I read about king crab safaris was when I visited Norway for the first time 3 years ago. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do a tour on that trip, but I tucked the idea away in the back of my mind and thought ‘if I ever go back, I’d love to take a trip to Kirkenes and do a tour’. Fast forward 3 years and I returned to my favorite country, took a road trip through Finnmark, and finally got to take a king crab safari in Kirkenes. Here’s my review with what you need to know to plan your own trip, and I’ll have more guides for the road trip coming this month.
How To Do A King Crab Safari In Kirkenes, Norway (And Why You Should)
Disclaimer
There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.
The basics
Location: Kirkenes, Norway
Company: Snowhotel Kirkenes (they have accommodation and tours)
Cost: Approx $260USD per adult
Highlights: Feast on king crab, snowmobile on a fjord, learn about the king crabs and environment
What to bring:
- GoPro
– I use mine with this compact shorty pole - Empty stomach
- Chap stick
- Good thermals – I use these Meriwool thermals as my base layer
as my base layer
Waiting area at Snowhotel
Why take a tour to catch a king crab?
The king crab is a delicacy and when you take the tour you have the opportunity to feast like a king without having to pay per pound of meat.
This was my main reason for taking the tour because I LOVE seafood!
It’s also an unforgettable experience overall to be able to go out onto the fjord and catch them before returning to the cozy dining room to eat.
In summer, you cruise the fjord by boat and, in winter, you will be taken by snowmobile to the crab pot across the frozen topped fjord.
The snowmobile ride out to the crab pots
Who to tour with?
I chose Snowhotel for my king crab safari in Kirkenes and had a fantastic experience from start to finish.
If they are booked, you could also try Barents Safari. I had also contacted them for a tour but the customer service was not as good and I had a bad experience trying to book a tour so I wouldn’t recommend them.
It could’ve just been a one-off bad day though, so I’d keep it open as a backup option if Snowhotel is not available.
The king crab safari in Kirkenes with Snowhotel was a wonderful experience
What happens the tour
You can either meet at Snowhotel or they arrange transfers from a few pick up points in the area.
Once you are there, you are taken to the dining house near the crab filled fjord. Here you can borrow the gear to prepare you for the tour – they had warm suits, balaclavas, boots, and gloves. We were all given helmets for the snowmobiling too.
When everyone is ready you are taken out on the fjord.
The crab pot sits at the bottom of the fjord and is pulled up by hand. Slowly, with each pull of the rope, the anticipation builds as everyone eagerly awaits to see if there will be any crabs in the pot.
Geared up and ready to start
Then it appears and everyone breathes a sigh of relief that they will not go hungry.
Though they are a delicacy, the crabs are actually kind of ugly – like huge, spikey monsters. The guide takes the number of ugly monsters needed for the group and returns the pot to the water. The crabs are quickly killed, then you can get a couple of photos with them.
Everything moves quickly now because everyone is ready to eat. The guide removes the crab legs and takes everyone back to the lodge. We got to see the pots where they are cooked and our guide gave us all the inside secrets on how to cook it perfectly.
Then we feasted.
It was so cold that the hole in the ice had frozen over and needed to be cut again
Is 1 king crab between 2 people enough?
Ok, this is the part I was super skeptical of.
You know how some people say they have a second stomach when they travel? Well, I have at least 4.
When I read that people had trouble finishing half a crab, I wrote them off as insane.
However, it was more filling than I thought. Half a crab is 4 legs, and when I got to the 3rd leg I was slowing down a bit. I still finished all 4 legs and even got half of another one from some others in my group who couldn’t finish theirs, but I was pretty full by the end of it all.
If you had worried about going away hungry or it being a waste for the amount of money you pay for the tour, don’t worry. It really is a feast.
They also serve bread and rice, but unless that’s how you really love to eat crab, I recommend avoiding that and sticking to the seafood. The bread and rice will fill you up way faster, and you can eat it anytime. Since you can’t really eat king crab this fresh anytime, I’d make the most of that.
*drooling*
What does king crab taste like?
In a word, delicious.
It’s sweeter than other seafood and the freshness you get on the tour is unbeatable.
Different parts of the legs have a slightly different taste so it was cool to be able to try it all and notice the subtle differences.
Is a king crab safari ethical?
Ethical is a little subjective, but my personal opinion is that yes, it is an ethical tour.
I think this for a few reasons. Firstly, the crabs live a life in the wild, not in captivity.
Secondly, they are killed very fast after they are taken out of the pot, they aren’t cooked alive in boiling water. I was actually impressed with how our guide killed the crabs. He was very laid back for the rest of the tour, but, for this part, he did it as quickly as possible and in one movement.
The king crabs are not native to Norway and were introduced by Russian biologists in the 1960s. Since their arrival, their numbers grew rapidly. There are differing opinions on whether this is a good thing or not. Some believe it is negative as they are destructive to the environment and eat just about everything. The king crab safaris can help to keep their numbers in check.
I also appreciated that during the tour we only took as many crabs as we needed for our group size – 1 crab between 2 people. The guide also cut off the legs which had the meat for us to eat and threw the rest of the crab shell and guts back in the water.
Nothing was wasted, what we wouldn’t eat was given back to the environment for other fish and crabs to feed on.
The crabs we were taking back with us
Where to stay in Kirkenes
My first choice was Snowhotel Kirkenes and my second option was Thon Kirkenes.
However, they were both fully booked for my dates so, unfortunately, I couldn’t stay there myself. In fact, many of the hotels in Kirkenes were fully booked so instead, I stayed in this Airbnb in Vadsø which was 2 hours drive away.
There was also a ferry to get to Kirkenes from Vadsø but I was visiting just after Christmas and the hours did not work for me to use it.
Staying at this Airbnb turned out to be a great choice for my road trip since I had other things I wanted to see around that area. However, if you aren’t doing a road trip or want to make the most of the other tours in the area including northern lights or husky tours, then it would be better to base yourself in Kirkenes.
If you don’t already use Airbnb, use this link to get €34 off your first stay.
I usually just search on Booking.com to see what’s available and can find a good deal there.
The crabs are cooked to perfection in these pots
Overall thoughts
I had dreamed about doing this for 3 years and it was every bit as good as I had imagined.
If you love to eat seafood, I highly recommend taking a king crab safari when you visit Norway for the chance to experience a unique tour and feast on the freshest seafood.
For more information:
Visit the Snowhotel website and follow them for updates on Instagram
The shell is so soft you can cut it easily with scissors!
Other posts to help you plan your trip to Norway
Northern Lights In Norway – Skip The Tours For An EPIC Cabin Experience
Visit Nordkapp In Norway – How To Plan A Trip To The Top Of The World
What To Pack For A Week In Northern Norway – Winter Packing Tips
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Sounded like an awesome trip! I have been as far north as Rovaniemi, Finland (farthest north train service) but not to Kirkenes
Did you cross over into Russia on this trip?
Will have to do this kind of trip someday
It was really awesome! I didn’t go to Russia but Kirkenes is right on the border. I’ve got more posts about the road trip coming soon so hopefully they can help you plan a visit.