Premium Small-Group Puffin & Bird Watching tour from Reykjavík
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Reykjavik, Iceland
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Enjoy a time-saving way to discover seabirds including puffins and other wildlife on this speedy rigid-inflatable boat (RIB) tour from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour. In small groups led by a naturalist guide, ride across Faxaflói Bay aboard a vessel that provides the best possible access to the wildlife without disturbing the nesting birds. Make several stops, catching great views (and photos) of Iceland's wild side.
- Maximize your chances of seeing puffins and other seabirds in Faxaflói Bay
- Get up-close to native wildlife without disturbing them
- Choice of several departures throughout the day to fit your schedule
- This small-group tour ensures a more personalized experience
What's Included
- Local taxes
- Binoculars for each passenger
- Warm overalls, gloves, goggles and all necessary safety equipment
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Ægisgarður 5, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Our ticket office is conveniently located at the Old Harbour in downtown Reykjavík - Ægisgarður 5D. Right at the corner of the harbour across the street from a variety of shops and restaurants.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Make your way to Old Harbour in Reykjavík, where you'll present this voucher for a bird watching tour. This tour is operated during the best months for spotting birds near Reykjavík, from May 15th to August 20th, and there are up to four departures each day. You’ll travel in a custom RIB boat—the Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boats are the gold standard for fast trips on Faxaflói Bay, as the captain can shut off the engine in order to silently approach birds and wildlife.
Watch for some of the 30,000 puffins that nest off the coast of Reykjavík, along with the flightless great auk, and gannets, the largest seabird in the North Atlantic. Throughout the tour, the guide and captain will share facts and stories about Iceland’s puffins, Faxaflói Bay, and any wildlife you spot along the way. This tour concludes back at the Old Harbor, close to the city’s attractions, restaurants, and sights.
Watch for some of the 30,000 puffins that nest off the coast of Reykjavík, along with the flightless great auk, and gannets, the largest seabird in the North Atlantic. Throughout the tour, the guide and captain will share facts and stories about Iceland’s puffins, Faxaflói Bay, and any wildlife you spot along the way. This tour concludes back at the Old Harbor, close to the city’s attractions, restaurants, and sights.
1
Whale Safari
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Akurey
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Minimum age is 10 years
- Minimum height of 145 cm (4ft 9in)
- Maximum weight of 140 kg (308lb)
- Not recommended for travellers with knee problems
- Not recommended for young children
- 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
Shilpa_A
Maja was an incredible guide on this lovely, intimate puffin tour. She was so knowledgeable and kind. We saw so many puffins and beautiful landscapes. Highly recommend!
Reviews
4.8
based on 157 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Gretchen_O, Aug 2026
Small boat experience with expert guides, able to up close. If you get motion sickness and it happens to be a choppy day, prepare yourself with motion sickness meds.
Gary_O, Aug 2026
Underwhelming. We never got close to any puffins. The only way to see them was through binoculars and then still not a good look because we were so far away. The boat ride was nice. The guide was very good.
Kelly_L, Aug 2026
It was very interesting to see the puffins. Our guide was very knowledgeable and professional. The RIB boat was pretty cool as well!
Julie_K, Aug 2026
Great, fun, quick. Loved this excursion. Saw lots of puffins and other sea birds, even a seal or two. RIB ride was awesome. The puffin colony is close. Nice to have a successful adventure and still have plenty of time for other things during the day.
Jesper_M, Jul 2026
Great experience. Everything was very well organised and very punctual. Our guide, Matteo, was excellent and we saw thousands of puffins from a rather close distance. We highly recommend this tour.
Jeffrey_L, Jul 2026
Excellent Experience. Tour operators were very efficient getting us ready for the boat trip and provided everything needed to stay warm and dry. We saw thousands of Puffins and the tour guide provided the perfect amount of information and also quiet time to relax and take in the experience.
tiffbowie21, Jul 2026
Maria and Emily were fantastic!! My kids' favorite part of the trip. Not only did we get to see Puffins but a seal too. Maria is a wealth of knowledge and enjoyed learning more about all the seabirds. Sad to hear about tourists eating these cuties.
Christine_F, Jul 2026
This tour is operated very well. They have a nice process of getting everyone outfitted with the gear needed. They supply coveralls, goggles, hat, and gloves. The rib boats hold 10-12 people so it is a nice small crew. The guides were very informative.
Wade_N, Jul 2026
We absolutely loved our puffin viewing tour! Tour guide Hannah was incredibly informative and entertaining; it is obvious that she loves the wildlife and is knowledgeable about them. Captain Ana was also great at getting close to the puffins for many, many good looks. The entire staff was kind and very helpful getting us suited up and prepared for our adventure, and made it stress-free. This is a must-do tour during breeding season for the puffins. Highest recommendation!
william_g, Jul 2026
I wish we could have gotten closer to the puffins as my iPhone didn't get good photos. If you have photos, please send them
Kevin_B, Jul 2026
Very disappointed that the rear seat on the right side had much less opportunity to see the puffins. The front left side got excellent views. The boat ALWAYS positioned the front of the boat at the island.
Andrew_D, Jul 2026
The trip was great. The guides were great, but dealing with Viator was awful.
So hard to get connected. the links don’t work. Had to request a ticket several times.
Katie_A, Jul 2026
I was so happy to book this Puffin Tour with Viator. The ability to change dates up to 2 days in advance as I looked at the weather was so helpful and meant my experience was in sunshine!
The tour company was so professional and knowledgeable. The boat ride was a blast. And then seeing ALL the puffins so close - a morning I’ll never forget.
The tour is about an hour which was still plenty of time with the puffins and also meant my whole day was not wasted. I was able to get back to my family (I went solo) and they barely knew I was gone!
Brett_K, Jul 2026
It was one of the highlights of our travel to Iceland. We appreciated the smaller size of the tour (a blessing for introverts). We enjoyed the calm and the views. Our tour Mateo was very kind and knowledgeable and it added so much to our experience. The puffins are really that cute. We appreciated how that experience connects to conservation.
Ellyn_B, Jul 2026
Great experience. Wanted to see puffins up close but that’s very difficult with wind driven seas and little birds. Great fun to see them, even though at a distance. Excellent staff and fun boat ride.
Eve_P, Jul 2026
My family of 7 (3 generations) all really enjoyed this tour. The staff was very helpful and the captain of our boat did a great job of navigating at 2 different spots where we saw lots of puffins—nesting, resting, flying and floating on the water quite near our boat. Our guide, Freda, was knowledgeable, helpful and interesting. We learned a lot about puffins and interesting facts about Iceland. Two of our family members are sensitive to getting seasick and we were fine on this boat tour. She took photos and the company shared them with us after the trip. I recommend this Blue Whale tour.
Alex_D, Jun 2026
Saw lots of puffins and everything with the safety and organization of the trip was well done. A great experience!
Leanne_M, Jun 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Anna and Emily! It was informative, fun and we saw many, many puffins and other birds. Highly recommend this tour company from start to finish!
Christopher_M, Jun 2026
This was a fantastic adventure. The guide was very knowledgeable and funny. Worth every dollar!! So many Puffin. A Circus!
linda_S, Jun 2026
The best of the best
It’s a must !
The staff and the boat are top notch. Boat is clean and evet seat has a view like the other person. Comfortable and dry with the clothing they supply
Ryan_S, Jun 2026
The puffins were adorable. Ricardo also pointed out other unique species. It was a great experience.
Brenda_S, Jun 2026
Great tour, great guide, guide took photos of birds and emailed them. All wonderful. Bring your own binoculars, or just enjoy watching them frolic, close enough to watch without them.
Owen_B, Jun 2026
Very enjoyable trip on a small boat that gets you very close to the Puffins. It's nice that the guide is a biologist who can speak specifically about the animals, not just someone parroting regular talking points. Bring your own binoculars as there's were pretty weak quality.
Nancy_B, Jun 2026
Best photos are with telephoto lens camera. The views coming back to Reykivek by water were great. The crew was also informative.
MaryEllen_H, Jun 2026
Really fun RIB ride and we saw lots and lots of puffins-- in the water, on the islands, and flying. Everything went very smoothly from check-in until return. I recommend this activity, (and it helped that we had a beautiful day and little wind).
Maria_C, May 2026
Great excursion. All necessary gear is provided. The guide was excellent. We saw many puffins and the boat ride was fun.
Thomas_J, Aug 2025
Fantastic experience. Although we were at the end of the breeding season for the Puffins.... The crew made sure that we went to a few places that still had them. They were very informative and even took some of there own pictures on our tour to email us. Most of us were using our phone camera's and they had much better SLR digital camera. They sent along their images the very next day. Highly recommend their tours. We did the Puffin Tour but I think they also have Whale watching and others.
Francis_P, Aug 2025
The ride was extremely bumpy and frightening. I hurt my knee on one of the bumps. I believe there should be a warning on this ride. I did not realize how extreme the ride to see the puffins were. Speaking of puffins, you don't get close to them so I am not sure I can recommend this trip.
Kaliopie_O, Aug 2025
Great tour!! Saw sooooo many puffin. Small group is the way to go so you can get close to the islands where the puffins are. Very knowledgeable guide Alex. Highly recommend
Shilpa_A, Aug 2025
Maja was an incredible guide on this lovely, intimate puffin tour. She was so knowledgeable and kind. We saw so many puffins and beautiful landscapes. Highly recommend!
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