Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík

by Whale Safari · Whale watching · Puffins · cruise-excursion · Reykjavík

4.70(270) · tour · TripAdvisor4.70(212) · operator on Google
Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík — Whale Safari

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Whale Safari'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 Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík

Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 6Whale Safari Tour From Reykjavík In Iceland Gets Close to A Minke WhaleWhales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 8Our RIB boats are named Þruma which is icelandic for ThunderCLOSER TO NATUREWhales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 11Humpack saying "Hi there"!Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 13Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 14Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 15Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 16Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 17Whales, Puffins & Reykjavík, photo 18

18 photos from Whale Safari. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    2 hours

  • Difficulty

    Moderate

  • Season

    May – Sep

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Meeting

    Meet on location

  • Languages

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

  • Departs

    08:00, 09:00, 09:30, 10:00 …

  • Minimum age

    10

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

Experience the wildlife and nature adventure of a lifetime on this small group - personal whale watching tour. The custom made RIB boats allow you to get closer to the whales and puffins than any boats can offer. On this fun tour the fast, stable and safe boats also allow us to cover more area as we search for the wild life, thus increasing your chances of spotting whales, dolphins and bird-life. 

This great whale watching tour starts from the Old Harbour of Reykjavík and during the puffin season (early May to the end of August) we also visit the puffins in their natural habitat. Next we head out in search of the whales. There are very few things that will beat the experience of seeing the whales and dolphins as up close as you can at sea level from our RIB boats.

Our whale watching boats are equipped with high performance suspension seats. These shock absorbing seats increase safety and comfort and reduce the risk of injuries. So you can comfortably & securely enjoy your whale watching adventure out on the North Atlantic waters. 

After the whale safari we travel back to Reykjavík, where we will take ride along the city's shore line, experiencing a unique panoramic view of Reykjavík from the sea (perfect for photos).

Our boats will take you past the Sun Voyager sculpture and the harbour side of Iceland's most famous building, the glittering Harpa Concert Hall.

This tour has an age limit of 10 years & height limit of 145 CM and we recommend the The Classic Tour on the larger boats for families with younger children. Due to the design of our suspension seats, we also have a maximum weight limit of 140 kg.

Description from the operator, Whale Safari. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Check in at the Ticket Office
  2. Visit the Puffins on their Islands
  3. Search for Whales & Dolphins in Faxaflói Bay
  4. Ride Along the Harbourfront
  5. Back to the Harbour

Included

  • Two hour expertly guided whale whale watching tour in a 12 seater RIB boat. 
  • Small Group - Only 12 passengers with expert guide & captain.
  • Suspension seats - To maximise comfort and safety, we have suspension seats fitted on our boats to help absorb the impact of the waves on the boat.
  • Flexible Ticket. Change the date & time of your departure up to 24 hours in advance, if needed.
  • Puffins are seen on this tour sighted from early May towards the end of August.
  • Reykjavík sightseeing with panoramic views off the Sun Voyager & Harpa Concert Hall. 
  • Whale Guarantee. If we are unlucky and can't seem to find whales or dolphins on the RIB tour you can try again for free on the Classic Whale Watching on the larger boats either in Reykjavík or in Akureyri.
  • We supply warm overalls, gloves, goggles and all necessary safety equipment.

Not included

  • Suitable Footwear - All guests are required to have suitable footwear for our RIBs - this isn‘t a fashion show so no high heels, or open-toed footwear. Socks with sandals are also a no, unfortunately.
  • Underlayers - Whilst we supply very warm, very fashionable overalls, it can still be very cold at sea. It is recommend to wear 2-3 layers underneath during summer months, and 3-4 layers underneath the rest of the time.

Good to know

Dress appropriately for our northern ocean, so if you have it, bring warm outdoor clothing like a wool or fleece sweater, some warm headgear and gloves. Sturdy shoes are recommended. No High heels, open-toed footwear or flippers please.

  • The tour has an age limit of 10 years & a strict height limit of 145 CM.
  • Due to the design of our suspension seats, we also have a maximum weight limit of 140 KG.
  • This tour has a minimum number of 4 passengers. If the minimum number is not met, we will offer you to reschedule or refund.
  • The puffin season is only from approx. the 20th of April - 15th of August.
  • See Reykjavík City and the Harpa Concert Hall from the sea.
  • Only 12 people per boat with expert whale guide and RIB boat captain.
  • Quicker then the “Classic Whale Watching tour”, only 2 hours from harbour to harbour.
  • “Whale Guarantee” If we find no whales on your tour you get a free return ticket on the “Classic Whale Watching Tour”.
  • This tour may not be suitable for pregnant women. Consult your doctor before signing up.
  • This tour is not recommended for those with a history of back or knee injuries

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. 1Whale Safari 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 — €159 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Whale Safari · €178Húsavík Whale Museum · €19
How long it runs2 hours1 hour
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNot stated
How hard it isModerateEasy

The €159 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.
  • 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

Whale Safari 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 Whale Safari

Read all 212 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.7/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Dan Foulston

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    We joined Whale Safari for their puffin and whale excursion on 19th May 2026 and it was absolute perfection. We were extremely lucky to be blessed with clear blue sunny skies, a flat ocean like glass and no wind, and were lucky to see hundreds of puffins and other seabirds, a pod of white beaked dolphins (including one who followed our RIB for a while), a minke whale, plus a humpback whale (with spectacular tail fluke). Our guide Maria was excellent, very knowledgeable, and who really made the trip perfect, pointing out all the seabirds for us along the way (including her beloved gannet!). I would highly recommend using Whale Safari and the RIB trips in particular. Thankyou!

  • Maria Constantine

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    We went on the Premium Small Group Puffin Tour this afternoon and it was excellent. The boat ride was great fun. We saw dozens and dozens of puffins. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and pleasant. They provided all necessary gear. Highly recommend!

  • Arvind Aravindhan

    ★★★★★ · 4 months ago

    We had a fabulous ride a few hours after we landed in Reykjavik. We saw a ton of dolphins, a huge humpback whale and a couple of Minki whales. Then we ended the trip by seeing the Puffins. Emily was the guide and she was so good at leading us with the sighting of the wildlife and also with real knowledge. Captain Miguel was great with coordinating the sightings with other boats. Right from Sarah at the check in point to the very end was class all the way. Highly recommend this company.

  • Carla Almeida

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    This tour was AMAZING!! The staff was very friendly and helpful and the experience was truly one of a kind. They made sure we saw as much as we could. We had Sam as our guide. She was great! Would definately book this tour again! We saw puffins, a minke whale, dolphins and a humpback whale. Truly an indescribable experience!!

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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from

€178 per person

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