Orcas and whales on an Alta port day
A ship that stays in Alta for the day leaves you enough hours for a whale trip, because the whale tours in Alta are short. The work is in the timing. This guide shows which tour starts closest to the ship, which one picks you up and where the risk lies.
How much time a port day gives you
A day in port suits whale watching in Alta better than in many northern towns. The trips run about 3.5 to 4.5 hours, because the whales often feed in the fjord not far from town rather than far out at sea.
Your ship's all-aboard time decides everything. Check it before you book and count back, leaving a margin for the trip from the meeting point to the gangway.
A heated boat that starts near the terminal
Our pick is finnmark moods' heated boat from ~$268, which leaves from Havneveien 24 in Alta and returns there. The meeting point sits about 500 m (0.3 miles) from the cruise terminal, close enough to walk if the pavement is not glazed with ice.
The listing says it gets cruise and Hurtigruten guests back to the harbour by 2 pm. That gives you a clear target to hold against your ship's schedule. If your all-aboard falls well after it, this is the simplest fit.
About 3.5 hours on a cabin boat with a toilet means no transfer and no waiting for a bus. The catch is no pickup, and the only food is hot drinks with biscuits, so eat before you go.
Pickup at the harbour with Alta Adventure
Alta Adventure from ~$279 is the only tour here that collects you. Choose "Alta Havn" as your pickup point when you book, and a guide waits at the parking area with a black minibus.
The other pickup points are the airport and two hotels in town, useful if you fly in before a cruise or stay a night. The whole trip runs about 4.5 hours, with about 3 hours on the boat and a briefing at the office.
At the office you can borrow warm outdoor clothes and leave your bags, which helps if you came ashore dressed for a stroll. The briefing covers local history and why the whales come into the fjord.
One traveler wrote that cruise guests were dropped back at the ship. The listing wants you to book a day or more in advance. Expect the trip to run only with 2 people or more. Children under 12 cannot join.
Picked up at Alta Havn, warm clothes waiting
Alta Adventure meets you by the harbour with a minibus, lends winter gear at its office and puts you on a cabin boat for about three hours. Groups of up to 13.
The Æventyr RIB starts in the town center
Æventyr's RIB meets at Markedsgata 6 in the town center, not at the cruise pier. From there a car or minibus takes you on to the harbour.
On the RIB trip from ~$284 that drive takes about 25 minutes but can stretch to an hour, because the start harbour moves to where the whales were last seen. That uncertainty is fine on a free day and risky on a tight port call.
The tour runs 3.5 hours in all, and you still need the walk into town and back. On a short call that adds up, so check your all-aboard time against the full length plus the drive.
Building in a buffer
Book a tour that ends well before the ship sails. An hour or more to spare is ideal. Wind and icy roads can slow the return, and a whale that surfaces late is hard to leave.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start helps if your ship changes its plans. Reserve now and pay later on GetYourGuide, then cancel in time if the port call falls through.
A tour you book on your own is not one of the ship's excursions, so the ship has no reason to wait for you. Leave a margin that keeps a late return off the table.
Dressing for a few hours on the fjord
Cruise passengers often come ashore in town clothes. Out on the open fjord the wind and spray make the cold much sharper than on the pier, so bring a warm hat and two pairs of gloves even for the cabin boats.
The RIB lends a thermal suit and Alta Adventure lends warm clothes at its office. On finnmark moods' boat you borrow nothing, but the cabin is heated. Our guide on what to wear goes through the layers.
Which trip fits which port day
- Ship sails well after 2 pm and you can walk 500 m, finnmark moods from the harbour
- You want to be met at the pier, Alta Adventure booked at least a day ahead
- A long call and a taste for spray, the Æventyr RIB if the drive fits
- Children under 12 in your party, finnmark moods, the only one that takes them
Whales are never guaranteed, and a port day leaves no room for a second try. Our guide to the season shows when the herring is usually in, and the page on days without whales covers what happens if they stay away.
For the fares side by side, see what an Alta whale safari costs. The boat guide explains how a heated cabin and an open RIB differ.