Tours and Tickets
Tromso Whale Safari by RIB
3.5

Tromso Whale Safari by RIB

By Best Arctic
About

Ages 12-99
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket


  • Hot coffee, tea and biscuits
  • Knowledgeable English-speaking guide
  • Safety equipment
  • Scenic transport by RIB and sometimes also catamaran
  • Thermal winter suit, boots and googles
What's not included
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities


Start:
  • Vaagnes, Vaagnes, Tromso, Troms, Northern Norway
Pickup details
  • Location Name: Radisson Blu Hotel Return Location: The tours ends in the harbour, approximately 200 meters from Radisson Blu.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6723WHALERIB

    • Depending on weather conditions and the skipper's assessment, this tour can be split in two with part by RIB and part by catamaran, with the exchange taking place at sea.
    • Minimum age is 12 years
    • This tour is subject to favourable weather conditions. If cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
    • Warm winter clothes including a warm jacket, hat, gloves and warm boots are recommended
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6723WHALERIB

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Best Arctic
      1,166
      Tromso, Norway
      Joined in February 2013
    • David W
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Must do excursion on your Tromso visit.
      Very enjoyable minibus tour lasting over five hours giving us maximum opportunity to see the Northern Lights. Our tour guide Anastasia and driver Andreas were both very friendly and informative. Nothing was too much trouble for them from taking photographs to preparing the camp fire on the beach on our third and final stop. We were so lucky with the weather and blessed to see the spectacular Northern Lights..A must do excursion on your visit to Tromsø.
      Written 15 March 2024
    • umasrikanth18
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Nice tour
      Wonderful and funny guide, very knowledgeable. Rekha is the best. We had a lovely time with everyone. Though we could see partial northern lights but the tour was good.. Thanks Arctic Tours ..
      Written 15 March 2024
    • GroovyRhino
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Authentic, great fun!
      For a tourist trip, with multiple coaches arriving throughout the day, they did an incredible job of keeping this authentic. From great information from enthusiastic staff, to a fireside lunch and the fantastic husky ride, it really was an amazing way to spent a few hours. A must do if you if are considering something like this, couldn't fault it.
      Written 10 March 2024
    • 777haifaa
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Best Arctic company worst experince and a life example of dissapoitment
      Worst company i delt with with zero customer satisfaction and they only care about the money. I had booked two trips on the same day with the promise that the 1st trip finishes by 5 or 6. Hence the 2nd trip was a private tour for the aurora hunt and starts by 7:30 pm. We finished the first trip and returned to tromso by 6:40 as we were late by best arctic and one meber from my group got really sick. Henc, i went online to search for an emergency number and couldnt find any. The next day i went to the office and told best arctic about the situation, and without any hesitation or consideration they told us to contact the ensurance for a refund. They didnt offer any reschedule nor refund; noting thay we paid 19,000 NOK. When I told them that we couldnt find an emergency number; they said you should call the land line. The private tour for aurora hunt was made just one day prioir and the cancelation policy gave us 48 hours gap; this made us fall in a gray area due to short term arrangment. To our surprise we were not compensated nor satisfied and we paid a fortune for this trip. My advice dont go for big names when organizng your trips as we were told that best arcyic were the best and in reality and based on our experience they were lower than expected. They only care about money.
      Written 6 March 2024
    • Minion71
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience
      This was our first time snowmobiling and we had a really good time! The views are incredible and all three of our guides (Mike, Pablo and Ludvig) were great. I was nervous but they encouraged me to try driving and I'm very glad that I did, so special thanks to them.
      Written 5 March 2024
    • M9401ZXkurtd
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Unique Experience
      It was a long 2.5 hour ride to the Finnish Border. Our Guide Georgios tryed hard and we finally found the Northern Lights. Thank you!
      Written 4 March 2024
    • CRE19
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Unbelievably brilliant!
      What a sensational experience. Loved every second of it, and memories to last a lifetime. Very special indeed! Very happy that the dogs are cared for very well and love the job they are doing!
      Written 1 March 2024
    • andrewnK871HW
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A great trip
      Wow! The best thing we did during our stay in Tromso. Lucky with the weather. After driving explanations my daughter and I were in charge of our own sled and 6 eager huskies. The snow was slick and the dogs enjoyed it as much as we did. Out over a frozen lake with beautiful views for an hour. Amazing! But you do need to be reasonably fit and keep your wits about you!
      Written 29 February 2024
    • sarahlZ3091EA
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Exhilarating adventure in the snow
      A fabulous experience. The place and staff were very professional and we were provided with good quality clothing and a great fish soup when we returned from the sledding
      Written 29 February 2024
    • Spacsnaps
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Considering the weather, it was great!
      Considering the conditions, it was a successful trip! The tour guide and driver were super knowledgeable and drove us to where they thought the best spot would be. And they were right! We expected to see nothing due to the cloud cover but thankfully, the forecasts they had consulted were right and we got a good break in the cloud and saw green! The lights weren’t dancing but they were definitely visible through the camera and we managed a few photos!
      Written 26 February 2024
    • Penelope B
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Would definitely do this again
      Really friendly people, fantastic instructions, kind and really firm guides who clearly love the dogs with whom they work. A day to remember without an early start and just the right time outdoors. Lovely food supplied too!
      Written 24 February 2024
    • Chris M
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Northern Lights Experience
      The trip was well organised and our guide was excellent - she was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about Tromso and the northern lights. The mini-bus was also very comfortable and luxurious. Unfortunately luck was against us, and the lights did not appear on the night we were out, despite it being a clear night. However our guide and driver did their best to find a spot where we could see them - we drove 2 hours to the border with Sweden and Finland. Despite not seeing the lights, which was obviously disappointing, it was still a magical experience.
      Written 15 February 2024
    • Cruiser621881
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience. Super helpful guides!
      Went to the Aurora camp with Sonia and Francesca. What a great evening! The lodge was spacious and comfortable with hot drinks and a nice meal. Tripods for cameras and warm suits were provided too. The guides were so helpful, especially Sonia, who spent ages helping us get our camera properly set up - she was very patient and good humoured. And we got to see the Northern Lights! Would thoroughly recommend.
      Written 9 February 2024
    • Paula M
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent guide for Norther Lights chase
      Our guide on this lights chase was Juan from Spain. The tour was well organised and professionally run. The bus and equipment all excellent. However, what really set this tour apart was the knowledge, diligence and friendliness of the tour guide, Juan. Though it was a freezing -28* Juan kept us all safe, and made sure we had an enjoyable and comfortable experience. His knowledge, experience and determination ensured we got to see a spectacular showing of the lights in a great location. He took great photos of us all and kept us going with fire, food and hot drinks. I honestly couldn’t recommend this tour and the guide especially, more highly. A first rate experience with a top guide. Thank you, Juan, for helping us tick off this bucket list wish.
      Written 8 February 2024
    • Jane L
      0 contributions
      2.0 of 5 bubbles
      Lack of communication from a guide
      I would NOT recommend this tour to beginners, it is NOT beginner friendly. This was our first experience snowmobiling and we were behind two other snowmobiles, one which had crashed very early on and we were told to wait for about 10-15 minutes. They had not told us that there was a crash up ahead but just had us wait. As a beginner, catching up to the rest of the group after so long would have been difficult. However, on top of this, we were also behind a snowmobile that had a nervous driver who was constantly stopping without warning or signalling. One of the rules that the guides had listed out prior to commencing was that after 2 warnings, the driver would not be permitted to continue. The snowmobile in front of us were issued over 5+ warnings to their constant stopping but we were stuck behind them for a long time. We did not overtake them because it was a safety rule to not overtake. The lack of communication from one of our guides was appalling, the guide in front of us started turning around with no warning or explanation of the situation. Furthermore, said guide had conducted a "test" on whether we were sufficient drivers to proceed on route, which they concluded with no because we were too slow. We were stuck behind a snowmobile that was constantly stopped, we never had to opportunity to practice accelerating prior to this "test". Other than the above mentioned, the weather was amazing so the views were beautiful. The hot chocolate, fish soup and cake were delicious and were well appreciated.
      Written 6 February 2024
    See all 1 review
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


    3.5
    3.5 of 5 bubbles7 reviews
    Excellent
    2
    Very good
    3
    Average
    0
    Poor
    0
    Terrible
    2

    George-Pork
    38 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    We had originally booked to go on the safari by RIB on the Wednesday, when we arrived we were informed that the RIB could not go out due to high winds, but were given the options to either cancel, re-book or go on the catamaran. We re-booked and had the same outcome the next day. Luckily on the third day we got out on the RIB. After an hour or so of unsuccessfully searching in the RIB, we caught up with, climbed on board and joined the catamaran tour. We then went on to find a large group of whales, which we managed to get relatively close to. After watching for an hour or so we made the long journey back to Tromsø in the warm catamaran. The thermal suit that is provided does an excellent job but i would advise anyone to wear as many layers as possible on the RIB as it gets very cold when going fast.
    Written 19 January 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    p j
    Bengaluru, India294 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2017 • Family
    We have choosen "Tromoso Safari" for whale safari on 25th december and we did indeed spotted whales and northern lights tour on 23rd December.

    While Whale Safari tour was success our northern light tour unfortunately was not as expected since there is very low activity that night.

    Tour operators in both occasion were professional and had no problems.

    They have tents with fire in base camps so kids in general should be fine accompaning this travels.
    Written 3 January 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    mcdl_82
    Oslo, Norway218 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2017 • Friends
    We went to Skjervøy to watch the whales. The first part of the trip (2.5 h) was on a catamaran. The boat was a bit run-down. Coffee, tea, water, and cookies were for free. The audio of the speakers is very bad. The Italian guide on board was terrible. We appreciated his efforts, but his talks were just nonsense rants. The organization of the rib trip was very good. The thermal suit, gloves, goggles, boots, and balaclava were precious. The switch from the catamaran to the rib was quite adventurous. The trip on the rib was cool, but if you have back pain, you are afraid of the speed, and you are not comfortable on the water...it is not recommendable. We spotted several orcas and 2 humpback whales.
    Written 23 December 2017
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    KRISTIJONAS S
    1 contribution
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2018 • Solo
    I took the catamaran trip for whales/orcas and after sailing and freezing on deck for 5-6 hours, we did not see anything at all other than some birds. I had previously taken two other whale watching trips in other parts of the world, also with no results, and I understand that whale sighting is highly subjective to the laws of nature. However the difference between Tromso Safari and any other tour I've taken is that the others offered major discounts/full refunds for no sight, or free journeys to try again the next day - while Tromso Safari offer a 200 KR discount off an otherwise abnormal price - so from my group nobody seemed to have re-booked and everyone dispersed in very sour moods. Not happy at all, sorry, if you're taking so much money then please offer adequate discounts/offers if you do not deliver for what we pay
    Written 2 January 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    CarlaoT
    Sao Paulo, SP34 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2018 • Friends
    We booked the tour long time ago from our home country in the hope to take a small boat, with few people and to get really close to the whales. We dressed with all the clothes they gave us and left everything behind because we couldn´t take it on the boat. So, we sail for about 1h-1:30h straight to a catamaram with 150 people waiting for us... we had to give back our gloves and balaclava (so we stayed with nothing) at the catamaram (my mom wasn't able to go outside without gloves) and basiclly we stayed 5 hours sitting inside. The only view were of few whales very far away (because the big boat couldn't get any closer). We paid for one thing and received another. We we complained to the guy from Tromso Safari who told us that the tour is operated by another company and he coulnbd't do anything! The manager after told us that she would be in touch by mail or phone but i'm still until now....
    Written 23 January 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Yvonne N
    Cambridge, England, United Kingdom5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2017 • Solo
    I can't praise this highly enough- started on the RIB and transferred to the Catamaran-worth it even if you don't see whales for the scenery/sunrise !
    Written 28 November 2017
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi there, thanks for your words and your good feedback! We are very glad to read this, that means we are going in the right direction. All the best to you and we hope to see you soon again in Tromsø
    Written 6 December 2017
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Tromso Whale Safari by RIB provided by Best Arctic