Choosing Between 15 Boat & RIB Tours in Iceland

1.Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,911 reviews · 3 hours · from $107Our pick

Join a 3-hour whale watching cruise from Reykjavik Old Harbor on the Amelia Rose, with 3 viewing decks, expert spotting, and warm blankets.

“Super easy to find and check-in, no worries at all. The guide gave many explanations about the fauna and landmarks which were appreciated. We were lucky to see several whales from up close. The Amelia Rose is very comfy and spacious, whenever it gets too cold you can warm up inside and buy a hot drink! Overall we recommend, we really loved it!”

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2.Northern Lights Yacht Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,253 reviews · 2 hours · from $93

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor on a 2-hour northern lights yacht tour with warm blankets, a cozy bar, and deck space for photos.

“We got very lucky with totally clear skies and a high probability of a sighting, saw the lights within 10 minutes of the boat sailing out and then they put on a show for a good hour. The guide was very helpful, explaining how to take the best photos, that the lights come in waves and she alerted those of us who were sitting inside shielding from the cold whenever a new wave of lights would come up. It is very cold on the boat (it was minus 10 degrees that evening) so I advise wearing a lot of layers, coat, gloves, snow shoes. Would definitely recommend.”

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3.Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,221 reviews · 2 hours · from $175

2-hour RIB whale safari from Húsavík with Puffin Island, warm overalls, English guides, and fast searches in Skjálfandi Bay for whales and dolphins.

“Guide was good but hard to understand, typical language barrier.”

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4.Puffin Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,052 reviews · 1 hour · from $64Best value

“Our guide Patrick “The Puffin Man” was great. Engaging, hilarious, and knowledgeable about the puffin. Saw plenty of them. Got to take some good photos and videos, and they provide binoculars to help you see up close. Ride can be a bit bumpy due to the waves so if you have motion sickness, take meds beforehand. Beyond that, excellent tour.”

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5.Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 979 reviews · 2 hours · from $198

Go RIB speedboat whale watching in Húsavík’s Skjálfandi Bay and, in season, visit Lundey Island for puffins, with warm overalls.

“Captain and crew were marine biologists, so not only was the narrative informative, they best understood the whale behavior. We repeatedly zipped ahead of every other boat on the water in our RHIB, and found ourselves within 50 meters of where the whales surfaced from their feeding dives. We were alongside multiple whales, with views for both sides of the boat. There’s no other way to do it!”

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6.Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 707 reviews · 3 hours · from $106

A 3-hour Reykjavik yacht cruise in Faxafloi Bay to spot whales and dolphins, with warm blankets, WiFi, and live guide commentary.

“Out of this world!!!! This was the best thing I’ve ever experienced on a trip. The scenery is more than enough but to witness Humpback Whales & a super pod of Dolphins in the wild took out breath away! The boat was very roomy & clean. The staff were lovely - very friendly & informative. We were blown away with this activity & will return to Reykjavík in the future just to do this trip again.”

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7.Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 684 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $102

A 3 hour yacht cruise from Reykjavik to spot whales and dolphins around Faxafloi Bay, with landmark views and a free return if none.

“We saw dolphins, porpoises and whales. It was wonderful and they told us all about whales and the different seasons and what to expect from season.”

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8.Whale-Watching Boat Tour with Expert Guide from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 651 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $86

Reykjavik whale watching with thermal overalls, heated indoor viewing, free Wi-Fi, and a naturalist guide. Pick 2.5 or 3.5 hours.

“The most memorable parts was NOT seeing any whales which we know can happen however the response from the boat staff was simply, "bad luck". No refund, partially or otherwise nor any possibility of a return trip was offered.”

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9.Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 621 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

2-hour RIB whale watching from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, on a small boat with warm gear, for a real shot at whales, dolphins, and puffins.

“We had a wonderful tour! Our guide, Claudia, was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and very pleasant throughout the trip. She explained everything clearly and answered to all our questions with patience and created a warm and enjoyable atmosphere. Claudia and the beautiful whales truly made the experience excellent. highly recommended! Love from the Israeli group ❤️”

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10.Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $203Top rated

Small-group RIB whale watching from Húsavík, cruising Skjálfandi Bay for close whale encounters and, in season, Lundey puffins.

“Amazing experience…saw numerous whales, including the elusive Northern Bottlenose whale. Our guide and captain were very informative and knowledgeable”

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11.2-Hour Whale Watching Express by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 489 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

Akureyri 2-hour RIB whale watching in the Eyjafjord. Small group, warm gear, fast chasing for humpbacks, minke whales, birds.

“It was a beautiful sunny day and while we did get wet sitting in the 3rd row they provided warm full coveralls which helped! We were lucky to see numerous humpback whales pretty quickly ! It was a great bucket list experience.”

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12.Whale Watching & Dolphin Yacht Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 488 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $108

Whale watching and dolphin yacht cruise from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor in Faxafloi Bay, with blankets, Wi-Fi photo sharing, and a second free tour if no sightings.

“Whilst we saw both a Minke whale and a Humpback whale on the trip, this tour could have been so much better. The commentary was very minimal; after a brief and basic welcome as we set off, we didn't hear anything for over another hour - and even that was just 5 minutes of telling us that there are 4 types of dolphins/whales that we might see. But that was largely it - nothing about the chances of seeing them, what our strategy for finding them was (we seemed to just be aimlessly sailing around for the first 90 minutes), do the animals live in the bay or further out,…”

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13.Northern Lights Yacht Cruise in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 428 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $94

A 2-hour Reykjavik northern lights yacht cruise with warm interiors, onboard Wi-Fi, and whale-spotting in Faxaflói Bay, plus a return chance.

“This tour was well-organised and I would recommend it. We did see the Northern Lights but they were quite faint and not really visible with the naked eye so the tour company offered everyone a trip on another day which we thought was a nice touch. We didn't take them on their offer as (i) we did see the lights and (ii) not really fair on them as they can't control a natural phenomenon. We sat on the top deck and yes it was freezing so do wear your thermals! Below deck it was warm and there was a bar.”

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14.Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins Speedboat Tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 417 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $180

Original Húsavík RIB whale safari with expert guides and a possible Puffin Island stop during breeding season, about 2 hours.

“My sister swears we saw 15 whales, although I feel it was more like possibly 5 whales a total of 15 times. The female guide was great as was the boat captain. It was perfect sunny wether but most importantly this group was knowledgeable and experienced as knew where to find the whales!”

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15.Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 393 reviews · 2 hours · from $194

Reykjavik RIB whale watching in Faxafloi Bay, plus puffin viewing and a museum ticket. Fast ride, warm gear, real wildlife.

“The highlight of our trip, I could have stayed out there all day :)”

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