Reykjavik Shore Excursion: Puffin Sightseeing Cruise

Reykjavik, Iceland

High interest

Booked 2 times today.

1 hour (approx.)
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.2

· Alfredo_R ·

Jul 2025

An excellent excursion. Rebekah was a great narrator. Her English was perfect and she was a font of knowledge. We saw so many puffins and other birds. The captain got us as near as possible to the island as he could. A very enjoyable morning.

· Lucille_Z ·

Jul 2025

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip! Our Captain knew the spots where we could get the best puffin views. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and had a pleasant demeanor. A fine outing. We had some contact with the company regarding our pick-up point at the cruise terminal. They responded promptly to our concerns.

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Overview

Make the most of your time on land and see some of Iceland's native wildlife while in port. This shore excursion takes you to Akurey Island, home to puffins and other native seabirds including Arctic terns and black guillemots. Choose a starting time to suit your schedule and relax as you cruise by Iceland's stunning scenery.

A perfect choice for birders and nature lovers
Loaner binoculars making birdwatching easier
Multiple departure times from Reykjavik are available to suit your schedule
Learn about the flora and fauna of Akurey Island from an expert guide

What's Included

Binoculars to use on board
Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee - round trip transfers from Skarfabakki Harbour
Expert guide on every tour
NEW - Special Tours App (available in English, German, French, Spanish, and Chinese)

Food and drinks
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Skarfabakki Harbour
544P+F35, 104 Reykjavík, Iceland

Pickup details

Please be ready at the bus area in the port and be on the lookout for a Special Tours minibus.

Itinerary

Select your preferred start time, and then cruise away from the Port of Reykjavik. The 15-minute journey to Akurey Island allows you to relax and listen to your guide’s commentary about the area’s flora and fauna.

Circle around the island outcrop and watch for the puffins and other native seabirds like Arctic terns. Your state-of-the-art sightseeing boat is designed to reach tricky areas, allowing you to cruise close to Akurey’s rocky shoreline.

When your circle of the island is complete, enjoy a few moments of peace and calm with the boat’s engine silenced. Use the time to take photos of the scenery and wildlife, and then cruise back to the Port of Reykjavik. Coffee is served on board as you go

Worry-free Shore Excursion:We will ensure your timely return to the Port of Reykjavik for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Please note that complimentary transfers are only applicable for passengers from Skarfabakki Harbour. Miðbakki (the alternative dock) is a very short walk to the departure point for this tour.
Wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 33 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.2

based on 57 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Beautiful day out...

Maureen_S, Aug 2025

Beautiful day out cruising and looking for Puffins. Very educational. Late in the season so some of the birds had left for the season but still enough around to experience. When in Iceland it is one of the things to do.

Disappointing

stewart_m, Aug 2025

A little disappointing. The boat was small and unless you sat on the starboard (right hand side) of the boat you had to take photos over people's heads when possible. The only time the boat turned around so the port side faced the island was for a minute as it turned to head back to the harbor. The commentary was Ok but seemed to get softer as the tour progressed. The 1 hour cruise time started when you left the office and by the time you left the office got on the boat travelled to and from the island and got back to the harbor it felt like we probably spent about 20 minutes at the puffins .at the most and not that close that you were able to differentiate between the birds.

Thanks for the outstanding service

VICTOR_P, Jul 2025

Outstanding customer service. I failed to make the connection with the shuttle from cruise port and had to take a taxi. They held the boat for the extra few minutes it took to get to the tour dock .

Puffins!

Lucille_Z, Jul 2025

A very enjoyable experience.

Alfredo_R, Jul 2025

Puffin Island trip

Linda_C, Jul 2025

A really good boat trip with friendly staff. Loads of puffins on the island, mainly visible through binoculars as the boat cannot get too close to the island. Lots of puffins flying to and from the island many with fish to feed their offspring. Very useful commentary and information from the guide even though the sound system was not particularly good.

Puffins Everywhere!

Anne_H, Jul 2025

We were amazed to see so many puffins up close. It was a great tour with plenty of time to take pictures. Enjoyed the commentary from Oscar.

Left at the dock

Hal_M, Jul 2025

We were left by the bus, the communication was really bad! We were on the list at the office but not on the list for the pickup bus!

The weather was a little...

Catena_B, Jul 2025

The weather was a little wet. I was disappointed that the boat was unable to get close enough to the birds to take a photo. Having only mobile phone camera was useless for taking photos.

No show, so no puffins= sad family

Melanie_F, Jun 2025

The company never showed up to our pick up spot. When we called to see if they were running late they informed us they were not coming. They said there was no pick up location on the tickets- strange because mine gave the address and said to be there at 5pm looking for a white mini bus. So sad because they could not / would not try and accommodate us or arrange another tour for the day and we only have today available. They gave a refund but ruined our day. If they didn’t know where to pick us up why didn’t they call and ask us? Why did my tickets say it?

Nice boat tour

Emily_L, Jun 2025

We took the little boat to the area near a small island where the puffins were. You need binoculars to really appreciate them because the boat cannot get close enough due to environmental restrictions. The puffins look tiny

It was cancelled and...

Tomoko_I, May 2025

It was cancelled and rescheduled due to weather but it was worth going. We saw many puffins and the guides were funny and informative. A very kid friendly short tour.

Great fun

Jennifer_W, Aug 2024

Loved seeing the Puffins floating on the sea near the island in the harbor where the covered boat had taken us. Our guide, Joel, was super nice and very knowledgeable regarding the Puffins. He also pointed out other unusual birds for that area.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you Jennifer for the lovely review! Joel is an exceptionally nice person for true!

Puffins Galore!

Karen_K, Jul 2024

We saw puffins galore! They were flying everywhere ! Great tour- wonderful tour guide Patricia ! We learned all about Puffins

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Puffins Galore! That's a great way to put it! Thanks Karen :)

Great experience

Tanya_R, Jun 2024

The guide was amazing! And their were thousands of puffins! We really enjoyed but its important to know that you see them from a distance

PUFFINS!!

Carol_U, Sep 2023

This was the last Puffin Watch of the season - and we saw groups of them in the water and on the cliffs. Lots of really good information - need to do it again in the spring!

Enjoyable

Judy_T, Aug 2023

So glad we booked the minivan trip from the port to Special Tours offices as the walk would have been too much. Despite it being the end of the season we did get to see some Puffins. Our guide onboard the boat as well as the minivan driver were very informative

Awesome tour

Lori_P, Aug 2023

The tour guide was awesome. Very informative. We saw a lot of puffins I only wish we could have gotten a closer look.

Bucket list item checked off! Amazing!

Emma_P, Jul 2023

Amazing, amazing, amazing! The crew gets you really close to the puffins, there are soo many of them flying by and over your head as well as bobbing along on the water and wandering about on the island itself. I was nervous as I'd seen reviews saying the birds are soo small you can't even see them. I've come to the conclusion these reviewers should have gone to specsavers.

Fun time viewing Puffins

CaroleTyrcha, Jul 2023

The guide was very informative! The boat was small so fewer persons than on other boats. The boat had a shallower draft so we could get a little closer to the island where the Puffins were nesting

Great trip

lee_h, Aug 2022

Short trip out to the island where there were loads of Puffins and other bird. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide made it all the more interesting.

Nice trip

Renata_B, Aug 2022

A very nice trip. I would recommend booking an earlier time since there were fewer people and we got to see the puffins looking for breakfast.

Great time, worth doing!!

Jessa_K, Jun 2022

Your guide was funny and informative, lots of puffins to see, such an easy boat ride and not too crowded. Loved the experience!

I'm sorry to say but this...

Brittany_D, May 2022

I'm sorry to say but this excursion was very underwhelming. It was a big group of folks (31). We went near the island but couldn't really see the puffins and binoculars were not offered. Also, we weren't required to put on lifejackets which is poor water safety. A few facts about Puffins were offered, but I would have liked way more information to keep us engaged. I would definitely NOT recommend this excursion. It was pricey as well and not worth it in my opinion. However, I did do several other tours that I booked through Viator that were awesome - South Coast tour and Golden Circle for example - I would recommend those over this excursion.

Great experience! Would definitely recommend.

Carla_H, May 2022

We had great weather for our boat ride to see the Puffins. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we got to see the Puffins around their burrow’s, in the water and flying around our boat.

Puffins Everywhere!

L6365WLjamest, Aug 2019

This is a short, nice tour to see the puffins on the islands in the bay. A naturalist was on-board, and did an excellent job educating us on puffins and other birds. I would recommend.

Really excellent! We had a very calm...

Carol K, Sep 2017

Really excellent! We had a very calm day so saw lots of puffins, as we learned they need loads of wind to take off!! Our guide on the boat gave an outstanding commentary, both interesting and entertaining. So exciting as it was a lifelong dream of mine to see these little cuties and they did not disappoint. Booking office was easy to find at the harbor and there is a handy toilet in there to use before you set sail.

The tour description is very...

Anita L, Sep 2017

The tour description is very accurate. Binoculars were provided, but the quality was not very good. Suggest you bring your own. It was a very nice day, so we sat in the back of the boat which was a big mistake because the speakers did not work. We did not hear a thing the guide said. We did get to see Puffins which was great. It was excting to see them on the island, in the water and flying around.

We saw puffins, but only from a...

John P, Jul 2016

We saw puffins, but only from a significant distance. Worse, the guide was very perfunctory in his commentary and displayed a general attitude of boredom and indifference.

Excellent short trip from the main...

Denise_F, Jun 2016

Excellent short trip from the main harbour, but not many puffins. Considering they are the main reason to visit or do this trip I think they should give seasonal tours with more breed specific dates.

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