9 Best Whale Watching Tours in Reykjavik

Getting on a boat and going whale watching is one of those things you can't miss to see and do in Reykjavik during the summer period, which is the time when these wonderful species come to Iceland's shores to feed.

This is one of the most beautiful experiences you can have, especially during the midnight of summer. I will tell you the details about the most impressive tours to see this species in its maximum splendor.

During this activity aboard a large boat you will have the opportunity to depart from the coast of Reykjavik to the open sea to meet these wonderful species that come very close to Iceland. It will be three hours in which you will be able to enjoy the sea, the whales and the conditions of the boat inside.

One of the main objectives of this particular tour is to have fun watching the whales but at the same time, the tour is completely friendly and respectful with the environment and the fauna that inhabits this area.

Details of interest

• Price: from 90 euros per person.
• Duration: about 3 hours of navigation.
• Means of transportation: you will go by boat with all amenities to the whale watching area, which may change location depending on weather conditions. You must arrive on your own at the port from where the tour will depart.

Faxaflói is one of the most popular whale watching spots in Iceland, which is why this is one of my favorite whale watching tours. During the tour, which lasts just over three hours, you can not lose sight of the sea or leave your camera unattended to take pictures of beautiful species such as white-snouted dolphins, porpoises and of course humpback whales.

One of the biggest advantages and differences with others that this cruise has is that you have the whale watching experience practically guaranteed, since if during the day you do the tour, you can not see whales, you will receive an invitation to go again to see them. This is a perfect tour if you are visiting Reykjavik for a short time.

Interesting details

• Price: this experience can be priced at approximately 78 euros per person.
• Duration: about 3 and a half hours, or two and a half hours if you choose the express version.
• Means of transport: to get to the port of Reykjavik you must do it on your own, while during the experience you will be aboard a cruise ship with all the comforts.

This is a private experience, where only you and your group participate. It is one of the best activities to do during your family visit to Iceland and things to do with children in Reykjavik, although children must be at least ten years old to participate in the tour.

During the cruise you will not only have the opportunity to see whales and dolphins, but also other natural species of Iceland such as the typical puffins, all while having a fully personalized explanation of the whole species watching tour.

Details of interest

• Price: from 121 euros per person.
• Duration: this tour can last approximately two hours from the beginning of the tour at the port until you return to the starting point.
• Means of transportation: to get to the port from where the experience starts, you will have to travel on your own, either by rented car or using public transportation. Once on board the cruise, the experience will continue on the open sea.

In this experience the main idea is to get to see puffins, and this is one of the best puffin cruises in Reykjavik you will find, but additionally you will be able to see whales, both in their natural habitat, so it is a very interesting combined experience if you have little time to visit the island.

This experience is divided into two parts, the first part is a tour of about an hour along the coast of Reykjavik to see the puffins in their natural habitat. Later you embark into the open sea to enjoy whale watching. Although it depends on the departure time, the order of both experiences may change.

Details of interest

• Price: from 100 euros per person.
• Duration: this complete experience can last approximately 4 hours and a half.
• Means of transportation: to get to the port from where you will depart with the sightings experience, you will have to travel on your own. Once on board, the whole experience takes place on the cruise ship.

During this tour you will depart from the coast of Reykjavik to go whale watching in the open sea. Once at the whale watching site your guide will explain everything you need to know about the whales and the different species you will see during the tour.

After you have finished your whale watching tour, it is time to continue to your next experience of this interesting tour, making a visit to one of the best waterfalls in Iceland, the Gullfoss waterfall, and the great Geysir.

Details of interest

• Price: this experience can be priced at approximately 165 euros per person.
• Duration: the whole experience can last around 10 hours, from start to finish.
• Means of transportation: the tour starts by bus, from your place of accommodation, to the port. From there on you will embark on a cruise. To go to the other sites of tourist interest you will go by equipped bus.

If you don't know what to do in Reykjavik in summer and want to have a truly unforgettable experience, I recommend you to take a midnight sun whale watching tour. One of the best things about this experience is that you will be able to see large numbers of these marine species under the dim but sufficient light of the Icelandic summer midnight.

One of the things that will surprise you the most during this tour is the tranquility of the sea at night. In addition, the sun, which never completely hides, will help you to see the different marine species that abound in the open sea. During the experience you will have access to an audiovisual that will teach you interesting details about the marine life in this area of the planet.

Interesting details

• Price: from 75 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately three hours from the time the boat leaves the port until you return.
• Means of transportation: to get to the port you will have to get around on your own either by rented car or public transportation. After this, the tour is done by boat.

This experience is one of the most interesting because in addition to seeing the whales in the open sea, you have the chance to tour the entire south coast from Reykjavík, knowing every landscape and tourist site. The first thing you will do is to go along the coast by land in a tour that will last no more than three hours.

Once the land experience is over, you will board a boat to continue the trip to the whale watching area and other marine species. The tour takes place around Faxaflói Bay, where there is approximately a 90% chance of seeing the species more easily.

Interesting details

• Price: from 74 euros per person.
• Duration: this trip lasts approximately four hours.
• Means of transportation: during your ride along the coast you will board a bus equipped with all the comforts. Once this tour is over, you will board a boat where you will go out to sea to see the different marine species.

This combined experience is one of my favorites because it takes you to see some of Iceland's most beautiful landscapes found in the Golden Circle and the volcanic crater of Kerid in Reykjavik, but also takes you on a tour to see marine species native to this island.

The approximately ten-hour activity will start with whale watching and after this will take you straight to the most interesting places of the Golden Circle such as Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfalls or the thermal area of Geysir.

Details of interest

• Price: about 148 euros per person.
• Duration: this experience can last approximately 10 hours.
• Means of transportation: initially you will board a boat to go whale watching, and then you will board a fully equipped bus in which you will visit the sights of the Golden Circle.

Although whale watching is considerably more likely during the summer months than during the winter; in the latter season it is still a valid option as an activity to do in Reykjavik in winter. In this case the combined tour is to see whales and also northern lights.

This experience is done in two parts. During the first part, you will depart from Reykjavik harbor to the open sea looking for the Northern Lights, clearly one of the best ways to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik. In a second part, you will go whale watching on the high seas.

Details of interest

• Price: from 140 euros per person.
• Duration: this experience lasts approximately 5 hours and a half.
• Means of transportation: you must go on your own to the port, either by rented car or public transportation.

During this whale watching experience, no matter what activities you combine this expedition with, you will always have the opportunity to see the most popular marine species in Reykjavik and all of Iceland.

Among the species you will see during this tour are humpback whales, white-sided dolphins, porpoises and even, if you are lucky on some of these experiences you will see puffins typical of Icelandic wildlife.

• Wear very warm and waterproof clothing so that you can go sightseeing in the open sea without feeling cold.
• Also pack closed shoes, preferably boots that cover your feet well and do not allow the cold to circulate.
• In case you go with children, do not forget to ask what is the minimum age to attend the tour, since in some experiences it is necessary to be at least 10 years old.