Whale Watching Rib Experience (With Transfer Tromso-skjervoy)

The bus ride was quite comfortable. The time between leaving the bus and getting on the boat was a bit stressful, but the experience on the water was definitely worth the rush. We came extremely close to many orcas and also saw humpback whales. The ride with the boat itself is also fun. Sadly, we did not have much time to talk to the guides, before the bus left again to get back.

Communication and organization were excellent and profession, but our guide was too careful to stay away from the whales while all other boats were going much closer and getting a much better experience. It was a little underwhelming to be on a bus for hours followed by having to get dressed, get on a boat in the cold and then not being close enough to enjoy the wonderful whales.

Such a bucket list experience, the weather was amazing for sunrise and the Fjords looked beautiful, we saw humpbacks and killer whales and it was so so amazing! Bus transfer from Tromso was also good, early start!

No whales, scam!! I was expecting something more Lmao………..

This was truly most of the most incredible experiences of my life. I’ve seen Humpback whales before in Iceland and off the west coast of Mexico but this experience I won’t forget. The scenery, the landscape, the Orcas and Humpbacks and our skipper was fantastic! A lovely lovely girl who loved it as much as we did! It was 100% worth every penny. The wool clothing the gave to us to layer up on was perfect. Really did help massively.

So many whales couldn’t even count the number we were able to see. Definitely recommend this tour when in Tromso

This tour promises an exceptional whale-watching experience, but in reality it felt more like a logistical operation than a carefully guided adventure. After a four-hour bus ride from to with no breaks, we arrived to stressed guides who passed that pressure directly on to the group. Suit distribution and safety instructions were rushed, rough, and lacked warmth — not the first impression one expects on a long, high-priced tour. The RIB excursion itself was good: stunning Arctic scenery and orcas in the wild. However, going further out made the schedule tight, resulting in a very fast and uncomfortable return. Because of delays, everything afterward felt hurried again — changing, eating, and boarding the bus. The food offering was minimal and carelessly presented, which felt inadequate given the duration and price of the tour. Communication was also lacking, as we were not informed when the bus was ready, causing unnecessary stress and confusion. In the end, the nature and wildlife were outstanding, but the overall organisation fell short. With better pacing, clearer communication, and a more guest-focused approach, this tour could live up to the incredible environment it operates in.

Definitely not a recommended experience. Our skipper, Nadine, didn't warn us that we'd be hit by water and wind in the front row of the dinghy, resulting in our camera equipment dying and all our clothes soaking wet. Furthermore, we were the first to leave the harbor but were then overtaken by all the other boats, resulting in us catching every wave possible. As if that weren't enough, skipper Anna of the second boat told us to leave an email at the end of the experience and she'd send us photos and videos of the experience, so we won't ask anyone else for this. After a week, we haven't received anything except a response from support, who says they no longer have time to dedicate to this. It's like, once you get your money, everyone's happy. I've had two other experiences with Lofoten Openselver, and things didn't go that way at all. Definitely avoid this company.

Based on a trip booked for 30th December I’m writing this review as I sit in a freezing cold room in -6°C in Skjervøy, where our whale watching trip was supposed to take place. Whale watching was the main reason we travelled from Ireland. Our original tour with another company was cancelled due to weather, so I spent all day yesterday trying to find an alternative. Late last night, I found availability with Arctic Explorers for a full package tour (transfers, food, suits, etc.) and paid €750 for myself and my partner. I checked their Instagram and Facebook for cancellation notices — there were none. I also received a “final info” email at 20:20, which gave us every reason to believe the trip was going ahead. We got up at 04:20am, walked to the bus terminal, waited until 05:30am, and boarded the bus. No company representatives were present — just the driver, who had no information. We then endured a four-hour journey to Skjervøy. Upon arrival at around 09:30am, we were told by other tour operators (Green Gold and Dervola Adventures) that our trip had been cancelled due to weather conditions. This was confirmed by the captain working on behalf of Arctic Explorers. Meanwhile, other companies went out on the water despite the supposedly “adverse conditions — there was minimal wind, no active snowfall, and calm water. We were told to sit and wait. We have now been stranded here for hours in freezing temperatures with no food, no water, and no support. I had one apple to eat. By the time we return to Tromsø, it will be close to 6pm — an entire day of our trip completely wasted. When I eventually managed to contact Arctic Explorers, I was told a cancellation email had been sent the night before. I asked for proof. No such email was ever sent. This is an absolute disgrace of a situation and a shocking level of mismanagement. To allow customers to travel four hours into the Arctic only to cancel on arrival, with no communication or care, is unacceptable. Watching other boats head out while we were left stranded was genuinely upsetting. You didn’t just cancel a tour — you ruined a once-in-a-lifetime experience we had waited and saved for.

Very good experience. We saw 3 species of whales. Thr boat is new and sits very nice. Service is very good too of course. 非常好的体验，我们看到了3种鲸鱼，船很新，很平稳，不像有些说的很晃。服务很周全，装备准备很全面，非常值得

The whale watching itself was amazing and got to see many orcas and humpback whales which is what we went for, our boat skipper Nadine was lovely and the scenery stunning but very very cold even though we had layer after layer on, our only issue was the actual process on land and lack of coordination, we booked through viator for this trip and 3 coaches arrived in skjervoy at the same time, we were quickly ordered off the bus by a bolshy lady, quickly checked in and quickly sent to a tiny cold room to get our gear on, tiny cold room with to many people in it which made it difficult to get kitted up as we were all falling over each other, the only toilets were cold horrible porter loos with no light in them which made life hard and they didn’t have many!! Our booking stated we got snacks, tea/coffee and a boxed lunch, we assumed after a 4hr bus trip we would at least get a coffee and pastries but didn’t get anything until we got back later in the afternoon which was a cup of hot blackcurrant and a dry roll!! Really not enough as many of us had been awake since 4.15 as our pickup was 5.15am so take snacks if you’re going, for the amount of people the facilities there are not up to scratch, the only reason for 4 stars is the fact we saw what we paid to see and the skipper was nice, they need to do abit better with making the paying customers abit more relaxed and not rushing so much as I actually felt stressed before I even got on the rib.

The Trip it’s self was amazing we saw many whale’s and the scenery was stunning. However we found the experience leading up to getting on the boat chaotic due to there being 3x coaches all arriving at once. Then rushed off the coaches in to tiny changing rooms, too crowded making it hard to move around to get the equipment on. And felt really rushed!! Not many toilets for the amount of people who booked the trip also no lighting. the facility's were poor. Our trip stated Snacks, Tea,Coffee, box lunch, Instead we had 1x Hot Blackcurrant and 1x Dry bread roll with filling = Poor standard for any trip - If stated on the booking what is included i recommend meeting that requirement!! Overall good trip but food and drink / snack’s total let down!

It was really exciting. We enjoy every minute and we were happy to see a lot of whales. It was cold but we were expect that and they’ve got a lot of warm clothes. Higly recommend!!

This was a really unique and wonderful experience! The bus was very comfortable for our 3 hour drive. Our guide Daniele was was very attentive to everyone’s needs, very sympathetic and managed to ensure an amazing experience. We saw so many orcas, humpback whales and even finwales—it was really a lucky day! The magical colours of the sky and the dull sunlight on the snowy mountains formed a majestic background. We definitely recommend!

Crazy cool experience! We started early with a long bus ride, but the people and our guide were so nice that we always felt safe and happy. We saw so many orcas and humpback whales—it was such a lucky day! Definitely the best money spent for this amazing adventure. They provide a full anti-cold suit, gloves, shoes, and goggles, so you stay completely warm.

Staying in Skjervoy I did the tour on monday and thursday, so without the bus transfer. Monday was as arctic as it gets. Snowy, windy, big waves and a couple of small pods of orca scattered around the entire fjord. Thursday however was full of magic. just a couple of minutes out of skjervoy harbour there where, for hours, countless orca and several whales (mostly the majestic humpback). The magical colours of the sky and the dull sunlight on the snowy mountains formed a majestic background. As good as it gets, and a day I will remember for the rest of my life. We were all very lucky, but my gratitude is endless. You ROCK guys!!

The whale watching is very recommended. My wife and I managed to see orcas and humpback whale. Bring some snacks and drinks during the trip because the trip is about 12 hours for the bus trip and whale watching.

Watching the whales was fantastic. A once in a lifetime experience. But we were provided no changing rooms, no indoor bathrooms, and were rushed to the buses when the adventure was over.

The best experience we had ever, Maybe it can be a little bit longer if possible so we could spent more time with whales. Because we have seen whales and started to breach when we were leaving and it was very hard to say goodbye on the point. Or maybe it is hard all the time. But we are coming back nexst year for sure it is the best experience.

It is a good activity to do if you’ve not experienced it before. however it was very rushed, from the moment we got off the bus we had to quickly queue for portatoilets, put on the suits, and get on the RIB. Upon return it was the same very rushed to get out of the suits and all your things, sandwich provided to take with you on the bus but we almost missed the bus back since they don’t count headcount and there were 3 big buses. On the whale watching I understand our guide’s intention to respect the animals by not going too close, but there were other RIBs that always were closer and ahead thus blocking our views since we could only see the fins. Interesting and very cold and wet experience but do not expect to see much like in the photos unless you’re so lucky that the orca jumps out though we didn’t see that

Such an amazing tour! The drive to Skjervoy was long, but the coach was comfy enough to sleep on. The guides were so helpful and had all the equipment you need to stay warm and mostly dry. We were lucky enough to see Orcas and Humpbacks at feeding time. It was magical! We had whales come right up to our boats and we spent a lot of time being up close with them! We also had a sandwich and hot drink to finish. Would 100% recommend!

It was amazing! We got to see lots of whales. The trip was very nice and our guide very friendly. I would recommend it 100%. Also the price was fair compared with other providers.

Whilst we understand the whales are not guaranteed we do feel a little disappointed because when the Orcas were spotted the boat didn’t stop because they said we needed to continue to different waters. We feel this could have been the opportunity to witness them and missed it because of this. Although they ‘offer’ a ‘free second chance’ there are a number of caveats to this and due to the length of our trip and the next day trip already being cancelled before we left the boat we didn’t have chance to re-book and this was the main reason for our trip here. The firm will know most people are under this time constraint and therefore won’t take them up on this second ‘offer’ so it’s all a bit of an empty promise. The voucher shows food which we didn’t receive and the WiFi didn’t work so overall the trip was disappointing in every way.

Highly recommend. We brought my dad for his 70th birthday and it was the best decision. We loved it. Anna and the other guide were so nice and Informative and did everything to make the experience unforgettable. We seen orcas, baby orcas and humpback whales. It is a once in a lifetime experience and we could not fault artic explorers.

Our recent whale watching tour was an absolutely fantastic day out and a huge success with our family! It was a brilliant mix of education, adventure, and the pure thrill of seeing magnificent marine life up close.

WOW! What an experience we had, the coach transfer to start with is comfortable. Our driver was very happy and pleasant! When we arrived we were greeted by our guides, both of which were very pleasant, friendly and informative. We very swiftly got into our gear and all kitted out for the trip. We saw a pod of orcas and out guide I felt was very respectful in regards to distance Kept from the orcas. We then went off to see what else we could find and came across another pod and humpback whales! The whole experience as a whole was a dream and 100% worth the time and money so Thankyou very much!

Early start but well worth it, the guides knew the area well. Within 10 mins of leaving the harbour we saw a pod of 3 orcas… amazed at that we didn’t realise what was to come. Moving area we saw between 15-20 orcas and some calves plus 3 humpbacked. A Fin Whale was also around but we didn’t see that. 3 hrs in the RIB went very quickly beautiful scenery and the sun made appearance. An awesome day. The team were very knowledgeable, great safety tips, all warm in our suits and a sandwich at then end…

Did not see one single whale or orca for the whole tour. Tour guides blamed it on end of season when asked. Found out on bus home that those on RIB boats run by other tour companies saw LOTS of orca. Company does not offer compensation in any form for not seeing orca - even though there errr lots in the fjord that day they just didn’t find them. Tour company guides were also not very friendly and did not even acknowledge we had not seen orcas. My recommendation is go with another provider.

It was amazing although organization in Skjervoy is a little chaotic. But all 3 guides were super friendly and although it took about 1,5 h to get everybody geared up and on the RIBs we still had plenty of time on the water. It was cold so take the extra layer (woolen sweater from Arctic explorer e.g.)!! But the trip was absolutely worth the money, the long bus trip (but it was super smooth and the driver was very good) and the cold fingers (think about having undergloves or mittens that are touchscreen compatible!) The light and the surrounding landscape was magic, the humpbacks plenty, the fin whale quite near and the Orcas left us speechless. We loved it. And even would have loved it without Orcas. We have seen plenty of humpbacks before and also a fin whale but the scenery was so special and wonderful. Don’t worry, even in Jan when the sun does not rise there is plenty of light around noon time. We had an absolute clear day so it was like on a cloudy day in winter in central europe.

We had a great day. The staff(Katie) was very accommodating with any issues we had and all kit was provided. Got to see Humpbacks and a pod of Orcas towards the end! The staff done a great job finding the whales to show us! Scenery around was also great

We did this tour at the end of December, the bus trip there is all organised and very easy to navigate. Once in Skjervoy we got kitted out in the warm suits which kept us nice and warm throughout the trip. Our guide Katie was very helpful and in very choppy waters navigated our boat very well and kept it very stable for the passengers. We had some great glimpses of Orcas and Humpbacks in very tricky conditions. A lovely hot juice and baguette to finish and again an easy bus route back to Tromso. Highly recommend this experience and would love to do it again. Worth every penny!

Be careful that the bus is not from the organisation itself, so you have to make sure to be on time, you have to find the bus, it won't find you. Once in the bus it takes 3 hours to get to Skjervoy, the views are fantastic, even though it was still dark. When we arrived we got a winter suite, gloves and everything we needed to stay warm. They explain everything very well, the people are kind and really like/know what they do. The boat allowed us to go wherever we thought Orcas or whales might be. It was very nice, we found them both 😁

We had booked this tour way back in February 2024 and chosen this small 12 person RIB over the much larger boat options knowing we would be closer to the action! In the build up to our trip I wondered how we would feel arriving dockside, would the boat be too small, would we feel safe out on the Norwegian Sea and would we ultimately opt not to go out? (Family of 4 with an 11yr old and 14yr old) Needless to say, I can confirm that the RIB option was the correct one and Arctic Explorers were perfect hosts, very knowledgeable and professional throughout! It was a short journey out from the town of Skjervoy with stunning views all round, hopeful that we would catch a glimpse of a whale, little did we know just how many would be out there. We were joined by a Humpback and circa 20 Orcas (and an Eagle!). At no point did we feel unsafe, it was a magical trip and I want to go back and do it all over again! We were there on the 23rd December 2024 and it was cold (as expected). You are provided with all the proper gear to keep warm (floatation suit, woollen socks and super warm boots) but I recommend you have a good hat, gloves and face covering It was clear that the various tour operators make us of the same facilities once you arrive in Skjervoy, my only gripe would be the poor toilet facilities. They are the plastic Portaloo’s that you get at festivals and have no lights. In no way does this detract from the overall experience of course, just make use of toilets on the coach if you can

Absolutely not for everyone in December at -21 C feeling degrees, however, it's a must have experience once in a lifetime. If you want to see the white snowy artctic mountain view, you have to bear with the super low temperature and take the tour, like we did. The negative side of taking the tour on such a cold air is you actually are most likely not gonna be able to take pictures of anything because your hands will be hardly moving due to cold pain and if there is wind, watching around is hard because of the water sprays coming from the waves and blocks the vision. You have to wear the googles to protect your face being from frozen, and those googles lower the vision with the water droplets and the wind. Everyone experienced that. However, whales are there from October on, so taking the tour on couple of months back is also possible with rainy weather and higher temperatures. Mountains would be darker and perhaps green around that time of the year. We went on the tour on a tough weather day of which was super windy, really painfully cold and therefore with lots of waves; it was a true adventure. Our guide was great. The lunch and hot chocolate (they give you powder hot chocolate which is a big minus, they had a building there so it could have been made better) was rushed and you do not have much time to enjoy those because you have to run to the bus (and actually we have waited for the bus in cold for 20 minutes). The lunch was sandwich, they had three options. It was really cheap stuff, so do not expect that you will have a nice lunch.

Such an exhilarating experience. Everything was so well planned and executed: 5 stars to Arctic Explorers for the whole experience. They provide sweaters, socks and wet suits but still, please come fully prepared with the best thermals you have. It's freezing, especially for your fingers and toes, spending 3 hours in the sea chasing whales.

We had the best time on this trip! It is so well organised and everyone was helpful and lovely. We loved being out on the water with only a handful of people. It is definately worth the money. We saw Orcas and Humpback whales even though I was sceptical at first but the crew are great and I doubt there are many days they don't find something for you to see. Just book the tour you wont regret it!!

Felt surreal.. RIB so much fun, Guide awesome, Spectacular scenery but best of all seeing pods of Orcas at water level close enough to hear the water spouting out of their blow holes. Was like being in a documentary.. Amazing

I started planning my trip to Norway last year when I found this tour online, as seeing the orcas have been one of the things I really wanted to experience :) Since then I have been dreaming of being there, looking at all the instagram stories and reviews..so when I was finally there in the middle of the sea looking at those amazing colours in the sky and all the orcas swimming around us, I couldn't believe it :) Such a unique experience! Of course it was cold and I was tired at the end of the day, but soooo happy, I keep looking at my videos and smile :) All the guys from Arctic Explorers are friendly and professional; our guide told us some interesting facts about the orcas and whales while we were searching for them, and he really did his best following them around. The bus transfer from and back to Tromso was quiet and comfortable. If you are thinking of doing this, please do and enjoy :)

Wow! What an absolutely incredible day! Our guide Honza was so knowledgeable and very nice and welcoming. We saw a huge amount of Orca and Humpback Whales and it really was a dream come true! The weather was changeable but it made it all the more of an adventure and we got a real taste of arctic life! We would definitely return! Thankyou for such a memorable experience.

Arctic explorers were a great company to go with they are very ethical and care about the whales, keeping their distance and moving to other spots when boats start to crowd! They give you all the essentials including wool socks and jumpers and a full suit and boots to keep you warm. The transfer was comfy with phone charging points. The seas can be a little rough getting out to the whales but it’s so worth it. Seeing the orcas so close and the humpbacks is an experience you will not forget! Highly highly recommend, you won’t regret it!

Great day out once the time and coaches were confirmed. The guide (Katie) was very knowledgeable and took us on a great tour finding most of the whales we expected to see. Quite a few people were confused about pickup times and locations in the morning, it would have been much easier if just a sign had been put on the coaches front window or the driver announced the destination perhaps?

Would 110% recommend this tour - they don’t have many reviews on here or as many as others on get your guide however after reviewing each company this was the one we went for and they were 10/10. Bus journey - starts at around 5.30am - easy to find large coach, toilets on the coach warm and has chargers - takes about 4 hours to get there, drives through the fjords also. Tip- Take something to eat/snack just before you get there Toilets when you get to harbour just before you get changed and sized up - get a floatation suit, goggles, mittens, woolly jumper, boots, life jackets and socks - would recommend these on-top of layers you already have on - with these added on wasn’t anywhere near as cold as I thought I was going to be Rib boat - was way smoother than what I thought, even if the sea is rough was ideal, didn’t get as wet as I thought. Seen within 5 mins big pods of orcas then throughout the day loads of orcas, large pods of humpback whales, large pod of fin whales - they made sure you seen so much was ideal. Coming back to harbour get changed get a choice of baguette - salmon, egg and ham and cheese was the choice was good. Bring some water/drinks with you for the coach back. Crew was 10/10 would 100% book again

A scenic 4 hour drive to Skjervoy where we were given the floatation suits and kit. Onto the rib boat, in excellent conditions I must say. Katie was our skipper who was nice and knowledgable. We were quickly greeted with both Fin whale and Orca soon after leaving the dock. We must have seen more than 70 orca and 15 fin whale. Do take all the layers possible as it’s very cold at sea. We then headed back towards Skjervoy in the hope to see humpback, and indeed we then saw two. The lighting was beautiful which just created the most atmospheric photos of the whales in the fjords. An amazing trip and could t have wished for more. I just used my iPhone for pics, I would recommend smartphone gloves and/or hand warmer.

This was one of the e best experiences of my life!! The bus ride from Tromso to Skjervøy was very comfortable. We were given appropriate gear to keep us warm during the excursion. Saw so many whales. I wouldn’t change anything about it!

Long road trip but certainly worth it :-) The crew was VERY professional and we were lucky to follow multiple pods of orcas. At some point it was almost "overwhelming" as it felt like there were too many of them to track and film at the same time. The grand finale was finding to massive humpback whales... My child was thrilled! This was truly magic and much more impressive and successful than my previous whale watching trips in Australia and in Quebec (Canada)

I can't actually rate the experience, because i never got to go. We had booked the trip thru viator for friday morning, and we got up early to get to the bus, but after waiting for 30 minutes with no bus showing we called Arctic explorer directly, who told us that the trip was cancelled yesterday at noon. So we were 4 people standing and waiting, that hadn't been told. We ended up wasting our morning figuring out what to do then, and because we were the last ones to know about the cancelation, there was no availibility for any boats the next day. We still weren't told who was at fault. If it was viator who didn't tell us or if it was arctic explorer who hadn't informed them.

Just the most amazing experience, the drive up had the most stunning scenery. The rib boat was fantastic, even without the whales would have been stunning but watching the orca in the fjords was a once in a lifetime adventure.

Efficiently organised bus tour up to Sjervoy and warm clothes/boots fit. Being lucky with the weather, we enjoyed a wonderful time cruising the fjord with a good number of orca pods and humpbacks seeing’s. AE is both respectfully approaches the wildlife and serving their guests an unforgettable experience.

Great trip & experience...although the lengthy drive from Tromso. Orka's and humbacks arrived in the fjord following the haring. Being on the RIP, gives the opportunity to see them pretty close.