Whale Watching Hólmavík

by Whale Watching Holmavik · Whale watching · Westfjords

4.90· 549 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Self-guided

from €105.71 per person

Next departure: Fri 14 May

Book Fri 14 May · €105.71 Other dates

Whale Watching Hólmavík — Whale Watching Holmavik

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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
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Whale Watching Hólmavík at the Harbour
Hafnarbraut 14, Hólmavík
Departs
10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 …
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours 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.

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.
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 we list it

Whale Watching Holmavik 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 Whale Watching Holmavik

Read all 549 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
★★★★★ · a year 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 🤗
Mikel B
★★★★★ · a month ago
Today we saw humpbacks, minky and bottlenose whales 🐳🐳🐳. Also puffins, artic terns and more! Fantastic experience. Knowledgable tour guide.
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!

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Whale watching in the Westfjords: Ísafjörður or HólmavíkHólmavík if you're driving in, because it's on the way and the fjord is calm. Ísafjörður if you're already there, or off a cruise ship. Both are summer trips.

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 Hólmavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Westfjords →

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from

€105.71 per person

Whale Watching Holmavik's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

The next departure we can see — change it if this tour is for another day.

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs10:0011:0013:0014:0017:00

Hólmavík: light 04:00–22:46, 18 h 46 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Whale Watching Holmavik cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: Whale Watching Holmavik's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

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.