RIB Express

by Special Tours · Whale watching · Boat tours · Reykjavík

4.60(138) · tour · TripAdvisor4.30(1,460) · operator on Google
RIB Express — 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.

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

  • Duration

    2 hours

  • Difficulty

    Moderate

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Languages

    EN, IS

  • Departs

    09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00 …

  • Minimum age

    10

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

Join us on our newest boat for an amazing 2-hour RIB Express tour. During the tour we will take you out to get up close and personal with the magnificent whales of Faxaflói Bay. Our 12-meter-long boat allows us to get very close to the animals in a way that's extra safe for both our passengers and the whales. On the way out to the whale watching area we will stop by the puffin island Akurey to catch a glimpse of these adorable seabirds that live around the coast of Iceland during their nesting season. When we head out into the bay it's a fast, thrilling ride with the wind in your hair - we have a comfortable cruising speed of 32 knots so we have plenty of time out in the whales' feeding grounds. On the way back to the harbour we take a scenic route along the coast of Reykjavík, a perfect photo opportunity. Before or after your tour we recommend that you stop by the Whales of Iceland Exhibition in the harbor area as the admission is included with the Rib Express tour.

NEW

Special Tours Iceland app with 5 languages (English, German, French, Spanish and simplified Chinese) available for Android and Apple. It is available for all clients to download during their tour, with both text and audio information. The app will is as close to an audio guided wildlife adventure as possible

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

Where you go

  1. Rib Express

Included

  • Guided Rib boat tour
  • Admission to the Whales of Iceland Exhibition
  • Warm floatable overalls provided for your comfort & safety
  • Lifevests, gloves & goggles
  • A visit to the Puffin Island in the summertime
  • English guidance & expert guides
  • Scenic route along the Reykjavík coastline
  • Suspensions seats for extra comfort
  • We get you extra close.

Not included

  • Hotel transport (available for an additional cost)

Good to know

We recommend warm clothes, good footwear and sunscreen - and don't forget your camera.

We kindly ask you to check in at least 30 minutes prior to departure for security briefing and suit fitting. Everyone that arrives later than 15 minutes prior to departure cannot be guaranteed to join the tour and Special Tours reserves the right to forfeit any refunds. In case there are no sightings on your RIB Express tour, you are invited to join one of our Classic or Express Whale Watching tours at no extra charge. Each ticket to the RIB Express grants free admission to Whales of Iceland for one.

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 — €156 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Special Tours · €175Húsavík Whale Museum · €19
How long it runs2 hours1 hour
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNot stated
How hard it isModerateEasy

The €156 buys you 1 more hour 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

  • Children under 10 cannot join this one.

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

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

€175 per person

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