The 15 Best Reykjavik Whale Watching Tours

1.Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 9,838 reviews · 3 hours · from $87Our pick

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay for a three-hour search for minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals. Guides such as Maria and Lucky share clear wildlife facts while you watch from outdoor decks or heated cabins. The boat has toilets, WiFi, snacks, and hot drinks for purchase.

“Amazing experience! This tour was one of the highlights of my trip and something I will remember for the rest of my life. Thank you!!”

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2.Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,911 reviews · 3 hours · from $107

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor aboard the Amelia Rose, an offshore yacht with three panoramic decks, a cozy bar, WiFi, blankets, and a smoother ride than many smaller boats. Guides such as Lucky and Roman explain whale behavior as you search Faxaflói Bay for humpbacks, minkes, dolphins, porpoises, puffins, and perhaps orcas.

“The yacht is very nice and sails smooth. We saw several humpback and minke whales along with dolphins. The guide was great and very helpful to point out where to look and also gave a lot of information on each species.”

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3.The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,626 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $105

Join Elding for a roughly three-hour cruise into Faxaflói Bay from Reykjavík. Guides such as Pedro and Kylie explain whale behavior while you watch for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, seals, porpoises, and seabirds. Overalls, raincoats, blankets, WiFi, and a wildlife exhibition are included. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

“We are so glad we did this! Took this tour during our visit to Reykjavik. We saw multiple humpbacks almost right away, very close to shore - also saw seals and all kinds of water birds.”

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4.Whale Watching Tour with Expert Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 2,422 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $87

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay aboard Andrea, Iceland’s largest whale-watching ship. An English-speaking guide points out minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds. You get warm overalls, indoor seating, WiFi, a café, and a free return ticket if no whales appear.

“I booked this to celebrate my 40th birthday and was trying to manage my expectations that we might not see any whale. However, we saw a minke on the way to the feeding ground, then at least 3 humpbacks. The guide was really good at sharing interesting information, then pointing us where to look. You also get access to a folder with the photos the guide took. It was really incredible - a real bucket list thing ticked off!”

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5.the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 908 reviews · 3 hours · from $108

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay with Elding Adventure at Sea, Iceland’s environmentally certified whale-watching company. A marine biologist guide such as Emily, Sam, Pedro, or Mila explains the wildlife while you watch for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and seabirds. Warm overalls, WiFi, hot drinks for purchase, and a free return trip if no whales appear are included.

“Great tour! Within 5 minutes we saw the (rare to the bay, and ironically) common dolphin! Then not long after a couple of humpback whales which were bobbing around the bay for a couple of hours. It was lovely to see! Tour guides were very informative and knowledgeable, kept us updated and had good humour. Thank you for a wonderful day!”

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6.Whale Watching Tour with Professional Guide from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 744 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $97

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay for about three and a half hours. Guides such as Patrick and Joe share facts while the crew searches for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and summer puffins. You get warm flotation overalls, indoor cabins, WiFi, and a free return trip if no whales appear.

“What started as a bleak, rainy, windy day turned into a wonderful experience. There are complementary waterproof outfits you can use for this type of weather. I wasn't expecting to see anything but we persevered and the sun came out then so did the minky whale and humpback whales. Our guide was informative and kept us updated throughout. She also took pictures on her long lens camera which she uploaded onto the website for us as, try as we might, photos on mobile phones are a bit hit and miss.”

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7.Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 711 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $103

Sail from Geirsgata 11 into Kollafjörður and Faxaflói Bay for up to 3.5 hours, with guides such as Patrick or Lukas sharing whale facts and spotting tips. Flotation overalls, heated cabins, WiFi, toilets, seasickness tablets, and a free return trip if no wildlife appears make this a practical choice for families and first-time whale watchers.

“This was a great trip and we seen humpback whales and seals. Week worth it”

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8.Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 707 reviews · 3 hours · from $106

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor aboard MY Harpa or MY Amelia Rose for three hours of wildlife watching in Faxafloi Bay. English and Icelandic guides, warm blankets, WiFi, a bar, and indoor and outdoor viewing areas make this a comfortable choice. Guides such as Lucky and Rebecca have helped guests spot humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and summer puffins.

“Even though the weather was really unpredictable we were able to see whales and puffins Due to choppy seas one of our party was feeling quite queasy and they had sickness tablets available for free Friendly staff who were very informative”

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9.Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 684 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $102

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay for about three hours. An onboard guide explains whale behavior while the crew searches for minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sometimes orcas. You’ll also pass Harpa, Engey, Lundey, and Viðey. Dress warmly, since the viewing decks are cold.

“Tour was very good, staff were very friendly and good at spotting the whales and ensuring we got a good view of them. Guide was very informative as well! We got to see Humpback whales and Minke Whales and a lot closer than I thought we would get! Only small drawback for our experience was that we were told to arrive for 08:30, but boarding wasn't until 9am and the boat didn't set off until almost half past. Which obviously wasn't the case for others on the tour as we were the only ones to arrive at this time...”

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10.Whale-Watching Boat Tour with Expert Guide from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 651 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $86

Set out from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor into Faxaflói Bay on a 2.5-hour express trip or a 3.5-hour classic cruise. Your naturalist guide explains the wildlife while you watch for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, puffins, and seabirds. Thermal suits, indoor seating, Wi-Fi, and a return ticket if nothing is seen make this a practical choice.

“Host was friendly; cordial; informative; knowledgeable; passionate. Went above beyond providing a small q/a session on the return ride back to the harbor.”

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11.Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 621 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

From Reykjavik’s Old Harbor, you board a 12-seat RIB with a captain and English-speaking guide such as Claudia, Julian, or Bianca. The fast boat crosses Faxaflói Bay, passes Engey and Puffin Island, and searches for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds. Warm suits, gloves, and goggles are supplied.

“Very good Whale-Watching tour. Did see Dolphins, Puffins and various Humpback Whales up close. Would definitiely recommend. We were only 4/12 people on the tour but they still went out and didn't cancel. Cudos to that for sure!”

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12.Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 552 reviews · 4 hours · from $153

Pair a one-hour puffin cruise on the shallow-draft Old Skúli with a whale trip aboard the spacious Andrea or a faster express boat. Guides such as Patrick, Alex, Oscar, and Celine have brought the wildlife to life with clear facts and humor. Expect overalls, binoculars for the puffin trip, and a free return whale ticket if no whales appear.

“Essentially two separate tours as you come back to the harbour for a quick half hour change over. We did the Puffin tour first and it was fantastic, the guide had really good knowledge of the birds, the boat got nice and close to the colony and they were in good form flying around us and making a lot of noise. We then did the whale tour and whilst the whales were sadly being shy, we still got a few glimpses. The tour provider gave us a free return because the whales were not showing themselves as much as normal. Top set of tours, highly recommend.”

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13.Whales of Iceland Museum Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 493 reviews · 1 day · from $34Best value

At Whales of Iceland in Reykjavík, you’ll walk among life-size models of 23 whale species found in Icelandic waters. Use the audio guide in 17 languages, explore hands-on displays, and watch films in the Fin Whale Theatre, including Whale Wisdom narrated by Sir David Attenborough and Sonic Sea narrated by Rachel McAdams.

“Very small but great place. We spend around 30 minutes inside.”

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14.Whale Watching & Dolphin Yacht Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 488 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $108

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor aboard Harpa or Amelia Rose for roughly three hours on Faxafloi Bay. Watch for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and summer puffins while guides explain the wildlife. You’ll have outdoor viewing decks, warm indoor areas, blankets, Wi-Fi, a bar, and a free second tour if no wildlife appears.

“Highly informative and well- organized whale watching ride. Our guide was passionate about sharing the types and habits of whales and dolphins. And was just as passionate about the science of finding the sight of them. You have to be quick, however to not only be where you need to be to view the latest sighting but be mindful of the overzealous who will cut in front of you. Nice boat with inside and outside options.”

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15.Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 393 reviews · 2 hours · from $194

You’ll spend two hours searching Faxaflói Bay from a fast RIB boat with shock-absorbing seats, warm flotation gear, and an English-speaking guide. The route can include minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and summer puffins near Akurey. Guides such as Rebekka, Rebecca, Patrick, Joel, and Daniel have made this trip especially engaging.

“The experience was amazing!We knew that the chances to see a whale are small, but we also knew that we going to enjoy the speed boat itself and we will going to see some wildlife. After about an hour we spotted some whales and that was something mind blowing. We saw them swimming along our boat, tale slapping, flipper slapping and blowing. Our amazing guide Eva convinced captain Jens to stay little bit longer and we were able to see the whale breaching!Captain Jens kindness and Eva's energy and knowledge about the whales made this trip so enjoyable. Thank you so much.”

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