November
Whale watching in Tromso in November: the month with daylight left
November is the month people overlook and locals recommend. The herring have arrived, the whales are in, and there is still real daylight to watch them in — five to seven hours at the start of the month, falling to almost none by the end. Prices are lower than December and the boats are quieter.
Quick answer
November is the opening of the Tromso whale season and the last month with real daylight. Sighting rates climb through the month as the herring settle in the fjords. Expect five to seven hours of light at the start and almost none by the 27th, when the polar night begins. Safaris start at $204 and it is easier to book at short notice than December.
November, at a glance
- Daylight
- ~7 h → 0 hpolar night starts about the 27th
- Whales
- Arriving and buildinggood by mid-month
- Crowds
- Lower than Decemberand easier to book late
- Weather
- Storms possiblethe first winter fronts arrive
- Temperature
- Around 0°Cmilder than midwinter
- Aurora
- Yesnights are long and dark
- Cheapest safari
- $204six hours
- Snow
- Arrivingmountains white, town patchy
- Best for
- Photographers who want lightand anyone booking late
- Cancellation
- Free to 24 hon every safari
What November gives you
Light, availability and a season that is just starting
Real light, easy booking and a season on the way up.
Daylight. This is the practical difference. In the first week of November Tromsø gets around seven hours of usable light; by the third week it is down to two or three, and on about the 27th the sun stops rising altogether. A safari in early November happens in real daylight, which makes long-lens photography far easier and the whole day less strange.
Availability. December is the peak of Tromsø tourism for every reason — whales, aurora, Christmas — and the good boats fill two weeks out. In November you can often book two or three days ahead, and prices across the town are lower.
A season that is ramping. The herring arrive through the autumn and the whales follow. Early November can be quieter for sightings than late November, and by the end of the month it is as good as it gets. If you are choosing dates within the month, take the back half.
What you give up is the polar-night light that makes December photographs so distinctive, and a small amount of certainty about the animals early in the month.
Booking November
Five practical notes
The month rewards a little planning and forgives a lot.
- Take the second half of the month if you can
The herring are settled and the whales are reliably in by then.
- Book a midday departure
Even in early November the light is short, and the boats are timed around it.
- Expect the first storms
North Atlantic depressions start arriving. Keep a spare day.
- Pack for zero degrees, not minus fifteen
November in Tromsø is mild by Arctic standards and wet by any standard.
- Do the aurora the same trip
Nights are long and dark from the start of the month, and the whale boats come home after sunset.
December is the peak of the season and the darkest month of the year — and the two facts are related.
December in detail→What else to do in Tromso in November
Five things that work in the last month of light
Useful if a safari is cancelled, and worth doing anyway.
- The cable car up Storsteinen
Four hundred metres above the fjord, and in November there is still enough light to see the whole island.
- Dog sledding
The season starts as soon as there is snow, and November is quieter than December.
- The Polar Museum
Trapping, sealing and the expeditions that left from this harbour.
- Aurora chasing by coach
Dark evenings from the start of the month, and the coaches can drive out from under cloud.
- Ølhallen
Tromsø’s oldest bar, open since 1928, and a hundred metres from the water.
Common questions
November in Tromso, answered
Is November a good month for whale watching in Tromso?
Yes, particularly the second half. The herring have settled, the whales are in, and there is still real daylight — which disappears entirely at the end of the month.
How much daylight is there?
About seven hours at the start of November, two or three by the third week, and none from about the 27th when the polar night begins.
Is it cheaper than December?
Generally yes, across flights, hotels and availability, and the boats are easier to book at short notice.
Can you see the northern lights in November?
Yes. The nights are long and dark from the beginning of the month, and whale safaris often come home under them.
How cold is it?
Around freezing, which is mild for the latitude. It is the damp and the wind that make the deck cold rather than the thermometer.
Which safari should I book in November?
Any of them, and the shorter ones make more sense while the daylight lasts. The hybrid-electric boat at $214 is the safest booking.
Go deeper
More on Tromso whale watching
Whale watching from Tromso
What the season is, what you see and how the day runs.
The verdictWhich safari is best
Seven safaris ranked, and which suits which traveller.
SeasonSeason and sightings
November to January, and why the dates move with the fish.
OrcaOrca in Tromso
Family groups, herding herring, and where to see them.
SkjervoySkjervoy safaris
Why the boats sail three hours north, and what it buys.
SilentThe silent boat
What a hybrid-electric hull changes when you approach a whale.
