2-Hour RIB Boat Whale Watching Tour from Reykjavik

The quickest way to reach Faxaflói Bay’s whale-feeding grounds is aboard this 12-meter RIB boat, a fast, small craft built for speed and close wildlife viewing. You may see humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and summer puffins, but nature keeps its own schedule.

I like the small group, capped at 12 people, and the warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and life vest included in the price. I also like the suspension seats, which take some sting out of the ride. The trade-off is clear: this is a lively, bumpy boat trip, not a gentle cruise, and rough seas can be hard on your back or joints.

Key points to know before you book

• Fast access to the feeding grounds: The RIB can cover open water quickly, giving you more time to search for whales during the two-hour outing.
• A genuinely small group: With a maximum of 12 people, you get a better view and more direct contact with your English-speaking guide.
• Puffins in summer: The boat stops at Akurey, a nesting island, when puffins are in Iceland for the breeding season.
• Warm equipment is supplied: You receive thermal overalls, gloves, goggles, and a life vest before boarding.
• A bouncy ride by design: The boat can approach speeds near 30 knots, and rough water may make the journey physically demanding.
• A second chance if wildlife stays away: No sightings are promised, but you receive a complimentary ticket for the Classic or Express whale watching tour if the outing finds no wildlife.

Leaving Reykjavik from the Old Harbour

Your trip begins at Special Tours’ ticket office at Ægisgarður 5 in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour. If you add hotel pickup, a bus takes you to the harbour before departure. Without that option, make your own way to the ticket office, which is close to public transportation.

Arrive at least 30 minutes early. That extra time is not padding. You need to check in, find the changing area, put on the supplied gear, and listen to the safety briefing. The changing setup can feel cramped when several departures are preparing at once, so do not arrive at the last minute.

The Old Harbour is a handy starting point. It places you right beside the water, with Reykjavik’s shoreline behind you and Faxaflói Bay ahead. After the trip, you return to the same meeting point. If you booked hotel transfers, a drop-off bus waits at the harbour.

The tour is offered in English. Guides and captains have received strong praise for explaining whale behavior, identifying seabirds, and working patiently with people who feel nervous about the boat. Guides named in the tour feedback include Yoda, Blanca, and Jonathan, though your crew will depend on the departure.

Suiting up for Icelandic wind and spray

Before boarding, you put on warm overalls, a life vest, gloves, and goggles. This equipment matters more than it may sound. Faxaflói Bay can feel cold and windy even when Reykjavik seems mild, and the RIB’s speed adds its own blast of air.

You should still dress warmly underneath the suit and wear good shoes. The supplied gear protects you from much of the cold and spray, but it does not turn the boat into an indoor space. Bring a camera if you like, but secure it well and expect wet, windy conditions.

The boat is a custom-built RIB with shock-absorbing suspension seats. That design is one of the tour’s most useful features. You sit astride or firmly against the seat rather than on a soft bench, and the suspension helps soften the impact when the hull meets choppy water.

Do not mistake that comfort feature for a smooth ride. The RIB is built to move fast, and the boat ride is part of the attraction. In calm conditions, it can feel thrilling without being too harsh. In rougher seas, you may bounce hard. If you have a bad back, joint problems, a heart condition, or a low tolerance for motion, think carefully before choosing this format.

The operator does not recommend the tour for children under 10 or anyone under 145 centimeters. The supplied information also advises a moderate level of physical fitness. Getting into the boat and staying secure during the ride takes more effort than boarding a large sightseeing vessel.

The RIB ride across Faxaflói Bay

Once the safety talk is complete, you board the new RIB and head out from the harbour. The early section gives you views back toward Reykjavik and across the bay toward Esja, the broad mountain that forms one of the city’s most familiar horizons.

The boat’s speed has a practical purpose. Whales may feed far from the harbour, and a fast RIB can reach likely areas sooner than a slower boat. That leaves more of the two-hour trip for searching and watching rather than simply crossing the bay.

It also changes the character of the excursion. You are not sitting in a cabin with a coffee and a wide window. You are outside, exposed to the weather, holding your position as the boat moves. For some people, the ride itself is the best part. It has been compared to a roller coaster, though the exact feel depends heavily on wind and swell.

The captain may slow, stop, or change direction while the guide searches the water. Good wildlife watching involves patience. A whale can surface once and vanish, while a pod of dolphins may appear beside the boat without warning. The crew’s ability to spot movement and adjust course is central to the experience.

The boat is designed for close viewing, but close does not mean guaranteed or unlimited. Responsible operators must respect wildlife and maintain appropriate distances. You might get a powerful look at a humpback’s back or tail, but you should not expect every whale to breach beside the boat.

What you might see in the feeding grounds

The main target species are humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbour porpoises. Humpbacks tend to provide the most dramatic sightings. You might watch one surface repeatedly, show its back, blow water, or raise its tail before disappearing.

Several outings have followed humpbacks for long stretches, including one extended encounter with two whales and another with a mother and calf. Those moments are exceptional, not a promise. Wildlife watching is about improving your odds, not ordering a performance.

Minke whales are smaller and can be harder to track. A quick surfacing may give you only a brief glimpse, but the RIB’s low profile can make that moment feel immediate. You may see a dark back or blow before the whale slips beneath the surface.

White-beaked dolphins can be more active. A pod may travel beside the boat, surface repeatedly, or move through the water in a lively group. Harbour porpoises are also possible, although their smaller size and quick movements can make them easy to miss.

Your guide helps turn fleeting sightings into something meaningful. An expert guide can point out a blow before you notice it, explain the difference between species, and tell you what to watch for next. Guides have also identified seabirds along the route, including puffins running across the surface as they take off.

The wildlife is never guaranteed. Some departures produce several whales and dolphins. Others yield only one quick whale sighting, a few porpoises, or no whales at all. If no wildlife appears, the operator provides a complimentary ticket to try again on the Whale Watching Classic or Whale Watching Express tour. That is a useful safeguard, although it may not give you another RIB ride.

Akurey and the summer puffin stop

During the summer nesting season, the boat stops at Akurey, one of the popular puffin islands near Reykjavik. This adds a second wildlife focus to the trip and breaks up the open-water search.

Puffins are small, so your view depends on how close the boat can safely get and how active the birds are. You may see many birds gathered around the island, but do not expect a walk ashore or a close encounter. This is a viewing stop from the water.

The island is most useful as a bonus rather than the main reason to book. If whales are scarce, puffins give you another chance to see Icelandic wildlife. If you already have a dedicated puffin excursion planned, the stop may feel less essential, but it still adds variety to a short tour.

Remember that Akurey is seasonal. The stop is included during the months when puffins are in Iceland for nesting, not as a year-round feature.

Returning along the Reykjavik coastline

After the search and the puffin stop, the RIB heads back toward the Old Harbour. The return route gives you another look at Reykjavik from the water, with the coastline and Esja forming the backdrop.

Keep your camera ready, but protect it from spray. The final ride is not just a transfer back to shore. Depending on sea conditions, it may be another fast, energetic stretch, and the changing views help round out the trip.

The full outing lasts about two hours. That is long enough to reach the bay without taking up an entire day of your Iceland itinerary. It also means the wildlife search can feel brief if the animals are far away or hard to locate. If you want a slower trip with more indoor shelter, a larger whale watching boat may suit you better, though the RIB offers a more direct and energetic style.

Is $189.87 a fair price?

At $189.87 per person, this is a premium Reykjavik boat excursion. You are paying for the small group, the newer custom-built RIB, its suspension seats, the speed to reach distant areas, an English-speaking guide, and the complete set of warm and safety gear.

The value improves if you care about the boat as much as the wildlife. Even on a quiet wildlife day, you still get a fast ride across Faxaflói Bay, views of Esja and the Reykjavik coast, and a summer visit near Akurey. Several outings have treated the boat ride as a major part of the experience rather than a simple means of transport.

The price is harder to justify if you want only a guaranteed whale sighting. No operator can promise that, and this tour is not immune to empty water. The complimentary return ticket helps, but your schedule may not allow a second outing.

Booking 49 days ahead on average is a useful sign that you should not leave this until the final day of a short Reykjavik visit. More importantly, schedule it early enough in your stay to leave room for a weather delay or a second attempt.

Weather, cancellations, and practical limits

The tour requires good weather. If poor conditions cancel the departure, you are offered another date or a full refund. If the minimum number of participants is not met, the same basic choice applies: another date or experience, or a full refund.

You can cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made inside that window are not refunded or accepted, and the cut-off follows local Icelandic time.

Weather is not a minor detail here. A rough sea can make the ride exciting for one person and miserable for another. The operator may cancel when conditions are unsafe, but conditions can still feel lively on a trip that goes ahead. Ask the crew to explain the expected sea state if you are unsure, and take the safety briefing seriously.

The stated pre-departure routine includes a safety speech. Listen closely, keep your feet and body positioned as instructed, and tell the crew if you are uncomfortable. One useful practical point from the tour setup is that the RIB cannot simply become a slow cruise boat because a passenger finds the swell unpleasant, so choose this experience only if you are ready for its physical style.

Who should choose this whale watching tour?

I would choose this trip if you want a small group, a quick route to open water, and a real sense of motion. It suits active adults, couples, families with older children who meet the height and age guidance, and anyone who sees the boat ride as part of the day’s fun.

It is also a good pick if you are staying in Reykjavik for several days and can use the complimentary return option if the first trip finds no wildlife. The small capacity can make the guide’s explanations easier to follow and gives you less competition for views than a large vessel.

I would look elsewhere if you have back or joint trouble, significant mobility limits, a heart condition, or a strong dislike of bumpy motion. The boat requires a moderate physical fitness level, and boarding may be difficult for some people. A larger vessel with more room and a steadier ride may be the wiser choice.

Families should read the age and height limits carefully. The tour is not recommended for children under 10 or under 145 centimeters. Even children who meet the rules should be comfortable with wind, spray, speed, and sudden movement.

Should you book the 2-hour RIB whale watching tour?

Book it if you want the most energetic whale watching format from Reykjavik and accept that wildlife is never certain. The combination of a 12-person group, fast access to Faxaflói Bay, warm gear, suspension seats, and a summer puffin stop gives the tour a strong mix of adventure and nature.

Do not book it simply because you expect a whale to perform on schedule. The best outings can bring humpbacks, calves, dolphins, and repeated tail sightings. Another departure may produce only a brief glimpse or no whale at all.

My practical call: choose this tour early in your Iceland stay, arrive 30 minutes ahead, wear warm layers and sturdy shoes, and keep enough flexibility for weather or a second attempt. If the idea of a fast, bouncy open-water ride makes you smile, the RIB is likely worth the higher price. If it makes your back tighten just thinking about it, pick a larger boat instead.

FAQ

Where does the whale watching tour start?

The tour starts at Ægisgarður 5, 101 Reykjavik, at the Special Tours ticket office in the Old Harbour.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the Old Harbour meeting point. A hotel drop-off bus is available if you selected hotel transfers.

How long is the RIB whale watching tour?

The tour lasts approximately two hours.

Is hotel pickup included?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included in the base tour. They can be added for an extra fee.

What equipment is provided?

The tour provides warm overalls, life vests, gloves, goggles, and suspension seats on the RIB boat.

What wildlife could I see?

Possible sightings include humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbour porpoises. During the summer nesting season, the tour also visits Akurey, a puffin island.

Are wildlife sightings guaranteed?

No. Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed. If the tour has no sightings, you receive a complimentary ticket for another Whale Watching Classic or Whale Watching Express tour.

Is the tour suitable for children and people with mobility concerns?

The tour is not recommended for children under 10 or anyone under 145 centimeters. You should have a moderate physical fitness level, and the fast, bumpy ride may not suit people with back, joint, heart, or mobility problems.