10 Shore Excursions Tours in Iceland Worth Booking

1.German-Speaking Golden Circle Small Group Tour from Reykjavík – Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 216 reviews · 8 hours · from $182Our pick

Travel from Reykjavík to Kerið, Gullfoss, Strokkur, Laugarvatn, and Þingvellir with a German-speaking guide in a group of up to 19. You’ll also stop at a family farm for house-made ice cream and see an earthquake fissure near Hveragerði.

“Tolles Programm für einen Tag Island. Tour in kleinen Gruppen. Petra ist ein toller Guide, weiß alles über Island und geht super auf die Gruppe ein, z.b wenn Kinder dabei sind.”

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2.From Reykjavik Port: Golden Circle Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews · 7 hours · from $200

Join GeoIceland for a seven-hour Golden Circle tour from Reykjavik Port. Visit Gullfoss, Geysir, and Thingvellir with an English-speaking local guide, plus possible stops for Icelandic horses, geothermal sites, ice cream, or snacks. Pickup follows your cruise arrival, with return at least one hour before sailing.

“Really enjoyed this trip! Van was at the port waiting for us when we got off our ship. Guide was friendly and fun, he also made sure to park close to the sites or in spots that had walking downhill vs uphill as some people on the trip had more limited mobility. Iceland is beautiful and this was a great way to explore the top sites with limited time. We even got to do a few extra things that weren’t on the itinerary like stop for ice cream/snacks, visit a geothermal beach, pet the Icelandic horses, and stop for a drink at the geothermal tomato farm and the volcanic crater.…”

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3.Myvatn Nature Baths & Goðafoss Waterfall Akureyri Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $248

Spend about six hours seeing Goðafoss, volcanic Lake Mývatn, and the Mývatn Nature Baths from Akureyri. English-speaking guides such as Nico, Petra, Nika, and Victoria have led this outing. Cruise-friendly timing, port pickup, a modern bus, and roughly two hours at the baths make this an easy North Iceland sampler.

“This was a disaster. We were promised we would be back in time for our ship leaving. We were guaranteed that 3 times. We then left 20min late because the company decided to combine two tours (still promising our return in time). When we dropped them off he said we wouldn’t pick them back up until 14:30, which puts us dangerously close to our 15:30 all aboard. When we arrived at the baths, that is when we were again assured even with him then telling us we wouldn’t leave the baths until 14:30, 15 minutes away from where we dropped the others off. We then found out of the tour…”

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4.Reykjavik Shore Excursion: Whale-Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 61 reviews · 3 hours 50 minutes (approx.) · from $108

Sail from Skarfabakki Harbour into Faxaflói Bay with an English-speaking guide such as Dominiki, watching for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The boat offers thermal coveralls, WiFi, sea-sickness tablets, and a free return ticket if no wildlife appears.

“We had a great time. The boat was nice, the tour guide was a very knowledgeable biologist and we were able to see some whales up close!”

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5.From Seydisfjordur: Studlagil Canyon Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 58 reviews · from $205

Travel inland from Seydisfjordur to Stuðlagil Canyon, where 30-meter basalt columns frame turquoise glacial water. Stop at 27-meter Gufufoss before returning to port. English-speaking guides such as Kjartan add local stories, while free WiFi and ship pickup keep the five-hour outing simple.

“Our guide was fantastic! He shared an incredible amount of knowledge and personal stories of growing up and living in Iceland. The canyon is spectacular but there are a LOT of stairs to go down/up to get to the viewing platform. Also, be aware that the canyon is about 90 min from the cruise port but the scenery is amazing and there are 2-3 waterfall stops along the way back. I’d highly recommend!”

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6.Reykjavik Shore Excursion: Puffin Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 56 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $63Best value

Cruise from Reykjavik’s Skarfabakki Harbour to Akurey Island, where a small boat circles rocky nesting grounds in search of puffins and Arctic terns. An English-speaking guide, loaner binoculars, coffee, and round-trip port transfers are included. Guides such as Rebekah, Oscar, Joel, and Patricia have earned special praise.

“Loved seeing the Puffins floating on the sea near the island in the harbor where the covered boat had taken us. Our guide, Joel, was super nice and very knowledgeable regarding the Puffins. He also pointed out other unusual birds for that area.”

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7.Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $169

From Akureyri’s port, you’ll visit Godafoss, Lake Mývatn’s Skútustaðir pseudocraters, Dimmuborgir, Grjótagjá Cave, and Námaskarð. Expect a 5 to 7-hour drive with a guide, WiFi, free attraction entry, and a small-group format that may range from 8 to 19 people.

“Incredible beauty - tour guide was excellent and informative. We never felt rushed at any of the stops.”

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8.Reykjavik Shore Excursion: The Golden Circle Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $233

Leave Reykjavik cruise port with a professional driver-guide for an 8.5-hour Golden Circle tour. You’ll visit Gullfoss, Geysir, Faxi Waterfall, and Thingvellir National Park, with round-trip minivan transport and scenic photo stops along the way.

“I don’t really know what happened, but the vendor left us high and dry in Reykjavik. They miscommunicated pickup information for the wrong date and wrong tour. Good news - a full refund was received.”

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9.Golden Circle – Shore Excursion from Reykjavik in Minibus, English

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $156Top rated

Travel from Reykjavik’s Skarfabakki cruise terminal in a small English-speaking group, usually around eight people, to Kerið, Gullfoss, Geysir, Laugarvatn, and Þingvellir. Guides such as Sven and Jónína add a personal touch, while a farm ice-cream stop keeps the long day fun.

“We were in a van with only eight of us. Our driver was also the guide and took us to the usual places of interest along the Golden Circle. It was a long tour, actually even longer than the eight hours listed in the online description. The weather waRead more”

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10.German-speaking shore excursion Góðafoss & Mývatn from Akureyri in a small group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $180

Travel from Akureyri’s cruise port in a small bus with a German-speaking local guide. See Goðafoss, Mývatn’s pseudocraters, Dimmuborgir lava formations, Grjótagjá cave, Hverir’s mud springs, and Krafla. The schedule follows your ship’s berth, with a maximum of 19 people.

“Sehr schöner Kleinbus mit einem sehr gut deutsch sprechendem Guide. Es war an jedem Stopp ausreichend Zeit und es wurde versucht, den großen Reisebussen aus dem Weg zu gehen. Absolute Empfehlung.”

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