Whale Watching Hólmavík

by Whale Watching Holmavik · Whale watching · Westfjords

4.90(546) · operator on Google
Whale Watching Hólmavík — Whale Watching Holmavik

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Whale Watching Holmavik's own price and take our commission from them, not from you. What you get here is one checkout across operators, one confirmation, and one place to change or cancel it. If you ever find it cheaper on their own site, tell us and we will match it or explain why we cannot.

More photos of Whale Watching Hólmavík

Whale Watching Hólmavík, photo 6Whale Watching Hólmavík, photo 7Whale Watching Hólmavík, photo 8

8 photos from Whale Watching Holmavik. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    2 hours and 30 minutes

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Hólmavík

  • Meeting

    Meet on location

  • Languages

    EN

  • Departs

    10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 …

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

Be at the meeting point 15-30 minutes before the tour starts.
Please note that check-in is 30 minutes prior to departure to allow time for a safety briefing and to provide the appropriate gear.

Clothing
Warm clothing is essential, the Westfjords are cold even in summer All tours are subject to weather conditions and minimum booking numbers.

Why Hólmavík?

Holmavik is located in Steingrímsfjörður, a sheltered fjord where humpback whales regularly feed close to shore. Because the whales are nearby and the waters are calm, our tours are comfortable, efficient, and suitable for families and guests who prefer smoother conditions.

  • Calm and sheltered fjord conditions → minimal seasickness
  • Feeding humpback whales close to shore → more whale time
  • Short sailing time → More environmentally friendly
  • Personal, uncrowded experience
  • Whales are wild animals, but Hólmavík has a very strong sighting record.
  • Sighting Policy → If no whales are seen, guests are offered a free rebooking.

    Step aboard in Hólmavík, sail in the calm sheltered waters of the Westfjords and experience whale watching far from the crowds.
    You may find yourself as the only boat surrounded by humpback whales, the ocean’s most playful and spectacular giants. Watch them tail-slap in one of Iceland’s most remote and unspoiled fjords.

    Summer regularly brings humpbacks, minke whales and white-beaked dolphins, while autumn can offer unforgettable moments with multiple humpbacks feeding together in golden Arctic light.

    With rare cancellations due to weather and exceptionally calm sea conditions, this is whale watching at its most personal and authentic.

    Join us in Hólmavík, where nature sets the stage.

Description from the operator, Whale Watching Holmavik. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

  • Entry or admission fee
  • Guided whale watching tour
  • Warm and waterproof overalls
  • Opportunity to see humpback whales and other marine life
  • Spectacular views of the Westfjords
  • Possible Puffin sightings (June to early August)


Not included

  • Food and Drinks
  • Transportation to Hólmavík


Good to know

Clothing
  • Please dress very warmly for this tour.
  • Conditions in the Westfjords can be cold and change quickly, even on sunny summer days.
  • It may be helpful to have hats, mittens and scarves

Be at the meeting point 15-30 minutes before the tour starts .

Know before you go

  • Tours are subject to weather conditions and may be cancelled or rescheduled.
  • Dress warmly and in layers as the Westfjords can be cold, even in summer.
  • Sea-sickness is rare in the sheltered fjord, but consider taking precautions if you are prone to motion sickness.
  • Be at the meeting point 15-30 minutes before the tour starts.

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.

  1. 1Whale Watching Holmavik 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 Húsavík Whale Museum Ticket from Húsavík Whale Museum is €19 — €78 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Whale Watching Holmavik · €97Húsavík Whale Museum · €19
How long it runs2.5 hours1 hour
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNot stated

The €78 buys you 1.5 more hours out and free cancellation up to 24 h before. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

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

Whale Watching Holmavik is one of 154 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 Whale Watching Holmavik

Read all 546 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Ivan Hojdar

    ★★★★★ · 11 months ago

    Tour from Hólmavík Fri Sep 19th with Judith Scott - best choice in Iceland, happy we didn’t go in Husavik as originally planned. Very informative and we’ve seen a lot of whales just in 2 hours. Small group, good boat with the saloon, both Judith and captain very enthusiastic about the whales and welcoming. If you don’t like big groups and a lot of tourists on boats in one place, it’s the right choice. We booked by mistake in different location and they were very easy to change it, even refunded the price difference-great customer service. 6 stars 🤗

  • Tyler Nickel

    ★★★★★ · a year ago

    Incredible experience. The guide we had (British woman) was incredibly informative, passionate, and helpful. We got a little discouraged as about an hour in we hadn’t seen anything more than gobs of puffins – but they stayed vigilant and we had some incredible encounters with humpbacks. Even one that swam feet below our boat. Overall it was a success and they do their best to track down the whales. They obviously can’t “guarantee” you’ll see whales, but they seem to see whales every time they go out. Overall it was one of the most memorable experiences in Iceland.

  • Nur Shahida Binti Shaifuddin

    ★★★★★ · a year ago

    Laki Whale Tours is a great choice for anyone looking for an authentic whale-watching experience in Iceland. The crew is friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about marine life. The boat is comfortable, and they provide warm overalls to keep you cozy( it was very chilly in October) The highlight of my experience was spotting the whales and dolphins. The captain and our guide did their best to find them while also respecting the animals’ space. (very important!!) We were lucky enough to go on the last day of the season and saw both whales and dolphins. Nature is unpredictable, so sightings aren’t guaranteed, but even if you don’t see whales up close, the boat ride itself is a beautiful experience with stunning views of the fjords. If you’re in the area and want a more personal, small-group tour rather than a crowded big-boat experience, this is a great option!

  • skies belford

    ★★★★★ · a year ago

    I had an incredible time on a whale-watching tour with Láki Tours. We saw around 15 different whales, which was absolutely amazing! The weather was quite comfortable and the experience was fascinating. Our guide was wonderfu l— she was very knowledgeable and friendly, making the whole trip even more enjoyable. The price is also very reasonable, making it an affordable and worthwhile experience. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Iceland!

Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

No reviews yet from our travellers on 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.

  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 153 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

Pairs well with

Everything here goes into the same basket and the same single payment, however many operators it comes from.

from

€97 per person

Check dates & book