could hear the tail slaps. Three hours went in what felt like one, and the hot drink on the pier afterward was the best coffee of my life.

MBMarta B. · Kraków, PolandWhales up close
★★★★★Bus and RIB from Tromsø

Five in the morning is brutal. Humpback flukes at eye level from a RIB fix that quickly.

TRTom R. · Leeds, UKWhales up close
★★★★☆Bus and RIB from Tromsø

The whales were far out on our day and the swell was big, so the skipper kept us at a distance. We saw blows and two fins, no close pass. The crew was honest about it and the suits kept me warm, but eight hours on the bus for that felt long.

AKAiko K. · Yokohama, JapanBlows far off
★★★★★Bus and RIB from Tromsø

Goggles, mittens, boots, all handed out at the harbor. I brought nothing but wool and was fine.

JPJulien P. · Lyon, FranceWhales up close
★★★★★Heated boat, max 12

We drove up from Tromsø the day before and slept in Skjervøy, then walked to the boat. The heated cabin is a real cabin, not a shelter, and I spent half the trip inside with a hot drink watching orcas through big windows. When a humpback surfaced close by, the guide had us out on the terrace in seconds and told us exactly where to point the lens.

SLSofia L. · Gothenburg, SwedenWhales up close
★★★★★Heated boat, max 12

No survival suit, no frozen fingers, twelve people. Our nine-year-old loved every minute.

NWNina W. · Hamburg, GermanyWhales up close
★★★★★Heated boat, max 12

The photographer on board changed my settings for the low light and my shots went from grey mush to sharp fins against pink snow. That alone made it worth booking the smaller boat.

DRDaniel R. · Toronto, CanadaWhales up close
★★★★★Cabin cruiser, max 16

Starting at half past nine felt like a luxury after reading about the 5 am buses. We were in flotation suits by ten and on the water soon after. The skipper took us to three spots before we found them: a pod of orcas with a calf and, a little later, two humpbacks diving under the gulls. Then he dropped a hydrophone and the whole cabin went silent to listen. Waffles and hot chocolate on the way back, and we were in a café in town by two.

EHEmma H. · Brisbane, AustraliaWhales up close
★★★★★Cabin cruiser, max 16

High waves all morning, yet I never felt unsafe. The cabin was warm and the windows stayed clear.

GMGiulia M. · Bologna, ItalyWhales up close
★★★★☆Cabin cruiser, max 16

Good crew and a warm boat, but sixteen people is a full deck when everyone runs to one side for a fin. Get a spot by the door so you can step out fast.

KOKevin O. · Dublin, IrelandBlows far off
★★★★★Cabin cruiser, max 16

Brought our twelve-year-old, who is too young for the RIBs. Dervola took her without a second look, gave her a suit that fit, and she spotted the first orca before any of us.

LVLena V. · Rotterdam, NetherlandsWhales up close
★★★★★12-seat RIB

Twelve seats and two crew who clearly know these fjords. The muffin on the pier afterward tasted like a feast. We were staying in Skjervøy, so we booked the no-transfer option and saved the bus fare. Spray in the face at speed, then silence and a humpback rolling past close enough to see the barnacles on its fluke.

MSMichael S. · Austin, USAWhales up close
★★★★☆12-seat RIB

Very cold at speed even with the suit. Bring a neck warmer and real gloves under the mittens.

PJPriya J. · London, UKWhales up close
★★★★★12-seat RIB

I picked this one for the 5.0 and it lived up to it. The skipper read the birds to find the herring, and within half an hour we were drifting with orcas on both sides of the boat, close enough to hear them breathe. He kept the engine off and let them come to us rather than chasing. My only advice: eat a proper breakfast, because three hours in the cold burns through it fast.

HSHenrik S. · Aarhus, DenmarkWhales up close

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Alarm set

Book Arctic Adventure Tours for your whale day

If you are in Tromsø between November and January without a car, we would book this day. One bus ticket gets you to the Skjervøy fjords and back, with a full suit and a crew that has taken more than a thousand guests out.

You can hold a place now and pay nearer the day. Cancelling is free until 24 hours before. Pack breakfast and wool.

~$343

per person · about 12 hours · from Tromsø

GetYourGuide Viator
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later
  • ✓ Return bus from Tromsø included
  • ✓ Flotation suit and cold-weather kit

Good to know

Why the whales come to Skjervøy, and what you are watching

Five minutes of reading makes it far easier to follow the fins and the sudden boil of fish at the surface.

Skjervøy is a small fishing town on an island at about 70° north. For a few winter months its fjords hold one of the richest gatherings of whales on the Norwegian coast, and the reason is a fish, the Atlantic herring.

01A fish that sets the calendar

The herring spawns along the coast in spring and spends the dark months packed into deep northern fjords. In recent winters that has meant the waters around Skjervøy. The exact spot can shift between years, so the trips go wherever the fish is that week. Why the whales come.

02How orcas hunt

The orca, or killer whale, is the largest member of the dolphin family. Norwegian orcas often hunt as a team. They herd herring into a tight ball near the surface, then stun the fish with tail slaps.

Researchers call it carousel feeding. From a boat you see fins circling and gulls diving into the middle.

03The humpbacks join in

Humpback whales feed on the same schools, surging up through a ball of herring with their mouths open. Their tall blows hang in the cold air and their flukes rise as they dive. Fin whales turn up on some days too.

What most people remember is the sound: a humpback breathing out across still water in the blue midday dark.

04Light in the polar night

Around midwinter the sun stays below the horizon this far north. Around midday you still get a few hours of soft blue and pink twilight over the snow, and that is when the boats are out with the whales. The best weeks to go.

05Keeping a respectful distance

The operators on this page say they approach the whales with care and keep their distance. Skua points to ethical whale-watching guidelines on its listing. You help by staying quiet at the rail and keeping drones and flash in your bag. How the boats compare.

06Manners on board

On a RIB, sit where the skipper puts you and hold on when the boat turns. On a cabin boat, give up your spot on the terrace once you have your photos. Who can join has more on the limits each boat sets.

3–4 hA trip from the Skjervøy harbor

160 kmSkjervøy from Tromsø by road

Nov to JanThe core of the herring season

12–16Guests on a harbor boat

Can you fit in the northern lights as well? Our guide Whales at noon, northern lights at night shows how the timings work.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about whale watching in Skjervøy

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does a whale tour in Skjervøy cost?

From the harbor, ~$241 per person for Frozen Frontiers' RIB, ~$279 for Skua Nature's heated boat and ~$284 for Dervola's cabin cruiser. The full day from Tromsø with Arctic Adventure Tours costs ~$343 with the bus. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which Skjervøy whale tour is the best?

From Tromsø without a car, Arctic Adventure Tours' bus and RIB day, which has the most reviews. If you are already in Skjervøy, Frozen Frontiers' RIB has the top score, and Skua's heated boat is the warmest.

Should I start from Tromsø or from Skjervøy?

Start from Tromsø if you have no car and only one day; the bus takes care of the road. Sleep in Skjervøy if you can drive up, want a short trip in a heated boat or have children under 14. Both compared.

When is whale season in Skjervøy?

Roughly November to January, while the herring winters in the fjords. The listings name October to January, and one harbor boat runs into February. The best weeks change from year to year. The season in detail.

How far is Skjervøy from Tromsø?

About 160 km (100 miles), roughly four hours by road; the quickest route usually includes a ferry crossing. In winter that means driving in the dark on snow and ice. The road north and the buses.

Are whales guaranteed on these tours?

No. Orcas and humpbacks are wild and follow the herring, and every listing says sightings cannot be promised. Some trips have a pod feeding beside the boat, while others see only distant blows. What happens if you see none.

What happens if the boat cannot go out?

If the operator cancels for weather, GetYourGuide refunds you in full or you take another date. No listing here offers a free retry if you simply see no whales, so a spare day helps.

Should I choose a RIB or a heated boat?

A RIB puts you at eye level and close, but it is cold and wet and needs you to be 14 or older. A heated boat keeps you warm and steady and takes younger children. The boats compared.

What should I wear?

Start with wool next to the skin and a windproof jacket on top. Add a hat over the ears, and pack two pairs of gloves. The RIB tours and Dervola lend you a flotation suit; on Skua's covered boat you need none. What to wear.

Will I get seasick?

Maybe, if the sea is rough. RIBs bounce and covered boats roll less. Skua advises taking medication about two hours before, and Frozen Frontiers asks people prone to seasickness not to book.

Can children come on a whale tour in Skjervøy?

On the heated boats, yes. Skua sets its minimum at 6, and Dervola's listing names none, so ask about very young children. Both RIB tours need passengers to be 14 and at least 140 cm. Who can join.

Can I see the northern lights on the same trip?

Often, if the sky is clear. A midday trip from the harbor leaves the evening free, and Skjervøy is far from city light. After a 5 am bus day, an aurora chase the same night is tiring. Planning both.

Is there food on the boats?

A snack, not a meal. Skua serves hot drinks and snacks, and Dervola serves a hot drink with waffles. The RIB tours give you a hot drink and a sandwich ashore afterward. On the bus days, bring breakfast.

Can I cancel for free?

Yes, up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide, and you can reserve now and pay later. If the operator cancels for weather, you get your money back.

Read before you travel

Guides to whales in the Skjervøy winter

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.