The fjords around Tromsø look much the same from every kayak. What sets the tours apart is who may join, how you get to the water and how long you actually paddle. Our verdict rests on those facts, which you can check on every product page.
Entry rules
Entry rules stop more bookings than anything else. The Destination Tromsø winter tours take guests from 14 to 80 and state no swimming, height or weight requirement. Steam Tours asks for swimmers from 14, up to 120 kg. The KaruArctic seal tour is the strictest: swimmers only, from 15, between 155/158 and 195 cm tall, a BMI of up to 30, no more than 95 kg and able to follow instructions in English. The 69Nord trips on Sommarøy start at age 10. All rules in one table are on the is it too cold? page.
Getting to the water
Destination Tromsø drives its guests from the Prostneset harbour terminal to the basecamp, 20–30 minutes away; on the wildlife tour the bus is optional, and the tour can also start at Sommarøy Arctic Hotel. KaruArctic meets at 08:45 outside the Tourist Shop and travels with the guide on the public bus to Håkøybotn on Kvaløya. Steam Tours paddles from Steam Pier on Kvaløya, 25 minutes from the centre, with free parking or a minibus from Prostneset. For the 69Nord trips you make your own way to Sommarøy, about 52 km from Tromsø. The winter tours compared page shows the logistics side by side.
Time in the kayak
The listed duration covers the whole outing, with transfer, drysuit fitting, safety briefing and a hot drink. Steam Tours is the only operator that states the time on the water, about 90 minutes. Destination Tromsø and KaruArctic run for four to five hours but publish no paddling time. If the time in the kayak matters most to you, the Steam Tours paddles are the ones where you know it before you book.
Seals and sea eagles
KaruArctic builds its tour around seal watching and also names sea eagles, long-tailed ducks and otters. Destination Tromsø names seals, sea eagles and seabirds on its wildlife tour. No operator promises a sighting: travellers report seals that followed the group for the whole trip, and one traveller on the wildlife tour saw no animals at all. What travellers saw is on the seals and sea eagles page.
Winter or summer
The winter tours run in the polar night, roughly late November to mid-January, and in the weeks of returning light afterwards. From October to December storms are frequent, so book your paddle for the first days of your stay. From roughly 19 May to 27 July the sun does not set, and 69Nord runs its midnight-sun trip on Sommarøy. The Steam Tours paddles run all year in a full drysuit. See the best time and summer and midnight sun pages.
