1 hour RIB boat tour

by Island Adventures · Boat tours · South Coast

5.00· 66 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Self-guided

from €124.8 per person

No published departures in the coming months — ask us

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1 hour RIB boat tour — Island Adventures

1 / 7

7 photos from Island Adventures. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
1 hour
Difficulty
Easy
Season
May – Sep
Starts in
Vestmannaeyjabær
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Island Adventures
Básaskersbryggja 6, Vestmannaeyjar
Departs
09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 …
Cancellation
Cancelling costs 50% of the price within 7 days of departure.

About this experience

Hop aboard for a scenic 1-hour boat tour along Heimaey’s dramatic coastline, where volcanic cliffs, hidden coves, and sea-carved caves create nonstop photo moments right from the harbour. As we cruise the island’s rugged shoreline, you’ll get a clear view across the water toward Elliðaey and the tiny cabin often nicknamed “the loneliest house in the world” We’ll also pass one of Vestmannaeyjar’s most famous natural landmarks, Elephant Rock, the remarkable basalt formation shaped like a giant elephant dipping its trunk into the Atlantic. Along the way, keep an eye out for seabirds soaring over the cliffs and, if we’re lucky, seals in the surf. It’s the perfect short trip for big scenery, iconic sights, and a true taste of the Westman Islands.

Our experienced local captains guide guests safely through the archipelago on high-speed rigid inflatable boats, allowing you to get close to places that larger boats cannot reach. We offer 1-hour and 2-hour tours as well as private and custom trips for families, photographers, and small groups looking for a more personalized adventure.

Join us for an unforgettable sea adventure and experience the Westman Islands from the best perspective — the ocean. Minimum participants: This tour requires at least 4 participants to operate.If the minimum is not reached, we will contact you to reschedule or provide a full refund.

Description from the operator, Island Adventures. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Cancellation for this tour

Cancelling costs 50% of the price within 7 days of departure. 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. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1Island Adventures 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 the cutoff shown above, 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 Vestmannaeyjar Boat Tour from Ribsafari - Boat Tours in Vestmannaeyjar is €88 — €37 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Island Adventures · €125	Ribsafari - Boat Tours in Vestmannaeyjar · €88
How long it runs	1 hour	1.5 hours
Changing your mind	Not stated	Free until 744 h before

On everything we can measure, the Ribsafari - Boat Tours in Vestmannaeyjar tour is the better buy. The €37 is not buying anything we can point to, so unless you want this operator in particular, take the cheaper one.

Who this is not for

Not available in winter; the operator runs it roughly May to September.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

Island Adventures 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 Island Adventures

Read all 66 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 5.0/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Anna Good
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
We had a breathtaking experience on the boat tour. We arrived later in the day and they were able to get us out on the water anyway. We did not come to Vestmannaeyjar expecting to take this boat tour but are so happy we did because it was unbelievably beautiful. Pictures do not do it justice. Boat driver and guide were very kind and knowledgeable. Don’t miss this tour if you visit!
Sasha Zawadsky-Weist
★★★★★ · a month ago
The 2-hour RIB tour with Island Adventure was the highlight of my trip to Iceland. The welcome crew were friendly, thoughtful, and really care about the client experience. They gave us little coffees to start the tour, which were tasty and timely. The tour itself was truly an adventure. Weather was spectacular so we were able to go to multiple different islands, view thousands of birds (kittiwakes, gannets, and thousands of puffins). We even saw some seals lounging in the sun! The guides and boat captain (Himmi) were knowledgable and patient, providing interesting details about the wildlife and islands, then answering everyone's questions. They play great music along the way, which definitely energizes the group. The best parts were going through caves and sea arches!
Margo Koropova
★★★★★ · a month ago
Great experience! Both our guide and captain were amazing. There were only two of us booked for the tour, but instead of canceling, they took us out anyway and basically gave us a private tour! We had so much fun. Thank you!!
Michael Evans
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
Epic time! Guides that took us out were awesome. Had so much fun seeing the island from the boat. 10/10.

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Boat tours in Iceland: the five kinds explainedWhale boats, aurora cruises, glacier-lagoon zodiacs, island ferries and sea angling. What each one actually is, what it costs, and which are worth a slot.

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.

Boat tours — questions people ask

Where do boat tours leave from in Reykjavík?

The Old Harbour, on Ægisgarður pier, about five minutes' walk from most downtown hotels and ten from Hallgrímskirkja. Elding and Reykjavik Sailors both have ticket offices there. Whale, puffin, sea-angling and northern-lights boats all use the same area. Arrive thirty minutes before departure to check in. The Viðey ferry (/experience/1539/) leaves from the same harbour in summer and from Skarfabakki the rest of the year.

Is the Jökulsárlón boat tour worth it?

Yes, if you are already at the lagoon. A Zodiac gets you among the icebergs and close to the glacier edge in a way the shore cannot, and the combined glacier hike and Zodiac day (/experience/716547/) is the best full day in the southeast. Boats run in the warmer months only; check the tour page for dates. It is not worth a fourteen-hour day trip from Reykjavík just for the boat.

What is the difference between a Zodiac and an amphibian boat at Jökulsárlón?

A Zodiac is a fast rigid inflatable seating around ten, with a guide who can nose it near the glacier face and into iceberg fields; you wear a flotation suit and get a bit wet. The amphibian is a slow duck boat carrying larger groups on a fixed loop. The Zodiac is the better trip and the one we list. It has a minimum age and is bumpier; the tour page has details.

Will a boat tour be cancelled if it is windy?

Quite possibly. Operators cancel whale, puffin and lagoon boats when the wind or swell makes them unsafe or pointless, and Iceland is windy. The decision usually comes the evening before or early on the day, by email or text. You get a full refund or a new date. Book boat trips early in your stay rather than on your last day so a cancellation can be rebooked.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Hella & Hvolsvöllur, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in South Coast →

One checkout, any number of operators
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If it falls short, we fix it

from

€124.8 per person

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

Your date

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs09:3010:3011:3012:3013:0014:0014:3015:3016:3018:30

· Cancelling costs 50% of the price within 7 days of departure.
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Island Adventures 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: Island Adventures'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.