Whale Watching & Caving

by Arctic Adventures · Whale watching · Lava caves · Reykjavík

4.60(5,129) · operator on Google
Whale Watching & Caving — Arctic Adventures

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Arctic Adventures'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 & Caving

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17 photos from Arctic Adventures. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    7 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Meeting

    Hotel pickup available

  • Languages

    EN, DE, IS, FR, DA, ZH, ES

  • Departs

    08:00

  • Minimum age

    6

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

Whale Watching & Caving

Trip difficulty: 2/5 (easy)


Explore two of Iceland's most exciting adventures in one day: an Underground Caving and a Whale Watching tour.

Your day will start with one of our guides picking you up from Reykjavik, starting at 8:00 AM. We will take you to Raufarhólshellir, one of Iceland's longest lava tubes, located off Route 39 about 30 minutes from Reykjavík. Walk through colorful rock formations and see how flowing lava shaped this underground tunnel thousands of years ago.
.: Bring warm clothing and sturdy shoes, since the cave floor can be uneven and cold in places.

After the cave tour, you will head back to Reykjavík for the second half of your day. 

The Whale Watching tour departs at 1:00 PM. You'll receive detailed information about it on your voucher.
Look out for minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises, and humpback whales, plus a variety of seabirds along the way. The boats have large indoor lounges with big windows, plus a café on board. Head up to the outdoor deck for the best views and photos.


These are two separate tours. If one gets cancelled, the other will still go ahead. 


Please note: There's no drop-off after the whale watching tour. The experience ends at Geirsgata 11, 101 Reykjavík (Special Tours).

Description from the operator, Arctic Adventures. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

  • Hotel pick up in Reykjavik, 
  • Guided caving tour, 
  • Flash light, 
  • Gloves and helmet, 
  • Transfer back to Reykjavik for whale watching tour. 

Not included

Lunch is not included.

Good to know

  • Warm clothes
  • Sturdy shoes
  • Packed lunch

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. 1Arctic Adventures 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 — €181 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Arctic Adventures · €200Húsavík Whale Museum · €19
How long it runs7 hours1 hour
Getting therePicks you upYou make your own way
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNot stated

The €181 buys you 6 more hours out and hotel pickup 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 6 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

Arctic Adventures 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 Arctic Adventures

Read all 5,129 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.6/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Kai Gilchrist

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    This was a phenomenal trip with AMAZING sights. Our tour guide was informative, friendly, and easy to listen to. You will learn a lot and see nature at its greatest. We absolutely loved this tour and would recommend it to anyone. The car ride is comfortable and there is wifi as well! Shout out to our tour guide, Magnus (I hope I’m spelling his name correctly), who told us some hilarious stories.

  • Tatjana Kultaniemi

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    I spent six days on a bus tour around Iceland with a professional guide. It was an excellent opportunity to gain a comprehensive overview of Iceland's breathtaking nature while also learning about the country's history and the everyday lives of its people. Iceland's landscape and animals are truly unique, featuring magnificent waterfalls, geysers, whales, seals, puffins, volcanoes, glaciers, and mountains. Every day brought new and unforgettable experiences. Of course, none of this would have been possible without our guide, Viko. He not only drove the bus safely but also shared fascinating stories about Icelandic history, culture, and way of life. He was willing to tailor the itinerary to our group's interests and wishes, making the experience even more enjoyable. I am very grateful for his professionalism, knowledge, and enthusiasm in interpreting Iceland's natural and cultural heritage. He played a key role in making this tour such a memorable experience.

  • Chloe Lamm

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    I did the Iceland South Coast Full Day Small-Group Tour from Reykjavik. Such an amazing tour and one of the highlights of my trip to Iceland! Our guide, Erik, was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so much interesting information about Iceland throughout the day. We visited some of the country’s most beautiful sights, including stunning waterfalls, Vik, black sand beaches, and other breathtaking stops along the South Coast. The pickup process was simple and organized, making the day completely stress-free. The scenery was incredible from start to finish, and Erik helped make the experience even better with his knowledge, friendliness, and enthusiasm. If you’re visiting Iceland, the South Coast is a must-do, and I highly recommend taking this tour with Erik as your guide!

  • maya sterett

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    A Fantastic Trip: Review of 3-Day Golden Circle, Ice Cave and Glacier Lagoon Absolutely incredible experience with Arctic Adventures and the guide Hjalti Bjornsson. The pick up from the bus stop was easy and the instructions were super clear. Be aware that they are extremely punctual at every stop. Do not be late by even a minute. We saw so many sites and the weather was perfect for most of the days. Our guide even took us on some stops that were not in the itinerary, but ones he thought were interesting and on the way, like the power plants and some other glaciers. The bus ride was very smooth with plenty of room and the seats were comfortable. The itinerary was well thought out with a great mix of light walking about 3 - 6 miles per day depending on how much you wanted to walk to each site. Some sites like the glacier Skaftafellsjokull (optional) were further away (4 ish miles), while others were much closer (1000ft). The hotel was situated in a beautiful location with sheep everywhere and interesting rock formations. The hotel was very comfortable with hot water and plenty of space to spread out. Our guide was extremely friendly and knowledgable. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone between the ages 10 - 70. However, this might not be the best experience for those with mobility issues as there is walking to some of the best sites.

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

€200 per person

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