Norway Whale watching Tours & Trip Packages

Norway Whale watching Tours & Trips

332 Norway trips. Tours from 98 tour companies. 575 reviews. 4.7/5 avg rating.

17 trips exactly matchall of the the filters you selected.
My selections:
Whale watching
Icebergs, Fjords, Polar bears and Arctic wildlife: Svalbard & NE Greenland National Park
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4.8/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Ship Cruise
Why we love them
Their ice-breaking cruise liners take travelers truly off of the beaten path and into the very heart of the polar realms.
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Svalbard

Highlights

  • Arctic wildlife – musk oxen, seals, walrus, whales and migrating birds – as one of the rare travelers to explore Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest and perhaps most remote.
  • Deep fjords with immense tidewater glaciers

Themes

Nature & Wildlife, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Best vacation so far!! Loved everything, especially highly professional team, that organised the whole trip super safe and on a highest level, the crew that does the cleaning and provides the food literally 24/7, the expedition team was super and the program, lectures, communication - everything couldn’t be better. I miss the cruise! And the best part of course the wild nature, animals. It’s a pity there are strict rules nowadays due to the flu and we couldn’t get closer, but it’s the right thing to protect the nature. Will be back for sure!"

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In-Depth Arctic Expedition & Polar Bear Safari: Svalbard Circumnavigation and Kvitoya
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4.8/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Ship Cruise
Why we love them
Their ice-breaking cruise liners take travelers truly off of the beaten path and into the very heart of the polar realms.
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Spitsbergen, Spitsbergen National Park, Svalbard

Highlights

  • Deep fjords with immense tidewater glaciers
  • Rarely visited and ice-covered Kvitøya – White Island – where wildlife abounds in the summer months.
  • Full Arctic experience complete with endemic reindeer, Arctic fox, whales, and possibly polar bears.

Themes

High Adventure, Nature & Wildlife, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Best vacation so far!! Loved everything, especially highly professional team, that organised the whole trip super safe and on a highest level, the crew that does the cleaning and provides the food literally 24/7, the expedition team was super and the program, lectures, communication - everything couldn’t be better. I miss the cruise! And the best part of course the wild nature, animals. It’s a pity there are strict rules nowadays due to the flu and we couldn’t get closer, but it’s the right thing to protect the nature. Will be back for sure!"

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North Spitsbergen: 7-night cruise
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4.9/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Private Guided
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Spitsbergen, Spitsbergen National Park, Svalbard

Themes

50 plus, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"It's hard to describe how lucky we are to have been able to work with Stephanie in planning our honeymoon to Japan. From the very beginning, Stephanie was friendly, flexible, and an absolute wealth of knowledge. We had several meetings with her leading up to our trip to come up with the perfect itinerary. Throughout this, Stephanie was mindful of our budget, without sacrificing anything. During our trip, Audley was available at all hours to help with anything and everything which was such a relief to know we had that resource available to us. I truly cannot imagine having planned this trip without all of Stephanie's guidance and knowledge- and cannot imagine taking another big trip like this without the help of Audley. Thank you again!"

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Norwegian Discovery Cruise
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4.7/5 Excellent
29 reviews
Large Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Bergen, Trondheim

Highlights

  • Cross the Arctic Circle under the Midnight Sun (summer) or Northern Lights (winter)
  • Enjoy local and authentic Norwegian food from our renowned Coastal Kitchen
  • Complete your journey in Trondheim, a bustling city boasting a rich culture and long history
  • Stay active and adventurous by joining our exciting seaandland based excursions

Themes

50 plus, Cultural, Family Friendly, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"This company is unbelievable. Firstly I get a cancellation of the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica trip. The compensation in comparison to a like for like trip was peanuts and the increase was 1000s more! Then I read numerous customers are getting switched onto trips without paying the difference. I ring them again and they promise to swop me for no extra charge. This was agreed with their team leader. I waited until getting a cabin on Fram without getting too excited but sure enough we were swopped and I was so excited and looking forward to the trip of a lifetime. Yesterday I got a devastating email saying ‘i am reaching out to you since regardless of his statement that we will be able to price match you, this request was denied by our Revenue department and we are not able to honour the price match.’ After speaking to this new team leader she had very little to say, no excuse or justification just she was sorry. There is no way we can afford the 1000s extra they are asking for the same trip. We are now left heartbroken for a second time. This company has no care or consideration for its customers and I for one will not use them again and I will tell anyone who will listen how shocking they are!"

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Arctic Climate Voyage
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4/5 Great
29 reviews
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Reykjavík, Spitsbergen National Park

Highlights

  • Learn more about the climate changes
  • Fascinating lectures from the Expedition team
  • Landings, excursions and activities
  • Visit Iceland, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen

Themes

National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"This company is unbelievable. Firstly I get a cancellation of the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica trip. The compensation in comparison to a like for like trip was peanuts and the increase was 1000s more! Then I read numerous customers are getting switched onto trips without paying the difference. I ring them again and they promise to swop me for no extra charge. This was agreed with their team leader. I waited until getting a cabin on Fram without getting too excited but sure enough we were swopped and I was so excited and looking forward to the trip of a lifetime. Yesterday I got a devastating email saying ‘i am reaching out to you since regardless of his statement that we will be able to price match you, this request was denied by our Revenue department and we are not able to honour the price match.’ After speaking to this new team leader she had very little to say, no excuse or justification just she was sorry. There is no way we can afford the 1000s extra they are asking for the same trip. We are now left heartbroken for a second time. This company has no care or consideration for its customers and I for one will not use them again and I will tell anyone who will listen how shocking they are!"

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Vintage era voyages along the Norwegian coast
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4/5 Great
29 reviews
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Bergen, Shetland Islands

Highlights

  • Explore by kayak, and come even closer to nature
  • Expert guides will accompany you
  • Enjoy a tranquil tour at your own pace

Themes

Cultural, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"This company is unbelievable. Firstly I get a cancellation of the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica trip. The compensation in comparison to a like for like trip was peanuts and the increase was 1000s more! Then I read numerous customers are getting switched onto trips without paying the difference. I ring them again and they promise to swop me for no extra charge. This was agreed with their team leader. I waited until getting a cabin on Fram without getting too excited but sure enough we were swopped and I was so excited and looking forward to the trip of a lifetime. Yesterday I got a devastating email saying ‘i am reaching out to you since regardless of his statement that we will be able to price match you, this request was denied by our Revenue department and we are not able to honour the price match.’ After speaking to this new team leader she had very little to say, no excuse or justification just she was sorry. There is no way we can afford the 1000s extra they are asking for the same trip. We are now left heartbroken for a second time. This company has no care or consideration for its customers and I for one will not use them again and I will tell anyone who will listen how shocking they are!"

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Around Spitsbergen - Kvitøya
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4.8/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Spitsbergen

Highlights

  • Visit Longyearbyen
  • Enjoy a chance to see different types of polar region birds and animals.
  • Board the Zodiacs for a cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier.
  • Climb to the rim of a narrow gully which is inhabited by thousands of Kittiwake, together with Black Guillemot and piratical Glaucous Gull.
  • Cruise the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen
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Themes

National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"I booked an Antarctic Peninsula trip two years ago through Oceanwide Expeditions that I have been looking forward to for a long time. My goal is to scuba dive on every continent, so I added on the dive package and started training. I shelled out a few grand for a drysuit and other cold water diving gear (freeze resistant regulators, etc). I booked trips to bump up my number of drysuit dives so I’d be ready for Antarctica. Probably more important than the training was the financial outlay. I spent nearly $8500 USD on an 11 day Antarctic cruise that was supposed to depart in February. I spent another few thousand dollars on flights to, from and within Argentina and hotels throughout my trip. Mind you, I’m not exactly rolling in money; I’m an Army officer and I had to save up to afford this trip of a lifetime. I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get my international leave approved, but I got that done and was ready to fly to Buenos Aires on February 4th, and then on to Ushuaia to meet my ship my dives were logged, my gear was ready, my arrangements were made and my money was spent. On January 10th, Oceanwide sent an email informing all passengers that they were cancelling all of their itineraries for the season due to Omicron. I’ll admit, I was furious. I don’t want to get into a COVID debate here, but this trip has given me something to look forward to throughout the pandemic. I booked in March of 2020 while I was locked down during my last deployment as the world shut down for COVID. I was concerned about the trip, but Argentina eventually opened their borders as their vaccination numbers skyrocketed. It looked like the last impediment was out of my way, only to have the company pull the rug out from under me because of the mildest strain of this virus we’ve yet seen. The initial email offered to rebook passengers on next year’s cruises, but I had no interest in this for a few reasons- 1. As a service member, I don’t have the luxury of taking a month of leave whenever I want. I don’t know what obligations I will have a year from now. 2. I don’t trust that the world will be any better off in terms of government and corporate reactions to COVID a year from now. This isn’t going away, new variants will continue to emerge, so if the company is cancelling for the season over something as mild as Omicron, I have little confidence that whatever variant we see in February 2023 will be any better. 3. The company cancelled all itineraries in the 2020-2021 season and I’d imagine they did the same in the 2019-2020 season. They ran a couple in November-December 2021, but have cancelled for the rest of the 21-22 season. They have had no significant cash flow for nearly two years. I don’t want this company to hold on to my money for another year because I’m not confident this company will still exist in a year’s time. Here comes the really frustrating part- I replied to the initial email from their home office on January 10th explaining my position and requesting a refund. I received no reply. On 12 January I emailed the American office of the same company explaining the situation and again requesting a refund. I again received no reply. Between 14-16 January, I called both the American and home (Dutch) offices of the company. In both cases, the employees politely apologized and told me they’d look into it and get back to me. I never received any further communication. On 19 January, I emailed both offices reiterating my request for a refund and expressing my concerns at their lack of communication and requesting a response by the end of the week, or else I would pursue other means of recourse. I received no response. Last night, I again emailed both companies with a final good faith attempt to allow them to resolve the situation. I figured I’d give them the morning to respond, but they have not responded. It looks like I will have to dispute this through my credit card and bank and fight to get back my own money. TL;DR Oceanwide Expeditions accepted payment of $8500 for an Antarctica Cruise then cancelled the cruise and will not respond to any requests for refunds. This shady conduct is more than enough reason to avoid this company."

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North Spitsbergen - Polar Bear Special
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4.8/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Spitsbergen

Highlights

  • Explore the cruise through m/v Plancius
  • Visit Spitsbergen, a beautiful fjord dominated by spectacular glaciers and favoured by Ringed and Bearded Seal.
  • Visit Svalbard Museum, Monaco Glacier, Nordaustlandet
  • Have an opportunities to see polar bears ,different types of whales and seals

Themes

National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"I booked an Antarctic Peninsula trip two years ago through Oceanwide Expeditions that I have been looking forward to for a long time. My goal is to scuba dive on every continent, so I added on the dive package and started training. I shelled out a few grand for a drysuit and other cold water diving gear (freeze resistant regulators, etc). I booked trips to bump up my number of drysuit dives so I’d be ready for Antarctica. Probably more important than the training was the financial outlay. I spent nearly $8500 USD on an 11 day Antarctic cruise that was supposed to depart in February. I spent another few thousand dollars on flights to, from and within Argentina and hotels throughout my trip. Mind you, I’m not exactly rolling in money; I’m an Army officer and I had to save up to afford this trip of a lifetime. I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get my international leave approved, but I got that done and was ready to fly to Buenos Aires on February 4th, and then on to Ushuaia to meet my ship my dives were logged, my gear was ready, my arrangements were made and my money was spent. On January 10th, Oceanwide sent an email informing all passengers that they were cancelling all of their itineraries for the season due to Omicron. I’ll admit, I was furious. I don’t want to get into a COVID debate here, but this trip has given me something to look forward to throughout the pandemic. I booked in March of 2020 while I was locked down during my last deployment as the world shut down for COVID. I was concerned about the trip, but Argentina eventually opened their borders as their vaccination numbers skyrocketed. It looked like the last impediment was out of my way, only to have the company pull the rug out from under me because of the mildest strain of this virus we’ve yet seen. The initial email offered to rebook passengers on next year’s cruises, but I had no interest in this for a few reasons- 1. As a service member, I don’t have the luxury of taking a month of leave whenever I want. I don’t know what obligations I will have a year from now. 2. I don’t trust that the world will be any better off in terms of government and corporate reactions to COVID a year from now. This isn’t going away, new variants will continue to emerge, so if the company is cancelling for the season over something as mild as Omicron, I have little confidence that whatever variant we see in February 2023 will be any better. 3. The company cancelled all itineraries in the 2020-2021 season and I’d imagine they did the same in the 2019-2020 season. They ran a couple in November-December 2021, but have cancelled for the rest of the 21-22 season. They have had no significant cash flow for nearly two years. I don’t want this company to hold on to my money for another year because I’m not confident this company will still exist in a year’s time. Here comes the really frustrating part- I replied to the initial email from their home office on January 10th explaining my position and requesting a refund. I received no reply. On 12 January I emailed the American office of the same company explaining the situation and again requesting a refund. I again received no reply. Between 14-16 January, I called both the American and home (Dutch) offices of the company. In both cases, the employees politely apologized and told me they’d look into it and get back to me. I never received any further communication. On 19 January, I emailed both offices reiterating my request for a refund and expressing my concerns at their lack of communication and requesting a response by the end of the week, or else I would pursue other means of recourse. I received no response. Last night, I again emailed both companies with a final good faith attempt to allow them to resolve the situation. I figured I’d give them the morning to respond, but they have not responded. It looks like I will have to dispute this through my credit card and bank and fight to get back my own money. TL;DR Oceanwide Expeditions accepted payment of $8500 for an Antarctica Cruise then cancelled the cruise and will not respond to any requests for refunds. This shady conduct is more than enough reason to avoid this company."

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17 trips exactly matchall of the the filters you selected.
My selections:
Whale watching

Norway Reviews & Ratings

4.7/5  Excellent
575  Reviews
See all Norway tour reviews
Excellent
190
Great
48
Average
7
Disappointing
2
Terrible
1
T

Trusted Customer

May 2024

Written on

Scenic Scandinavia and its Fjords

The same opinion as the previous review: put all of the "Optional Experiences" into the tour package up front and let the public judge if the complete tour is worth...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Simply wonderful

Best light show I have ever seen with the Northern lights not dissappointing us, getting better each night of the 4 nights that we were there. Highly recommend th...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Cross Country Skiing at Kvitavatn, Norway

This is an amazing place to learn to ski and to ski. The Fjellstue is friendly and has a great atmosphere and is perfectly set up for you to ski from your door, o...

A

Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Fantastic!

Such a brilliant trip! We went hoping, but not expecting, to see the Northern Lights; we did and they were amazing. But the trip is so much more than seeing them. ...

A

Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Fab Holiday!

I loved everything about this trip. The accommodation was cozy and the beds incredible. The food was delicious, fresh and plentiful and the surroundings stunning a...

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Norway Tour Selection Trips

  • Norway’s North Sea oil wealth has made it an expensive country to visit, especially while traveling on your own, so seek out tours that take advantage of group discounts.
  • Consider how much time you have: 1-4 days? 5-7? Longer? This will help narrow down what you can accomplish during your Norway guided tour and make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew. Sometimes it pays to slow down and spend more time in each place, to truly experience and enjoy it, than to try to check as many places off a list as possible.
  • Be sure to pack layers, no matter what time of year you are touring Norway. While the midnight sun truly does exist and daylight is extended during the summer months, the temperatures can still easily drop to the low 60s or cooler during the day.
  • Consider traveling to Norway during the off-season. Yes, the hours of daylight will be more limited than during the months of the midnight sun, but September to March is the best time to view the Northern Lights.
  • If you’ll be touring Norway by bus or car and you’re prone to motion sickness, be sure to pack your medication. Many of Norway’s most scenic routes - while stunningly picturesque - follow steep, twisting, narrow roads.
  • Prefer not to drive on those labyrinthine roads of Fjord Norway? Consider a Norway train tour - the Flåm rail journey is considered to one of the world’s prettiest and, if you love bridges, opt for Rauma railroad with 32 bridges between Åndalsnes and Dombås
  • Hurtigruten ships take a week to go along the coast from Bergen north to the Russian border town of Kirkenes, and a week to return -- you can travel one way or make it a two-week roundtrip.
  • Roundtrip Hurtigruten voyages allow you to view sights or stop in ports returning in daylight that you might have missed at night traveling the other direction.
  • While most visitors take the Hurtigruten in summer, some opt for the wintertime voyages, which operate mostly in the dark but offer an unusual -- and potentially brag-worthy -- experience.
  • Tours that include scenic train rides and boat rides in Norway are ideal, but bus tours through the countryside offer their own perspective on this beautiful landscape as well.

Additional details

What Is the Weather Like in Norway?

In a country that shares a latitude with Greenland, Siberia and Alaska, travelers can rightly expect some cool temperatures. Thanks to the northern Gulf Stream, Norway is fairly mild, all things considered. Yet the weather in Norway depends on which region of the country you’re visiting - there are five (count them!) different climate zones in this one country, so pack layers and expect the unexpected.

Generally speaking, northern Norway - which reaches beyond the Arctic Circle - offers midnight sun during the warm summer months (as high as mid-80 degrees Fahrenheit) and long, cold winters (as low as -40 degrees F). On the coast, expect rainy weather and strong winds, though this area generally has no ice as compared to the interior.

Those traveling on a southern Norway tour experience a nice, warm summer from June through August, with high in the 70s F. Winter brings snowstorm after snowstorm and runs November through April. If you’re touring eastern Norway, the summer weather is around for a shorter period of time, typically late June through early August. If you’re hoping to swim in the sea in Norway, this is the place, with water temperatures reaching the high 60s F.

Central Norway tours take advantage of summer weather from late June through early August and temperatures in the 80s F. Again, over the winter, the interior experiences more snowfall while the coastal areas are marked by rainfall and wind.

And finally, in western Norway or Fjord Norway, guided tours to view the region’s spectacular natural beauty are most popular June through August when the days are long and sunny and the temperatures are in the high 70s F. You won’t find ice in most of the fjords due to the warm Gulf Stream, but it can be quite rainy in Fjord Norway between November and April.

man-overlooking-norwegian-fjord

Is Norway Expensive?

As with most things, the expense of a guided Norway tour depends on several factors - the level of luxury and style of travel you prefer, how long you’d like to travel throughout Norway, whether you’ll dine at world-class restaurants or pick up food from farmers’ markets, whether you’ll use local, public transportation or depend on a car and driver, etc.

How expensive one finds Norway travel also depends on where that person is traveling from - what is very pricey to someone from and what one’s typical expectations are.

A few points to consider before deciding for yourself whether Norway guided travel is expensive:

  • Fly into the larger cities, like Oslo, rather than small, regional airports.
  • Car rental can be expensive, so seek out Norway guided trips that include transportation between destinations.
  • Bus travel is much more reasonable than taxi fare.
  • Dining in Norway is cheaper in less touristy areas, so ask your Norway guide for recommendations for off-the-beaten-path restaurants, markets and cafes.
  • Book as far in advance as you can to avoid last-minute premiums.
  • Consider traveling in the low season or winter in Norway - the upside is that this is the best time to view the Northern Lights!

What Countries Are Near Norway?

Norway is an excellent jumping-off point for a Scandinavia tour since it borders Sweden to the east, as well as Finland, Russia and Denmark. The remainder of the border is the extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, making Norway a top cruise destination.

northern-lights-in-norwegian-woods

When Is the Best Time to Visit Norway?

What do you want to do on your Norway vacation? If you are hoping to spend long summer days hiking along majestic fjords to captivating waterfalls, then Norway’s midnight sun will give you more than enough hours each day to accomplish your outdoor adventures. Aim for June through August for trekking, biking and cruising.

Need to see Norway’s Northern Lights? Visit in the winter months, generally September to March - with the best Aurora Borealis sightings between December and February. Consider a Norway tour during the shoulder seasons of May or September, when you’ll get fair temperatures, battle fewer crowds and get a taste of the season is just wrapping up and the one that is getting underway.

Always Find the Best

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