Akureyri Express Whale Watching by RIB boat
Recommended by 95% of travelers
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Akureyri, Iceland
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Iceland’s north coast is one of the best places in Europe to see whales in their natural environment—but it can be hard to spot them from land. Maximize your chances of seeing the giant marine mammals by taking to the water on a whale-watching cruise from Akureyri. A speedy rigid inflatable boat (RIB) takes you to the best locations, while a local guide is on hand to help you spot pods when they appear.
- This express cruise fits easily into packed vacation itineraries
- Enjoy the flexibility of different departure times throughout the day
- A small-group tour ensures an intimate atmosphere you won't find on larger cruises
- If you don't sight any whales, you can go on the classic tour option again
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Whale guarantee (or come again for free on the classic tour)
- Life jackets and safety equipment
- Overalls, goggles, and gloves
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Elding Whale Watching AkureyriOddeyrarbót 2, 600 Akureyri, Iceland
Departure Point: The pier by the HOF Cultural Center in downtown Akureyri Address: Oddeyrarbót 2, 600 Akureyri GPS: 65°40'59.8"N / 18°05'09.1"W
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Make your own way to the pier in central Akureyri to meet your captain and board your small-group RIB (rigid-inflatable boat). Pull on a life jacket, take your seat on a high-speed boat limited to just 12 passengers, and set off into the beautiful Eyjafjorour fjord.
As you cruise along Iceland’s northern coastline, your guide points out notable landmarks and seabirds, sharing insights about the area’s wildlife and natural features. The captain will slow and stop the boat when sightings occur, giving you the best possible chance to observe marine life. With a bit of luck, you may encounter powerful humpback whales, along with white-beaked dolphins, minke whales, and other species that frequent the waters.
After approximately two hours on the water, return to Akureyri, where your tour concludes back at the pier.
As you cruise along Iceland’s northern coastline, your guide points out notable landmarks and seabirds, sharing insights about the area’s wildlife and natural features. The captain will slow and stop the boat when sightings occur, giving you the best possible chance to observe marine life. With a bit of luck, you may encounter powerful humpback whales, along with white-beaked dolphins, minke whales, and other species that frequent the waters.
After approximately two hours on the water, return to Akureyri, where your tour concludes back at the pier.
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Minimum age is 10 years or 145 cm (4 ft 7 in)
- You must be able to stand in your seat and fit into the provided overalls (max size 3XL) to participate in this tour
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Christopher_A
Jacob our tour guides was very knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. He knew where to go find the whales and would explain to us what we were seeing as it happened. I would absolutely do this tour again!
Reviews
4.7
based on 194 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Rebekah_S, Aug 2026
Exactly what we were looking for, adventure and whale watching. Successful for both. Highly recommend.
Donna_M, Jul 2026
Great excursion! Rib boat was so much fun and it was awesome to be able to get so close to the whales and we saw a few on our trip.
Teresa_M, Jul 2026
This was a great opportunity to get out on the water. Our guide, Nikki, was very helpful and knowledgeable. Thanks for the experience!
Lori_R, Jul 2026
We were so looking forward to this experience but found it to be extremely uncomfortable and did not enjoy at all. We rode nearly the entire length of the fjord before stopping to look for whales and it was the roughest and most uncomfortable ride of my life. You will sit/stand on a horse-like saddle and hang on for your life hoping it will be over soon. I have never done a RIB tour before and maybe could be nice on super calm seas, but I will never know as I would never book another one of these again. We saw glimpses of a few whales but certainly not worth the pain of the ride. We were on a small cruise ship that stopped at this port and had much better luck whale watching in the fjord from our ship.
Lacie_P, Jul 2026
We had a great time whale watching on the rib boat. We saw 2 whales a humpback and a minkie. The boat captain and guide were so great!!!
I feel like they overemphasized the concerns with impact on the body from the boat ride. We were a little concerned about how they described it since my husband had a vertebra fusion 6 months ago. We had never been on a rib boat but we have been on multiple zodiacs. For us, it was no different from any other small boat ride.
This was a very dry boating experience. The suits are flotation suits not to keep you from getting wet like we have had on other whale watching trips.
Wendy_W, Jul 2026
As far as the location is concerned, the meeting place is just a short, easy walk from the cruise ship dock. It took us less than 10 minutes at a leisurely pace.
The provider's description is quite accurate with regard to the potential physical hardships of participation. My husband and I went out on a windy day, which made for a rough ride. We especially felt it in our knees, thighs, and lower back. Unfortunately, we did not see any whales. However, we believe the staff did their best to provide us with a good experience. They were very nice, quite helpful as we suited up, and attentive while we were out on the water. As we were returning just a bit later than expected, staff members drove all participants to the cruise dock in their personal vehicles to ensure we arrived in time, which we sincerely appreciated!
Carl, Jul 2026
Excellent experience and well organised and our tour guide was amazing and she is also a qualified Spanish marine biologist (Im really sorry I can't remember her name) ...but thank you for your excellent knowledge....
We got to see Bob the humpback whale and a Pod of bottle noses Dolphins- hundreds of them....
Linda_K, Jun 2026
Staff made sure we had a great time, was considerate of whales space and allowed is to get several sightings.
dburton, Jun 2026
Wow. We saw whales up close. The RIB boat is so much fun. Overall great experience -would highly recommend. RIB boats are the best way to see whales!
Jason_W, Jun 2026
Great experience and our guide Jana was so knowledgeable about the animals. I would recommend this to anyone.
James_W, Jun 2026
We had a fantastic trip all the staff were so friendly and helpful. I was a bit concerned about the suits you have to put on as I'm quite a big guy but they had a range of sizes that fitted well im probably a uk 3xl/4xl and fitted fine if anyoneis worried!
We did manage to see several different whales and was such a unique opportunity to get so close to these amazing creatures.
10 out of 10 would do it again in a heartbeat.
Great trip fantastic crew
Thank you so much for this amazing experience
Heidi_C, Jun 2026
Absolute fabulous experience.
Staff extremely helpful answering my pre-activity questions.
Meeting point very easy to find. Suiting up process was well organised - lots of sizes of suits available.
RIB was superb - holds 12 people and you sit/stand on motorbike style seats which was very comfortable.
Loved the speed of the RIB but also the ability to cover a greater area looking for whales.
Our trip started with porpoises, quickly followed by playful minke whales busy feeding and ended with the awesome humpbacks.
Our guide Anna and captain Karen were both superb at spotting the whales and getting us positioned to see them
Jess_C, May 2026
Had a great whale trip, our rib boat was only half full so we were spaced out so everyone always had a great view. The captain and guide were knowledgeable and clearly loved what they do. We saw some harbour porpoise, some minke whale from further afield and a humpback whale. We spent a great amount of time with the humpback, getting up close but without disturbing it and making it uncomfortable- unlike another company who were out there and it felt like they were chasing it which was really sad as the whale then kept deep diving to get away.
This is a beautiful location and great trip that was a highlight of our trip around Iceland. Definitely recommend.
Jane_R, Aug 2025
Fantastic experience on the rib boat and we were very well looked after. Saw so many whale sightings, quite emotional experience for us, especially as one whale breached which was quite a wow moment. Great to have a marine biologist aboard who was very knowledgeable
Cynthia_S, Aug 2025
This is a true bucket list for us! So exciting and thrilling to see these amazing giants up close! Our guide very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. This was well organized and everything we had hoped for! We got so close we could smell the whales breath!
JEAN_T, Aug 2025
If you have any back, hip or knee issues
I strongly suggest that you don't do this trip. Even though the seats are very comfortable, if its windy then the waves peak and you bounce around in boat pretty aggressively.
Christopher_A, Aug 2025
Jacob our tour guides was very knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. He knew where to go find the whales and would explain to us what we were seeing as it happened. I would absolutely do this tour again!
Ruth_N, Aug 2025
I did the rib boat Express whale watch Tour ...and it was amazing they got us right up next to some whales... we saw whales breaching.. lots of breaching and lots of whales.... of course it's nature and not guaranteed but this was one of the better whale watching trips I've been on and I have been on a lot of whale watching trips . .....definitely not for you if you have back issues or mobility issues because our water was a little rough and it might be too much for people like that ......but if you're adventurous and healthy with no injuries it's the way to go
Jason_B, Aug 2025
One of the best boat tours we’ve ever been on. The crew did a great job of bundling us up to stay warm on the water. On the water the crew was very enthusiastic and passionate about sharing their knowledge of whales. We got to see some rare whales during our tour and our guide was super excited. The captain took additional time to make sure we saw whales. Would recommend to anyone who is considering a whale tour out of Akureyri.
Mary_H, Jul 2025
Great experience! Our guides David and Bobsey were great. The trip on the rib was a great experience but most importantly, we got to see whales. They also send you free photos taken on the day. Well worth the money.
Ninghui_S, Jul 2025
This tour was an incredible experience - the boat ride itself was excellent fun and we managed to get up close and personal with a humpback whale! Agnes and the captain were both wonderful, and Agnes shared lots of interesting information about whales - highly recommend!
Steven_F, Jul 2025
The RIB was ideal for whale watching and our guides were extremely knowledgeable not only in identifying the whales and their behaviors but also the history of the surrounding areas
Corey_B, Jul 2025
I’m sure this would have been a 5 star tour on a better weather day, but we still had a great time. It was around 40 degrees and windy on the day of our tour. We came dressed warm but then they gave us a full suit and gear for the trip. The water was extremely choppy which made for a painful ride out to where we started to see some whales. Our teenage girls thought that part was fun and were laughing so your mileage may vary. Once we started seeing whales then it became more tolerable and we had a great time. Our tour guide and driver did a good job following them around.
Bill_H, Jul 2025
Great small boat tour-saw a humpback 6-8 times.
However, if there’s any wind, you’ll get wet, and the ride will be very rough.
Marshall_J, Jun 2025
Very well organized. Guide and captain did a great job. Small boat experience, we were able to turn the engine off and float with the whales for a long period. Highly recommend.
Zachary_S, Sep 2024
Great experience! The guides are very knowledgeable and did a great job of spotting whales. We followed a pod of humpback whales for over an hour! Be sure to wear waterproof clothing (boots and waterproof pants, for sure), and only sit in the front of the boat if you’re a thrill seeker.
Ailsa_B, Sep 2024
Absolutely brilliant trip David our guide was very knowledgable and we got to see plenty of whales would highly recommend
Joshua_H, Sep 2024
Loved this tour! It was certainly one of the highlights of our trip to Iceland. The smaller boat made it so easy to watch the whales and get great information from our guide, Jacob. The smaller boat also made it easy for us to get close to the whales as we spotted them. They provide coveralls - which in addition to our jackets and beanies kept us warm! Would recommend bringing something to cover your face as the wind is chilly while you ride. Overall would definitely recommend this excursion!
Anita_L, Sep 2024
Best 2 hours of whale watching. We were literally up close and personal with many whales. The staff was great.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Dear Anita_L,
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with us!
We're thrilled to know our staff made a positive impression on you and that you enjoyed an up-close and personal encounter with so many whales!
All the best,
The Elding team
Liz_D, Aug 2024
Great tour. Exactly as described. We liked the small group so we could always see and not have to run from side to side to see whales and be 3 people deep.
From $195.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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