Is it too cold to kayak in Tromsø?
Cold, yes. Too cold, rarely, if you dress right and meet the entry rules of your tour.
Winter kayaking around Tromsø takes place in sea water of roughly 3–5 °C and air that is usually below freezing. It works because you paddle in a drysuit with warm layers underneath, and because moving keeps you warm. Whether a tour suits you depends less on the cold than on the entry rules (age, weight, height, swimming), which differ a lot between the tours.
Who can join each tour
Entry rules as listed on each product page. “Not stated” means the product page does not mention it. If you are unsure, check the product page before you book. Sorted by number of reviews.
| Photo | Tour | Age | Weight | Height | BMI | Must swim | English needed | Reviews ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Winter Sea Kayaking with Wildlife Arctic Resorts | 14 to 80 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | ★ 4.9 (666) | €218 per person | Book now |
|
Easy Winter Kayaking with Seal Watching KaruArctic | From 15 | Up to 95 kg | 155–195 cm | Up to 30 | Yes | Yes | ★ 5.0 (76) | €176 per person | Book now |
|
Easy-going Winter Sea Kayaking Arctic Resorts | 14 to 80 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | ★ 5.0 (27) | €195 per person | Book now |
|
Half-day Hobie Kayak Trip, Sommarøy 69Nord Sommarøy | From 10, with an adult | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | ★ 5.0 (2) | €149 per person | Book now |
|
2-Hour Small-Group Fjord Kayak Steam Tours | From 14 | Up to 120 kg | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | New tour, no reviews yet | €84 per person | Book now |
|
|
Fjord Kayak Tour with City Transfer Steam Tours | From 14 | Up to 120 kg | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | New tour, no reviews yet | €110 per person | Book now |
|
Midnight Sun Hobie Kayak Trip, Sommarøy 69Nord Sommarøy | From 10 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | New tour, no reviews yet | €172 per person | Book now |
Kayak tour prices in this table come live from GetYourGuide and include taxes and booking fees. Whether transport to the water is included differs from tour to tour.
How cold it really is
In winter, daytime temperatures in Tromsø typically stay a few degrees below freezing, and colder spells happen. The sea is roughly 3–5 °C. That is cold enough that falling in without protection would be dangerous, which is why every winter tour here puts you in a drysuit. With the suit and the right layers underneath, the cold is mostly something you feel in your face, fingers and toes. One traveller on the KaruArctic seal tour writes that the temperature was around −15 °C and they never felt cold on the water.
Who gets cold, and when
The coldest moments are rarely the paddling itself. They are the waiting: standing on the shore while the group gets ready, breaks without moving, and the ride back if your clothes are damp. Hands and feet cool first. Most winter tours include gloves and boots or neoprene gloves and paddle shoes, and the Arctic Resorts tours build in a campfire with hot drinks. If you tend to feel the cold, dress in wool layers, add liner gloves and pack a change of clothes. The details are on our what to wear page.
How fit you need to be
No previous kayaking experience is needed on the tours here; all are guided and start with a safety briefing. You do need to be able to paddle steadily for a while. Even the “easy-going” Arctic Resorts tour is exercise. One traveller writes that the guide pushed the group really hard, and that seeing harbour seals made the work worth it. Steam Tours asks for good general fitness and health and states that its tours are not suitable during pregnancy.
Tour length is not time in the cold water
The listed duration covers the whole outing, including transfer, changing and briefing. Steam Tours is the only operator that states the paddling time: about 90 minutes. Arctic Resorts and KaruArctic do not publish one. So a five-hour tour does not mean five hours in a kayak, which is useful to know if you are unsure how long you will cope with the cold.
The KaruArctic seal tour has the strictest rules: swimmers only, able to follow instructions in English, from 15, between 155 and 195 cm tall, a BMI of up to 30 and no more than 95 kg. Steam Tours asks for swimmers from 14 and up to 120 kg. The Arctic Resorts winter tours take guests from 14 to 80 and state no swimming, height or weight requirement. The 69Nord trips on Sommarøy are open from age 10.
When the weather says no
The cold itself rarely stops a tour. Wind and waves do. From October to December storms are frequent, and operators cancel when conditions are unsafe. Arctic Resorts refunds its wildlife tour in full if it calls it off for weather; KaruArctic offers another date or a full refund in strong wind. Booking your paddle early in your stay leaves room to move it. More on the seasons is on our best time page.
Two reviews about cold and effort
Both describe winter conditions. Neither replaces the entry rules above.
“Jenni was an excellent guide and gave us an amazing experience. Even though the temperature was around -15°C we never felt cold on the water. Occasionally we encountered curious seals in the distance and even witnessed an otter attacking a bird at the end!”
“Guide pushed us really hard but we ended up being able to see harbour seals and it made the hard work worth it! 10/10”
Reviews written by paddlers after their kayak tour, from GetYourGuide.
FAQ
Is it too cold to kayak in Tromsø in winter?
For most people, no. The air is usually below freezing and the sea roughly 3–5 °C, but you paddle in a drysuit with warm layers underneath, and paddling keeps you moving. Hands and feet get cold first, so gloves, boots and warm socks matter.
What happens if I fall in?
The drysuit is designed to keep the cold water out, which is why it is standard on every winter tour. All tours are guided and start with a safety briefing. Some operators require that you can swim; the table on this page shows which.
Do I need to be fit?
You need no kayaking experience, but you should be able to paddle steadily. Even the easy-going tour is real exercise, and Steam Tours asks for good general fitness and health.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. The Arctic Resorts winter tours take guests from 14 to 80, Steam Tours from 14, KaruArctic from 15. The 69Nord trips on Sommarøy are open from age 10.
Can non-swimmers join a kayak tour in Tromsø?
Not on the KaruArctic or Steam Tours paddles, which list swimming as a requirement. The Arctic Resorts product pages do not mention a swimming requirement; if you cannot swim, ask the operator before booking.
Compare every kayak tour from Tromsø
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