Akureyri Classic Whale Watching
by Elding Adventure at Sea · Whale watching · North Iceland
- Fine on your own
- Works in the rain
- Eco-certified
- Self-guided
from €106.45 per person
Next departure: Thu 22 Oct
1 / 26
Duration
3 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Akureyri
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Oddeyrarbót pier, Akureyri
Departs
09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00 …
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before
Meeting point, in Elding Adventure at Sea's words: Please make sure to arrive at least 15 min. prior to departure.
About this experience
Get ready for an unforgettable adventure as we set sail from Akureyri, with the towering Súlur mountain watching over us, and head into the breathtaking Eyjafjord. As we speed past the stunning landscapes, with the island of Hrísey to the north and charming towns dotting the shores, keep your eyes peeled for the rich variety of birdlife that fills the skies.
The real stars of the show are the majestic "Eyjafjord Humpback Whales", known for their spectacular breaches and tail slaps, which frequent these waters alongside other remarkable marine species such as minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises, to name a few. Our high speed, specially modified whale watching ship ensures you won’t miss a moment of the action, offering unparalleled views from our cinema-styled platforms. With expert marine biologist naturalist on hand to share their knowledge, this is your chance to experience the wild beauty of Iceland in a way few ever do.
Description from the operator, Elding Adventure at Sea. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Where you go
- Check-in and boarding
- Whale Watching from Akureyri
- Return to harbour
Included
- 2,5-3 hr. whale watching tour
- Use of warm overalls and blankets
- Excellent live narration in English
- Complimentary WiFi on board
- Heated indoor saloon
- Large viewing windows
- Wildlife guarantee (or try again for free)
- Pictures taken by crew (if any)
Not included
- Pick up / Drop off (not available for this tour)
- Refreshments (can be purchased on board)
Good to know
Dress warmly for our northern fjord. Bring warm outdoor clothing such as a wool / fleece sweater, a hat, gloves and sturdy shoes are recommended. Feel free to borrow our thermal overalls on board if needed.
Hólmasól is the first high speed whale watching ship in Iceland, equipped with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, lavatories and an on board bar & cafeteria. The specially designed viewing platform on the front of the ship is ideal for wildlife watching. *Depending on the conditions and booking status of the day, we may use one of three different sized vessels for this tour. Please check with our team on site.
Daily departures from the floating pier in front of Hof Cultural and Conference Centre in Akureyri each summer, in June and July. With plenty of car parking and within easy walk of any accommodation in town, this tour provides the perfect blend of convenience and adventure, offering you the chance to explore the wonders of the fjord's marine life in the ever glowing Midnight Sun.
Although our success rate is high, the cetacean abundance is unpredictable and varies with the food availability of our shores. In case no whales or dolphins make an appearance on the tour, we will offer you a complimentary ticket to try again within 2 years.
Please be aware that the weather can change rapidly in Iceland and therefore the captain could decide to alter or cancel the tour on short notice for safety reasons. In this case we will contact you as soon as possible with the contact information you provide in the booking process.
Cancellation for this tour
Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.
If the weather cancels this tour
Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is sea state — the skipper decides an hour or two before departure; in winter this happens often. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.
- 1Elding Adventure at Sea decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
- 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
- 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.
What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.
Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →
Why this one and not the cheaper one?
The nearest cheaper Classic Whale Watching from Dalvík from Arctic Sea Tours is €80 — €26 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.
| Elding Adventure at Sea · €106 | Arctic Sea Tours · €80 | |
|---|---|---|
| How hard it is | Easy | Very easy |
On everything we can measure, the Arctic Sea Tours tour is the better buy. The €26 is not buying anything we can point to, so unless you want this operator in particular, take the cheaper one.
Sold out on your date?
Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.
Why we list it
Elding Adventure at Sea is one of 204 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →
What travellers say about Elding Adventure at Sea
Read all 2,419 reviews on Google →Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
We had an incredible sunset whale watching trip. From the beginning, every member of staff was attentive and helpful. Our guide shared lots of info on the wildlife we spotted - birds and whales. We were blessed with beautiful weather and the boat wasn't busy so we had room to move around and spot wildlife. Lots of tips on how to spot whales were shared. We saw a minke whale and then in the distance the sprays from several humpbacks.We made our way towards these and then stayed with one for ages - it was magical! The captain was very generous with time - because our encounter was quite far out, our trip was over 3.5 hours, we were not rushed back because time was running out! We saw lots of different bird species too. The sunset was stunning and we were able to enjoy this on the way back and also get some beautiful pictures of Reykjavik as we approached. We were also impressed with the way Elding respect the wildlife. Our 9 year old learned so much about whale spotting and ga been putting it to use on our cruise - spotting minkes and humpbacks from the ship! Thank you so much, Elding, for a truly memorable and magical evening!
★★★★★ · a month ago
Great experience! Information on what and where very clear on the website and the ground staff very nice and friendly when one went for the tickets. The crew were helpful, fun and full of information on the whales but also other wildlife that could be seen. They were really persistent in ensuring we actually did see a whale, and we ended up being quite far out of the port with the total cruise time around 3.5 hrs instead of the envisioned 2.5 hrs. We were most grateful for their efforts!!! It was much appreciated that after the tour itself we received an e-mail with photos the crew had taken of our particular cruise. Highly recommended!
★★★★★ · a month ago
Our whale watching tour was so special. I will start with the whales: we definitely saw them! We found a couple of humpbacks busy feeding and out guide did a great job of pointing them out and describing the behaviors we were seeing. It was truly amazing. The crew has the skills and experience to find what’s in the area. Additionally, they provided us with pictures of the whales and a journal entry about our voyage. We heard from someone else on the boat that if you go out and do not see any wildlife, they will provide you with a voucher to come out again another time (this family was on their re-do but your mileage may vary as I didn’t hear or read about this.) But of course, one cannot control the outcome, and still I would recommend this trip. It was such a fun way to see the city of Reykjavik and the surrounding mountains. We had a beautiful day with a bit of wind and they provided motion-sickness tablets for free, but remaining outside I did not experience much malaise. I also want to say that the company was very accommodating. We had booked a morning tour that we couldn’t get to due to travel disruptions and they were very willing to honor our reservation at a later time slot.
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
Booking excursions through Elding was seamless, and I really appreciated their ecological focus. I first took their free ferry to Viðey with my Reykjavík City Pass, then enjoyed the experience so much that I booked both their classic whale watching and puffin tours. Everything felt easy and well organized, from the cold weather gear to the books, wildlife guides, and knowledgeable experts who narrated the tours and answered questions along the way. These excursions gave me some of my favorite memories of Iceland while getting to learn. about the wildlife and explore Faxaflói Bay. Highly recommend!
Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026
Read before you book
- Three days in Akureyri without a carHow to spend three days based in Akureyri with no rental car: whales in Eyjafjörður, Goðafoss, Mývatn and the Forest Lagoon, all by tour pickup.
- Best Whale Watching Tour in Iceland (2026): 5 PicksThe whale watching tours we would book ourselves in Iceland, from Reykjavík's Old Harbour to Húsavík and Akureyri, with real prices and who each suits.
- Húsavík or Eyjafjörður for whale watching?Whale watching from Húsavík's Skjálfandi Bay versus boats leaving Akureyri or Dalvík on Eyjafjörður — which bay to book from and why.
Reviews from our travellers
Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.
Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.
Whale watching — questions people ask
When is the best time for whale watching in Iceland?
April to October, with June to August the most reliable. Humpbacks and minke whales feed in Faxaflói off Reykjavík and in the northern fjords all summer, and white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises turn up on most trips. Winter boats still sail from Reykjavík, but sightings drop and the sea is rougher. If whales are the point of your trip, come in summer and book an early departure; seas are usually calmer in the morning.
Can you see whales from Reykjavík in December?
Sometimes. Boats run from the Old Harbour all year, and winter trips do find whales, mostly humpbacks and the occasional orca. But December means short daylight, cold wind and a higher chance the operator cancels for weather. Sightings are noticeably less frequent than in summer. If you are here in winter, go anyway, but treat it as a sea trip with a chance of whales rather than a whale trip. Most operators offer a free second trip if nothing shows.
Is Húsavík or Reykjavík better for whale watching?
Húsavík, if you can get there. Skjálfandi Bay in the north sees humpbacks close to shore from May to September, and the small family-run boats like Friends of Moby Dick (/experience/752602/) keep group sizes down. Reykjavík is more convenient: boats leave the Old Harbour five minutes from most hotels and run all year. Akureyri and Dalvík in Eyjafjörður are also strong. If you are only in Reykjavík, go from Reykjavík and do not feel short-changed.
Will I get seasick on a whale watching tour?
You might. Faxaflói is open sea and the boats roll, especially in wind. Take a tablet an hour before departure, stay on deck in fresh air and watch the horizon rather than your phone. Morning trips tend to be calmer than afternoon ones. If you know you suffer badly, a two-hour RIB trip (/experience/155331/) is faster and bumpier but shorter, or pick a northern fjord like Eyjafjörður, which is more sheltered than the bay off Reykjavík.
Hotels
Where to stay for this tour
From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Akureyri, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.
from 13.800 kr.Lowest price
Guesthouse · Akureyri
Torg Guest House
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
- Cottagefrom 27.108 kr.
Mid-range
Cottage · Akureyri
LL Properties | Charming Panorama Family Cabin
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 31.642 kr.Top end
Apartment · Akureyri
Acco Luxury Apartments
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
One checkout, any number of operators
Rankings are not for sale
203 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it
Pairs well with
Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €6 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.
Elding Adventure at Sea
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meet at the start point
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Elding Adventure at Sea
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Reykjavik Sailors
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meet at the start point
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Icelandic Adventures / Iceland Fishing Guide
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- Book the night before
Fox Adventure ehf
Adventure! Sacred Iceland: Goðafoss Waterfall, Christmas Dreams and Cacao Ceremony
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pickup included · works in rain
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Icelimo Luxury Travel
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