Five ways to kayak in a Tromsø winter, and who each one suits
The five winter kayak tours from Tromsø paddle similar water on Kvaløya, yet they suit quite different people. One is built around seals, one around steady double kayaks, two around short schedules. Find your row below before you look at prices.
Five tours, five shapes
All five tours paddle sheltered water on Kvaløya, the large island west of Tromsø, in a drysuit with a guide. The differences lie in the boat you sit in and the size of the group, plus the hours the day takes.
- The classic wildlife day, Destination Tromsø, 5 hours, up to 10 people, ~$254
- The seal bay, KaruArctic, 5 hours, up to 6, strict body limits, ~$204
- The easy doubles, Destination Tromsø, 4 hours, up to 16, heated gamme, ~$227
- The van and café trip, Steam Tours, 220 minutes, up to 6, ~$237
- The 2-hour paddle, Steam Tours, you get there yourself, up to 6, ~$183
Our price comparison sets the fares and what they include side by side. This page sorts the same tours by the people they fit.
KaruArctic or Destination Tromsø for wildlife
KaruArctic's seal tour at ~$204 paddles from Håkøybotn, the guide's home bay, where grey seals spend the winter. They often gather round the kayaks and sometimes follow them, though the guide never paddles toward them and the listing does not promise them.
The group tops out at six, led by an instructor who also speaks Finnish and Norwegian. Reviewers rate it a full 5.0 on both booking sites.
Destination Tromsø's wildlife tour at ~$254 covers more ground through sounds and small archipelagos, and its listing names both seals and sea eagles. Reviewers rate it 4.9 from 600+ reviews, and the day ends by the fire at the basecamp.
Pick KaruArctic for the seals and the smallest group, Destination Tromsø for the longer route and the far bigger track record. Our wildlife guide covers what else lives in these bays in winter.
A small seal bay with six seats
KaruArctic's 5-hour tour takes the public bus to Håkøybotn, a bay that grey seals use as their winter home. They often swim near the kayaks. Photos from the tour come with the fare.
Who cannot join the seal tour
KaruArctic sets the tightest rules of the five. Paddlers must stand between 155 and 195 cm (5 ft 1 in to 6 ft 5 in) and weigh no more than 95 kg (209 lb), with a BMI of 30 at most.
You also need to swim and to speak and understand English, and the minimum age is 15. Tall or heavy travelers should look at Destination Tromsø or Steam Tours instead, whose listings name no height or weight limit.
Nervous beginners and couples, the easy doubles
Destination Tromsø's easy-going tour at ~$227 puts everyone in stable double kayaks in winter. Two people share one boat, which sits steadier in the water and lets a stronger paddler make up for a tired one.
You get changed in a heated gamme with advice on how to dress, and the route keeps to sheltered channels in Kaldfjorden and Eidkjosen. The trade-off is a group of up to 16, the largest here.
It holds 5.0 from 28 reviews and suits couples who want to paddle together. Our first-timer's guide covers what sitting in a double feels like.
Group sizes from six to sixteen
Group size changes the feel of a winter paddle more than most people expect. With six kayaks the guide stays within easy talking distance, and nobody waits long for the slowest boat.
Destination Tromsø's wildlife day takes up to ten, and the easy doubles up to 16, which is at most eight boats if everyone pairs up. Larger groups can mean more waiting at the start, so pay a little more for a small group if quiet matters to you.
If you want a kayak to yourself
On the easy-going tour, single kayaks are only offered on request, and only to people with proven experience. The wildlife day is the likelier choice for a single, but its listing does not say which boats it uses, so check with Destination Tromsø.
The same goes for KaruArctic and the Steam Tours pair. None of their listings settles the point, so ask when you book rather than assume you will paddle alone.
Short on time, the Steam Tours pair
Steam Tours' van trip at ~$237 takes 220 minutes from Prostneset in the center and back. The van runs out to the Eidkjosen pier, and paddling starts soon after you arrive.
After the paddle there are hot drinks and fresh pastries in the café, with changing rooms on site. A seaside sauna and hot tub cost extra if you add them when booking.
The 2-hour version at ~$183 suits travelers with a car or an easy bus link to Kvaløysletta. Both listings are new and show no reviews yet, so you are trusting the description rather than past guests.
Both run all year with groups of six, so they also fit a trip outside the dark weeks. Our transport guide explains the drive and the bus out to the pier.
Matching the tour to the traveler
- First paddle, or a couple sharing a boat, the easy doubles
- Seals above all else, KaruArctic's bay, if you meet its limits
- A long day with a proven record, Destination Tromsø's wildlife tour
- Over 195 cm or 95 kg, Destination Tromsø or Steam Tours
- A half day between other plans, Steam Tours' van trip
- A hire car and two spare hours, the 2-hour paddle
Whichever you choose, wind decides the day. Our guides to the best weeks to book and paddles cancelled by wind help you plan around it.