Whale Watching

by Special Tours · Whale watching · Reykjavík

4.50(707) · tour · TripAdvisor4.30(1,460) · operator on Google
Whale Watching — Special Tours

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Special Tours'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

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16 photos from Special Tours. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    3 hours and 30 minutes

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Languages

    EN, IS

  • Departs

    09:00, 10:00, 13:00, 14:00 …

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

Whale Watching Classic (2.5-3.5 hours) – Operates Year-Round

  • Our most popular option, operated on Andrea, our largest and most comfortable vessel.
  • Family-friendly with spacious indoor and outdoor viewing areas.
  • Educational experience with onboard displays of whale bones, baleen plates, and teeth.
  • Guided in English year-round, with German guidance available from May 1st – September 30th.

Whale Watching Express (2-2.5 hours) – June 1st to September 30th

  • Operated on Lilja, a high-speed vessel that gets you to the whale watching area faster.
  • Perfect for those with limited time who still want a thrilling experience.
  • Guided in English June 1st - September 30th, with Spanish guidance available at 10:00 on Fridays.

Wildlife You May See:

Expect to spot minke whales, humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbour porpoises in their natural habitat.

Departure Times:

Whale Watching Classic (All Year)

  • 09:00 – March 1st - November 15th
  • 13:00 – All year
  • 17:00 – May 15th - September 30th

Whale Watching Express (June 1st - September 30th)

  • 10:00 – June 1st - September 30th
  • 14:00 – June 1st - September 30th
  • 21:00 – June 15th - July 31st (No transfers available for this departure)

Description from the operator, Special Tours. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Whale Watching Andrea

Included

  • A comfortable indoor seat for every passenger
  • Professional guides and a skilled, friendly crew
  • Snack bar on board
  • Warm overalls (available in children's sizes)
  • Free WiFi on board

Not included

  • Hotel transfers (available on request for an additional fee)
  • No transfer for the 21:00 departure (June 15th - July 31st)
  • Food and drink

Good to know

We recommend wearing warm clothing & sturdy shoes.

  • Dress warmly and wear sturdy shoes - it can get chilly out at sea.
  • Don't forget your camera to capture the experience
  • Hotel transfer can be booked for additional fee (except the 21:00 tour)

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. 1Special Tours 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 — €85 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Special Tours · €104Húsavík Whale Museum · €19
How long it runs3.5 hours1 hour
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNot stated

The €85 buys you 2.5 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

Special Tours 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 Special Tours

Read all 1,460 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.3/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Natalia Solovyeva

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Amazing experience with Special Tours! This was one of the highlights of our trip to Iceland. We were fortunate enough to see seven humpback whales and many puffins, which exceeded all our expectations. A very special thank you to Alessio, who made the experience truly memorable. He was exceptionally knowledgeable, professional, and engaging. His explanations about whale behavior, puffins, and Icelandic marine life were fascinating and easy to understand. He was constantly helping passengers spot wildlife and making sure everyone had a chance to enjoy the sightings. Seeing seven humpback whales in their natural habitat was absolutely breathtaking, and Alessio’s enthusiasm and expertise made the experience even more special. The entire tour was perfectly organized, the crew was friendly and professional, and the atmosphere on board was excellent. We highly recommend Special Tours, and if you are lucky enough to have Alessio as your guide, you are in for a fantastic experience.

  • Tatum McNamara

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    Tour was great! Learned lots about puffins and their funny little quirks. Alessio was a great tour guide! He was very knowledgeable on puffins and other wildlife in the area. Very engaging and funny. Alessio also gave awesome recommendations on where to visit next. The captain Patrick was a man of few words but they were wise and he captained the ship well. He also had a funny little hat.

  • Ali Good

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    We did 2 tours with Special Tours. The first tour was sea angling. Captain Bishop and the crew were great and so helpful. We caught several fish and they grilled them on board. It was delicious. The only thing I would suggest is sitting on the water for a few minutes to eat before heading back to shore because several people got motion sickness while trying to eat. The water was rocky so not sure if that would have helped or not. The second tour we did was the RIB whale watching which was my favorite. We were able to get so close to the whales. The captain handled the boat well getting us quickly to the whales. We were so close we could smell their breath! The guide Alex was very informative and kind. They were a great team and we had a wonderful experience. They gave us suits to wear over our clothes that kept us warm and dry. The only things I would do different next time is sit closer to the front instead of the back (my own fear of boats I chose a seat in the back but the middle or front looks more exciting) and I would bring a second pair of gloves to change into as my first pair felt to wet as it was raining some during our trip.

  • Piotr Kuszewski

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Puffins Express is outstanding experience. The boat is REALLY close to the puffins, way closer than I expected. Puffins are really small but you can see that it’s possible to take a picture with just regular camera. Our guide was really friendly is energetic and Captain Patrick navigated us safely and showed us some puffin noises. It was incredible experience. Boat is small and might feel crowded at first but once you reach the puffin island everybody can see the puffins freely. Binoculars on the deck are a nice touch too. Highly recommend for everyone. Just make sure to use Special Tours as they have they special boat, other companies don’t have it.

Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026

Read before you book

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.

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Pairs well with

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from

€104 per person

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