GG2 Big Whale Safari & Puffins

by Gentle Giants · Whale watching · Puffins · North Iceland

4.60· 2,289 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
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from €149 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €149 Other dates

GG2 Big Whale Safari & Puffins — Gentle Giants

Gentle Giants Whale Watching from Husavik, Iceland - GG2 Big Whale Safari and Puffins with a local Family Company

1 / 6

6 photos from Gentle Giants. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
2 hours
Difficulty
Moderate
Season
May – Sep
Starts in
Húsavík
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Gentle Giants Ticket Center
Hafnarstétt 7, Húsavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
07:00, 07:05, 07:30, 07:35 …
Minimum age
8
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Our take on this one

This is the fast boat, not the old oak one. Gentle Giants, a family firm with deep roots on Skjálfandi Bay, takes a RIB speedboat further out of Húsavík than its slower tours go, to cover more water looking for the big whales. Nothing is promised, and the operator says so too. In the puffin season, roughly 15 April to 15 August, the trip also stops by Puffin Island; outside it, it is a whale trip only. Warm overalls are compulsory and handed out, along with rain jackets. It runs about two hours, with departures through the day, and you check in at the Gentle Giants ticket centre 40 minutes before you sail.

Book it if: People already in Húsavík who would rather spend two quick hours covering open water than a slow afternoon in the bay.
Skip it if: RIBs bounce: not allowed with heart or back problems or in pregnancy, and riders must be at least 8 years old and 130 cm tall.

Written by us, from the operator's own details and what we know of the route. We don't take a fee for a good word.

About this experience

With our speedboats we can offer our passengers more area to cover in search for the gentle giants. A RIB is faster than the wind and makes it therefore more likely for us to find the big whales. Normally we do not have to leave our bay to look for whales of any kind, but on this tour we focus on finding the bigger ones – further out. Nothing is guaranteed but on this tour, your chances to encounter some of the world's biggest animals ever increase – BIG TIME. On this tour we also include a visit to the Puffin Island, where you can experience thousands of puffins, the "Clowns of the Ocean", during the nesting period (April 15th – August 15th approximately).

Gentle Giants is a truly local family run company with more than 160 years of family history in Skjálfandi Bay.

Description from the operator, Gentle Giants. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

GG2 Big Whale Safari & Puffins

Included

A specialized guide
Warm safety overalls (obligatory), and rain jackets if needed
Exclusive discounts with selected local partners in Húsavík

Good to know

Bring warm and waterproof clothes, footwear, hats and gloves and protective bags for cameras as it can be very cold at sea. Warm safety overalls are included on board (obligatory for RIB speedboats) and are put on top of other layers

The puffin season is from April 15th – August 15th approximately
The tour on RIB speedboats is not allowed for passengers with heart- or back problems or pregnant women. Minimum age is 8 years and minimum height 130 cm.
The tour is approximately 2 hours
Please check-in at the Gentle Giants Ticket Center latest 40 minutes before departure
For your safety and comfort, we reserve the right to change schedules, even with short notice, should weather or other conditions change. This may include skipping the visit to Puffin Island

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.

1Gentle Giants 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 Húsavík Whale Museum Ticket from Húsavík Whale Museum is €19 — €130 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Gentle Giants · €149	Húsavík Whale Museum · €19
How long it runs	2 hours	1 hour
Changing your mind	Free until 24 h before	Not stated
How hard it is	Moderate	Easy

The €130 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.

Who this is not for

Children under 8 cannot join this one.
Not for late risers on your first morning — the earliest departure is 07:00, and Reykjavík pickups start before that.

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

Why we list it

Gentle Giants is one of 204 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 Gentle Giants

Read all 2,289 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.

Pat NAWONG
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
Whales with the rainbow was The best part of my trip in Iceland. I 100% recommend everybody who is visiting the northern part of the Iceland. I’m so impressed with the team. They are very nice and kind. I will do it again next time in Iceland. Worth it 😍✨
Paige Evans
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
Our whale watching tour with Gentle Giants in Húsavík was one of the absolute highlights of our trip to Iceland! The crew (Jelmer the "tall Dutch guy" and Capt Sarah) were knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely passionate about the incredible marine life in the area. They made sure everyone had a great view while sharing fascinating information about the whales and the surrounding ecosystem. We were incredibly fortunate to see multiple humpback whales along with a very friendly minke whale in their natural habitat. Watching these magnificent animals surface, dive, and feed against the stunning backdrop of Iceland's coastline was an unforgettable experience. We also LOVED seeing all the Puffins at Puffin Island!! Everything was well organized from start to finish, and the crew's excitement made the experience even more special. If you're visiting Húsavík, Gentle Giants is an absolute must-do. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an unforgettable wildlife adventure in Iceland!
Dan Hearn
★★★★ · a month ago
We went on an afternoon whale watching trip in a RIB. The weather was cool but we were supplied with suits that kept out most of the cold. We had a great time skimming across the water. We saw quite a few Puffins (very 😎 cool) but sadly no whales. Hey, it's not Disney where they can just queue the wildlife.
Michael Trautz
★★★★★ · 5 months ago
We did the GG2 Big Whale Safari & Puffins Tour yesterday. One thing in advance, this is not a criticism, but an informative review! I am ambitious in wildlife photography and had two cameras with me. You sit on the Zodiaks thickly dressed like on a kind of saddle and are thus very limited in freedom of movement. If you want to take good pictures, you should absolutely sit outside and if possible in front so that no one sits in front of you. Otherwise, you are quite limited to photograph. In the middle row almost impossible to photograph sensibly! As I said, only to be understood as info! It was all good! It's just a very touristy excursion, but you know that in advance. Nevertheless, we saw everything and some good pics were created. In this respect, there is full marks from me! Greetings Mitch

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Iceland in May: what tours runMay is light and quiet: puffin boats and rafting start, the lights season is over, and the Highland roads stay shut until June.
Húsavík or Eyjafjörður for whale watching?Whale watching from Húsavík's Skjálfandi Bay versus boats leaving Akureyri or Dalvík on Eyjafjörður — which bay to book from and why.

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 Húsavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in North Iceland →

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from

€149 per person

Gentle Giants'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.

Departs07:0007:0507:3007:3508:0008:0508:3008:3509:0009:0509:3009:3510:0010:0510:3010:3511:0011:0511:3011:3512:0512:1012:3012:3513:0013:0513:3013:3514:0014:0514:3015:0015:0515:3016:0016:3016:3517:0517:3018:0018:3019:0019:0519:1019:3020:0020:3021:0021:3021:35

Húsavík: light 08:26–17:21, 8 h 55 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Gentle Giants 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: Gentle Giants'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 €6 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.