What a whale safari in Tromsø costs
Two hundred dollars buys you a seat on a big boat for a whole day at sea. Another hundred or more buys a smaller group, a closer view or the bus ride to Skjervøy. The whales are the same; what changes is how many people share the rail and what is waiting for you on board.
The six tours on our comparison page
These are the "from" prices in the listings in October 2026, in US dollars, for the cheapest option of each tour. The operators price in Norwegian kroner, so the dollar figure moves with the exchange rate as well as with the date. Several boats also run discounts on some days. Read the table as a guide, not a price list.
| Tour | From | Length | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid-electric boat | ~$196 | 7–9 h | Big boat for 100+, heated saloons, Wi-Fi, tap water; food for sale |
| High-speed catamaran | ~$196 | 8 h | Coffee, tea, seasickness tablets, whale talk, free second tour |
| Fast catamaran, our pick | ~$217 | 7.5 h | Max 90 guests on 147 seats, free hot drinks, free repeat without whales |
| All-inclusive, max 50 | ~$235 | 8 h | Thermal suits, lunch, snacks, hot drinks, smaller group |
| Skjervøy RIB safari | ~$334 | 12.5 h | Bus both ways, 3 h on an open RIB, suits and boots, sandwich |
| Heated boat, max 12 | ~$383 | 12 h | Bus both ways, 3–3.5 h on a covered boat, nature guide, photo tips |
Around two hundred dollars on the big boats
The cheapest way to the whales is on one of the large catamarans that sail from the harbor. Brim's hybrid-electric boat at ~$196 and Rødne's high-speed catamaran at ~$196 sit at the bottom of the range, and both are sometimes listed closer to $218 on busy dates. For that you get seven to nine hours on a warm boat with a lounge, a guide on the microphone and toilets, but very different extras.
Rødne includes coffee, tea, seasickness tablets and a free second tour if you see no whales. Brim includes tap water and Wi-Fi, and sells pastries, sandwiches and soup; what you pay extra for there is the quiet, because the boat switches to an electric motor near the whales. Neither includes food, so a family of four can easily add fifty dollars at the kiosk.
What the extra twenty dollars buys on our pick
Our pick, the fast and comfortable catamaran at ~$217, costs a little more than the two big boats above. The difference is space and time. The operator sells no more than 90 of its 147 seats, so you always have a seat inside and a place at the rail, and the day is the shortest of the boats from town, seven and a half hours from 8:30 am. Hot drinks cost nothing all day, and a free trip on another date covers you if the whales stay down. Food is still your job.
Room at the rail for ~$217
The fast catamaran boards beside the Prostneset terminal, is back around 4 pm and cancels for free up to 24 hours before.
Why the all-inclusive boat costs ~$235
The Polar Adventures safari at ~$235 is the only big-boat day where you can arrive with nothing but warm clothes. Thermal suits, lunch, snacks, cookies and hot drinks are in the price, and the boat takes at most 50 guests. It aims to reach the whales before any other boat and to stay with them for up to two and a half hours. If you would otherwise rent a suit and buy lunch on board, the gap to the cheaper boats shrinks to almost nothing. One oddity to check when you book is that the small print also mentions lunch for sale on board.
Paying for Skjervøy: the RIB and the heated boat
The two most expensive tours both drive you north to Skjervøy by bus, so a good part of the price is eight hours of transport. The open RIB safari at ~$334 includes the bus, a flotation suit, boots, goggles and mittens, about three hours at sea and a hot drink with a sandwich afterwards. The heated boat for twelve at ~$383 swaps the open RIB for a covered cabin with a deck, adds a nature guide and photographers, and keeps the group tiny. Per hour with the whales, both are closer in value to the big boats than the headline price suggests. RIB or big boat weighs the trade-offs.
What is rarely in the price
- Food. Only Polar Adventures includes lunch. Pack a proper lunch for the others, or budget for the kiosk.
- Warm clothing. Suits come only with Polar Adventures and the RIB tours. If you own no serious winter gear, renting in town costs extra. What to wear has the list.
- Seasickness tablets. Rødne hands them out; on the other boats, buy them at a pharmacy in town before the trip. Our seasickness guide explains when to take them.
- Getting into town from Breivika. If your ship docks at the outer quay, add a taxi at both ends, often before the ship's own shuttle runs.
- Tips. Never required in Norway, but a few dollars for a crew that found you orcas in a snowstorm is always welcome.
Cheaper than the ship's excursion?
Usually, but compare carefully. A whale safari sold by your cruise line costs more, but the ship waits if the boat is late, and that is worth something on a tight call. A tour you book yourself is cheaper and often in a smaller group, yet missing all-aboard is your problem alone. Check the price the ship quotes against the six here, and read our cruise guide before you decide. If the whales stay away, the second-chance policies also change the real cost of the day.