Reykjavík Whales & Northern Lights

by Elding Adventure at Sea · Whale watching · Northern lights · Reykjavík

4.5(26) · tour · TripAdvisor4.50(2,403) · operator on Google
Reykjavík Whales & Northern Lights — Elding Adventure at Sea

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Elding Adventure at Sea'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.

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25 photos from Elding Adventure at Sea. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    6 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    Sep – Apr

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Languages

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

  • Departs

    09:00, 13:00, 17:00

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

Book this combo tour and enjoy a Classic Whale Watching tour and Northern Lights Cruise at a discounted rate. This package is the perfect way to experience Iceland’s stunning wildlife and natural wonders - all in one day.

Start your day with a 3 hr. whale watching tour at 09:00, 13:00 or 17:00 (see calendar for availability), departing from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour. Our expert marine biologist naturalist will guide you through sightings and share fascinating insights about the marine life in Faxaflói bay. During this time of year, we see many seabirds, and the most commonly spotted species include humpback whales and harbour porpoises, in addition to white-beaked dolphins and minke whales. The various wildlife against the winter-lit landscape surrounding the bay makes for a breathtaking experience.

After the incredible marine adventure, you'll have time to explore Reykjavík’s city centre and enjoy a lovely dinner before returning to the harbour for the next part of your journey. 

Starting at 21:00 or 22:00 (depending on the season), we set sail again for an approximately 2 hr. Northern Lights & City Cruise into the southern part of Faxaflói bay. As we depart the harbour, enjoy views of Reykjavík’s glittering shoreline and illuminated landmarks, including Harpa Concert Hall and Hallgrímskirkja church. When the Imagine Peace Tower is lit, we sail by to admire its radiant beam before turning our gaze to the northern skies in search of the auroras. Watching the vast, starry sky from the sea is an unforgettable experience, and with Iceland’s unpredictable weather, we aim to maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights by operating the tour whenever conditions allow.

Description from the operator, Elding Adventure at Sea. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Check-in
  2. Classic Whale Watching (3 hours)
  3. Free time in Reykjavík
  4. Northern Lights Cruise (2 hours)
  5. Disembarking

Included

  • 3 hr. Classic Whale Watching tour
  • 2 hr. Northern Lights Cruise
  • Excellent guidance
  • Use of overalls onboard
  • Free WiFi on board
  • Entry to Wildlife Exhibition
  • Large viewing windows
  • Heated indoor saloon
  • Cafeteria & Bar on board

Not included

  • Pick up / Drop off (available at request)
  • Refreshments (can be purchased on board)

Good to know

Please dress according to weather and remember to bring a hat, gloves and sturdy footwear. Feel free to borrow our thermal overalls, if needed.

The total duration of the tours varies depending on tour start times you choose, but keep in mind that in between the two tours, you will have several hours of free time. Upon booking, you will receive an email with information on the exact duration and departure times for each tour.

Note that if you select hotel pick-up or drop-off, you will only be collected at your preferred meeting point before the Whale Watching tour and returned only after the Northern Lights Cruise. Extra transfers can be arranged upon request.

The tours are subject to suitable sea conditions and therefore one or both could get cancelled on short notice. We will do our best to notify you in good time in this case, but please check our website for updates.

While Reykjavík offers the ideal conditions for aurora viewing and whale watching, they are both highly unpredictable. If no sightings are reported on your tour(s), you will be offered a complimentary return ticket, which is valid for two years. 

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. 1Elding Adventure at Sea 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 — €161 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Elding Adventure at Sea · €180Húsavík Whale Museum · €19
How long it runs6 hours1 hour
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNot stated

The €161 buys you 5 more hours 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

  • 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

Elding Adventure at Sea 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 Elding Adventure at Sea

Read all 2,403 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Iola Wilson

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    We had an incredible sunset whale watching trip. From the beginning, every member of staff was attentive and helpful. Our guide shared lots of info on the wildlife we spotted - birds and whales. We were blessed with beautiful weather and the boat wasn't busy so we had room to move around and spot wildlife. Lots of tips on how to spot whales were shared. We saw a minke whale and then in the distance the sprays from several humpbacks.We made our way towards these and then stayed with one for ages - it was magical! The captain was very generous with time - because our encounter was quite far out, our trip was over 3.5 hours, we were not rushed back because time was running out! We saw lots of different bird species too. The sunset was stunning and we were able to enjoy this on the way back and also get some beautiful pictures of Reykjavik as we approached. We were also impressed with the way Elding respect the wildlife. Our 9 year old learned so much about whale spotting and ga been putting it to use on our cruise - spotting minkes and humpbacks from the ship! Thank you so much, Elding, for a truly memorable and magical evening!

  • Emily A

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    Our whale watching tour was so special. I will start with the whales: we definitely saw them! We found a couple of humpbacks busy feeding and out guide did a great job of pointing them out and describing the behaviors we were seeing. It was truly amazing. The crew has the skills and experience to find what’s in the area. Additionally, they provided us with pictures of the whales and a journal entry about our voyage. We heard from someone else on the boat that if you go out and do not see any wildlife, they will provide you with a voucher to come out again another time (this family was on their re-do but your mileage may vary as I didn’t hear or read about this.) But of course, one cannot control the outcome, and still I would recommend this trip. It was such a fun way to see the city of Reykjavik and the surrounding mountains. We had a beautiful day with a bit of wind and they provided motion-sickness tablets for free, but remaining outside I did not experience much malaise. I also want to say that the company was very accommodating. We had booked a morning tour that we couldn’t get to due to travel disruptions and they were very willing to honor our reservation at a later time slot.

  • Casey Phifer

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Booking excursions through Elding was seamless, and I really appreciated their ecological focus. I first took their free ferry to Viðey with my Reykjavík City Pass, then enjoyed the experience so much that I booked both their classic whale watching and puffin tours. Everything felt easy and well organized, from the cold weather gear to the books, wildlife guides, and knowledgeable experts who narrated the tours and answered questions along the way. These excursions gave me some of my favorite memories of Iceland while getting to learn. about the wildlife and explore Faxaflói Bay. Highly recommend!

  • Olivia Yip

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    Classic puffin tour was 1 of 2 pricier tourist attractions we did (other being Hvammsvík) and this one was SO WORTH THE MONEY. Cute puffins, fun boat tour, knowledgeable staff, binoculars provided, loved every second of it, you get even more pics from them after, and it was guaranteed you see puffins since they take you to an island with a whole colony!! Definitely recommend as a todo activity in Iceland! And it’s cheaper than driving down to the westman islands and taking the ferry and using up 9 hours of your day to see the puffin colony there!

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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Pairs well with

Everything here goes into the same basket and the same single payment, however many operators it comes from.

from

€180 per person

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