The 15 Best Whale Watching Tours from Reykjavik

1.Reykjavík: Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 9,838 reviews · 3 hours · from $87Our pick

Sail from Reykjavík for three hours with guides such as Maria, Lucky, and Gunther, watching for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and seabirds. The boat has indoor and outdoor seating, a heated cabin, café, toilets, WiFi, and optional hotel pickup.

“Excellent trip with an informative friendly guide we saw humpback whales within an hour and I was impressed with the respect for the whales in not getting too close, hanging around and stressing them out. They came to us in their own time, it was beautiful to see these incredible mammals in a responsible way thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Reykjavík: Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht

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

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor aboard the spacious Amelia Rose for about three hours. Guides such as Lucky and Roman help you spot humpback and minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Three viewing decks, a warm lounge, bar, WiFi, blankets, and optional hotel pickup make this a comfortable cruise.

“So beautiful and fun! I got to see humpback whales and it was such a special encounter! highly recommend this tour!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,626 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $105

Cruise Faxaflói Bay for two to three and a half hours with an English-speaking guide, warm overalls, raincoats, blankets, WiFi, and access to a wildlife exhibition. Humpback and minke whales are common sightings. If no whale or dolphin appears, Elding offers a free return ticket.

“was great seeing the Whales, staff friendly. My only criticism is the whole trip was 2 hrs, so not much value for money when advertised as 3hrs and other companies was still out as we started back.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour with Expert Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 2,422 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $87

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay aboard Andrea, Iceland’s largest whale-watching ship. An English-speaking guide helps you spot minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sometimes orcas. Choose the roomy Classic cruise or the faster summer Express boat, with a free return ticket if wildlife stays hidden.

“Ania was an excellent guide. She was determined for us to see the Northern Lights, unfortunately they did not come out for us. Ania was very knowledgeable about the tour and you could tell she was unhappy that we didn’t get a chance to see them, but we do have a voucher that is good for two years if we come back.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Reykjavik: the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 908 reviews · 3 hours · from $108

Join Elding Adventure at Sea for a three-hour cruise from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour. Marine guides such as Emily, Pedro, Mila, and Sam explain the wildlife while the crew searches Faxafloi Bay for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and seabirds. Warm overalls, WiFi, and a free retry if needed are included.

“Really good experience, we were lucky enough to see lots of whales close to the boat, the commentary was very good telling us what side of the boat to go when whales were about to appear. We went on the evening trip and being July the sun didn't set completely even at 10.30 at night and was a beautiful sight low over the ocean.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Whale Watching Tour with Professional Guide from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 744 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $97

Leave Reykjavík’s Old Harbour for a 3.5-hour search through Faxaflói Bay, where humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and summer puffins may appear. Guides such as Patrick and Joe add lively commentary, while heated cabins, warm flotation suits, WiFi, and a no-sighting return ticket make this a practical choice.

“Do not see many whales Ramp on and off boat very slippery Wife fell and no one came to assist her No help at office except gave her a packet of Tylenol”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 711 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $103

From Geirsgata 11, you cruise through Kollafjörður to Faxaflói Bay for up to 3.5 hours of whale and dolphin watching. English-speaking guides such as Patrik and Lukas add lively commentary, while warm flotation overalls, indoor cabins, WiFi, and a free return trip after no sightings make this a practical choice.

“journey was long and cold,I bought sandwiches for way back,seeing the whales come in and out the water,as our tour guide notifying us of were they were. definitely recommend”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Reykjavik: Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

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

Set out from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor aboard MY Harpa or MY Amelia Rose with guides such as Lucky or Rebecca. Search Faxaflói Bay for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, seabirds, and summer puffins, with warm blankets, WiFi, a bar, and a return ticket if sightings fail.

“we were so happy, within 20 mins of being out in the boat we saw Banana and Apple the 2 humpback whales, they came right up to boat and kept playing circle games with us. what an experience.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

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

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay aboard a spacious yacht for about three hours. An onboard guide explains whale behavior as the crew searches for minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and perhaps orcas. You also get fine views of Harpa, Engey, Lundey, Viðey, and the coast.

“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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Meet at Reykjavik’s Old Harbor for a 2.5-hour express ride or a 3.5-hour cruise into Faxaflói Bay. Your naturalist guide helps you spot minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds. Thermal coveralls, heated indoor seating, Wi-Fi, and a second-chance ticket are included.

“Only one side of the boat could consistently see the animals because they kept turning the boat toward it rather than letting the animals pass on the sides.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Reykjavik: Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat

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

Join Sea Trips Reykjavík at the Old Harbour for a two-hour RIB safari among Faxaflói Bay’s islands. Guides such as Claudia, Julian, and Bianca share marine facts while the captain searches for humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and puffins. The boat is fast, intimate, and weather dependent.

“Guide was awesome. We saw great whale and dolphin activity. Amazing pictures. Great value!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Reykjavik: Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 552 reviews · 4 hours · from $153

From Reykjavík’s Old Harbor, you’ll visit puffin islands aboard the shallow-draft Old Skúli, then search Faxaflói Bay on the spacious Andrea or a faster express boat. Guides such as Patrick, Alex, Celine, and Oscar bring useful facts, humor, and sharp eyes for wildlife.

“The service was easily located ne as r the harbor and offered professional and I formative service. the puffins are difficult to photograph with cell phones, but provided binoculars offer good viewing.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Reykjavik: Whales of Iceland Museum Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 493 reviews · 1 day · from $34Best value

Walk among life-size models of 23 whale species found in Icelandic waters, then watch films in the Fin Whale Theatre, including Whale Wisdom narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Interactive displays, multilingual audio guides, free parking, and a cafe make this an easy, educational Reykjavik stop.

“This was good to see live scales models of whales although very small so your tour is over very quickly.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Whale Watching & Dolphin Yacht Cruise

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

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor aboard Harpa or Amelia Rose for about three hours in Faxafloi Bay. An onboard guide points out whales, dolphins, and summer puffins, while you enjoy several viewing decks, warm blankets, indoor seating, Wi-Fi, and a bar. If no wildlife appears, your next tour is free.

“Excellent observation decks at multiple levels. The indoor decks and bar were appreciated for warming up”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

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

Join a two-hour RIB boat trip from Reykjavik with a small-group feel, spring-mounted seats, warm flotation suits, and guides such as Rebecca, Patrick, and Joel. Search Faxaflói Bay for whales and dolphins, stop at Akurey for summer puffins, then use your included ticket at the Whales of Iceland Museum.

“We were taken out on the RIB boat by a lovely guide called Joel on Sunday 29 September. He was so passionate and knowledgeable about all the local wildlife, pointing out different species of rare birds, getting us to the whales quickly and telling us a lot of facts. He made the experience so exciting and you could just tell he absolutely loves his job. We managed to see 5 humpback whales, including a mum and baby which is very rare to see! And I saw a pod of white beaked dolphins but no one else spotted them as we were going too quick! It was such a brilliant experience…”

Check availability →Read our full review