9 Best Whale Watching Tours in Reykjavik

Getting on a boat and going whale watching is one of those things you can't miss in Reykjavík during the summer period, which is the time when these wonderful species come to Iceland's shores to feed.

This is one of the most beautiful experiences you can have, especially during midnight in the summer. I will tell you the details about the most impressive tours to see this species at its best.

During this activity on board a large boat you will have the opportunity to depart from the shores of Reykjavík to the open sea to see these wonderful species that come very close to Iceland. You will spend three hours enjoying the sea, the whales and the conditions of the boat inside.

One of the main objectives of this particular tour is that you will have fun watching the whales but at the same time, the tour will be completely friendly and respectful with the environment and the fauna that lives in this area.

Details of interest

• Price: from 90 euros per person.
• Duration: around 3 hours of sailing.
• Means of transport: you will go by boat with all comforts to the whale-watching area, which may change location depending on weather conditions. You must arrive on your own at the port from where the tour will depart.

Faxaflói is one of the most popular whale watching spots in Iceland, which is why this is one of my favourite whale watching tours. During the tour, which lasts just over three hours, you can't lose sight of the sea or leave your camera unattended to take pictures of beautiful species such as white-snouted dolphins, porpoises and of course humpback whales.

One of the biggest advantages of this cruise is that you are practically guaranteed a whale watching experience, since if during the day you don't see any whales, you will receive an invitation to go whale watching again. This is a perfect tour if you are visiting Reykjavik for a short time.

Interesting details

• Price: this experience can be priced at around 78 euros per person.
• Duration: about 3.5 hours, or 2.5 hours if you choose the express version.
• Means of transport: to get to the port of Reykjavík you will have to do it on your own, while during the experience you will be on board a cruise ship with all the comforts.

This is a private experience, where only you and your group participate. It is one of the best things to do during your family visit to Iceland and things to do with children in Reykjavik, although children must be at least ten years old to participate in the tour.

During the cruise you will not only have the opportunity to see whales and dolphins, but also other natural species of Icelandic wildlife such as the typical puffins, all while having a fully personalised explanation of the whole species watching tour.

Interesting details

• Price: from 121 euros per person.
• Duration: this tour can take approximately two hours from the start of the tour at the harbour until you return to the starting point.
• Means of transport: to get to the port from where the experience starts, you will have to travel on your own, either by rented car or using public transport. Once on board the cruise, the experience will continue on the open sea.

On this experience the main idea is to get to see puffins, and this is one of the best puffin cruises in Reykjavik you will find, but additionally you will get to see whales, both in their natural habitat, so it is a very interesting combined experience if you have little time to visit the island.

This experience is divided into two parts, the first part is a tour of approximately one hour along the coast of Reykjavík to see the puffins in their natural habitat. Afterwards you embark into the open sea to enjoy whale watching. Depending on the departure time, the order of the two experiences may change.

Details of interest

• Price: from 100 euros per person.
• Duration: this complete experience can last approximately 4 and a half hours.
• Means of transport: to get to the port from where you will depart on the sightings experience, you will have to travel on your own. Once on board, the whole experience takes place on the cruise ship.

During this tour you will depart from the coast of Reykjavík to go whale watching in the open sea. Once at the whale watching site your guide will explain everything you need to know about the whales and the different species you will see during the tour.

After you have finished your whale watching tour, it's time to continue to your next experience of this interesting tour, visiting one of Iceland's best waterfalls, the Gullfoss waterfall, and the great Geysir.

Details of interest

• Price: this experience can be priced at around 165 euros per person.
• Duration: the whole experience can take around 10 hours from start to finish.
• Means of transport: the tour starts by bus, from your place of accommodation, to the port. From there onwards you will embark on a cruise. To go to the other tourist attractions you will go by bus.

If you don't know what to do in Reykjavík in summer and want to have a truly unforgettable experience, I recommend a midnight sun whale watching tour. One of the best things about this experience is that you will be able to see large numbers of these marine species in the dim but sufficient light of the Icelandic summer midnight.

One of the things that will surprise you the most during this tour is the calmness of the sea at night. In addition, the sun, which never fully sets, will help you to see the different marine species that abound in the open sea. During the experience you will have access to an audio-visual that will teach you interesting details about the marine life in this area of the planet.

Interesting details

• Price: from 75 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately three hours from the time the boat leaves the port until it returns.
• Means of transport: to get to the port you will have to travel on your own either by rented car or public transport. After this, the tour is done by boat.

This experience is one of the most interesting because besides whale watching in the open sea, you have the chance to tour the entire south coast from Reykjavík, taking in every scenery and tourist attraction. The first thing you will do will be to go along the coast by land in a tour that will last no more than three hours.

Once you've finished your experience on land, you'll board a boat to continue your journey to the whale watching area and other marine life. The trip takes place around Faxaflói Bay, where there is approximately a 90% chance of spotting the species more easily.

Interesting details

• Price: from 74 euros per person.
• Duration: this trip lasts approximately four hours.
• Means of transport: during your trip along the coast you will board a bus equipped with all the amenities. Once the trip is over, you will board a boat where you will go out to sea to see the different marine species.

This combined experience is one of my favourites because it takes you to see some of Iceland's most beautiful scenery found in the Golden Circle and the volcanic crater of Kerid in Reykjavik, but also takes you on a tour to see marine species native to this island.

The approximately ten-hour activity will start with whale watching and after this you will be taken directly to the most interesting places in the Golden Circle such as Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfalls or the Geysir thermal area.

Interesting details

• Price: around 148 euros per person.
• Duration: this experience can take approximately 10 hours.
• Means of transport: initially you will board a boat to go whale watching, and then you will board a fully equipped bus where you will visit the sights of the Golden Circle.

Although whale watching is considerably more likely during the summer months than during the winter, in the winter it is still a valid option as a winter activity in Reykjavík. In this case the combined tour is to see whales as well as the Northern Lights.

This experience is done in two parts. During the first part, you will leave Reykjavík harbour and head out to the open sea in search of the Northern Lights, clearly one of the best ways to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavík. In a second part, you will go whale watching on the high seas.

Details of interest

• Price: from 140 euros per person.
• Duration: this experience lasts approximately 5 and a half hours.
• Means of transport: you must make your own way to the port, either by rented car or public transport.

During this whale watching experience, no matter what activities you combine this expedition with, you will always have the opportunity to see the most popular marine species in Reykjavík and throughout Iceland.

Among the species you will see during this tour are humpback whales, white-sided dolphins, porpoises and even, if you are lucky on some of these experiences, puffins typical of Icelandic wildlife.

• Bring warm, waterproof clothing so you can go sightseeing in the open sea without feeling cold.
• Also pack closed shoes, preferably boots that cover your feet well and do not allow the cold to circulate.
• In case you go with children, don't forget to ask what is the minimum age to attend the tour, since in some experiences it is necessary to be at least 10 years old.