Rafting & Whale Watching

by Arctic Rafting · Whale watching · Reykjavík

4.90· 139 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own

from €340.36 per person

No published departures in the coming months — ask us

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Rafting & Whale Watching — Arctic Rafting

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9 photos from Arctic Rafting. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
11 hours and 30 minutes
Difficulty
Moderate
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Starts at
100 Iceland Hotel - Please wait at BUS STOP 9
Snorrabraut 24, 101 Reykjavík, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
09:00
Minimum age
11
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Meeting point, in Arctic Rafting's words: You will be picked up at this location for River fun rafting after the whale watching activity.

About this experience

Adventure combo day trip in Iceland: Whale Watching from Reykjavik Harbor & River Rafting on the Hvítá River.

Trip difficulty: 2/5, easy.

Tour Highlights:- Whale Watching - River Rafting - Hvita River- Old Harbor

The day begins at the Elding ticket office by the old Reykjavík harbour where you will commence a magical journey into Faxaflói bay, surrounded by beautiful mountains. You will be guided by marine biologists to learn all about the amazing wildlife living in the bay. You will see the flourishing bird life such as puffins, gannets and guillemots.

After the venture out at sea you have time for a quick lunch. We recommend bringing a packed lunch or grabbing a burger at Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar at the beginning of the pier, right across from the ticket office.

From there we go to Drumbó River Base where you will get suited up with everything required to brace the glacial waters. Hvítá river descends from Langjökull, tumbles into Gullfoss and continues onwards to where we commence our rafting.

Hvítá has an ideal mix of fun rapids and serene canyons. We raft down 7 kilometers, through the beautiful Brúarhlöð canyon enjoying a view you can only see from a boat. No previous rafting experience is needed as this rafting trip is suitable for most ages and abilities. Rafting down Hvítá is one of the original Icelandic adventures, a trip of pure enjoyment.

Disclaimer: All rafting trips are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Rafting 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 Rafting. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Whale Watching from Reykjavík
Whitewater Rafting in the Golden Circle

Included

Pick up and drop off in Reykjavík

Whale watching
River rafting on Hvítá river with an expert guide
All necessary equipment for rafting, guided rafting tour
Entry to a sauna and shower facilities after the tour

Not included

Towels, food and beverages are not included.

Good to know

Warm undergarment clothing including fleece/wool sweater and pants, warm socks (no cotton).
Change of clothing.
Bathing suit & towel.

Although you don't need to "swim" while river rafting/canoeing, we recommend that you can. You have to be comfortable with floating in water.

All of our tours begin from Drumbó River Base. At Drumbó you find:

Changing rooms
Showers
Sauna
Bar and coffee
Restaurant

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 Rafting 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 Reykjavík Whales & Viðey Island from Elding Adventure at Sea is €125 — €216 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Arctic Rafting · €340	Elding Adventure at Sea · €125
How long it runs	11.5 hours	7 hours
How hard it is	Moderate	Very easy

The €216 buys you 4.5 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 11 cannot join this one.
Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 11 hours and 30 minutes is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.

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

Why we list it

Arctic Rafting 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 Arctic Rafting

Read all 139 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Alan Cammack
★★★★★ · a month ago
Very accommodating and welcoming in every way! The guides are highly trained, engaging, and clearly enjoy being on the river. There are nice showers, hot tubs, and a sauna for after the trip. The restaurant and bar were excellent as well and I had the best hamburger for my entire trip in Iceland. Highly recommend!
Ahmed Almonsouri
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
I come to the rafting experience twice a year because I LOVE IT SO MUCH. What makes this experience fun are not only the rapids, but the guides on this trip. Victoria was our guide this year, and she was PHENOMENAL. She really made our trip unforgettable, she is hilarious, witty, easy going, and made sure everyone was safe all the time. I still remember her sense of humor in the middle of the day, and laugh a little. The other guides are also amazing, like Arjun. Very kind man, fun on the rafting, and super professional and overall fun. I have done rafting experiences all over the world, but I always look forward to our rafting experience in Iceland with Arctic Rafting because of the guides and how fun they make it. I rarely write reviews, but I only do so when the experience is above and beyond, and Arctic Adventures, you deserve 10 stars!
Tim R
★★★★★ · 4 months ago
Wonderful group of people. Our guide Victoria was very knowledgeable, patient, and professional. She and Armon (safety staff) gave our group a great time. The landscape was breathtaking. Our favorite part was the cliff jump. Unforgettable!!
Zita Zaikauske
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
One of the best Adventure👌Well organized, perfect atmosphere, amaizing guides. Fun is all the time. After the boat trip you can enjoy hot tubs, sauna and meal👌🤩

Reviews from Google · updated 21 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.

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 →

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If it falls short, we fix it

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €17 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.