Reykjavík Whales & Puffins

by Elding Adventure at Sea · Whale watching · Puffins · Reykjavík

4.80(100) · tour · TripAdvisor4.50(2,403) · operator on Google
Reykjavík Whales & Puffins — Elding Adventure at Sea

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Elding Adventure at Sea'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 Reykjavík Whales & Puffins

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24 photos from Elding Adventure at Sea. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    6 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    May – Sep

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Languages

    EN, DE, SV, IS, FR, PL, ES

  • Departs

    08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00 …

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

The combo consists of two tours - a puffin tour on a smaller boat where we take you to one of the three islands just off Reykjavík where each year thousands of birds come to breed and a whale watching tour that takes you further into the bay to see the incredible whales and dolphins that live in our bay. 

Puffin watching is an enjoyable and easy adventure on a boat. Our captains will navigate to one of three nearby islands, Akurey, Engey, or Lundey, based on the tides and conditions. These islands are renowned for their rich birdlife, and in addition to puffins, you can spot other species such as eider ducks, arctic terns, guillemots, and cormorants. The rocky shores of the islands offer a perfect backdrop, and our experienced captains will find the best spots for you to observe the puffins up close in their natural habitat. If the weather allows, we might turn off the engines to let you fully immerse yourself in the natural surroundings and listen to the calls of the birds. Throughout the 1-hour tour, the crew will share fascinating facts and stories about the puffins and the surrounding environment. 

The whale watching tour is an exhilarating 3-hour journey into the bay, where the summer season brings the wildlife to its peak. This is the prime time to see Minke whales, along with white-beaked dolphins and harbor porpoises, thriving in their natural environment. As you venture further into the bay, you’ll have the opportunity to witness these majestic creatures up close. The crew will provide insightful commentary throughout the tour, enhancing your understanding and appreciation of the marine life that inhabits the area. The whale watching tour is not only a chance to see these incredible animals but also to learn more about their behaviours and the ecosystem they inhabit.

Description from the operator, Elding Adventure at Sea. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Arrival and Check-In
  2. Classic Whale Watching (3 hrs)
  3. Free time in Reykjavík between tours (2 hrs.)
  4. Classic Puffin Watching (1 hr)
  5. Combo tour conclusion

Included

  • Excellent English guidance 
  • 3 hour whale watching tour on a big boat
  • 1 hour puffin tour on a smaller boat
  • Free WiFi 
  • Use of warm overalls
  • WC facilities

Not included

  • Pickup
  • Refreshments

Good to know

Remember to dress according to weather. We recommend wearing sturdy shoes.

The total duration of this combo tour is approximately 6 hours and it consists of two separate tours; Classic Whale Watching (3 hours) and Classic Puffin Watching (1 hr). After the first tour, you have about a 2 hours of free time to explore Reykjavík, enjoy a leisurely lunch, or simply relax before the next tour starts.

Departure times are as follows: 09:00 Whale tour & 14:00 Puffin tour / 10:00 Puffin tour & 13:00 Whale tour / 11:00 Whale tour & 16:00 Puffin tour / 12:00 Puffin tour & 15:00 Whale tour / 14:00 Puffin tour & 17:00 Whale tour / 16:00 Puffin tour & 19:30 or 20:30 Whale tour. Please refer to the booking calendar to see what times are available on your preferred travel date.

Would you rather see both whales and puffins in one go? Try our Premium Whale & Puffin Watching tour instead and enjoy the thrill of speed, puffins and whale watching in a single, seamless adventure on a RIB boat.

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. 1Elding Adventure at Sea 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 — €131 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Elding Adventure at Sea · €150Húsavík Whale Museum · €19
How long it runs6 hours1 hour
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNot stated

The €131 buys you 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.

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

Elding Adventure at Sea 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 Elding Adventure at Sea

Read all 2,403 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Iola Wilson

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    We had an incredible sunset whale watching trip. From the beginning, every member of staff was attentive and helpful. Our guide shared lots of info on the wildlife we spotted - birds and whales. We were blessed with beautiful weather and the boat wasn't busy so we had room to move around and spot wildlife. Lots of tips on how to spot whales were shared. We saw a minke whale and then in the distance the sprays from several humpbacks.We made our way towards these and then stayed with one for ages - it was magical! The captain was very generous with time - because our encounter was quite far out, our trip was over 3.5 hours, we were not rushed back because time was running out! We saw lots of different bird species too. The sunset was stunning and we were able to enjoy this on the way back and also get some beautiful pictures of Reykjavik as we approached. We were also impressed with the way Elding respect the wildlife. Our 9 year old learned so much about whale spotting and ga been putting it to use on our cruise - spotting minkes and humpbacks from the ship! Thank you so much, Elding, for a truly memorable and magical evening!

  • Emily A

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    Our whale watching tour was so special. I will start with the whales: we definitely saw them! We found a couple of humpbacks busy feeding and out guide did a great job of pointing them out and describing the behaviors we were seeing. It was truly amazing. The crew has the skills and experience to find what’s in the area. Additionally, they provided us with pictures of the whales and a journal entry about our voyage. We heard from someone else on the boat that if you go out and do not see any wildlife, they will provide you with a voucher to come out again another time (this family was on their re-do but your mileage may vary as I didn’t hear or read about this.) But of course, one cannot control the outcome, and still I would recommend this trip. It was such a fun way to see the city of Reykjavik and the surrounding mountains. We had a beautiful day with a bit of wind and they provided motion-sickness tablets for free, but remaining outside I did not experience much malaise. I also want to say that the company was very accommodating. We had booked a morning tour that we couldn’t get to due to travel disruptions and they were very willing to honor our reservation at a later time slot.

  • Casey Phifer

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Booking excursions through Elding was seamless, and I really appreciated their ecological focus. I first took their free ferry to Viðey with my Reykjavík City Pass, then enjoyed the experience so much that I booked both their classic whale watching and puffin tours. Everything felt easy and well organized, from the cold weather gear to the books, wildlife guides, and knowledgeable experts who narrated the tours and answered questions along the way. These excursions gave me some of my favorite memories of Iceland while getting to learn. about the wildlife and explore Faxaflói Bay. Highly recommend!

  • Olivia Yip

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    Classic puffin tour was 1 of 2 pricier tourist attractions we did (other being Hvammsvík) and this one was SO WORTH THE MONEY. Cute puffins, fun boat tour, knowledgeable staff, binoculars provided, loved every second of it, you get even more pics from them after, and it was guaranteed you see puffins since they take you to an island with a whole colony!! Definitely recommend as a todo activity in Iceland! And it’s cheaper than driving down to the westman islands and taking the ferry and using up 9 hours of your day to see the puffin colony there!

Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026

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Reviews from our travellers

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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

€150 per person

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