Whale Watching and Northern Lights from Reykjavík

by Arctic Adventures · Whale watching · Northern lights · Reykjavík

4.60· 5,195 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own

from €190.51 per person

Next departure: Sat 24 Oct

Book Sat 24 Oct · €190.51 Other dates

Whale Watching and Northern Lights from Reykjavík — Arctic Adventures

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Duration
6 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Starts at
Special Tours Office, Geirsgata 11, 101 Reykjavík
Geirsgata 11, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
12:00
Minimum age
6
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Meeting point, in Arctic Adventures's words: Please send us your desired pickup location as soon as possible.

About this experience

Whale Watching and Northern Lights from Reykjavík

Difficulty: 2/5, easy.

Tour highlights: Whale watching tour, Seabird watching, Guided Northern Lights tour, Free Northern Lights photos

Whale Watching

Meet us at the charming old harbor in Reykjavík by the light teal houses that frame in the path to it. Your Special Tours´ guide, who will be operating the Whale Watching portion of your tour, will be waiting for you and give you gear to start your adventure.
The whales you will most commonly spot include minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises and even the majestic humpback whales. A wide variety of seabirds can also be observed on this tour.
The boats have spacious and finely decorated public areas with huge windows and a café providing refreshments for your convenience. The extra larger viewing deck boasts a fantastic panoramic view and is a great place from which to capture the fantastic scenery around. Experience this photographer's delight for yourself.

Northern Lights
This fascinating natural phenomenon known as the Northern Lights, is one of the most mesmerizing sights you will ever come across in your lifetime. The dancing colors and shapes in the dark arctic sky will simply leave you awestruck.

Firstly, your expert Northern Lights guide will pick you up at your selected pick up location in a minibus so you can properly enjoy a small group experience. On the search for the Northern Lights you will travel through some of Iceland's most spectacular natural sights by night time with a very informative guide.

Our guides take photos every time the Northern lights are spotted so you can be sure to get your picture taken with the Aurora.

Please note: As the success of the Northern Lights Explorer tour is heavily dependent on weather conditions, we reserve the right to cancel departures up until 18:15 on the day of the tour. If the tour goes ahead and no northern lights are seen we offer clients the chance to join another evening's departure free of charge upon availability. Note that you need to contact us to re-book.

Disclaimer: All adventure trips are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Adventures does not assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its customers or can be traced to there own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherent risk

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

Included

Whale watching in Faxaflói bay

Information provided by guides

Warm floatable overalls to keep you warm and safe

WiFi, Souvenirs and Café on board

Pick-up & drop off from Reykjavík

Minibus Transport

Expert Guide

Northern Lights Photos

English Speaking Tour Guide

Free WiFi on Board Your Bus

Not included

Food and beverages are not included.

Good to know

Warm layers, a waterproof top layer, headwear, scarves, and hiking boots or sturdy shoes. If you have them, spikes which fit on your boots are useful in icy conditions. We recommend bringing gloves to wear inside the cave.

What if I don’t own all of these clothing items?

Don’t worry, you can always rent sturdy hiking shoes, waterproof jacket, and pants in the booking process. We do not rent gear from locations, it must be ordered in advance.

The Northern Lights are natural phenomena that are difficult to predict, but our guides do everything in their power to make sure you see the lights.

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.

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.
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.
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 Sailing with Giants: Whale Watching from Reykjavik from Your Friend in Reykjavik is €79 — €112 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Arctic Adventures · €191	Your Friend in Reykjavik · €79
How long it runs	6 hours	3.5 hours

The €112 buys you 2.5 more hours out. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Who this is not for

Children under 6 cannot join this one.
Not available in summer; the operator runs it roughly September to April.

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 207 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 5,195 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
★★★★★ · 3 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
★★★★★ · 2 months 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
★★★★★ · 3 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!
Nicole Y.
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
What a wonderful adventure! The 3 Day South Coast/Golden Circle tour included all of the sites we wanted to see and it did not disappoint. We were picked up at a bus stop in downtown Reykjavik and our journey began with about 16 other guests, a good group size. Our tour guide "Good" John did an excellent job teaching us about the history of Iceland and the sites we saw. The tour is well organized with just enough time at each site. He also made adjustments to the itinerary based on the weather as well as including sites not on the tour to give us more to see, which we loved! There were plenty of bathroom/food breaks as needed and we loved that we could just sit back, relax, and enjoy the views outside the window rather than worrying about driving and parking. Our multi-day tour included a 2 night stay at Adventure Hotel Geirland, which Arctic Adventures owns. Such a quiet hotel, convenient location with beautiful views. Our only complaints were that the shower leaked and made the floor wet, and that dinner at the restaurant was expensive with limited options. However the food was good and breakfast was included. The Katla Ice Cave was our favorite part, which was partnered with Southcoast Adventure, and our guide Inga was very friendly and knowledgeable. We did pay for a hiking boot rental for my husband but never received the boots. We did not ask our tour guide so we are not sure what happened with that. Overall we absolutely loved this tour and would highly recommend Arctic Adventures to anyone visiting Iceland for the first time!

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

What to do on your arrival afternoon in ReykjavíkFood walk, whale watching or bed on the afternoon you land — which one survives a red-eye, which one wastes the day, and the combo we'd actually book.
Best Northern Lights Tour in Iceland (2026): 5 PicksThe northern lights tours we would book ourselves from Reykjavík and Akureyri, by minibus, super jeep and boat, with real prices and honest odds.
Blue Lagoon and northern lights: one day or two?Do them on different days. The one-day combo is 15 hours and €306; the lagoon fits your arrival or departure, and a €73 lights bus fits any clear night.

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for 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.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

One checkout, any number of operators
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from

€190.51 per person

Arctic Adventures's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

The next departure we can see — change it if this tour is for another day.

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs12:00

Reykjavík: light 08:43–17:41, 8 h 58 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Arctic Adventures cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: Arctic Adventures's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €9 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.