Iceland · WHALE WATCHING
Húsavík has the reputation and the Skjálfandi feeding grounds, roughly April to October; Reykjavík’s Faxaflói boats sail all year; Akureyri sits between the two. These 15 compare ship against RIB, three hours against two, and indoor seats against speed — with what each costs and how rough it gets.
3-hour Reykjavík whale watching from Faxaflói Bay with English guides, heated cabins, onboard WiFi, and a real shot at humpbacks.
“I can't really fault anything. Pick up was on time, staff fantastic. The trip was awesome and well informed.”
Akureyri's 3-hour high-speed whale cruise in Eyjafjörður, with trained guides, thermal suits, Wi-Fi, and a real shot at humpbacks.
“It was great, the fjord is absolutely beautiful. We thought we might see nothing but once we saw the first whale, they were just everywhere. We were very lucky :) we stayed a bit longer than planned, because we were searching for whales longer than expected. The tour operator made sure we are all satisfied by staying a little longer.”
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!”
3-hour Húsavík whale watching on a traditional oak boat in Skjálfandi Bay. Warm overalls, hot chocolate, live guide talk, and lots of wildlife.
“Great Guides, had a lot of fun and the female Guide (don’t remember her name unfortunately) did such a great job on commenting where to see the whales and gave many interesting Information.”
3-hour whale cruise from Reykjavik's Faxaflói Bay with marine-biologist guides, warm gear, and free rebooking if no whales show.
“Great tour - tour guide was knowledgable and all the staff were friendly. Sea sickness tablets were provided incase anyone needed them, and we saw whales! A great experience”
Reykjavik whale watching on the Andrea in Faxaflói Bay. Heated decks, overalls, expert guides, and a free return ticket if sightings are zero.
“We booked the trip before we went to Iceland . The whole experience was excellent , great staff who were both friendly and knowledgable. We got to see porpoises and hump back whales . We sailed on the Andrea which was one of the large vessels so take this into consideration as it does get choppy . I would definitely recommend this trip .”
Traditional oak-boat whale watching in Húsavík. Warm overalls, expert English guides, and strong chances for humpbacks and dolphins in 3 hours.
“Carla our guide was very professional and told us a lot of the whales. She was very focused so we could observe a lot of species. Even though the weather was nor great - it was raining and it was cold we were well prepared with the suits and raincoats we got from the company.”
Family-run whale watching from Húsavík with indoor seating on Vinur March to December, warm gear, and expert guides in Skjálfandi Bay.
“We were really appreciative of our guide and the whole crew in general. We went whale watching beginning of October and the whales were already further from the shore than where their ships usually go to. Nevertheless, they took us further so we could see three beautiful whales. The guide was very cheerful and passionate about whales. We were worried that we weren’t dressed well enough (we both had jeans only) but the company provided us with the water resistant warm overalls, so we really enjoyed it.”
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.”
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!”
3-hour whale watching from downtown Akureyri on a warm, window-filled ship with guided fjord cruising, Wi-Fi, and chances for humpbacks.
“Excellent company , everything went smoothly from booking to the whale watching trip. Fantastic guide. Highly recommend”
Reykjavik whale watching in Faxafloi Bay with Elding. 3 hours, warm overalls, marine biologist guide, whales on 90%+ of trips.
“Fantastic, we saw porpoise, dolphins, minkie whales and humpback whales”
Whale watching from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour in Faxafloi Bay, with warm overalls, heated cabins, and a free return if no whales.
“Unfortunately, virtually no whales were sighted on our cruise and the staff indicated that the seas were the roughest of the season so far”
3.5-hour whale and dolphin cruise from Reykjavik’s harbor to Faxaflói Bay, with warm overalls, WiFi, and expert guides.
“This was a once in a lifetime experience for myself and my daughter ❤️ the guide was informative and also very funny throughout the tour giving lots of facts but also keeping everyone entertained. We saw 2 humpback whales swimming together ❤️”
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.”
Pick the kind of day you want. Every one of them is ranked.
