Puffin Express: 1-Hour Close Encounter with Adorable Birds

by Reykjavik Sailors · Puffins · Reykjavík

4.30· 215 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Couples
Suits older travellers
Good with teenagers
Eco-certified

from €60 per person

Next departure: Sat 1 May

Book Sat 1 May · €60 Other dates

Puffin Express: 1-Hour Close Encounter with Adorable Birds — Reykjavik Sailors

Puffin Express: 1-Hour Close Encounter with Adorable Birds, photo 3

Puffin Express: 1-Hour Close Encounter with Adorable Birds, photo 4

1 / 4

Duration
1 hour
Difficulty
Very easy
Season
May – Sep
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup available at extra cost, or meet at the start point
Starts at
Special Tours
Geirsgata 11, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
08:00, 09:30, 10:45, 12:30 …
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Meeting point, in Reykjavik Sailors's words: If you did not choose pickup service, please meet us at the Reykjavik Old harbour pier 30 minutes before departure. Starting point for this tour is at Special Tours Ticket Office, located at Geirsgata 11, 101 Reykjavík.

About this experience

Puffins are some of the most interesting creatures on the planet. With big, colorful beaks, dark soulful eyes and an almost penguin like appearance, it is hard not to love them. Embarking on a puffin-watching cruise is similar to going on an ocean treasure hunt – you never really know what's going to appear. Puffins are usually witnesses on the nearby land, bobbing on the water or flying overhead – the charismatic Puffin is definitely a treat to see in person.

We are conveniently located at the old harbour which is downtown Reykjavik.

Please be aware that due to environmental reasons this trip will be delivered on a shared boat with our partners. At Reykjavik Sailors we are committed to ensuring the environment is kept pristine by making sure fewer boats are on the water during slower periods.

NOTE: You should schedule to be at our departure point the latest 30 minutes before scheduled departure.

Tour will be operated by Special Tours and starting point for this tour is at Special Tours Ticket Office, located at Geirsgata 11, 101 Reykjavík.

Handcrafted experiences with premium partners.

Disclaimer for pick ups :

Pick-ups must be booked with a minimum of one hour before the tour departure time, all pick-ups booked after that will be discarded.

Pickup service (round trip) fee applies to first boat tour, if due to lack of sightings tour is joined for free again, pickup service must be added and paid again.

Let’s plan your next great adventure together.

Description from the operator, Reykjavik Sailors. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Special Tours

Included

Guided boat tour
100% Sightings
Binoculars provided on board.
We get you extra close.

Not included

Please note: Hotel transfers are available for an additional cost.

Good to know

We recommend wearing good footwear and warm clothing. Don´t forget to bring your camera to take amazing photos.

Sunscreen, comfortable footwear, and a long-lens camera are advisable for capturing stunning photographs of the puffins.

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. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1Reykjavik Sailors 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 →

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

Reykjavik Sailors 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 Reykjavik Sailors

Read all 215 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.

K Reu
★★★★ · 3 months ago
We booked the whale watching and puffin watching tour package (whale watching boat followed by puffin watching boat) through Get Your Guide in late May. We did not see a single whale which isn't the fault of the tour guide, just something to consider when choosing tours late May. However, we saw more puffins on the puffin tour portion than we saw the entire time in Iceland. It was great. If going late May you'll definitely want your waterproof layers to stay warm. The company provides you with seasickness tablets if needed.
Anna Lis
★★★★★ · 7 months ago
We went whale watching in Reykjavik and had such a fantastic time! The guide was absolutely hilarious — the perfect mix of informative and funny, which made the whole trip even more enjoyable. And yes… “Banana” and “Apple” showed up so many times! 🐋🐳 It was so exciting every time we spotted them again. Seeing the whales surface so close to the boat was unforgettable, and the crew made sure everyone had a great view. The whole experience was well organized, fun, and memorable. If you’re in Reykjavik, don’t miss whale watching — especially if you get a guide like ours!
Ariel Macon
★★★★★ · 8 months ago
Seeing humpback whales in Iceland was an unforgettable experience. I cried from joy. Since we went in December, we knew the chances could be slim, but that made it even more special when we spotted them. The tour wasn’t overcrowded, which made the experience feel more personal. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and even knew details about the individual whales, explaining how biologists study and track them. Warm oversuits were provided, which made the cold completely manageable, and they also offered anti-nausea medicine for anyone worried about seasickness. Even beyond the whales, the scenery was stunning. Between the views, the expertise of the guide, and the overall care taken by the crew, the tour was absolutely worth the cost. I can’t recommend it enough. (Mobile photos included. DSLR cameras allowed.)
Luna
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
We went whale watching, our guide was super helpful and friendly. We were super lucky we saw the humpback whales and dolphins and the dolphins decided to swim with the boat

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Best Puffin Tour in Iceland (2026): 5 Picks ComparedWhich puffin tour to book in Iceland, from a one-hour Reykjavík boat to the Eastfjords and Westfjords. Real prices, season and honest tradeoffs.
Cheap things to do in Reykjavík under €60Five bookable Reykjavík activities from €19 to €60: two museums, a puffin boat, a walking tour and a power-plant exhibition. What each is worth.
Iceland tours by month: what actually runsNorthern lights and ice caves are a winter product. Puffins and the Highlands are summer. Here's what's actually for sale in each month, and what isn't.

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.

Puffins — questions people ask

When can you see puffins in Iceland?

Mid-April to mid-August. Puffins arrive at the nesting cliffs in April, hatch chicks in June and leave for the open sea by late August. July is the safest month for numbers and for chicks being fed. Outside this window there are none on land, and a tour sold as a puffin tour in October is a boat ride. Reykjavík puffin boats usually run May to August; check the tour page for the exact dates each year.

Can you see puffins from Reykjavík?

Yes. Two small islands in Faxaflói, Akurey and Lundey, hold puffin colonies ten to fifteen minutes by boat from the Old Harbour. One-hour trips like Elding's classic puffin watching (/experience/1299/) circle the islands slowly; you do not land. Bring binoculars, because the boats keep a respectful distance and puffins are small. It is the easiest puffin option in Iceland and a good fit for children or a spare hour before dinner.

Where is the best place to see puffins up close?

On land, at a cliff, not from a boat. Látrabjarg in the Westfjords, Borgarfjörður eystri in the east and Dyrhólaey on the South Coast let you sit a few metres from birds that ignore you. Vestmannaeyjar has the largest colonies. Reykjavík boat trips are convenient but distant. If you are travelling the Ring Road in June or July, the puffin tour from Seyðisfjörður (/experience/973294/) gets you to the eastern cliffs with a guide.

Are puffin boat tours good for kids?

Yes, mostly. They are short, an hour or so, and stay in the sheltered bay, so seasickness is rarer than on a three-hour whale trip. Children usually enjoy the boat as much as the birds. The downside is distance: puffins look like specks without binoculars, so ask if the boat has some to borrow. Combined whale-and-puffin trips (/experience/1569/) run six hours, which is long for under-eights.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

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

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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

from

€60 per person

Reykjavik Sailors'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.

Departs08:0009:3010:4512:3014:1515:3017:00

Reykjavík: light 05:03–21:46, 16 h 43 min of daylight.

Labour Day — a public holiday in Iceland. Shops, pools and museums keep short hours or shut, and some tours do not run.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Reykjavik Sailors 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: Reykjavik Sailors'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 €4 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.