How much does a whale watching tour cost in Iceland?
Short answer: €136 per person is what most people pay. The cheapest we sell is €19 and the most expensive is €375. That range comes from 89 real whale watching tours across 19 operators — live prices, not estimates.
Cheapest
€19
Typical
€136
Top end
€375
Usual length
3h
What moves the price
Boat size and season. A big steel boat from the Old Harbour is the cheap end; a small RIB with twelve people costs more and gets closer. Summer sailings cost a little more than winter.
The cheapest whale watching tours we'd actually book
Cheapest is not always right — a €50 saving hurts less than a wasted day. These are the low-price options we'd still put our name to.
Experience the joy of close encounters with mighty whales, graceful dolphins or playful porpoises on our easy-to-join whale watching tours from downtown Reykjavík.
Come aboard on the Axel Rose or Harpa yacht and see the incredible wealth of marine wildlife that lives in the waters just off the shores of Reykjavík City.
If a whale watching tour is the thing you came to Iceland for, pay the middle price rather than the floor — the difference usually buys a smaller group and a guide with time for you. If it's a nice-to-have on a day you're already busy, the cheapest option does the job. Either way, book it for a day early in your trip: if weather cancels it, you'll have another day to try again. Most of these run in Reykjavík, North Iceland, South Coast, Golden Circle.
Whale watching prices: questions people ask
How much does a whale watching tour cost in Iceland?+
We sell 89 whale watching tours from 19 Icelandic operators. The cheapest is €19 per person, the typical price is €136, and the top end is €375. Boat size and season. A big steel boat from the Old Harbour is the cheap end; a small RIB with twelve people costs more and gets closer. Summer sailings cost a little more than winter.
Is there a booking fee?+
No. You pay the operator's own price and we take a commission out of it, so booking here costs the same as booking direct — with one checkout if you book several tours.
Can I get a refund if I cancel?+
On most of these, yes: cancel more than 24 hours before and you get the full amount back. The exact rule belongs to the operator and is shown on each tour page before you pay.
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.
See all 89 whale watching tours, or fit one into a day-by-day plan.