Which boat suits you on an Alta whale trip
The whale trips from Alta use two basic kinds of boat, and the kind decides how warm you stay and how long you spend at sea. It also decides how close to the water you sit. This guide sets them side by side, with the limits each listing sets.
Three tours, two kinds of boat
The three tours here use boats of two shapes. A heated cabin boat keeps you warm behind glass, while an open RIB puts you near sea level in a thermal suit. Both kinds go looking for the same whales in the same fjord.
Alta Adventure adds a twist of its own, since it books partner boats to match the group and the weather. Your choice comes down to how well you handle cold and how long you want to be out there.
The heated cabin boat
Our pick, finnmark moods' Sea Runner from ~$268, is a small modern boat with heated seats indoors and a toilet aboard. Wi-Fi works on board and life jackets are available.
You stay inside while it runs at higher speed, which is when the wind bites hardest. When the boat slows near the whales you step out to sturdy railings for photos, then go back in to warm your hands.
The listing welcomes all ages, small children included, as long as guests can walk a few steps alone. It says the trip does not suit wheelchair users or people prone to seasickness. Up to 30 guests come along.
The cabin gives the most comfort for the longest time, about 3.5 hours on the water with up to 4 on the itinerary. The trade-off is a bigger group than the RIB and a view from higher above the water.
The open RIB
A rigid-hulled inflatable boat is low and fast, with no roof. Æventyr's small-group RIB from ~$284 takes 12 people at most, each kitted out with a warm thermal suit and a life jacket. Shoes and gloves are part of the set, and so are goggles.
You sit close to the water, so a whale that surfaces nearby is at your eye level rather than below you. The listing says the engine goes off near the whales, which leaves the fjord quiet while you watch.
The cold sets the clock. The tour lasts 3.5 hours in all, but only about an hour is on the water. First comes a drive of about 25 minutes, sometimes up to an hour, to a harbour chosen by where the whales were last seen.
The listing rules out children under 12 and pregnant women. People with back problems should also skip it, since a RIB can bounce hard over waves. One review mentions a switch to a small cabin boat in bad weather, so the boat may change on a rough day.
It holds 4.9 from 31+ reviews on GetYourGuide and 5.0 from 10+ on Viator. The coffee and toddy come with snacks, welcome after an hour of spray.
Twelve people, one RIB, eye level with the fins
Æventyr's open boat with a thermal suit and the rest of the kit included. About an hour on the water, engine off near the whales, from age 12.
Alta Adventure's partner boats
Alta Adventure's small-group trip from ~$279 does not rely on one fixed boat. It books boats from partner companies to suit the group size and the weather. Whichever boat it is, you get a warm cabin and Wi-Fi. Coffee and cookies are served too.
You get about 3 hours on the water within a trip of about 4.5 hours that includes pickup and a briefing at the office. Groups stop at 13. The catch is that you cannot know the boat in advance, and the listing rules out children under 12.
It has the fewest reviews of the three small tours, 4.9 from 17+ on GetYourGuide. Reviewers often name the owner, Stig, which says something about how personal the trip feels.
Who each boat leaves out
The limits differ more than the boats. finnmark moods' cabin boat takes small children, but its listing says the trip does not suit wheelchair users. Alta Adventure rules out wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments.
The RIB listing says nothing either way about wheelchairs, so do not read that as a yes. If anyone in your group has limited mobility, write to the operator before you book and ask what the boarding involves.
Back trouble and pregnancy count against the RIB in particular, since a light open boat hits the waves harder than a cabin hull. Alta Adventure's listing excludes pregnant guests too, and finnmark moods' does not mention it, so ask first.
How the trade-offs line up
- Warmest ride on the heated cabin boat, coldest on the RIB
- Closest to eye level with a whale on the RIB, higher view from the cabin boats
- Longest time at sea on finnmark moods' boat, shortest on the RIB at about an hour
- Smallest groups on the RIB (12) and with Alta Adventure (13), largest on finnmark moods' boat (30)
- Young children welcome only on tour 1
Whichever boat you pick, whales are never guaranteed. Our clothing guide covers what to wear on each, and the price guide compares what each fare includes.
Families can check the age limits on our page for kids. How orcas and humpbacks hunt the herring shows what you are likely to see from any of these decks.