Iceland · PUFFIN TOURS
Puffins are ashore from roughly mid-April and the colonies empty during August — outside that window there is nothing to see, and no operator can change it. These 15 run from Reykjavík’s island colonies and from Húsavík, most of them paired with whales, and the prices below reflect the boat rather than the birds.
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.”
“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.”
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!”
See puffin colonies and the Eldfell volcano on Heimaey Island with Ebbi, a lively local guide. Small-group tour with great value.
“What a fabulous tour. Ebbi’s passion for this community shines through. He was a non-stop source if history and knowledge of Heimaey and the people. The two hours flew by. On and off the bus frequently to see and learn about life, past and present. And those glorious puffins !!!!! Go on this tour if you ever have a chance!”
One-hour express boat from Reykjavik to Akurey for puffins, with an expert guide and binoculars, plus timing tips for better sightings.
“Lovely short cruise to see the puffins who are out there in great number. See them sitting on the cliffs and flying about.”
“Essentially two separate tours as you come back to the harbour for a quick half hour change over. We did the Puffin tour first and it was fantastic, the guide had really good knowledge of the birds, the boat got nice and close to the colony and they were in good form flying around us and making a lot of noise. We then did the whale tour and whilst the whales were sadly being shy, we still got a few glimpses. The tour provider gave us a free return because the whales were not showing themselves as much as normal. Top set of tours, highly recommend.”
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”
Húsavík whale and puffin cruise on a traditional oak boat from Skjálfandi Bay, with warm overalls, hot chocolate, cinnamon buns.
“Hard to hear the commentary at the back/sides. A lovely old timber fishing boat but really hard to manoeuvre to see the whales when we could hear the call. A wet day but still a great activity despite everything. Better signage is needed as there are three North Sailing spots with the ticket office, toilets/dressing room and another office area that was confusing even with directions.”
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!”
A short Reykjavík boat trip to puffin islands where you get warm gear, free binoculars, and guided birdwatching for around 1 hour.
“nice views, lots of birds, unfortunately little sun and gloomy and it's July”
2-hour RIB whale and puffin safari from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour with a marine-biologist guide, warm gear, and close-up wildlife chances.
“Everything was amazing. Staff friendly, kind and funny and knowledgeable. Made the experience even better. We saw amazing wildlife.”
A 1-hour RIB cruise from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour for close-up puffins and seabirds at Faxaflói Bay, with warm coveralls and binoculars.
“The puffin tour was amazing. We expected to see a small number of puffins but saw hundreds of them. Maria, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and also took pictures that were shared with us through email. The boat was able to get very close to the island and we were able to watch puffins on the shore as well as swimming and flying all around us. It was an excellent tour.”
A short Reykjavik puffin cruise that gets you close to nesting islands by boat, with binoculars, raincoats, and expert English guidance.
“I is only 1 hr. So it stays close to the harbor. The water should be calm. Lots of birds. The ships binoculars were fine”
Small-group RIB puffin and bird watching from Reykjavík, with included gear and a respectful approach in Faxaflói Bay during peak summer season.
“Great tour! Well organized - saw lots of puffins. Fantastic boat & we didn’t get wet at all!! They also provide very warm jumpsuits which were perfect!”
Puffins at Hafnarhólmi, Icelandic village charm, Lindarbakki turf house, and Gufufoss waterfall on a 5-hour Seyðisfjörður shore tour.
“The guide was fantastic, the driver navigated very challenging roads like a champ, we saw all the things that were promised and more”
Pick the kind of day you want. Every one of them is ranked.
