15 Whale Watching Tours in Reykjavik to Build a Day Around

1.Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise

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

Cruise from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay for three hours of whale and marine-life spotting. Guides such as Maria and Lucky share facts about humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and seabirds. You get indoor warmth, outdoor viewing, WiFi, a café, and hotel pickup as an option.

“An amazing morning whale watching - we were lucky enough to see 2 humpback whales and lots of seals! Maria, our guide, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Even when we were looking for (and unfortunately not finding) more animals, she chatted away about the scenery and sea birds. The views themselves, especially at sunrise, make this a lovely thing to do but the whales coming very close to the boat made it exceptional! Also, the hot chocolate is so so good, and very reasonable!”

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2.Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht

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

Cruise Faxaflói Bay from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor aboard the Amelia Rose, a smooth-sailing yacht with three viewing decks, a warm lounge, bar, WiFi, and blankets. Guides such as Lucky and Roman help you spot humpback and minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The three-hour trip suits families, couples, and solo visitors.

“Excellent experience! The yacht was clean, spacious, and easy to walk between different decks during the journey. We saw several whales and it was really exciting! Definitely recommend!”

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3.The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik

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

Cruise from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay for roughly three hours with Elding Whale Watching. A live guide, often a marine biologist, explains the wildlife while the crew searches for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds. Warm overalls, raincoats, blankets, WiFi, and a wildlife exhibition are included.

“We took the trip Jan 12th 2026 we knew it was going to be a bit rough and though they had had sightings recently they were single shots. Well almost as soon as we set off we saw a whale. And it stayed visible almost the whole trip. The team were brilliant at spotting, educating and keeping visitors safe on what was quite a choppy sea.”

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4.Whale Watching Tour with Expert Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 2,307 reviews · from $90

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay aboard Andrea, Iceland’s largest whale-watching ship. Your English-speaking guide points out minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and occasional orcas. You get warm overalls, indoor seating, WiFi, an onboard café, and a free return ticket if no whales or dolphins appear.

“Saw two humpback whales and a couple of seals up close. Food was affordable and good, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and also taught us a lot about the animals. Very easy ride, the sea wasn’t rough at all!”

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5.the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

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

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay with Elding Adventure at Sea. A trained marine biologist guide explains the wildlife while you watch for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and seabirds. Warm overalls, onboard WiFi, professional photos, and a free return trip if no whales are seen add practical value.

“Saw two beautiful humpback whales on my tour. The best part of this tour is the company being aware of the whales and not distrusting them too much. Allowing them their space and not using sonar! Do this tour if you want to go on a tour that is respectful of the environment and animals. P.s their hot chocolate is fantastic!!!!!!! And it’s cheap”

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6.Whale Watching Tour with Professional Guide from Reykjavik

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

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay with a professional English-speaking guide. Look for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and summer puffins. Patrick and Joe are among the guides praised for lively commentary. Warm flotation overalls, indoor cabins, WiFi, toilets, and a free return ticket if you see no whales are included.

“Great experience, friendly staff. Calm weather they provide suits for if is particularly cold. Would do again.”

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7.Whale Watching Tour

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

From Geirsgata 11, cruise through Kollafjörður and into Faxaflói Bay for minke whales, humpbacks, dolphins, seals, and seabirds. Guides such as Patrick, Patrik, and Lukas add lively commentary, while heated cabins, flotation overalls, WiFi, and seasickness tablets make this a practical choice in Iceland’s changeable weather.

“tour guide very informative and skipper navigated the boat to best locations to increase chance of seeing whales & dolphins”

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8.Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

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

Set out from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor aboard MY Harpa or MY Amelia Rose for a three-hour search for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, seabirds, and summer puffins. English and Icelandic guides, warm blankets, Wi-Fi, a bar, and a return ticket if you see no wildlife make this a comfortable choice.

“obviously seeing some whales...but everything was great from start to finish. the boat was very well managed, not overcrowded with people. sunshine and blue skies and whales. perfect .”

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9.Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

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

Sail for about three hours from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour aboard a yacht-style whale-watching boat. An English-speaking guide helps you spot humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and possibly orcas while you enjoy views of Harpa, Viðey, Engey, Lundey, and the city coast. If no whales appear, you can take a return cruise free.

“Loved this tour. The crew did their best to find the whales and were successful. The boat did have an area for shelter,”

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

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

From Reykjavik’s Old Harbor, you’ll cruise Faxaflói Bay with a naturalist guide in search of minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds. Choose a faster 2.5-hour outing or a 3.5-hour cruise. Thermal coveralls, heated indoor seating, Wi-Fi, and a no-sighting retry ticket make this a practical choice in Iceland’s changeable weather.

“A lovely boat and great experience. Even though the weather was really foggy in late December got to see a humpback whale. The commentary was factual and great. A wonderful trip which I would certainly go on again”

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11.Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat

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

Join a 12-seat RIB boat from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor for two hours among the islands of Faxaflói Bay. Guides such as Claudia, Julian, and Julien explain the marine life while the captain moves quickly toward sightings. Warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and a free return trip if you see no wildlife are included.

“We had a fantastic experience going on a whale safari with this company. We saw several whales and dolphins close to the boat. The guide was very enthusiastic and had a lot of knowledge. The captain was very experienced and we felt safe. Highly recommend it.”

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12.Whales of Iceland Museum Entrance Ticket

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

At Whales of Iceland in Reykjavík, you’ll walk among life-size models of 23 whale species found in Icelandic waters. Use the audio guide in 17 languages, explore hands-on displays, and watch films in the Fin Whale Theatre, including Whale Wisdom narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

“An interesting visit about the giants of the Ocean. The museum give informations about lot of whales thanks to the panels and audioguide available in many languages. I loved this experience !”

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13.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 on Faxafloi Bay. Your English-speaking guide helps spot whales, dolphins, porpoises, and summer puffins, while the yacht provides outdoor viewing decks, indoor seating, blankets, Wi-Fi, a bar, and free seasickness tablets. No sightings means a free return trip.

“Highly informative and well- organized whale watching ride. Our guide was passionate about sharing the types and habits of whales and dolphins. And was just as passionate about the science of finding the sight of them. You have to be quick, however to not only be where you need to be to view the latest sighting but be mindful of the overzealous who will cut in front of you. Nice boat with inside and outside options.”

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14.Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 442 reviews · from $148

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor on two separate wildlife trips. Old Skúli gets close to puffin islands, while the Andrea or faster express boat searches Faxaflói Bay for minke and humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Guides such as Patrick and Rebecca add clear facts, humor, and practical wildlife advice.

“We had a great experience with a whale that liked to show off so we were very lucky!!”

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15.Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

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

Leave Reykjavik’s harbor for a fast, close-up wildlife search in Faxaflói Bay. Shock-absorbing seats, warm flotation suits, and a live English guide make the 32-knot ride manageable. You may see minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and summer puffins. Your ticket also includes the Whales of Iceland Museum.

“This was one of my highlights from my Trip to Iceland. Daniel was an amazing tour guide! 10/10 would recommend.”

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