Puffin Watching and Gufufoss Waterfall Tour from Seydisfjordur
East Iceland, Iceland
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Ideal for those with limited time in east Iceland, this tour from Seyðisfjörður highlights both the region's wildlife and its natural beauty. Enjoy an up-close encounter with nesting Atlantic puffins, explore quaint Icelandic fishing villages, and witness the stark beauty of Gúfufoss waterfall. All in just half a day.
- Check off plenty of the region's highlights in just a few hours
- Insight from your guide adds context to what you see
- Make the most of scheduled stops to snap photos and videos
- Stay connected—and share photos—with onboard Wi-Fi
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- WiFi on board
- All Fees and Taxes
- Lunch
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Ferjuleira, 710 Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
Meeting point is Ferjubakki pier, Seyðisfjörður. Shore excursion buses meet passengers directly at the cruise terminal upon disembarkation. Look out for signs with your tour´s title. Our guides will be waiting to greet you.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
East Region
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Lindarbakki
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Alfaborg
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Gufufoss
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- The tour duration of 5 hours includes driving time
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 59 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.0
based on 52 reviews
Susan_H, Aug 2025
This tour should be longer. I was disappointed at the puffin stop because there were too many people there and they were noisy and the puffins stayed out in the ocean and didn’t come to shore. If we had more time there, it would have allowed time for the people from other buses to leave and we could see more puffins up close. Annalise was a great guide. She was friendly and very informative. We could have skipped stopping for lunch because time was not allotted for that and we were expecting to return to the ship for lunch.
Patricia_D, Aug 2025
This is definitely the best tour to see Puffins up close because there’s a wooden staircase along the cliff so you can stand right near them.
Elizabeth_E, Aug 2025
Guide didn’t talk about puffin behaviors. Dropped us off at the steps and left us to fend for ourselves
Steps were crowded and dangerous and couldn’t get to the rail to see the puffins
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear Elizabeth_E,
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
We are sorry if the tour did not fully uphold to your expectations.
Our guides aim to cover a wide range of information throughout the day, which can include not only wildlife but also aspects of Icelandic customs, landscapes, and lifestyle, to help guests gain a deeper sense of the Icelandic experience.
When guiding a larger group, it is sometimes not feasible to keep everyone together at all times. For this reason, guests are also given some flexibility to explore independently at certain points during the tour.
We understand that the site can feel crowded at peak times, and we regret if this made your experience less comfortable.
Should you wish to share more about your tour and discuss further, we would be happy to hear from you at info@bustravel.is
Kind regards,
Andreea
sheila_h, Aug 2025
Great tour, SOOOO many puffins! Our guide, Berlin and driver both very friendly and informative. The troll house really wasn't exciting, but puffins were the star of the day.
Josh_T, Aug 2025
We were late in the season, so we did not get to see very many Puffins. We saw 3-4 as they flew out but you had to be really patient. My wife is not patient. This was her only goal for the trip and we missed the main Puffin island due to weather. The guides were great, the locations were good. I think a few more things could help make this a great tour. 1. Don't stop in the town for a restroom break before the Puffins. People got off and wasted time, and there is both a restroom at the colony and you stop at the town again on the way back. 2. Water and a snack would of been good as people were on the tour for 5 hours+. 3. If the tour is about Puffins, then the majority of the trip should be there. The additional stops were nice, but I feel like they could of be added after the Puffins as well as it ate up time trying to capture the birds. Maybe some notification of the possibility of a low amount of Puffins would be nice, I know that is detrimental to the advertising, but some more clarity helps with expectations. Overall we felt like it was a good thing to do with our time and money. Wish the tour was earlier in the morning as Puffins are more active then. I'd recommend, especially if you are in May - end of July. August was too late in the season.
Kristin_M, Aug 2025
Super long bus ride to a small waterfall and I saw one puffin. Tour guide was nice, but he kind of mumbled and was hard to understand.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear Kristin_M,
We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
While many guests hope to see a large number of puffins, these are wild birds whose movements can be unpredictable. At certain times, they head out to sea in search of food, and during this part of the year, they also begin their migration.
As a result, some groups may come across a few, while others may see more.
Regarding your guide, we are pleased to hear you found them friendly, though we are sorry to hear it was difficult to fully understand their commentary.
Should you wish to share more about this, you are welcome to contact us at info@bustravel.is so we can discuss your experience further.
Even if the puffins were fewer, we hope that seeing these delightful birds still added something special to your day.
Kind regards,
Andreea
John_K, Aug 2025
A very long bus ride with nothing to see but countryside. The point was to see puffins- many & up close. When we got to the site we were told most of the puffins had moved on 2 weeks before. There were a couple far away with a huge crowd trying to see them 2nd worse tour I have ever taken.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear John_K,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
We understand that guests might hope to see a large number of puffins, however, they are wild birds and their behavior can change unexpectedly throughout the day.
When searching for food, puffins often spend time out at sea, and at this time of the year, they are also slowly beginning their migration phase.
This means that some groups may encounter fewer puffins, while others might see more.
We do hope that, even if fewer in number, the experience of spotting these charming birds was still a fulfilling part of your day.
As for the landscapes visited, these locations are rather remote, and we believe that discovering this hidden and less-inhabited part of Iceland is part of the charm of the tour.
We are sorry if the scenery was different from what you had in mind, but part of the experience is immersing yourself in Iceland’s untouched nature rather than an urban or city-style setting.
The itinerary also includes a visit to the beautiful Gufufoss waterfall, which we hope added a special touch to the day.
If you would like to discuss your experience further, please feel free to email us at info@bustravel.is, and our team will be happy to assist you.
Kind regards,
Andreea
Deborah_S, Aug 2025
LONG travel time on bus. Seldom WC stops! Tour guide more interested in his music career,playing guitar for us and playing his type of music. LONG day!! Scenery beautiful to see!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear Deborah_S,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.
We are truly glad to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful scenery during the tour, as showcasing Iceland’s natural highlights is always our main goal.
However, we are sorry to learn that the ride felt long that. With the limited cruise stopover, we have carefully designed the itinerary to make it possible to visit both the puffin site and the waterfall, so guests can enjoy a well-rounded impression of Iceland within the available time.
Regarding the guiding style, we understand that preferences can differ and regret if it did not align with your expectations. Our guides often aim to weave together personal stories, cultural background, and wildlife knowledge in order to create a more engaging and balanced experience for everyone on board.
If you would like to share more about your day, we would be happy to hear from you at info@bustravel.is
Kind regards,
Andreea
Andrew_H, Aug 2025
Unfortunately our tour guide(I think Behn) was doing this tour for the first (time), he usually does glacier tours. Because of this he knew nothing about the area and for the 5.5 hour tour he only spoke for 39 minutes. He got all his information from the bus driver(Lukas). The tour guide spent the whole ride talking to the bus driver about restoring cars and vacations. There seemed to be slot to see that he could have told us about. You also should know that going mid August means most of the Puffins are already gone and only a few remain. I don’t think we stoped at al the places on the itinerary. I wouldn’t recommend this time of year and hope you get a more knowledgeable guide, I have done many Viator trips dnd this was the most disappointing!
Pamela_K, Aug 2025
Went to see the puffins and Gufufoss waterfall with Brin Treva. It was a nice drive through Iceland. Brin is very personable and was a great tour guide. We arrived safe and made it back safe.
geoffrey_B, Aug 2025
A 5-hour trip through beautiful natural landscape can be ruined by Ana, the inexperienced, politically-opinionated guide. She had clearly never done this tour before, and her uninformed, amateurish prattle demonstrated her interest in contemporary music and movies rather than the history, economy, flora, fauna and natural wonders of Iceland, of which she appears to know very little. We came to Iceland to learn about THIS country, not hear a 20-something sneer/giggle, and insult American elected leaders. She is clearly too immature to understand that she will alienate at least 1/2 of her guests, whatever her uninformed geopolitical opinions may be. Aside from reading a script of trivia about puffins, she demonstrated little to no knowledge of geology, marine life, plants or trees, other than a personal interest in elves. While Ana did demonstrate some talent as an operatic singer, she should stick with being a college student and singing - stop trying to be a tour guide in a country she knows little about. I heard her relay to a guest that “another passenger had complained, but it didn’t matter“…….. is this the attitude of the Bus Travel Iceland company, or just Ana? At the end of the tour, she also stated (over the bus intercom) that it would be just fine to give her a tip, even though we may have heard that was not customary in Iceland.
The driver, Kuba, on the other hand, was professional, did a superb job on challenging roads, and was interesting to talk with.
We have been on multiple, well-run, enjoyable, informative tours in over 35 countries reserved through Viator, and this is the only one on which I felt we should receive a refund!
If spending 5 hours with Ana saying “trust me” in every other sentence sounds like something you would like, then book this tour! However, If you want to learn about Iceland, seriously consider a different tour operator, or demand a different guide.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear geoffrey_B,
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback with us.
We know how valuable time spent in Iceland is, and we are truly sorry if on this occasion the experience did not meet the expectations you had.
Our team of guides is always doing their best to offer an enjoyable and informative journey, though we also understand that impressions can differ from one guest to another.
We are glad that, in the meantime, we were able to reach a fair resolution together, as it is important to us that our guests feel heard and cared for.
We hope that despite this, the beauty of Iceland could still leave you with good memories of your visit.
Kind regards,
Andreea
William_B, Aug 2025
Overall, the experience was great. The negatives include disorganized and unclear bus location and loading. We were to be on a 9:30 bus, but our bus was already filled so we were moved to another 10:00 bus that also left late. People were very confused and frustrated. Busses did not have signage and we were not provided clear instruction on where to find the bus. Once we go going, our guide was wonderful, friendly, and accommodating. The scenery is breathtaking. Also a negative was stopping for a bathroom break where there was one toilet for two busses of people and we spent a considerable amount of time wasted waiting for everyone to use the bathroom. The puffins watching location was incredible. The waterfall was so-so and very crowded.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear William_B,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the breathtaking scenery, the puffin viewing experience, and that our guide made the journey enjoyable with their friendly and accommodating approach.
Regarding the logistical aspects you mentioned, we strive to keep our operations as efficient as possible, and in doing so, some buses may depart promptly when all guests are on board to avoid unnecessary delays and ensure a smooth tour experience for everyone.
As for the restroom break, unfortunately, facilities in remote areas can be limited. This is a challenge in some of the more untouched natural locations we visit, but we do our best to plan stops where basic services are available.
Thank you again for joining us, we are happy to know the highlights of the tour, especially the puffins and natural landscapes, left a lasting impression!
If you would like to discuss your experience further, please feel free to email us at info@bustravel.is, and our team will be happy to assist you.
Kind regards,
Andreea
TsanChih_L, Aug 2025
We were lucky to have a beautiful day. The scenery was spectacular. Just didn’t see many puffins, wish we would have more time to explore the areas more.
Kent_F, Aug 2025
Our tour guide and driver were very good. Due to the length of the trip, our time with the puffins was limited, and there were only a limited number nesting, Was a bit expensive for what you get
Cynthia_S, Aug 2025
It was a long bus ride - about an hour each way. There were very few restroom breaks. Not enough time at puffin spot.
Joseph_B, Aug 2025
Great Tour Guide. Gentleman from Goa India,I forget his name but he was caring ,excellent and very well spoken.
Marian_L, Aug 2025
Not much to it really - bus took us 1.5 hours each way to see puffins. We were fortunate to have a lot of puffin activity. I could have skipped the stop at Eskifjordur in favor of a slightly shorter tour and having more time in Seydisfjordur before having to be back on my ship. Also beware that with larger bus tours there is always the issue of someone returning late, and they happened after the hour we had at the puffin stop. The guide was very personable though I don’t recall him giving his name. And the scenery on the drive each way is absolutely gorgeous.
crossleykmsncom, Aug 2025
Was a great tour went over the allotted time so we could see more which was so great. Back to ship port on time without any issues
Carol_R, Aug 2025
Great guide and he sange to us.
Too bad Viator wanted a 100 letter review I almost backed out..........................
Emma_W, Jul 2025
Great tour, little uneven walking if you want to get closer to waterfall. The puffins are great, be prepared to take lots of photos.
Stacey_D, Jul 2025
We saw so many puffins up close. Much better than the boat tours where you are at a distance from the puffins. Our guide was very informative and entertaining!
Aleta_M, Jul 2025
So enjoyable and informative. Time schedule was comfortable and weather was outstanding. Nice to be so close up without endangering the birds.
Peter_O, Jul 2025
4.5* for me and well worth taking. BusTravel Iceland tour bus at the cruise port with Veronica driving and the blue haired IV (her initials) as our guide. They were both good. Entire tour took about 6 hours while listed as 5 hours in the description, but that's just extra time to see the stunning Icelandic scenery. Wifi on the bus was good. Bus had a small bathroom which I didn't use.
This trip is all about the puffins. You won't get closer to a big group of puffins than you can on this trip. There are stairs up and down to get to and from the viewing area and it was crowded, but get a spot on the stairs on the right going up the hill and you'll be within 10 feet of all these amazing birds. Not worth it to climb to the platform at the top of the stairs, imo.
Gufufoss waterfall was pretty and you don't have to walk far if you're okay not being super close to it I was fine staying back and enjoying the view instead of trying to navigate the tourists and rocky dirt path to get close. The town stop at Borgarfjordur-Eystri was scenic, but nothing otherwise remarkable. I didn't go up the elf hill path. Back in Seydisfjordur, there was an option to get dropped off at a town stop and we enjoyed the scenic walk through town to get back to the dock.
Stacie_A, Jul 2025
I am very disappointed with this tour! I paid $350+ and we only went to 2 of the 5 locations detailed in the description! And we only went to the second because I asked the guide when we would go to the waterfall. He said we weren’t and then asked for my ticket to “prove” it was on the tour. We skipped the town, the tuff houses and Elf rock. We only spent 50 minutes at the Puffins and 20 minutes at the waterfall. But we spent an hour at what looked like a US rest station/gas station! The other buses that were taking the SAME tour got to do everything! We spent 4+ hours driving on the bus and only 1 hour and 10 minutes doing the activities outlined. There were several buses with this company/tour and they did all the outlined activities so there was no reason we should not have gotten the same tour as everyone else!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear Stacie_A,
First of all, we truly thank you for taking the time to share your honest feedback.
We would like to take a moment to clarify that this particular tour includes three scheduled main stops: the puffin colony, the waterfall, and the village of Bakkagerði. The village stop is intended as a free exploration moment, where guests can choose to visit the turf house, the elf rock, or simply enjoy the charm of the town at their own pace. We understand that the purpose of this stop may not have come across as clearly as intended.
On the day of your tour, multiple buses were indeed operating the same itinerary.
In an effort to better manage the flow of visitors in the narrow fjord and to avoid crowding at any one location, our guides made adjustments in the order of the stops.
Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, this resulted in a shortened stop in Bakkagerði and we sincerely apologize for this.
We would like to reassure you that this issue was promptly addressed, and a refund was offered to compensate for the shortened stop.
On the other hand, the stops at the puffin site and the waterfall were conducted as planned, though we regret if the overall experience felt rushed or did not meet your expectations.
We do hope that despite this, you were still able to take home some memorable moments from your time in the East Fjords.
Kind regards,
Andreea
Jenny_R, Jul 2025
WOW. This was a phenomenal tour! We saw SO MUCH of this area of Iceland, and our tour guide, Eva, was super knowledgeable and shared a ton of information with our bus. We had many opportunities to take photos along the way!
The puffins were our favorite part! We got so close to them and it was amazing to observe them that close. It was nice that there is a restroom at the puffin stop - there was also an opportunity to purchase food/snacks there that we didn't expect.
Get the soup at the town stop! It, along with the bread and butter, was delicious.
Thank you for a great tour!
Susan_S, Jul 2025
Poorly organized. A stop for lunch was omitted because the tour guide didn't reserve at the local cafe/restaurant. This is problematic for diabetics and left yhe entire group quite hungry. The guide'd English was difficult to understand if she started off the standard information that she reviews with each your. The Puffins were worthwhile but only 45" devoted to the. Other stops were nonsense: a rock in the middle of a village, a church exterior, a cemetery and only 15" at a very crowded waterfall.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear Susan_S,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
We are truly sorry to hear that parts of the experience did not meet your expectations.
Regarding the lunch stop, we understand that this can be inconvenient, however, due to the remoteness of the East Fjords, at times, local cafés may be limited or not fully prepared to accommodate big groups, which can make arranging lunch less straightforward.
The duration of each stop is planned to ensure a well-balanced experience within the time constraints of cruise ship schedules. We do recognize the puffins are a major highlight, though we consider the time allocated at the stop to be sufficient given the overall structure and timing of the tour.
As for the other stops, we regret to hear they did not resonate with you.
These attractions are outlined prior to booking, and while we understand not every site may appeal equally to every guest, we believe they offer meaningful insight into the history and charm of the region.
Kind regards,
Andreea
Diane_M, Jul 2025
This tour was exactly what we were looking for, up close and personal with the puffins! Nicki was an amazing guide. Very informative and great sense of humor.
Sofya_D, Jul 2025
The tour was very nice. Good organized, interesting points of view, excellent guide with perfect English.
Dennis_S, Jul 2025
The puffin part was great!
The waterfall was fair.
The ride was scenic but long, 90 minutes each way, might be a bit much if you have a problem with motion sickness. Lots of inclines and curves.
Rachel_A, Jul 2025
There were supposed to be three tours that day leaving 30 minutes apart. Instead they all left at the same time. So when we got to the puffin place they were extremely long lines to try to get up to where the puffins were and the bathrooms. So I didn't get to actually go all the way up to where the puffins were. It was a cliche cruise catastrophe. There were no directions for visiting the turf House. The description of this tour was that it was accessible for anyone. This was not true. You had to climb over rocks to get to the waterfall which is not possible for someone who is 83 years old. There were at least 100 steps up to the puffin area
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear Rachel_A,
Thank you for your feedback. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
We would like to clarify that cruise ship excursions are closely coordinated with the ship’s tendering schedule, and if the buses may not have departed on time that day, it was not by default, but rather because we were actively waiting for passengers to disembark via the tender boats.
Our team sometimes intentionally held back departures to ensure that all guests who had booked with us could join the tour and enjoy the full experience as planned.
While we do our best to streamline the flow of the tour, especially during days with a high number of participants, occasional crowding at certain attractions can still occur. Please rest assured that these logistics are carefully managed so that everyone receives their scheduled time at each stop, though of course, other operators visiting the same sites can contribute to congestion.
As for the walk to the waterfall, we trust that guests are best able to set their own expectations and limits, especially those with limited mobility.
That said, we believe the view from a distance is still very worthwhile and can be enjoyed without navigating the more uneven terrain. We aim to be as inclusive as possible, and we are sorry if this aspect may not have been clear beforehand.
Thank you again for your comments. We hope that, despite these inconveniences, there were still moments during the tour that made your day special.
Kind regards,
Andreea
Likely to Sell Out
From $214.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Likely to Sell Out
Puffin Watching and Gufufoss Waterfall Tour from Seydisfjordur
52
5 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$214.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Sporting Events
- Shore Excursions
- Extreme Sports
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- Full-day Tours
- 4WD Tours
- Bus Tours
- Tickets & Passes
- Outdoor Activities
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- East Iceland
- Sporting Events - Hofn
- Extreme Sports - Hofn
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Hofn
- Full-day Tours - Hofn
- 4WD Tours - Hofn
- Sporting Events - Djupivogur
- Shore Excursions - Djupivogur
- Extreme Sports - Djupivogur
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Djupivogur
- Full-day Tours - Djupivogur
- 4WD Tours - Djupivogur
- Bus Tours - Djupivogur
- Sporting Events - Skaftafell
- Extreme Sports - Skaftafell
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Skaftafell
- Full-day Tours - Skaftafell
- 4WD Tours - Skaftafell
- Bus Tours - Skaftafell
More attractions near East Iceland, Iceland