Private Whale and puffin tour from Akureyri

by Star Travel · Whale watching · Puffins · private · North Iceland

4.90(67) · operator on Google
Private Whale and puffin tour from Akureyri — Star Travel

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Star Travel'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.

  • Duration

    6 hours

  • Difficulty

    Very easy

  • Season

    May – Sep

  • Starts in

    Akureyri

  • Meeting

    Hotel pickup available

  • Languages

    EN, DE

  • Start time

    Time agreed after booking

About this experience

This private tour brings us to the charming village of Húsavík where you'll get the chance to go whale watching on a RIB boat.

With the speedboats we can offer you more area to cover in search for the gentle giants. A RIB is faster than the wind and therefore, makes it more likely to find the big whales. Nothing is guaranteed but on this tour, your chances to encounter some of the world’s biggest animals ever increase – big time.

This tour also includes a visit to the Puffin Island, where you can experience thousands of puffins during the nesting period (May 1st – August 20th).

There is nothing that beats the smell of the sea on a sunny day at Skjálfandi bay.

Description from the operator, Star Travel. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Rib boat
  2. Húsavík

Included

This tour includes comfortable private transportation, a complimentary pickup service, and an English-speaking guide to enhance your experience

Not included

Whale and Puffin watching is not included in the tour price. However, you can easily add it during the booking process or by contacting us at info@startravel.is.

Good to know

The tour on RIB speedboats is not allowed for passengers with heart- or back problems or pregnant women. The minimum age limit for children on the RIB speedboats is 7 years or minimum 130 cm in height.

Cancellation for this tour

Cancelling costs 20% 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; in winter this happens often. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1Star Travel 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 the cutoff shown above, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

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

  • Priced per vehicle, so it is poor value for one or two people and good value for four or more sharing.
  • 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

Star Travel 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 Star Travel

Read all 67 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Charlie

    ★★★★★ · 7 months ago

    Hogni (Garfield) was incredibly friendly, professional and knowledgeable which made our day really special. The tour ran with only 3 of us so it was a very personal experience and we got to see all of the sights with no one else around. We also stopped for hot dogs for lunch which were really tasty and affordable. We learnt so much about Icelandic culture and got some incredible photos of all of the sights - of which there were far too many to mention. I would highly recommend and would definitely book with Star Travel again.

  • Anya

    ★★★★★ · 6 months ago

    What a mindblowing experience! Firstly we went to the Forest lagoon and spent such a wonderful time there, relaxing in hot water with pina colada with a forest view. It was snowing while we were there which made the experience even more magical and movie-like. And then the best part of the tour came. We’ve almost lost the hope of seeing Northern lights that night as it was cloudy and other tours were cancelled but our guide was so confident and just knew WHERE to go! After driving for about an hour we saw Aurora!!! We couldn’t believe our eyes. It was so bright and massive, spreading across the whole sky! We were watching this “show” for an hour: it was dancing in the sky and constantly moving and changing its shape. And the observation spot was between snowy mountains, like in a fairy tale. We were literally screaming and jumping out of happiness because it was so stunning and because our dream came true. And this is thanks to our highly experienced and enthusiastic guide. We are so grateful to him!! He’s a magician who found bright Northern lights in a cloudy day! 15.02.2026

  • Eva Wong

    ★★★★★ · 2 years ago

    THE BEST! No need to look at any other operator! We've traveled around the world and finally had the opportunity to come to Iceland. We are a family of 10 who were on a cruise and our first port in Iceland was Akureyri. We were fortunate to stay overnight and I wanted to make the most of our time. Through lots of research and communicating with a few vendors, I decided Star Travel was the way to go! We booked a private tour and had Julli as our guide for the day. From the moment we booked, til the end of the day at 7:00pm, we had nothing but positive things to say. Great communication. Professional. On time. Expertise. Fun. and Fair pricing. Thank you for showing us the Capital of the North. We loved our experience! All the best to you!

  • Kat Soja

    ★★★★★ · 5 months ago

    Really great tour company, recommend them fully! I have come across Siggy from Star Travel several times during my stay in Akureryi and have nothing but praise for him. Funny, knowledgeable, incredibly committed to making sure that whatever tour you've picked, you will have a great experience. Amazing service and super friendly people on board. Way to go. Thank you, Siggy!

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

€1,397 per vehicle

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