24hr Northern Lights & Whale Watching Cruise

We had an amazing adventure on this whale watching and northern lights chase. We spotted a humpback and a giant pod of 16 orcas. We learned so much and the guides were so knowledgeable. I’d book this tour 10 times over if I could!

On 23 January we went on a 24h cruise with Norwegian travel. We were looking for an authentic experience combining different unique experiences in the far north. After a smooth check-in we enjoyed a delicious dinner with Norwegian salmon. While sailing in the night the northern lights became very bright thanks to having no ligt pollution and a bright night. In the morning we woke up between the fjords, magical! Next mission: spotting whales. Later in the morning we saw multiple sperm whales. The guides, Jana and Eline, were very helpful in explaining their behavior and later on the way back with a nice lecture. This was by far the best experience we had during our trip to Tromsø.

We took this trip at the end of the season. We knew that we would be lucky to see whales and the lights due to the weather and the season for the whales. We really enjoyed it. The lights were incredible and the knowledge from the team about the science behind them was amazing. We did manage to see some sperm whales not orca but the crew did all they could to ensure we saw something. Really brilliant trip. Food was amazing and the whole thing was hugely professional.

Amazing experience, our guides Lucia and Jana were fantastic, they knew their stuff and their enthusiasm made our experience even more amazing, the crew were lovely, we saw the lights & sperm whales and the scenery was stunning.

This one night cruise with Norwegian Travel was absolutely incredible from start to finish. Huge praise to the captain and the entire crew, who were professional, attentive and clearly very experienced. We were even able to enter the bridge, and the crew were happy to answer any questions we had, which made the experience feel even more special and engaging. The rooms were spotless, comfortable and very well maintained. Cleanliness was excellent and made staying onboard relaxing and enjoyable. A special thank you to our guides, Jana and Lucia, who were outstanding. They were knowledgeable, passionate and always happy to share insights, answer questions and make sure everyone had the best possible experience. The scenery in Norway was simply breathtaking. We arrived late in January and were fortunate enough to see the Northern Lights on both days, which was truly magical. We also had the unforgettable experience of seeing sperm whales, something I will never forget. The absolute highlight of the trip was waking up to the morning view of the glacier from the boat. It was a quiet, powerful and awe inspiring moment that alone made the journey worth it. Even though it was just one night, this cruise felt like a once in a lifetime experience. We hope to be onboard MV Quest again and with a larger group.

From the moment we boarded Lucia, Jana and the rest of the crew looked after us and made us feel so welcome! The cabin was clean and well appointed, food was delicious and plentiful and the ship was easy to safely navigate. We were so so lucky with our Northern Lights experience and saw sperm and orca whales along with breathtaking sun rise and sunsets. The hosts made sure that they altered the schedule to suit whale watch and northern lights so that we saw as much as possible and provided very insightful lectures about the science and myths behind this incredible part of the world. A truly once in a lifetime experience. We highly recommend this trip. :-)

Amazing trip! Saw sperm whales, Orcas, incredible northern lights and just all around amazing views! The guides were very informative and friendly, the food plenty and yummy! All in all a 10/10 experience!

It’s may see expensive, but to my senses it is worth, 24 hours, all meals and unlimited coffee and cookies, northern lights and whale watching and one night stay with nice room and excellent crew on board.

This is one of the best things to do with your life. .the crew the food everything was outstanding 👏 👌. From the get go it was out standing well done all of you

Amazing super nice crew! The guides are also super nice and so knowledgeable! I would reccomend 10/10 experience, thank you

Had the most amazing time on this trip. We were lucky enough to see spectacular northern lights for most of the night. All the staff onboard were incredibly attentive and made our time onboard so special from the restaurant team to the crew on deck. Waking up in a beautiful fjord and looking up at a stunning glacier was unforgettable. We were the only boat out early in the morning, which meant we had breathtaking views and an abundance of wildlife all to ourselves. The crew were fantastic at spotting orcas and humpback whales which came up close to the boat. The guides were absolutely incredible, consistently going above and beyond to ensure we had an unforgettable experience. They were also extremely knowledgeable about everything from the wildlife to the northern lights. Truly a once in a lifetime experience!

Joined the Bucket List Tour on 11-12 January as part of a family holiday. What an awesome experience. The guides were so informative and passionate about their topics - northern lights and whales. They certainly went above and beyond to ensure we didn’t miss a viewing opportunity. The food and service was fabulous and the boat was so stable. Highly recommend the cruise.

11th January 2026 Brilliant Trip, Wonderful Guides with heaps of passion about the Northern Lights & Whales. Being on site first thing in the morning to be the only boat with the whales before the day tripers is worth the trip aline. Quiet boat with great Crew, Food & Service. Well worth the trip. Thanks to all on board.

Amazing trip with a friendly crew. The guides were super helpful pointing out northern lights and whales. Saw orcas, humpback whales, finn whales and iridescent jellyfish! The views were amazing, and the fjords were quite simply breathtaking (also got to see a glacier). Nice amenities, with comfortable rooms and nice in-room bathrooms! The food was tasty. Would absolutely recommend!!

We had an incredible expedition braving the arctic sea, curving through the fjords, spying into the waves for whales. Our guides, Lucia and Yana, were extremely knowledgeable and drew us in immediately. Their sense of humor and immense passion for the wildlife and northern lights helped us gain a new level of appreciation for nature. The entire crew was generous and welcoming. We couldn’t have found a better way to spend our last day in Tromso. It was truly a lovely, lifelong memory.

Me and my friend had a really nice trip. We got to see the beautiful northern lights, jellyfish and three different types of whales. Really recommend it!

An absolutely amazing whale and orca watching tour in Tromsø – truly a bucket list experience. Even though we didn’t see the Northern Lights due to the weather, we were incredibly lucky with wildlife: around 100 orcas and several humpback whales swimming close to the boat. Great organization, comfortable boat, excellent food, and very knowledgeable crew. The onboard lectures about whales, marine life, and the Arctic made the trip even more special. Highly recommended – an unforgettable experience!

We took the New Year's Eve cruise as a family. It was truly a unique experience that we would highly recommend. Our tour first took us to a fjord, where we sailed through a thin layer of ice before heading back towards Tromsø to admire the New Year's fireworks from the ship. On the way back, we saw the first northern lights, and during the night we saw more. In the morning, we stood at the end of the Jøkelfjord with a glacier peak directly in front of us. That alone was very impressive, but after a short drive we were lucky enough to see several pods of whales, more than 50 animals swimming around us for several hours. It was a moment I will never forget, and I was moved to tears. On the way back to Tromsø, we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights again. In addition to the breathtaking nature and animals, the consistently friendly staff must be highlighted. It was an experience we will never forget. Highly recommended.

We had an absolutely wonderful time on this trip. The skies were clear, and even though we didn’t see the northern lights, it was still a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We saw so many orcas that we hardly knew where to look, and it was incredible to also witness humpback whales feeding on the same fish as the orcas. I highly recommend this trip—it truly deserves a spot on anyone’s bucket list. The staff on the boat were incredibly friendly and went out of their way to accommodate all of our wishes. The guides were knowledgeable and approachable, and it was clear they were experts in their fields. Having two specialists on board—one focused on the northern lights and one on wildlife—meant that no question went unanswered. Although the ride was a bit bumpy at times due to the waves, it was still one of the best experiences of my life. If I could, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

If you booked a day trip like many other tourists do, you might want to reconsider. By unfortunate chance we had to reschedule our holiday and came across this cruise as an alternative for separate northern light tour and whale watching tour. It was in all ways a fantastic experience; the cruise, the very friendly service of the crew, the facilities on board, the food, very friendly and knowledgeable guides and above all: the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. From watching the northern lights in an intimate setting among the fjords, to waking up the next day and being in an almost magical bay all alone and in complete tranquility. All accompanied by interesting and entertaining lectures by the guides. This is not a mass tourist cruise, care was taken for every aspect of our experience. The price might scare you off, but considering the fact that you have a unique stay over (consider the pricy hotels in Tromso), it includes dinner, breakfast and lunch - all of a high standard yet still accessible for our teenagers - and brings you to unique locations you won’t see with many standard offerings, this cruise provides a high value for money.

Booked this tour last minute and did not regret a second doing it. Weather was not on our side in the morning but we still trusted the process and the weather changed beautifully in minutes to the most beautiful scenery with hundreds of Orcas and Whales feeding themselfs. We also saw a stromg northern lights on the way back to Tromsø! Thank you!

Thank you so much Eline and Carolin for your explainations and heartwarming smiles all along, perfectly explained everything we had to know and managed to get us insane catch of whales and orcas

Awesome experience! Great opportunity to see northern lights, whales, and glacier. You wake up amongst the whales before any other tours arrive. Guides were very knowledgeable and food was incredible. Saw countless whales diving, swimming, spy hopping for hours. Very comfortable, well fed, and overall a very unique experience.

You get cruise experience, whale watching, aurora hunting, accommodation and food in a package that is in my opinion even cheaper than if you book all of these things separately. The experience of seeing whales in the arctic fjords is amazing, and the guides and staff super nice.

Wonderful cruise, we had the pleasure to see northern lights and whales (orcas AND humpbacks). The guides were really friendly and gave lectures about these topics that were interesting. The crew and captains made everything for us to enjoy the trip and facilitate the seeing of whales. The rooms were spacious enough (even in not superior) and the restaurant offered 3 options for every starters, meals and desserts (some are gluten free and / or vegetarian). There are free self-service hot drinks available. As a special for new year's eve, we could enjoy the fireworks from the boat with a free glass.

This was the best travel experience I have ever experienced. Off the scale. The scenery was breathtaking. The Northern lights was incredible and the whale watching was mesmerising. All staff was phenomenal and the two guides were incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and very friendly. I will never forget this experience

Absolutely fantastic trip from start to finish. The whale watching was off the scale - groups of orcas including young visible at close quarters for hours of the trip in the morning, also groups of humpbacks - saw whales breech, swim backwards, sleeping, diving, bobbing - truly incredible views throughout. The cabin was comfortable, food good and the staff first class on both knowledge via 3 lectures given. Although we weren’t able to see the Northern Lights due to poor weather, observing large groups of whales up close was an unforgettable experience. Absolutely recommend if you can.

This was an absolutely fantastic 24 hours! A huge thank you to our passionate guides, Jana and Toine, for their engaging and informative lectures on the northern lights and whales. We’re also incredibly grateful to the entire crew for their exceptional service and genuine kindness. Waking up alone in the middle of a feeding frenzy with orcas and humpback whales was truly breathtaking, and the surrounding mountains were both peaceful and stunning. Unlike the day trips, we were able to spend hours alone with the whales before other boats even reached the water, which made the experience incredibly special. We enjoyed delicious three-course meals and stayed in comfortable, cozy cabins. This is an experience you absolutely don’t want to miss!

We saw so many orcas and humpback whales, it was awesome! The crew is amazing, food is delicious and the explanation of everything were the best one we ever had. It was an unforgettable lifetime experience, thank you! Mayra and Benito - Duo Por Aí

Wonderful experience! We were very lucky to see soooo many whales - at least 20 humpback whales, many pods of orcas, some very tiny orca calves and a few fin whales. Very nice and serviceminded crew on board and the guides, Toine and Jana, were amazing - so professional and inspiring with their knowledge and experience. We absolutely recommend you to go on this tour

We can't say enough good things about the staff and their dedication to not only providing a great whale watching and northern lights viewing (where at all possible and we got to see both), but also education around both. It seemed unique in that you're doing whale watching without other boats around first thing in the morning since it's an overnight.

A once in a lifetime experience for us. In 24 hours we saw the Northern Lights 3x, so many pods of Orca whales very close to the ship and a Fin whale farther away. The room was comfortable and the food delicious. Staff always friendly and enjoyed the educational lectures. It is expensive but very worth the experience we got

This 24 hour cruise exceeded our expectations in every way. We saw the most beautiful northern lights which were extremely clear and bright as we sailed away from the light pollution of Tromsø. Waking up next morning at the bottom of a beautiful fjord we just after breakfast saw the first Humpback whales. For the next almost 3 hours we saw multiple pods of Orcas; curious males close up and families with babies, and also many more Humpbacks. It was beyond words! Thank you to our fabulous and knowledgeable guides, great food from the galley, and outstanding service and attention from the crew!

The best experience ever. We got to see plenty of whales from a very close distance. We saw humpbacks , orcas and even fin whales which are apparently very rare to spot. We even could hear the sounds they were making .The crew were very friendly and helpful . The guides were very knowledgable and really exited about their work. We saw northern lights 3 times during 24 hours. I travelled with a teenage daughter and she was so happy and exited to see all this.

Amazing 24h cruise! Very friendly, welcoming, professionell and compassionate crew. The tour guides gave very informative lectures about whales and Northern lights. The whole atmosphere on board is relaxed and you felt like you were on an expedition with the crew/team. Best of all we got to see many, many Orcas, hump- and even fin whales! And then the Northern lights showed. This cruise is highly recommended. Because it leaves Tromso in the evening, you wake up in a calm, majestic fjord with no other boats around. It is breathtakingly beautiful!

What a breathtaking 24 hours we spent on board! From boarding under the Northern Lights (the best ones I’ve seen this season), to spotting Jupiter and its moons… from the first humpbacks and pods of orcas to the young orcas playing, swimming on their backs and showing off for us, a bit of spyhopping, and even a white-tailed eagle flying above us, it was magic from beginning to end. Thank you to the whole crew for making this day truly unforgettable, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And a special thanks to our amazing captain Michał, the best guides ever Jana & Toine, and the great company of Daniel the photographer 🥰 We’ll definitely be coming back.

What an experience this was! After doing my research and seeing where it would be best to see Orcas in the wild this trip sounded amazing. My mum booked for my 40th and it didn’t disappoint from start to finish. Our tour guides Toine and Lucia were fabulous and very knowledgeable with their areas of expertise. I loved how passionate they both were about their jobs. The northern lights came out for us on the evening we set sail and we woke up in the morning to the most amazing views and not to mention the Orcas. They put on an amazing show for us we were the only boat there first thing as most other expeditions travel in the morning so we had them all to ourselves. We captured multiple behaviours from them (spying, jumping, moonwalking) we were also luckily enough to hear them communicating. We saw three pods coming together I couldn’t believe my eyes there must have been 60+ orcas including a new baby. Not only that but we also witnessed double figures humpbacks this was a rare sight and the captain allowed us to stay slightly longer so we could see the humpbacks. The staff on the ship are lovely and can’t do enough for you. I ate like a queen whilst being on board it was delicious. I would highly recommend this over night trip - I will be back. Thanks everyone for a truly magical experience I will never forget. Jen

On arrival at Tromso airport, the night before our trip on the Quest, I switched on my phone to find an email saying our trip was cancelled due "adverse weather" having done a lot of sailing I checked the marine forecast and frankly I have had bigger swells in the bath. Now we had to find another hotel night and a whale trip. Next morning we went to Norwegian travel who were vague about the cancelation said "it is Norway the weather can be bad", I suspect it was either lack of sales or technical issue on the boat. They booked us on another day trip to the same whale grounds leaving the next morning (strange how that one potentially could go but the bigger boat could not). On arrival at the boat, we found out through a third party (no email or staff on hand) that it was also cancelled due "adverse weather" luckily another boat parked nearby had capacity and was going so all passengers boarded it. We had a fabulous time saw lots of Orca and some Humpback and the weather was fine. It has since taken me nearly three weeks to get my refunds after the threat of legal action. My advise is use a ship called MS Gabrielle 2 (through get your guide), very reliable, crew brilliant and saved us a wasted trip to Tromso

Unbelievable experience! The tour guides were very knowledgeable and passionate and provided great insight into what we were seeing. The wildlife was incredible!!! We got to see some very acrobatic and talkative orcas as well as double digit humpbacks! The food was delicious and the accommodations were spacious and comfortable. Highly recommend!

Frida and Eline, are exciting guides. We have seen a lot of whales. Thanks for this amazing day. 2/12/2025. The beverage were delicious.

Knowledgable guides gave informative talks on Northern Lights and whales, food good, cabins comfortable. Unfortunately overcast so no northern lights, but whale watching for 3.5hrs was exceptional. So so many orcas, as well as humpback and fin whales. We went for the whales so we were thrilled.

The Bucket List Tour was one of the best experiences of my trip. Jana and Toine are incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. From watching the northern lights at night, to waking up with a breathtaking glacier view, and then seeing whales—it was absolutely unforgettable!

This was an amazing tour! The guides ( Lucia and Toin) are the most passionate hosts you could ask for! The food was amazing too! It's quite expensive, but if you think what you are getting ( accommodation, full board and two bucket list tours) for the price, it's actually a pretty good deal!

We had an amazing time onboard MV Quest. We started the journey leaving a cloudy Tromsø, but after an hour of sailing we saw some of the most amazing lights I have seen here in Tromsø! In the morning we was surrounded with whales for over 3 hours!! The crew onboard was very friendly, and the food was also very nice. Big thanks to the guides Jana and Alex! Can highly recommend. It’s definitely worth the price.

Highly recommend this for your bucket list. So much in 24 hours. Northern Lights, orcas, humpback whales, sea eagles, amazing scenery and light, good food and comfortable. Highly knowledgeable experts on board, we got to see it all. Well worth it!

Still my favourite thing to do in Tromso. Amazing way to combine northern lights hunt and then waking up with the whales outside your cabin.

By far the most amazing way to experience the beauty of the Arctic - we saw magical northern lights, breaching humpbacks and 30+ orcas, and got to listen to very interesting presentationd by guides Jana and Toine. The whole crew was very attentive, the atmosphere with the select group of guests was cozy, and the food was incredible. You get to spend much more time than other excursions do with the whales, most of the time without other boats. The guides wake you up (if you want) when the northern lights show up, so you don’t have to wait in the cold and stay up all night. This 24 hour trip will stay in my memory forever.

This is by far he best thing to do (it all) when in Tromsö. It combines comfortable travel by ship to remote spots, great food, the Northen Light and great whale whatching in the glacierfjörd. We were warmly welcomed by the crew and got a delicious 3 course diner. Then a lecture was given about the Northern Light and subsequently the Northern Light turned up itself. The next morning we woke up in serene and totally quiet Glacierfjord and saw circa 50 orca's, 10 Humpbacks (1 breaching 5 times). The small group of very interested travellers, the 'slow' yet very suitable pace of the whole trip, yet the non stop encountering of whales for over 3 hours, the great respect of the captain by calmly approaching the whales, the short lectures and great food on board made this expedition really like the bucketlist trip coming true. A big hand towards all the staff of the ship and the guides!

An absolutely incredible, bucket list whale watching tour. The crew were fabulous; made us feel so welcome and well looked after and we left feeling like friends. Food was delicious and we never went hungry! Room was super comfy and cosy with en-suite shower, toilet and sink. We were woken at 1.30am (can be requested) to watch the sensational northern lights, then woke in the morning to a delicious breakfast followed by coffee on the deck while watching orcas and humpback whales. A once in a lifetime experience that we could not recommend enough! If it’s on your bucket list you will not get better than Norwegian Travel. They were perfect.