Orcas by day, northern lights by night
Orca season and aurora season overlap in Tromsø, so many visitors want both in one trip. The catch is time and sleep. A whale day starts early and ends late, and an aurora chase can keep you out until the small hours, so the order you book them in matters.
Two winter sights, one window
Whale season runs from late October to about the end of January, the months when the herring winters near Skjervøy. The long dark of the same months is prime time for the aurora, since Tromsø sits roughly 350 km (220 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, under the band where the lights show most often.
So a single week between November and January can cover both, if the weather lets you. For the season in detail, see our guide to the best time to go.
Neither sight is guaranteed. Orcas and humpbacks may stay out of reach, and the lights need a clear sky plus solar activity, which no tour company controls. Plan for at least two chances at each if you can.
How long a whale day lasts
Before you put a whale day and an aurora night together, look at the clock on each tour.
| Tour | From | Departs | Length | Night chase the same day? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polar Adventures | ~$269 | 08:00 | About 8 h | Possible, if you have energy left |
| Brim Explorer | ~$224 | Between 07:30 and 09:00 | 7–9 h | Possible, with a short break |
| Rødne Fjord Cruise | ~$225 | 08:30, or 09:00 from early December | About 8 h | Possible, if you have energy left |
| Arctic Adventure Tours (RIB) | ~$344 | Bus at 05:00 | About 12 h | Too tight |
| Skua Nature | ~$353 | Early bus | About 12 h | Too tight |
The three big-boat days start between 7:30 and 9 am and bring you back to Tromsø in the late afternoon. The bus-and-boat days run about 12 hours; Arctic Adventure Tours' bus leaves at 05:00 sharp and gets back around 5:30 pm, and Skua Nature runs a similar long day.
After either, a night out in the cold is a lot to ask. The Skjervøy guide explains why those trips take so long.
A better order for the week
Most northern lights chases leave Tromsø in the evening and drive out of town to find clear sky, often returning well after midnight. Check the start time of the chase you choose, since it varies by company. Put that after a 05:00 alarm and you have a very long day.
- Book the whale boat on day one or two, so a cancellation leaves room to rebook
- Put the aurora chase on a different evening, ideally the night before a free morning
- Keep one night spare for a second aurora try, since cloud is the usual spoiler
- If you must do both on one day, choose a big-boat tour, not a 12-hour bus day
Sleep matters more than people expect. A whole day in cold wind wears you out, and a tired, chilled group in a minibus at 1 am is not having the evening it paid for.
Brim Explorer as the day-one boat
Brim Explorer's hybrid-electric whale trip, from ~$224, suits this plan well.
It runs several departures between 07:30 and 09:00 from Kaigata 6 in the center, lasts 7–9 hours, and its heated saloon with panoramic windows lets you rest between whale sightings. It holds 4.5 from 6,700+ reviews on GetYourGuide, the most of any whale trip in Tromsø.
A warm lounge for a long day
Near the whales Brim runs on a quiet electric motor, and three outdoor decks give room to watch. A café on board sells snacks and soup. Online check-in is required, and the Viator listing marks it wheelchair and stroller accessible. From ~$224, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
The catch is that over 100 guests share the rail and food costs extra. With 3–3.5 hours of sailing each way, you also get only about 1–1.5 hours with the whales. Families weighing it up can read our guide to orca watching with kids.
Aurora from the boat on the way home
On the dark sail back to Tromsø, a clear sky sometimes brings the lights out over the fjord. It is a lovely bonus when it happens, but it is luck, not a plan.
Big boats are lit inside and the deck is cold and moving, so photos are hard. Treat any aurora from the whale boat as extra, and still book a proper chase on land.
Both on one boat: MV Quest
One trip tries to combine them. MV Quest's 24-hour Whale Expedition with Arctic Resorts, from ~$698, gives you a private en-suite cabin facing the sea, plus all meals.
On board, the guides cover both the whales and the aurora, and someone from the crew will wake you should the lights show. The catch is a price about twice that of a day boat, a single night (so one aurora chance), and fewer than 50 reviews on GetYourGuide so far. Our cost guide sets it against the day tours.
Dressing for both
The same layers work for the boat and the aurora chase, so pack once. Wool next to the skin and a warm jacket on top. Add a hat over the ears plus two pairs of gloves.
An aurora chase means standing still in snow for long stretches, often colder than on deck. Our clothing guide goes through the list, and our page on cancelled boats and empty days covers what to do if the weather takes your whale day.