Tromsø Winter Kayaking Tours

In winter the bays of Kvaløya, the big island west of Tromsø, lie still and clear under snowy peaks. Grey seals stay all season, and so do the sea eagles. You paddle them in a drysuit with a guide, no experience needed. We compared five tours, from a 2-hour paddle to a 5-hour wildlife day with a campfire, and give each one its price and its catch.

  • Tours run right through the winterFrom the first snow on the peaks in autumn, through the blue polar night, to the long bright days of March
  • Book early in your stayWind can call a paddle off, so put it on your first full day and keep a spare one for a second try

In a hurry? Our top pick is Destination Tromsø's winter sea kayaking tour: ~$254 a person for about five hours, with the bus from the harbor, a drysuit, a guided paddle between snowy islands and a hot drink by the fire after. Book it here.

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Compare all 5 tours

If you only have a minute

Which Tromsø kayak tour should you book?

Say a friend on the way to Tromsø asked us which winter paddle to take. Over a hot chocolate by the harbor, this is what we would tell them.

For most visitors the tour to book is Destination Tromsø's Winter Sea Kayaking Tour with Wildlife Sightings, from ~$254. A bus takes you from the harbor to their basecamp, you paddle among small islands with a guide, and you finish by a fire with a hot drink. It has far more reviews than any other kayak tour in town.

Here mostly for the seals? KaruArctic's seal bay at ~$204 takes six people to a bay where grey seals spend the winter, though its size limits are strict. Nervous about tipping? The easy-going tour in double kayaks costs ~$227. Short on time? Steam Tours' van-and-café trip runs ~$237, and their 2-hour paddle ~$183 if you can get to the pier yourself.

No guide can promise calm water or a seal. Check what each tour costs once the extras are added and which weeks have the light you want, see how each day is spent, then read the small print we pulled out before you pay.

Our pick

The winter paddle we would book: Destination Tromsø

It has the longest record of any kayak tour in Tromsø, with 600+ reviews averaging 4.9, and it includes the ride out and the fire at the end. It is also the dearest of the five.

A kayaker in a red sea kayak paddling toward the camera with snowy mountains behind at sunset Our pick

Winter Sea Kayaking Tour with Wildlife Sightings, Destination Tromsø

★★★★★ 4.9 from 600+ reviews on GetYourGuide · free cancellation up to 24 hours before

You meet at Prostneset, the harbor terminal in the center of Tromsø, and a bus takes you out to the company's basecamp by the water. There you change into a drysuit with warm boots and gloves to match.

A safety briefing and a short lesson in paddle strokes come before you launch, so no experience is needed. The guide then leads the group through sounds and between small islands, with seals and sea eagles often about.

Back at basecamp a fire is waiting, with a hot drink and a snack. Reviewers mention a lavvu, the Sámi tent, and chocolate with their tea. Bring your own packed lunch to eat by the flames, since a full meal is not part of the deal.

Duration
About 5 hours, bus included
On the water
Varies with the weather
Group
Up to 10 people
Route
Sounds and small islands near the basecamp
Departure
Prostneset, Samuel Arnesens gate 5
After
A hot drink by the fire
Limits
Ages 14 to 80, no mobility impairments
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
Price per person from ~$254 Bus · drysuit · campfire
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How the five hours run, step by step

This is the order the listing gives. The weather decides how long you stay on the water, so any leg can stretch or shrink.

Out of Tromsø

  • Meet at Prostneset, Samuel Arnesens gate 5
  • Bus out to the basecamp by the water
  • Drysuit, boots and gloves, then the safety talk and stroke lesson

On the water

  • A guided paddle through sounds and between small islands
  • Warming up by the fire with a hot drink and a snack
  • Bus back to the center of Tromsø

What the price covers

The fare pays for the gear and the guide, and for the ride out. Lunch and the layers under the drysuit are yours to bring.

Included
  • Kayak and paddle, plus a drysuit
  • Warm gloves and boots
  • A certified local guide
  • Hot drink and a snack, bus transfer
Not included
  • A full meal
  • Base layers under the drysuit
  • Tips
  • A promise of wildlife

Between us, before you go

A word from one cold-handed paddler to another. GetYourGuide's summary of the reviews says the meeting point could be clearer, so get to Prostneset early and look for the bus. Arrive dressed in several warm layers, since the drysuit only keeps the water out.

One reviewer's husband overheated in his drysuit, so wool you can peel off beats one thick sweater. Our guide to the layers underneath covers the rest.

Why it beats the seal bay

KaruArctic's tour is smaller and its seals are a famous sight, but its rules leave many people out: a height of 155 to 195 cm, a BMI of 30 at most, swimmers only. Destination Tromsø takes anyone from 14 to 80, and its 600+ reviews against KaruArctic's 77 say it runs smoothly week after week. The five tours compared sets them side by side.

What you give up is the small group. Up to ten people share the guide here, against six with KaruArctic.

Who we would not send on it

Anyone tight on money, who will find Steam Tours' 2-hour paddle cheaper. Couples who would rather share one steady boat should look at the easy-going tour in double kayaks. And travelers set on seals above all, for whom KaruArctic's bay is the better bet if they fit its limits.

Book it if

You want one well-run winter morning on the water with someone else handling the transport and the gear. You paddle among the islands watching for seals, then warm up by a fire. It suits first-timers and couples, and travelers up to 80.

Skip it if

Ready for the fjord?

The tour is sold on GetYourGuide, where it carries 4.9 from 600+ reviews. You can cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so there is time to check the wind forecast before you commit.

GetYourGuide

The day itself

How a Tromsø winter kayak tour works

Every tour here puts you in a drysuit on a sheltered bay of Kvaløya. They differ in two ways: how long you are out, and how you get from the center of town to the water.

Style · half a day with a campfire

Bus out, paddle, fire

Destination Tromsø, KaruArctic, the double kayaks

4–5 ha bus each way, the paddle, a hot drink after

Most of the morning is yours on the water and by the fire, and the bus is part of the deal. KaruArctic's group rides the public bus with the guide. The others use the company's own bus from the harbor.

Style · a short paddle from a pier

Straight onto the water

Steam Tours with the van, Steam Tours, 2 hours

2–3.5 ha pier with changing rooms and a café

Steam Tours paddles from its own pier at Eidkjosen, with pastries in the café after. The van version collects you at Prostneset. On the 2-hour paddle you find your own way out, which suits travelers with a rental car.

Tromsø weather and daylight across all twelve months

  • Hours of daylight (a full bar is 24)
  1. Jan-2°C high28 °F

    Polar night lifts around mid-month, blue light at noon

  2. Feb-2°C high28 °F

    The sun is back, snow down to the shore

  3. Mar0°C high32 °F

    Long bright days, white peaks, often calm

  4. Apr3°C high37 °F

    Snow still on the mountains, light into the evening

  5. May7°C high45 °F

    Midnight sun begins, the snow line climbs

  6. Jun12°C high54 °F

    Daylight all night, summer paddling

  7. Jul15°C high59 °F

    The warmest month, the sun never sets

  8. Aug14°C high57 °F

    Dark nights return late in the month

  9. Sep9°C high48 °F

    Autumn colors on the hillsides

  10. Oct5°C high41 °F

    First snow on the peaks, winter tours start

  11. Nov1°C high34 °F

    Low sun until late in the month, then the dark

  12. Dec-1°C high30 °F

    Polar night, a few hours of twilight

Temperatures are rough daytime highs in Tromsø; out on the fjord a breeze makes it feel colder, though the sea itself never freezes. The bars show roughly how much daylight each month gets. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick for winter kayaking. The winter in detail.

How each tour is spent

  • Getting there and gearing up
  • On the water
  • May run longer

Lengths come from the listings and count from the meeting point; how that time splits between the road and the water is our rough estimate, since no listing gives the minutes on the water. The light blue stretch on Steam Tours' van trip is the optional sauna and hot tub, a paid add-on.

  1. Pick your shapeA half day with a bus and a fire, or a short paddle from a pier with a café. The five compared.
  2. Choose your lightBlue polar-night twilight, low gold sun in February, long white days in March. The winter in detail.
  3. Go early in your tripIf the wind calls the paddle off, a spare day leaves room to try again. When the wind wins.
  4. Dress under the drysuitWool base layers with fleece on top, plus thick socks and a hat. What to wear.

Want the northern lights too? A morning paddle leaves the evening free for an aurora chase. How to fit both into one winter day.

How to choose

How to pick the right kayak tour

The water is the same sheltered Kvaløya coast for all five. What differs is the size of the group, the boat you sit in and how you get out there.

Time

Two hours with Steam Tours if you drive, about four for the double kayaks, five for the two wildlife tours. A paddle and an aurora night.

Wildlife

KaruArctic paddles a bay where grey seals winter and often come close. Sea eagles are a good chance on every route, though nothing is promised. What you might see.

Nerves

The easy-going tour puts you in stable double kayaks and hands out the gear in a heated Sámi hut. Every tour starts with a lesson. Never paddled before?

Budget

From ~$183 for the 2-hour paddle to ~$254 for our pick with the bus and the fire. Every price in one table.

Group size

Six people on KaruArctic's tour and on both Steam Tours trips, ten on our pick, up to sixteen on the double kayaks. Which tour suits you.

Body limits

KaruArctic's boats and suits fit a set range of heights and weights, and you must swim. The others mostly set an age range. Getting to each tour.

Everything else to do in Tromsø

The 5 tours

Five ways onto the winter fjord, side by side

We read every kayak listing for Tromsø on both booking sites and kept one of each kind of trip. Each card gives the price and the length next to the tour company's name. It also names the catch, with a button for each site that sells it.

A guide briefing a group of kayakers in red drysuits on a rocky shore before launching Our pick

Winter Sea Kayaking Tour with Wildlife Sightings, Destination Tromsø

The one we would book for a first winter paddle.

About five hours from Prostneset in the center. A bus takes you to the basecamp, where you change into a drysuit and learn the strokes, then the guide leads you between snowy islands. A hot drink and a snack by the fire round it off.

  • Rating4.9 from 600+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 5 hours, bus included
  • Tour companyDestination Tromsø
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsThe most reviews; transport and fire included
  • Ideal forFirst-timers and couples aged 14 to 80

Good to know: Sold on GetYourGuide only. Up to 10 people, the highest price of the five, and no full meal, so pack a lunch. Reviewers found the meeting point hard to spot. Layers under the drysuit.

~$254per person
GetYourGuide
Red and yellow sea kayaks on a mirror-calm bay under snow-covered mountains and a blue sky Six places

Easy Winter Kayaking Tour with Seal Watching, KaruArctic

Six people with one guide, in a bay full of seals.

You meet outside the tourist shop at Kirkegata 2 and ride the public bus with your guide to Håkøybotn on Kvaløya. Grey seals spend the winter in this bay and know the guide's voice, so they often follow the kayaks. Photos from the tour are included.

  • Rating5.0 from 77 reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 5 hours, 8:45 am per Viator
  • Tour companyKaruArctic
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before
  • StrengthsSix people; the best seal odds; photos included
  • Ideal forWildlife lovers who meet the size limits

Good to know: You must swim and understand English, be 155–195 cm tall, weigh no more than 95 kg and be at least 15. The ride out is on the public bus. Seals are likely but not promised. Seals and sea eagles.

~$204per person
GetYourGuide Viator
Two paddlers in a red double kayak in a turquoise channel between snowy rocks Steadiest boat

Easy-going Guided Winter Sea Kayaking Tour, Destination Tromsø

Two to a boat, for nervous first-timers.

A bus from Prostneset takes you to the basecamp, where the gear comes out inside a heated gamme, a turf hut of the Sámi kind. In winter everyone paddles stable double kayaks through Kaldfjorden and Eidkjosen, then warms up by the fire with hot drinks and biscuits.

  • Rating5.0 from 28 reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 4 hours, bus included
  • Tour companyDestination Tromsø
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before
  • StrengthsStable doubles; a warm hut to change in
  • Ideal forCouples and anyone worried about tipping

Good to know: Sold on GetYourGuide only. Up to 16 people, the largest group here, with two to a kayak. Singles only on request if you can show experience. Your first paddle.

~$227per person
GetYourGuide
A paddler in a yellow buoyancy vest looking across the fjord at a snow-capped peak and a long bridge Van and café

Small-Group Fjord Kayak Tour with City Transfer, Steam Tours

No bus timetable, and pastries waiting after.

A van collects you at Prostneset and drives you to Steam Tours' own pier at Eidkjosen on Kvaløya, where you are on the water within the hour. The bay is sheltered and shallow along the shore. Hot drinks and fresh pastries in the café follow.

  • RatingNew listing, no reviews yet
  • DurationAbout 220 minutes from Prostneset
  • Tour companySteam Tours
  • Free cancellationCheck the listing
  • StrengthsSix people; changing rooms and a café
  • Ideal forTravelers who want a short, comfortable trip

Good to know: Sold on GetYourGuide only. No reviews yet and no hotel pickup. The seaside sauna and hot tub cost extra when you book. Getting out to the pier.

~$237per person
GetYourGuide
A kayaker in a red sea kayak paddling toward snowy mountains on a grey winter day Lowest price

2-Hour Small-Group Fjord Kayak Tour, Steam Tours

The shortest and cheapest paddle, if you have wheels.

The same pier and kit as Steam Tours' van trip, only shorter, and you make your own way to Eidvegen 526 in Kvaløysletta. A guide briefs you on the pier, the group of up to six heads out, and the café is there when you land.

  • RatingNew listing, no reviews yet
  • DurationAbout 2 hours at the pier
  • Tour companySteam Tours
  • Free cancellationCheck the listing
  • StrengthsLowest price; fits around other plans
  • Ideal forDrivers and travelers short on time

Good to know: Sold on GetYourGuide only. No transport and no reviews yet, and two hours leaves less time on the water. Not for under 14s or pregnant women. The bays on Kvaløya.

~$183per person
GetYourGuide

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Before you go

Eight things about winter kayaking that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page. Each one can decide whether you come home warm with photos of seals or cold and a little cross.

What you should know

  1. The drysuit is not a coat. It keeps the sea out and nothing more. The warmth comes from the wool and fleece you wear under it, and every tour expects you to bring those. The layers that work.
  2. Wind decides, not cold. Destination Tromsø's listings say tours depend on the weather and may be moved or cancelled with a full refund. Snow showers alone usually do not stop a paddle. If the tour is called off.
  3. Some limits are strict. KaruArctic takes swimmers only, from 155 to 195 cm tall and up to 95 kg, because of the size of its boats and suits. Check before you book, not on the bus.
  4. The meeting point can be hard to find. GetYourGuide's review summary for our pick says the meeting details could be clearer. Get to Prostneset a little early and look for the bus. Every meeting point.
  5. Lunch is your job. Our pick serves a hot drink by the fire rather than a meal, and suggests a packed lunch. Steam Tours includes hot drinks and pastries in its café after the paddle.
  6. The light is short. In the weeks around Christmas the sun stays below the horizon and tours run in a few hours of blue twilight. From February the days lengthen fast. Choosing your weeks.
  7. Small groups sell out first. KaruArctic and both Steam Tours trips take six people at most, and our pick ten. Book the morning you want as soon as your dates are fixed.
  8. Seals are wild animals. No guide can promise them. KaruArctic's bay gives you the best chance, but the guides never chase seals, they let them come. What lives on these bays.

Everything in one table

Five kayak tours, catch included

The five tours side by side. Each row sets the strength of a tour against its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price Length Starts from Tour company and rating Strength and catch Book
Destination Tromsø, wildlife paddle (our pick) A first winter paddle ~$254per person About 5 h Prostneset, bus to basecamp Destination Tromsø
4.9 on GetYourGuide		 Most reviews, with the bus and the fire included. Highest price, up to 10 people.
GetYourGuide
KaruArctic, seal bay Seals first ~$204per person About 5 h Kirkegata 2, 8:45 am KaruArctic
5.0 on GetYourGuide		 Six people, grey seals that come close. Strict size limits, public bus.
GetYourGuideViator
Destination Tromsø, double kayaks Nervous beginners ~$227per person About 4 h Prostneset, bus to basecamp Destination Tromsø
5.0 on GetYourGuide		 Stable doubles, heated gamme. Up to 16 people, a shared boat.
GetYourGuide
Steam Tours, van and café A short, comfortable trip ~$237per person About 220 min Prostneset, van to the pier Steam Tours
New, no reviews yet		 Six people, pastries after. No track record yet, sauna extra.
GetYourGuide
Steam Tours, 2 hours Drivers short on time ~$183per person About 2 h The pier, Eidvegen 526 Steam Tours
New, no reviews yet		 Lowest price, easy to fit in. No transport, least time paddling.
GetYourGuide

Prices are regular "from" rates per person in US dollars and can change. The booking page always has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who paddled the winter fjord

Fourteen travelers, some who launched on glassy water under a pink sky and some who paddled through snow showers, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★Wildlife paddle, 5 h

We nearly missed the bus at Prostneset because we were waiting at the wrong end of the terminal, so go early and ask. After that it all ran like clockwork. The drysuit went on over three layers of wool, the guide spent ten minutes on strokes at the water's edge, and then we were out between little snowy islands with a sea eagle sitting on a rock watching us. Back at camp we ate our sandwiches by the fire with tea and chocolate.

HLHannah L. · Leeds, UKCalm water
★★★★★Wildlife paddle, 5 h

Snow fell the whole time and I was never cold. Seals twice, and hot chocolate by the fire.

TBTomás B. · Valencia, SpainWind and snow
★★★★☆Wildlife paddle, 5 h

A well-organised morning and a guide who knew every bird by name. I wore too much under the drysuit and was sweating within twenty minutes, so take one layer fewer than you think. Ten in a group felt a little busy at the start, but out on the water it spread out.

JKJulia K. · Hamburg, GermanyCalm water
★★★★★Wildlife paddle, 5 h

My first time in any kayak, at sixty-two. The guide stayed beside me the whole way and the fire afterwards was lovely.

PMPriya M. · Pune, IndiaCalm water
★★★★★Seal bay, max 6

The public bus out to Håkøybotn felt like a local commute, and then suddenly we were six people in kayaks in a quiet bay with the mountains white all round. Our guide started talking and within minutes three grey seals were swimming beside us, ducking under the boats in the clear water. She never paddled toward them. They just came. We got the photos by email that evening, which was a nice touch.

ANAnna N. · Turku, FinlandCalm water
★★★★★Seal bay, max 6

Six people, one guide and seals that seemed curious about us. Check the height and weight rules before you book, they mean them.

DRDaniel R. · Denver, USACalm water
★★★★☆Seal bay, max 6

A lovely bay and a guide who clearly loves her seals. It was windy that morning, so we stayed close to shore and saw only one head pop up. The bus there and back takes a while, but the hot drink at the end helped.

MCMarie C. · Lyon, FranceWind and snow
★★★★★Double kayaks, 4 h

Neither of us had paddled before and we were nervous about tipping over in Arctic water. The double kayak felt steady from the first stroke. Getting dressed inside the heated hut made a big difference, because nobody was shivering before we even started. We paddled between small islands on calm water and saw an otter slip off a rock. Biscuits by the fire to finish, and the guide walked us through the bus times for the trip back.

SOSarah O. · Auckland, New ZealandCalm water
★★★★★Double kayaks, 4 h

Sharing a boat with my husband was the right call. Calm water with an eagle overhead, and a warm hut to change in, with good boots and warm gloves for us both.

GWGrace W. · Toronto, CanadaCalm water
★★★★★Double kayaks, 4 h

A big group, sixteen of us, but the guides split us up on the water and nobody felt left behind. The light at midday was a soft pink and blue that I have never seen anywhere else, and it lasted the whole paddle. Bring warm socks, the boots are good but your feet do the least work.

LFLuca F. · Milan, ItalyCalm water
★★★★★Van and café, 220 min

We liked not having to deal with buses. The van picked us up at Prostneset, the pier had proper changing rooms, and we were paddling under the old wooden bridge before we had warmed up our hands. Seals behind us, eider ducks in front. The cinnamon pastries in the café afterwards were the best thing I ate in Tromsø, and the van had us back in town before dark. Six people felt just right.

EHEmma H. · Utrecht, NetherlandsCalm water
★★★★☆Van and café, 220 min

A short, easy trip with a friendly guide and a cosy café after. We added the sauna and hot tub and were glad we did, though it costs extra on top.

BKBen K. · Melbourne, AustraliaWind and snow
★★★★★Short paddle, own transport

We had a rental car and only a free morning, so the 2-hour paddle fitted perfectly. Parking at the pier was easy, the gear was ready, and the guide took us along the sheltered shore of Eidkjosen with the mountains standing straight out of the fjord. Short, but enough to get the feel of it, and the coffee was hot.

MJMikael J. · Gothenburg, SwedenCalm water
★★★★★Short paddle, own transport

Two hours was enough for my kids, who are fourteen and sixteen. A calm bay and a sea eagle.

RTRachel T. · Chicago, USACalm water

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Paddle up

Book Destination Tromsø for your winter paddle

If you are in Tromsø between autumn and spring and want one morning on the water, we would book Destination Tromsø's wildlife tour. The bus and the drysuit are sorted for you, the guide too, and the fire at the end warms your hands. You are back in the center the same afternoon.

You can hold a place now and pay nearer the day. Cancelling is free until 24 hours before, which leaves room to watch the forecast. Pack wool, not cotton.

~$254

per person · about 5 hours · from the harbor

GetYourGuide
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later
  • ✓ Drysuit, boots and gloves included
  • ✓ Hot drink by the fire after the paddle

Good to know

Why you can paddle at 69° north, and what you are paddling through

Five minutes of reading makes the still black water and the eagle on the ridge easier to understand once you are out there.

Tromsø sits about 350 km (220 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, yet its sea never freezes. The Gulf Stream keeps the coast open all winter, so the bays of Kvaløya stay paddleable while the peaks above them turn white.

01Sheltered water on purpose

The tours avoid the open coast. They launch in bays and sounds tucked between Kvaløya and its small islands, where the mountains break the wind and the shore is never far. That is what makes a first paddle in winter possible. The bays, one by one.

02Cold water, warm paddlers

The sea here stays a few degrees above freezing through the winter. A drysuit seals at the neck and wrists so that water stays out, and the layers under it hold your warmth. Most people are surprised how warm their body feels and how cold their fingers get.

03Seals that stay the winter

Grey seals spend the winter in some of these bays, and the clear water lets you watch them under the surface. KaruArctic's guide says the seals in her bay recognize her voice and often swim over. Seals, eagles and otters.

The moment most people remember is the silence, when the group stops paddling and the only sound is a seal breathing behind the kayaks.

04Eagles over the ridge

The white-tailed eagle, Norway's largest bird of prey, has a wingspan of over 2 m (about 7 ft). They hunt along these shores all winter and often perch on the ridges above the bays. Eiders and long-tailed ducks bob on the water below.

05Paddling in the polar night

From roughly late November to mid January the sun does not rise over Tromsø. Around midday there are a few hours of deep blue twilight, enough to paddle by and kind to a camera. Dark weeks or bright ones.

06Manners on the water

Animals come first. Guides keep their distance from seals and let them decide how close to come, and nobody feeds anything. Keep voices low and follow the guide's line. Your first paddle covers the rest of the rules.

69° NTromsø's latitude, well inside the Arctic

2–5 hHow long the five tours last

6Places on the three smallest tours

2 m+A sea eagle's wingspan

Want the northern lights as well? Our guide A kayak day and an aurora night shows how the timings work.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about winter kayaking in Tromsø

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does a kayak tour in Tromsø cost?

The five tours on this page start at ~$183 per person for Steam Tours' 2-hour paddle and ~$237 for their van trip. KaruArctic's seal bay costs ~$204, the double kayaks ~$227 and our pick ~$254. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which kayak tour should I pick?

For most visitors, Destination Tromsø's wildlife tour, because the bus and the fire are included and it has by far the most reviews. Seal lovers who meet the size limits do better with KaruArctic. Nervous beginners should take the double kayaks.

Do I need kayaking experience?

No. Every tour starts with a safety briefing and a lesson in the basic strokes, and the guides choose sheltered water. If you are nervous, the easy-going tour puts two people in each stable double kayak. Never paddled before?

Is it too cold to kayak in a Tromsø winter?

No, if you dress for it. Daytime air is often a little below freezing and the sea stays a few degrees above it. The drysuit keeps you dry, and wool layers underneath keep you warm. Hands feel the cold most, so the gloves matter.

Will I see seals?

Often, but never for certain. KaruArctic paddles a bay where grey seals spend the winter and often come close, though its listing says it cannot promise them. On the other tours seals and sea eagles are a good chance rather than a sure thing. What lives there.

How long does a kayak tour take?

Two hours on Steam Tours' short paddle, about 220 minutes on their van trip, about four hours for the double kayaks and five for our pick and KaruArctic. The longer ones include the bus and time by the fire.

What should I wear under the drysuit?

Two or three warm layers, ideally merino, with fleece trousers and thick wool socks. Add a hat. Avoid cotton. Bring dry clothes to change into afterwards and a warm jacket for the bus. Layers under the drysuit.

What happens if the wind cancels the tour?

Destination Tromsø's listings say tours depend on the weather and may be moved or cancelled with a full refund. Book the paddle early in your stay so a cancelled day still leaves you time to try again. When wind cancels the paddle.

Is there an age or size limit?

Most tours take ages 14 and up, and Destination Tromsø's tours stop at 80. KaruArctic is stricter. It takes swimmers aged 15 and over who understand English, from 155 to 195 cm tall, up to 95 kg and a BMI of 30.

How do I get to the kayaks?

Destination Tromsø's tours and Steam Tours' van trip leave from Prostneset by the harbor. KaruArctic's group takes the public bus with the guide from Kirkegata 2. On Steam Tours' 2-hour paddle you drive or take a bus to the pier yourself. Every meeting point.

Can I kayak in the polar night?

Yes. The tours keep running through the dark weeks around Christmas, in a few hours of blue twilight around midday. The water is often calm and the colors are soft, though there is less time for the paddle. Polar night or spring light?

Is food included?

A hot drink and a snack come with the three longer tours. Steam Tours serves hot drinks and fresh pastries in its café. None of them includes a full meal, so eat first or bring a packed lunch.

Can I see the northern lights on the same day?

Yes. The kayak tours run in the daylight hours, and aurora trips leave in the evening. Give yourself time to warm up and eat between the two. A kayak day and an aurora night.

Can I cancel a kayak tour for free?

On the three longer tours, yes, up to 24 hours before, and our pick lets you reserve now and pay later on GetYourGuide. For Steam Tours' two trips, check the terms on the listing before you book.

Read before you travel

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Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.