Iceland · WHALE WATCHING

The 15 Best Whale Watching Tours in Iceland

94 tours  ·  from $30

Húsavík and Akureyri have the highest hit rate; Reykjavík has the shortest walk to the boat. The 15 below compare season, vessel, trip length and which ones hand you a thermal suit before you cast off.

Reykjavík: Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise - The first hour is a search, not a show
Cruises & Boat Tours, Reykjavik Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Reykjavík: Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise

1.Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise

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

Cruise Faxaflói Bay from Reykjavík with guides such as marine biologist Maria, watching for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and seabirds. You get indoor and outdoor seating, a heated cabin, café, toilets, and WiFi. Sightings are never guaranteed, but a free return trip is offered if none appear.

“This was by far the best experience we had in Iceland. It was so emotional seeing the whales. They jumped so many times and we were so lucky to see that in-person. Our guide, Maria, was also so knowledgeable and I learned so many things about whales with her. I highly recommend this tour!”

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Akureyri: 3-Hour Classic Whale Watching Tour by Ship - A fast ship with several good places to watch
3-Hour Experiences, Akureyri Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

Akureyri: 3-Hour Classic Whale Watching Tour by Ship

2.3-Hour Classic Whale Watching Tour by Ship

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,000 reviews · 3 hours · from $108

Sail Eyjafjörður from Akureyri on a fast, specially modified whale-watching ship. Guides such as Giselle, Johan, David, and Jacob explain whale behavior while you search for humpbacks, orcas, minke whales, and dolphins. Thermal overalls, Wi-Fi, indoor seating, and crew photos are included.

“Excellent experience! We really enjoyed the tour, the guide was professional and entertaining. We have seen a few whales and learned about them. The guide-taken pictures make great addition to ones we took on phone.”

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Reykjavík: Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht - What you might see in Faxaflói Bay
Cruises & Boat Tours, Reykjavik Tours, Sailing, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Reykjavík: Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht

3.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 for about three hours. Use three panoramic decks to spot humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds, while guides such as Lucky and Roman explain the wildlife. The yacht has a warm lounge, bar, bathroom, WiFi, and blankets.

“The excursion did not disappoint. The Amelia Rose is clean and well maintained. although it holds alot of people there is plenty of room and we never felt crowded. Our guide, Lucky, was very informative and enthusiastic, especially when she spotted whales and dolphins. We were fortunate to see both on our trip.”

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Húsavík: Whale Watching Tour with Guide - Meeting the oak ship in Húsavík harbor
Guided, Husavik Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

Húsavík: Whale Watching Tour with Guide

4.Whale Watching Tour with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,761 reviews · 3 hours · from $115

Cruise Skjálfandi Bay from Húsavík on a traditional oak boat with an English-speaking guide. Watch for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, puffins, and other seabirds. Warm overalls, live commentary, hot chocolate, and a cinnamon bun are included.

“The staff on the trip were incredibly knowledgeable of marine life. They had a great sense of humour, and gave us a good introduction to the trip, including all health and safety matters. There was plenty of room on the bat, everyone was given the opportunity to see whales. It was one of our best experiences in Iceland. Keep up the good work”

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The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik - What you are most likely to see
Reykjavik Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik

5.The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik

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

Set out from Reykjavik with Elding for a 2 to 3.5 hour cruise in Faxaflói Bay. Marine guides such as Pedro and Kylie explain the wildlife, while overalls, blankets, WiFi, and a wildlife exhibition add comfort. Humpback and minke whales are the usual stars, with a free return trip if none appear.

“We took the trip Jan 12th 2026 we knew it was going to be a bit rough and though they had had sightings recently they were single shots. Well almost as soon as we set off we saw a whale. And it stayed visible almost the whole trip. The team were brilliant at spotting, educating and keeping visitors safe on what was quite a choppy sea.”

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Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour with Expert Guide - What the Classic trip is like
Guided, Reykjavik Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour with Expert Guide

6.Whale Watching Tour with Expert Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 2,307 reviews · from $90

Join Special Tours from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour for a 2 to 3 hour trip aboard Andrea, Iceland’s largest whale-watching ship. Your English-speaking guide helps you spot minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and the occasional orca, with warm overalls, indoor seating, WiFi, and a café on board.

“The guide was excellent and kept us informed about the whales and all about them. Boat was great with plenty of seating and a good little cafe on board.”

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Húsavík: Traditional Whale Watching by Local Family Company - Three hours across Skjálfandi Bay
Husavik Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Húsavík: Traditional Whale Watching by Local Family Company

7.Traditional Whale Watching by Local Family Company

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,735 reviews · from $91

Sail from Húsavík with Gentle Giants on a 3-hour cruise aboard a traditional Icelandic oak boat. Your English-speaking guide, sometimes a marine biologist such as Matteo, Rui, or Nicoliene, explains the bay’s whales, dolphins, and seabirds while the crew provides warm overalls and rain jackets.

“Excellent experience. Would definitely recommend. Crew were friendly and informative.”

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Húsavík: Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour - Starting at Hafnarstétt 11 in Húsavík
Husavik Tours, Puffin Watching Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

Húsavík: Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour

8.Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 979 reviews · 2 hours · from $198

Join a guide such as Austin, Iñaki, or Ignacio aboard a 12-seat RIB from Húsavík. Race across Skjálfandi Bay for humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises, then visit Lundey Island for puffins from April 15 to August 20. Warm overalls and life vests are provided.

“The team was great and very nice and knowledgeable. We saw several whales, dolphins and many puffins (summer season only). The speed boat has around 12 seats so its a small group, which makes the experience more exclusive.”

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Húsavík: Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins by Speedboat - Getting ready at the Gentle Giants ticket center
Husavik Tours, Safari, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Húsavík: Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins by Speedboat

9.Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 973 reviews · from $159

From Húsavík, you’ll ride a spacious RIB with up to 12 passengers to Puffin Island and across Skjálfandi Bay. Guides such as Matteo, Serena, and Rui explain whale behavior while the boat covers more water quickly. Expect warm overalls, sea spray, sharp turns, and wildlife that never follows a script.

“The activity was great despite bad weather, our trip was not canceled even though the weather was dodgy, our guide was very informative and kind and well as our captain. We got to see humpback whale up close. If you want to enjoy your experience just take sea sickness pills and you are good to go.”

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Whale Watching from Downtown Akureyri - Leaving Akureyri for Eyjafjord’s mountain walls
Akureyri Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Whale Watching from Downtown Akureyri

10.Whale Watching from Downtown Akureyri

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 971 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $104

Join Elding Whale Watching at Akureyri harbor for a roughly three-hour cruise through Eyjafjord. Use thermal overalls, rain gear, blankets, indoor windows, and outdoor decks while guides search for humpbacks, orcas, minke whales, and porpoises. Wi-Fi is free, and drinks are available onboard.

“Lovely scenery and knowledgeable staff on the boat. We saw 2 humpback whales on the trip, close to the boat for quite a while.”

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Reykjavik: the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour - From the red ticket office to the boat
3-Hour Experiences, Reykjavik Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

Reykjavik: the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

11.the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

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

Cruise from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay with Elding’s marine biologist guides. Look for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and seabirds. Warm overalls, WiFi, hot drinks for purchase, professional photos, and a free retry if no whales are seen make this a well-prepared three-hour outing.

“Saw two beautiful humpback whales on my tour. The best part of this tour is the company being aware of the whales and not distrusting them too much. Allowing them their space and not using sonar! Do this tour if you want to go on a tour that is respectful of the environment and animals. P.s their hot chocolate is fantastic!!!!!!! And it’s cheap”

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Whale Watching Tour with Professional Guide from Reykjavik - Two ways to watch from the boat
Guided, Reykjavik Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

Whale Watching Tour with Professional Guide from Reykjavik

12.Whale Watching Tour with Professional Guide from Reykjavik

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

Join guides such as Patrick or Joe for a 3.5-hour whale watch from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour. Look for humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and summer puffins from indoor or outdoor seating, with warm flotation suits 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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From Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour - Searching Faxaflói Bay for two hours
Reykjavik Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

From Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour

13.Whale Watching Tour

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

Sail from Geirsgata 11 into Kollafjörður and Faxaflói Bay for a 3.5-hour search for whales, dolphins, and birds. Guides such as Patrick and Lukas add lively commentary, while warm flotation overalls, indoor cabins, WiFi, and a free return trip without sightings make this a practical choice.

“We've had an amazing experience. We've seen three humpback whales :) (end of september 2024)”

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Reykjavik: Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise - Scanning Faxafloi Bay for whales
Cruises & Boat Tours, Dolphin Watching, Reykjavik Tours, Sailing, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Reykjavik: Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

14.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 in Faxafloi Bay. English and Icelandic guides point out whales, dolphins, seabirds, and summer puffins, while blankets, indoor lounges, a bar, WiFi, and a return ticket if nothing is seen add comfort and value.

“Our guide tried very hard to make us sight some whales which we did ! Remember its nature so you can’t really be sure of seeing whales … also another boat from another company really were v disrespectful and almost scared the whale .. but our guide was really patient and amazing”

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Árskógssandur: Whale-Watching Boat Trip - A traditional boat with real character
Akureyri Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Árskógssandur: Whale-Watching Boat Trip

15.Whale-Watching Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 695 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $96

Meet at Hótel Kaldi in Árskógssandur for a 2.5-hour whale-watching trip on a traditional oak boat. An English-speaking guide and captain search Eyjafjörður for humpbacks, dolphins, and seabirds, while warm overalls, hot chocolate, and a cinnamon bun keep you comfortable.

“Incredible experience. We were lucky to see lots of humpback whales. The guides and the boat were perfect. An incredible journey :)”

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