Iceland Super Saver: Northern Lights Cruise plus Whale-Watching Tour from Reykjavik

The best reason to book this Reykjavik Super Saver is simple: you get two very different chances to experience Iceland from the water. By day, you scan Faxaflói Bay for humpback whales, minke whales, dolphins, and harbor porpoises. At night, you leave the city lights behind and watch the sky for the Northern Lights.

I like the free retry ticket if the whale-watching boat finds no wildlife, and I like the practical comforts: thermal overalls, heated indoor seating, WiFi, and sea-sickness tablets. The main drawback is nature itself. Whales may stay out of sight, clouds can hide the aurora, and rough water has caused cancellations and miserable rides for some passengers.

Key points to know before booking

• Two cruises for one price: The package combines a 3.5-hour whale-watching trip with a 2.5-hour Northern Lights cruise.
• Three likely wildlife targets: You may search for humpback whales, minke whales, harbor porpoises, and white-beaked dolphins in Faxaflói Bay.
• A useful retry policy: If no wildlife appears on the whale trip, you receive a free ticket to try again.
• Thermal gear is supplied: Warm overalls are available in adult and children’s sizes, with heated indoor seating on board.
• The aurora trip is weather-dependent: The Northern Lights cannot be guaranteed, and rough seas or poor conditions can cancel the cruise.
• Hotel pickup costs extra: Transfers can be added for 1,100 ISK per person, per trip, so two separate cruises can mean two transfer charges.

Two Iceland experiences from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour

This package puts two classic Iceland activities together for about $186.74 per person. It is not a luxury expedition, but the price is reasonable if you plan to do both cruises anyway and want the convenience of booking them as one package.

The whale-watching tour lasts about 3.5 hours. The Northern Lights cruise lasts about 2.5 hours. The advertised experience runs for approximately 5 hours 30 minutes, but the actual day depends on the departure times you receive and whether you take both trips on the same day or split them across your stay.

That choice matters. Taking both on one day saves planning time, but it creates a long stretch of marine activity and leaves little room to adjust if the weather changes. Spreading the trips over separate days gives you more chances to find calm seas, clear skies, or an open place in your schedule.

Both trips leave from Special Tours at Geirsgata 11 in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour and return to the same meeting point. The harbor is easy to reach by public transportation. Hotel and cruise-port pickup is available, but it is not included in the listed price.

Whale watching in Faxaflói Bay

The whale trip is the more dependable half of the package in terms of scenery, even though wildlife sightings are never certain. You travel into Faxaflói Bay with binoculars and camera ready, watching for blows, fins, splashes, and groups of dolphins or porpoises.

The likely species include humpback whales, minke whales, harbor porpoises, and white-beaked dolphins. The exact animals you see can change from one departure to the next. One successful trip included three humpback whales playing near the boat, while another produced five minke whales. Other outings found dolphins, porpoises, and seals but no whales at all.

That range is important. You should book this as a search, not a guaranteed wildlife show. The crew can take you to productive areas and help you spot movement, but no operator can make a whale surface beside the boat.

Guide Iga has earned a particularly strong reputation for spotting whales. A good guide makes a real difference here. Experienced eyes can notice a small blow or distant fin long before you do, then direct your attention to the right patch of water.

The boat has more than one place to watch from, along with heated indoor seating. You can step outside for a better view, then retreat indoors when the wind gets sharp. Thermal overalls are provided, including children’s sizes, but you should still wear warm layers and sturdy clothing.

The crew also offers complimentary sea-sickness tablets if you need them. Take the possibility of rough water seriously. One particularly unpleasant trip produced no whales and severe motion sickness for an entire party. If you are prone to seasickness, ask about the tablets before the boat gets underway and spend some time in the heated indoor area when conditions turn rough.

The free retry is one of the package’s strongest practical features. If you see no wildlife, you can receive an open ticket to try again. That is valuable if you have another day in Reykjavik, but it is less useful if this is your final day or if your schedule is already full.

What the 2.5-hour Northern Lights cruise offers

The evening cruise leaves Reykjavik’s Old Harbour at either 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., depending on the season. Hotel pickup, if selected, begins about 60 minutes before departure. You then head into Faxaflói Bay, where the crew searches for breaks in the cloud and darker skies away from some of Reykjavik’s city glow.

The guide explains how the aurora forms and shares Icelandic myths connected with the lights. That mix of science and folklore helps fill the waiting time, since the Northern Lights do not appear on demand.

You should keep expectations realistic. The aurora may be faint, brief, partly hidden by clouds, or absent altogether. Even when it appears, it may look stronger in a long-exposure photograph than it does to your eyes. A successful sighting can still be memorable, but a boat ride cannot overcome heavy cloud or low activity.

Weather has caused this trip to be canceled, and some departures have gone ahead without a visible aurora. Rough seas can also end the outing before it begins. If conditions make the cruise unsafe or impractical, the operator offers another date or a full refund under its weather policy.

The quality of the guide matters more on this cruise than you might expect. There is less to do than on a wildlife trip, so a clear speaker with useful explanations makes the time pass well. The onboard entertainment has received mixed reactions, and the public-address system has not always been ideal on every departure.

If the Northern Lights are your main goal, build flexibility into your Iceland schedule. Do not place this cruise on the only evening you have available. The package works best when you can accept a second attempt or move the outing to another night.

Same day or separate days?

You can take the two tours on the same day or use separate days during your Iceland stay. I prefer separate days for most visitors, especially if you have enough time in Reykjavik.

Splitting the trips gives you two independent chances to work around weather. It also prevents a missed whale sighting or canceled aurora trip from spoiling the entire plan. If you take both on one day, you may appreciate the efficiency, but you should check the confirmed times carefully.

A same-day plan can also be tiring. The whale trip alone lasts 3.5 hours, and the evening cruise adds another 2.5 hours. You may spend much of the day in wind, cold, and motion before heading back out after dark.

The package can suit a short stay, though. If you have only a day or two in Reykjavik, combining the cruises helps you fit both into a busy itinerary. Just remember that hotel pickup is charged separately for each trip. At 1,100 ISK per person, per trip, two pickups cost twice that amount.

You must reconfirm your cruise times with Special Tours. The voucher provides the supplier’s details for doing so. This is a small step, but an important one when the two trips may operate at different hours.

Comforts that make the boat time easier

The included thermal overalls are more than a minor extra. Faxaflói Bay can feel much colder than Reykjavik’s streets once the boat is moving, especially during the Northern Lights cruise. The overalls come in children’s sizes, which helps families avoid packing bulky outerwear for everyone.

Heated indoor seating gives you a place to warm up without ending the trip. You can move outside when the crew spots something, then return indoors when the wind becomes uncomfortable.

Free WiFi is available, and food and drinks can be purchased on board. Neither replaces a proper meal, so eat beforehand if you expect to be hungry during the longer whale trip.

The Special Tours app is available in English, German, French, Spanish, and Chinese. Its presence may be useful for basic information and trip support, though the live guide remains the main source of explanations during the cruise.

The maximum group size is listed as 198 people. That is a substantial boat outing, not an intimate private tour. The benefit is a stable, well-equipped vessel with indoor space. The tradeoff is that you may need to move around to find the best viewing position.

How much value do you get for $186.74?

At $186.74 per person, the package is worth considering if you already want both experiences. Booking the whale cruise and Northern Lights cruise together saves you the trouble of arranging two separate activities, and the whale retry policy adds real value.

The price is harder to justify if you only care about the aurora. A Northern Lights cruise can return without a sighting, and the same is true of whale watching. You are paying for the boat, crew, equipment, and search time, not a guaranteed result.

The package becomes a better buy if you take advantage of the practical extras. Thermal overalls, heated seating, sea-sickness tablets, onboard WiFi, and the wildlife retry ticket all reduce the risk of paying for a short, uncomfortable outing.

I would also compare the cost of hotel transfers before booking. Pickup is offered, but the extra 1,100 ISK per person, per trip can add up. If you are staying near the harbor or can reach it easily by public transportation, meeting at Geirsgata 11 may be the better value.

Who will enjoy this package most?

This is a good fit for you if you want two well-known Iceland activities without arranging every detail separately. It suits first-time visitors, families who appreciate supplied thermal clothing, and anyone with enough time to retry a wildlife trip.

It is also useful for visitors who prefer a boat-based aurora outing rather than a road trip. The sea offers an open horizon, but the cruise does not guarantee darker skies or clearer weather than a land excursion.

You should think twice if you are highly sensitive to motion, have only one free evening, or would be disappointed by a wildlife search with no sightings. The crew handles the conditions as well as it can, but nature controls the result.

The package is accessible to most participants, and service animals are allowed. It operates near public transportation. If you need hotel pickup, contact the supplier directly and confirm the added cost.

Booking details and cancellation rules

You receive confirmation when you book, but you still need to reconfirm the cruise times with Special Tours. Wear warm clothes even though thermal overalls are supplied.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience’s local start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded. If poor weather causes the operator to cancel, you are offered another date or a full refund.

The experience is offered in English. The company’s app also supports German, French, Spanish, and Chinese.

Should you book the Reykjavik Super Saver?

Book it if you want both whale watching and a Northern Lights cruise, have some schedule flexibility, and understand that sightings are never promised. The free whale-watching retry and supplied thermal clothing make the $186.74 price easier to defend.

I would choose separate days when possible. That gives you more room to handle weather, rough seas, and the simple fact that whales and auroras follow their own timetable. If you have only a short stay, taking both trips on one day is a sensible time-saver.

Skip it if you need a guaranteed show or dislike being on rough water. For everyone else, this is a practical way to search for two of Iceland’s most exciting natural sights from Reykjavik, with enough onboard comfort to make the waiting worthwhile.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

Both cruises begin at Special Tours, Geirsgata 11, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland, and return to the same meeting point.

How long are the two cruises?

The whale-watching trip lasts about 3.5 hours. The Northern Lights cruise lasts about 2.5 hours. The package duration is listed as approximately 5 hours 30 minutes.

Can I take the two tours on different days?

Yes. You can take both tours on the same day or schedule them across separate days during your Iceland vacation.

What animals might I see?

The whale-watching trip searches for humpback whales, minke whales, harbor porpoises, and white-beaked dolphins. Seals may also be seen.

Are Northern Lights sightings guaranteed?

No. Aurora sightings depend on conditions and activity, so the Northern Lights cannot be guaranteed.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel and cruise-port pickup can be arranged for an additional 1,100 ISK per person, per trip. Pickup begins about 60 minutes before departure when selected.

What happens if no wildlife appears?

You receive a free ticket to try the whale-watching tour again if nothing is seen. This is useful only if you have enough time for another departure.

What happens if bad weather cancels the cruise?

If poor weather causes the experience to be canceled, you are offered a different date or a full refund. You can also cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the local start time.