Ultimate Whale Watching Adventure on a RIB Speedboat in Reykjavík Bay, Iceland
by Iceland Discover · Whale watching · Boat tours · Reykjavík
- Fine on your own
from €139.41 per person
Next departure: Thu 22 Oct
1 / 19
Duration
2 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Please check-in 30 minutes before departure
Ægisgarður 2, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
09:30, 11:30, 13:30, 14:00 …
Minimum age
10
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before
Our take on this one
A twelve-seat RIB instead of a ship: faster, closer to the water, and able to reach a sighting the big boats would take half an hour to reach. Two hours out of the Old Harbour, with the Harpa and Sun Voyager views on the way out, and warm overalls, gloves and goggles handed to you before you board because you will need all three. Twelve seats means the guide is talking to you, not a tannoy. It is wetter, colder and bumpier than the yacht trips, and it costs more at €136. Minimum age 10 and at least 145 cm; not recommended if you are pregnant or have back trouble. Four departures from 09:30. Check in 30 minutes before.
- Book it if
- People who have done a big-boat whale trip before, or would be bored on one, and want the fast, exposed version.
- Skip it if
- Two hours of spray and slamming with no cabin to retreat to — wrong for young children, bad backs, or anyone who gets seasick easily.
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
Discover the thrill of a lifetime with our RIB speedboat whale watching tour in Reykjavík Bay, Iceland. Our experienced guides will take you to the best spots for whale sightings, while our high-speed boat ensures you get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures. With our small group tours, you'll have personalized attention from our friendly guides as they share fascinating insights about the whales and their behavior. Don't miss out on this unforgettable adventure - book now.
Description from the operator, Iceland Discover. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Included
- Up to 2-hour exciting tour in a small group 12-seater RIB boat.
- Reykjavík sightseeing with panoramic views of the Harpa Concert Hall and Sun Voyager.
- Warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and all necessary safety equipment.
Not included
Hotel transfer
Good to know
We recommend all guests dress warmly in layers and good footwear it is always colder on the water and don´t forget your camera.
- Please check-in at Old Harbour House at Aegisgardur 2, 101 Reykjavík 30 minutes before departure.
- The tour has an age limit of 10 years & a height limit of 145 CM
- Not recommended for people with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not suitable for pets
- Not stroller accessible
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Pick-up/drop-off is not included
- Weather is a big factor for the tour, we may have to cancel the tour due to unfavorable weather conditions
- The tour takes place in wild nature, sightings cannot be predicted or guaranteed. If there are no sightings on the tour, we do not offer refunds but instead, we offer our passengers a free return to join our tour depending on availability or receive a voucher valid for up to three 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.
- 1Iceland Discover 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 — €60 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.
| Iceland Discover · €139 | Your Friend in Reykjavik · €79 | |
|---|---|---|
| How long it runs | 2 hours | 3.5 hours |
On everything we can measure, the Your Friend in Reykjavik tour is the better buy. The €60 is not buying anything we can point to, so unless you want this operator in particular, take the cheaper one.
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.
Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.
Why we list it
Iceland Discover 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 Iceland Discover
Read all 17 reviews on Google →Operator rating 4.4/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.
★★★★★ · a year ago
We booked the whale watching tour on the Amelia Rose. The boat was comfortable with a warm cabin on two levels. It was not possible to see much from inside, so be prepared to be on the outdoor decks (very cold in December). The crew was skilled, and we saw several humpback whales not far out of the harbour in Reykjavik. The check in process was a little confusing, with kiosks inside a crowded pub and staff only intermittently available to advise on how/when to board the boats (proceed through the back door of the restaurant or around to the back from the entrance to the docks as soon as you have your ticket from the kiosk). We did not purchase anything from the bar, but it was available. There were bathrooms on board. There was WiFi, but I never found the password posted. The views looking back at Reykjavik and of the mountains in the bay were striking.
★★★★★ · 11 months ago
I went on the whale watching tour on the Amelia Rose in August this year. Our guide, Julian is a marine biologist so he gave very useful, detailed information about not only the whales and but also the other sea life and birds during our tour. We were very lucky because despite the very cold, grey, rainy weather, we saw some whales, among them minke whales. I enjoyed the tour very much.
★ · 8 months ago
This was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in all my years of traveling around the world. It’s not really a whale watching tour at all. In reality, it consists of going out in a boat that never gets far from the harbor and then chasing poor whales, disturbing their peace. Every time a tail or even the smallest water spout appears, the boat rushes toward the unfortunate whale, which of course gets scared and swims away. In 2026, activities like this should be banned. Neither my family nor I would ever have joined had we known it was something so barbaric. I strongly suggest the company rename it to what it truly is: “Join us and go to bother the whales.” Stay away, this is a complete waste of money.
★★★★★ · 2 years ago
The whale-watching tour will remain an unforgettable experience. We saw several minke whales and puffins. Sometimes just a few meters from the ship. The guide was very professional and accurately announced where the whales could be seen. The captain did everything he could to keep track of the whales and allow for multiple sightings. There is enough space on the ship and people don't get in each other's way. However, the tour was only twenty percent booked at 9:15 that Monday morning. Indoor decks, warm blankets, and a bar are available. I can fully recommend this tour. I would book it again. Vouchers must be redeemed for a boarding pass at the Old Harbor House at Ægisgarður 2, 101 Reykjavík. From there it is only about a hundred meters to the ship's dock. Many thanks again to the Crew for this nice and unforgettable trip.
Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026
Read before you book
- Iceland tours minimum age: the real limits by activityFrom our catalogue: most glacier hikes, ice caves and snowmobiles start at 6 or 8, Silfra snorkelling is 12, diving 18, and big-boat whale trips usually have no minimum.
- Whale watching in Reykjavík: RIB or yachtTake the yacht unless you are fit, fond of speed and over 145 cm. The RIB is faster and closer, costs about €60 more, and is shorter and rougher.
- 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.
from 16.181 kr.Lowest price
Guesthouse · Reykjavík
Old Town Reykjavík
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 41.790 kr.Mid-range
Hotel · Reykjavík
Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 60.840 kr.Top end
Hotel · Reykjavik
Hótel Holt
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
One checkout, any number of operators
Rankings are not for sale
203 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it
Pairs well with
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