3-Hour Shared Arctic Morning Floating Experience in Norway

Definitely worth the time and money!

Such an amazing experience! Being in the water was such a unique feeling and not cold at all! The guides were lovely and helpful~ and the drinks and snacks were delicious! If you’re coming to Tromsø definitely make a stop at this tour for such a unique and memorable experience!!

via Viator

Arctic Floating Fun

Be ready to have a great time! Rita and Paul were great, very welcoming and knowledgeable about the region. Easy pick up and return to downtown Tromso. Survival suits and inner liners were in excellent condition. Both Rita and Paul clearly enjoy showing their clients a good time. Plus great snacks!

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear Rita and Paul took great care of you and that it showed — they really do love sharing this experience with guests, and it's great to know that came through. Glad the pickup and return were smooth, and good to hear the gear was in top shape too. And of course, glad the snacks hit the mark! Thanks again for choosing Authentic North, and we hope to welcome you back to Tromsø for another adventure sometime.

via Viator

Great adventure, subpar service

Our group recently booked the Arctic Floating tour with Authentic North while visiting Tromsø. The concept of floating in Arctic waters is fantastic, and the activity itself is truly fun, unique, and exhilarating. Unfortunately, several operational issues took away from what could have been a great experience. We experienced a slight delay getting off our ship and meeting our driver, Rita, for the minivan transfer. These things happen and are often beyond a traveler’s control, but Rita seemed visibly upset that we were about 10 minutes late. During the roughly 30-minute ride to the cabin she was unfriendly and did not engage with the group at all, which set an uncomfortable tone for the start of the tour. Another surprise was that the tour description never mentioned that we would need to walk down a very steep and icy road to reach the cabin, and worse coming back up to leave. Our group included a 78-year-old, and this was something we would have appreciated knowing in advance. Crampons were provided, but they were handed to us very quickly and we had to try to put them on while standing in the snow, which was challenging. Once at the cabin, we were quickly ushered into a very small room with a bench along the wall and a large table in the middle. With more than 14 people in the tour, there simply wasn’t enough room for everyone. Rita began tossing zip-up suits at us and ordering us to put them on over our clothes. With almost no space to change, people were bumping into each other and trying not to fall while getting dressed. Unfortunately, the gear was also disappointing. The suits had a strong body odor and musky smell, and the outer flotation layer we put on was bulky and had holes that allowed water to leak in. We were also instructed to put booties over the suit feet, but several were torn or ripped, and there were not enough for everyone. The instructions for getting into the water were given by the man taking photos, and he was very helpful and clear. Once we were actually in the water, the activity itself was fantastic. Floating in the Arctic was exhilarating, fun, and truly memorable. However, the photography was another disappointment. Based on the website, we expected overhead shots and higher-quality photos. Many of the pictures we received were blurry or candid, and in several we couldn’t even tell who was in the image. Because we didn’t bring our own cameras into the water, this was a big letdown. After the floating portion ended, Rita rushed everyone to “hurry up and get out of the gear,” and again we were squeezed into the small cabin trying not to trip over each other. I reminded her that we needed to return to the ship by a specific time, and her response felt snarky and dismissive, which was disappointing. She did drive us back to the meeting point, but knowing that we were on a time crunch with our ship departure, it would have been appreciated if she had driven the extra block to drop us at the ship rather than the designated spot. In the end, the Arctic floating itself was a great adventure, and we did enjoy that part very much. Unfortunately, the organization, equipment condition, and customer interaction significantly detracted from the overall experience. Because of that, I’m not sure I would recommend this tour, despite how fun the activity itself can be

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review, and please accept our sincere apologies for the delayed response — we should have replied to this much sooner, and that's on us. We're genuinely glad to hear that the floating itself lived up to its promise — that moment in the Arctic water is what we build this whole experience around, and it's disappointing to hear that everything surrounding it fell so far short of what it should have been. Every issue you raised is fair, and none of it reflects the standard we hold ourselves to: Rita's conduct — Being short with guests over a 10-minute delay that was outside your control, and being dismissive when you raised a legitimate time concern about your ship departure, is not acceptable. This has been addressed directly with her. The walk to the cabin — You're right that the icy, steep path should be flagged clearly in the tour description in advance, especially for guests who may have mobility concerns. We're correcting this, and we're also changing how crampons are handed out — guests should have a moment to put them on properly, not do it rushed in the snow. Space and gear handling at the cabin — With a group of 14+, being crammed into one small room to change is not how we want anyone's experience to start or end. We're looking at both group sizing and the changing setup at that location. Gear condition — Odorous suits, damaged booties, and a leaking flotation layer are a maintenance failure on our end. We're auditing our gear inventory now and replacing anything that doesn't meet a clean, functional standard. Photography — This one stings, because it's clearly not matching what we advertise. We're reviewing our photography process and equipment for this tour so guests actually get the overhead, high-quality shots we promise. The return drop-off — Given the time pressure you were under, we should have gone the extra block. That's a simple thing we can and will do better. We appreciate you giving us the full picture rather than just walking away — it's genuinely useful, even when it's hard to read. If you're ever back in Tromsø, we'd welcome the chance to show you the improved version of this tour, on us. Thank you again, and we're sorry your experience didn't match what we aim to deliver.

via Tripadvisor

A great experience

A unique experience - highly recommend! We enjoyed the time in the water and the snacks afterwards. The guides were friendly and ensured everything was comfortable in the water and took lots of photos and videos of us in the water and shared afterwards

Response from the operator: Thank you for the great review! We're so glad you enjoyed the time in the water — and the snacks afterward, of course! It's great to hear our guides made sure you felt comfortable out there and got you some good photos and videos to take home as well. Thanks so much for choosing Authentic North, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in Tromsø sometime!

via Viator

What a great activity!

This was about the coolest experience you could have in Tromso! I was nervous about getting into such cold water and feeling comfortable. The tour guides were wonderful and very helpful! Stayed dry and laughed through the whole morning. It turned out to be exceptionally relaxing. II would do this again in a heartbeat!

via Viator