Classic Puffin Watching Cruise from Downtown Reykjavík
Recommended by 94% of travelers
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Reykjavik, Iceland
- 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Because they tend to nest on rocky cliffs close to water, seeing puffins in their natural habitat is sometimes tricky. Increase your chances on this tour from Reykjavik that takes you out on a boat to to either Akurey or Lundey, two islands that are well known for their plentiful birdlife. In addition to puffins you have the opportunity to view eider ducks, arctic terns, guillemots, and cormorants.
- Get as close as responsibly possible to the puffins' nesting areas
- Learn about birdlife from your guides
- Borrow binoculars to see the birds up close: No need to bring your own
- Choice of departure times to suit your schedule
What's Included
- Use of raincoats
- Use of binoculars
- Excellent Live Guidance in English
- Photos taken by crew (if any)
- Pickup / Dropoff (available for a fee)
- Food & Drinks (bring your own or purchase on board)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Elding Whale WatchingÆgisgarður 5c, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Meet us in the ELDING ticket office located at Ægisgarður 5c by the Old Harbour district in Reykjavík. Once at the pier, simply follow the red colour to find us! Be sure to arrive at least 15 min. before departure to ensure enough time to check in and to board the boat.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Old Harbour (Pass By)
1
Puffins of Reykjavik
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- As the birds are small in size, we recommend bringing a tripod and a good zoom lens for 'close up' photography and/or binoculars (also available to lend on board)
- The deck on the boat can be slippery. We recommend wearing good sturdy footwear. For optimal viewing and a more enjoyable cruise this tour is weather dependent.
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Please note that our fleet is not completely accessible for low mobility as there are steep stairs between lower and upper decks and high thresholds to get from the decks into the saloon as well as from the saloon to the toilets.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 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
Andrea_P
This one hour adventure was a wonderful way to see a different view of Reykjavík. The staff was personable and friendly. Binoculars and information provided. The boat got close to the island as also birds fluttered and flew around. Highly recommend Elding Tours.
Reviews
4.7
based on 333 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
R_P, Jul 2026
We saw so many puffins! We enjoyed it. Especially appreciated having access to the photos the crew took of the puffins.
Anne_C, Jul 2026
Nice way to spend an hour. Lots of puffins and other birds. Boat was a bit crowded but otherwise all good. Weather was overcast and seas were choppy but that didn’t interfere with a nice trip
Doris_L, Jul 2026
We saw lots of puffins flying around & nesting on the island. Their little wings are like propellers!
Janet_R, Jul 2026
The boat ride to see the puffins was very enjoyable. We checked in early at the office after taking a cab from the ship. It's quite a long walk from the ship so take a cab or the ship's shuttle. Our excursion was for 2 pm so we had plenty of time to check out the area. A nice plus was we were emailed photos of the puffins that were taken by staff on board our trip.
Dave_F, Jul 2026
Take a long lens. You don’t get that close. Be aware about boat mo enemy and sea sickness. The guide is very informative
Anna_E, Jul 2026
Disappointing experience. Boat doesn't go anywhere close to the puffins. Binoculars should have been handed out. Instead, after we left shore we were told we can get up and go downstairs to get them ourselves. Found crew to be unfriendly & unhelpful. Sorry we booked this.
Liz_M, Jul 2026
We saw tons of puffins. The guide was wonderful. They provided binoculars. It was a quick tour-looking forward to seeing the photos they’ve promised to email.
Molly_H, Jul 2026
Took the one-hour puffin tour. Exactly what I expected: easy boat ride, circled near the island (but not too close), used binoculars for better views of the puffins (provided on the boat), and got to see the puffins!
DANIEL_L, Jul 2026
We rode on a comfortable decent-sized (with toilet) boat to 2 small islands near downtown. There were a ton of Puffins and other birds with much activity and a lot to see. The young tour guide, Janiek, (pronounced yannick - I think...) was a doll. She answered a lot of questions, explained everything, gave us binoculars, and was very
courteous and professional. This tour really exceeded our expectations. And we had a lot of fun! I highly recommend it.
Robert_L, Jul 2026
Excursion was good, crew was friendly, ship was somewhat comfortable but clean and the biologist on the trip was very informative.
Leslie_K, Jun 2026
Fabulous one hour adventure. Saw a bountiful amount of puffins in all sorts of different adventure and activities. Guide was incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommend this trip!
Kathleen_A, Jun 2026
A short boat ride to a nearby island just covered in puffins! Plenty of time to gently circle the island and watch the birds.
Leslie_K, Jun 2026
The guide was very knowledgeable. I like that they send photos. The location to meet the boat is an easy walk from downtown.
Robyne_M, Jun 2026
Our guide was extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She made everyone feel welcome.
It was really neat to see the puffin colony, in flight and on the water though we were still quite away from the island a camera is needed rather than a phone I think.
Fayyaz_K, Jun 2026
We took the puffin-watching cruise on June 17th at 2 p.m., and it was fantastic. The guide (who was actually a marine biologist) was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. She answered every question we had and made the experience even more memorable. We saw plenty of puffins up close, and it was a truly wonderful afternoon. They even sent us pictures of puffin she took with her professional camera. Overall, it was a great experience.
Miranda_V, Jun 2026
We had a fantastic time. Our guide Maria was very friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the Puffins and sea birds in general. There were thousands of Puffins and we even got to see the head of a seal! Would thoroughly recommend.
Anthony_S, Jun 2026
A very enjoyable Puffin excursion in Iceland, particularly enjoyed that they share photos too and fitted well with our schedule.
Lori_S, Jun 2026
The excursion staff are fantastic with so much information about puffins. It was an incredibly educational experience!
Susan_I, Jun 2026
One hour tour on comfortable boat allowing a wonderful view of puffins. Binoculars are recommended, but the boat does supply them.
Dress warmly and consider hat/gloves based on weather.
Adriane_C, Jun 2026
Perfect weather to see the puffins. We got closer to the island than I expected. Couldn’t ask for a better tour!
Apurva_S, Jun 2026
Excellent often watching tor. Accrued a great job taking us as close as possible. There were thousands of puffins and seagulls highly recommended
Brianne_S, Jun 2026
Great tour. Beautiful way to get out on the water. The puffins are adorable. Crew very knowledgeable and friendly
Barbara_B, Jun 2026
Our trip had a photographer who took pictures that were available to download after the trip. That was good since the boat did not get close enough for close up photos on an iPhone but close enough to see and enjoy the puffins.
Mary_C, May 2026
The puffins were amazing. So many to see. Best to just enjoy the puffins instead of trying to get pictures.
Karen_S, May 2026
Prompt, professional, courteous, knowledgeable. The crew on board the boat was fantastic, well-versed in all things Atlantic Puffin (and other seabirds and wild life) and took some amazing photos on board, with a link provided. The tour was a less than 5-minute walk from downtown Reykjavik.
Brandon_B, May 2026
Great commentary and knowledgeable guide. Best part was they took pictures of the whole thing with professional pictures and emailed them to us so we could enjoy the experience with the provided binoculars and not worry about getting the perfect picture
Fred_F, May 2026
This was a fantastic experience. It was easy to book and access. The guide was great - enthusiastic and informative.
Patricia_W, May 2026
It was so fun to watch these little creatures (well, birds) waddle (flap, maybe you could call it fly...) around the boat. We had a really good time, the waters were calm the day we went, which was a plus. Be ready for cold wind, it felt considerably colder on the water than on land - but totally worth it! Our guide was super knowledgeable and even shared some of the amazing pictures she took of the puffins with us afterwards. A+
Amber_M, May 2026
We were given binoculars to see the puffins up close, and the guide sent us the professional photos later that day. It was great to know we would be sent the photos later, so everyone could be fully present in the moment rather than trying to get the best shots on our phones!
We also got more than we bargained for when, after seeing the puffins in all their feathery glory, we spotted a minke whale on the way back to the harbour!
alan_p, May 2026
Operators got us close but it was very difficult to see puffins. I clearly saw two in flight, none on shore. It was fun to get out on the water and the boat offered welcomed shelter from the cold in transit to the island.
From $65.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Classic Puffin Watching Cruise from Downtown Reykjavík
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