Getting to Skjervøy from Tromsø
Why the bus exists
The whales are wintering around Skjervøy and Kvænangen, which is north-east of Tromsø and a long way from it. You can either sail there and back, which is what the big boats from the harbour spend their seven to nine hours doing, or you can drive to the water’s edge and get in a small boat that is already in the right fjord. The bus is the price of being close. Four hours on a bus is four hours on a bus, and no amount of Wi-Fi changes that.
The three departures, and where they start
The open-RIB day
Boarding outside the Scandic Ishavshotell at Fredrik Langes gate 2 from 04:45. The bus leaves at 05:00 sharp. Four hours north, about three hours at sea in a 34-foot open RIB, four hours back. Minimum age 14 and minimum height 140 cm; not suitable for pregnant travellers or anyone with back problems. The review page goes through the day properly.
The small-group RIB day
Meets at Prostneset bus terminal, Samuel Arnesens gate 5, ground floor behind the Magic Ice bar. Arrive by 05:20; departure is 05:30. Bus to Skjervøy and back, with 2.5 to 3 hours on a RIB carrying between four and twelve people. Minimum height 140 cm and maximum weight 120 kg. Details on the review.
The heated-boat day
Also meets at Prostneset bus terminal, Samuel Arnesens gate 5. Look for the red bus marked “Whale Route Skjervøy” on the bus platforms. At the far end, guides meet the first stop, which is marked with a Skua flag, and walk passengers to the second stop near the Maritim Hotel and the Kystrutekai pier. The coach is air-conditioned with Wi-Fi, toilets and USB charging, four hours each way, and the vessel is a covered, heated premium boat rather than a RIB. Read the review.
Take a seat on the left going north if you want the fjord side, and take it early. The bus is dark, most people sleep the first two hours, and the person who boards last gets the seat by the toilet. Boarding opens before departure for a reason — use it.
What the day actually feels like
You get up at something like four in the morning in a town where the sun will not rise. You walk to a bus stop in the dark. You cross a mountain road in the dark, doze, and wake up somewhere with snow banked higher than the windows. Then you are put on the water for the only usable light of the day, roughly 09:00 to 14:00 of blue twilight, and it is the reason the photographs from up here look the way they do. Then you do the road again with the aurora sometimes going off over the roof of the bus. It is a long day and it is not a soft one.
If that description makes you tired rather than excited, take a boat day from Tromsø harbour instead. Nobody is scoring you on this. The comparison is on RIB versus big boat and the warm options are on big boat tours.
Practical things people forget
- Eat before you board. A hot drink and something to eat is included on these trips, but the first food comes hours in. What each one gives you is on what is included.
- Dress for the boat, not the bus. Thermal suits are handed out at the far end; what you wear underneath is your problem. See what to wear.
- Take the tablets before you leave town. Seasickness remedies work in advance, not in retrospect — the seasickness page is blunt about this.
- Check the age and height limits before booking. Two of the three publish them, and they are firm. See going with children.
The Skjervøy day without the open boat
If the road is fine but the open RIB is not, this is the compromise: the same twelve hours and the same fjords, with 3 to 3.5 hours of cruising on a covered, heated boat with a captain and a nature guide. It rates 4.7 from 261 reviews at the time of writing, which is the smallest sample of the six and worth weighing as such.
All three Skjervøy days
Highest ratedTromsø: Skjervøy RIB Whale Watching Tour
Small RIB groupsFrom Tromsø: Whale Watching in Magic Skjervøy
Warm all dayTromsø: Orca and Whale Watching Heated Boat Trip
Frequently asked questions
How far is Skjervøy from Tromsø?
About four hours by road in each direction, which is why every Skjervøy whale tour sold in Tromsø is a twelve-hour day. The coaches run with Wi-Fi, toilets and, on one of the three, USB charging. What you get at the far end is 2.5 to 3.5 hours on the water — the three products are on the Skjervøy page.
What time do Skjervøy whale tours leave Tromsø?
Early. The open-RIB day boards outside the Scandic Ishavshotell from 04:45 and leaves at 05:00 sharp. The small-group RIB day meets at Prostneset bus terminal by 05:20 for a 05:30 departure. The heated-boat day also meets at Prostneset. All of it happens in the dark — see polar night.
Is the Skjervøy trip worth eight hours on a bus?
It is if being close to the animals matters more to you than being comfortable, and if a twelve-hour day does not wreck the rest of your trip. The RIBs are the coldest and the best-rated of the six. If you are undecided, the honest weighing-up is on is it worth it.