Top 4 Whale Watching Cruises in Iceland

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

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

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!”

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2.Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

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

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.”

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3.Húsavík: Whale-Watching Cruise and Puffins Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 444 reviews · 3 hours · from $135

From Húsavík, you spend about 3.5 hours on a traditional oak boat in Skjálfandi Bay, looking for whales, dolphins, and puffins. English-speaking guides, warm overalls, hot chocolate, and cinnamon buns are included. Guides such as Jess and Chris have brought marine science and years of whale-watching experience to past trips.

“We very much enjoyed our puffin and whale watching trip. The crew took safety seriously and explained the boat and what to do if there was a problem. The guide was very informative and this kept us interested in the gaps between wildlife sightings. We were lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins and three humpback whales.”

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4.Reykjavik Shore Excursion: Whale-Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 61 reviews · 3 hours 50 minutes (approx.) · from $108

From Skarfabakki Harbour, cruise Faxaflói Bay for porpoises, white-beaked dolphins, minke whales and humpbacks. Choose a leisurely 3.5-hour boat or a 2.5-hour high-speed option. Guides such as Dominiki explain local wildlife, while thermal overalls, WiFi and seasickness tablets are included.

“We only saw a tip of whale's spine. We did enjoy our tour guide and boat ride but you could see other passengers getting frustrated and queezy. The boat kept driving in circles chasing down a whale that barely surfaced once. I recommend showing a real status of the tour. I was expecting to see what you advertise with this whale leaping out of the water. This did not meet our expectations.”

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