The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik
Recommended by 90% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Reykjavik, Iceland
+18
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Get the chance to see marine mammals in the wild on this whale-watching cruise from Reykjavik—whales and dolphins are seen on more than 90% of tours in both summer and winter. With a local guide, cruise the coastal curve of Iceland to marvel at whales in their natural habitat. Keep your eyes peeled for the local wildlife as you listen to your guide's fun facts about the majestic creatures.
- Perfect for fans of nature and marine biology in Reykjavik
- Learn more about the marine world from your guide than you would alone
- No spottings? No problem—you get a free ticket to come again
- Choose between morning and afternoon departures to best suit your schedule
What's Included
- Excellent live guide
- Overalls, raincoats and blankets
- Admission to Wildlife Exhibition
- Free WiFi on board
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
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.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Passengers with limited mobility are warmly welcome. However, please note that our boats are not fully accessible, as steep stairs and high thresholds may limit access to inside areas and toilet facilities.
- Wheelchair users are welcome to bring a light-weight chair on board our larger boats. If possible, please notify us of your arrival in advance, as assistance with boarding may be required.
- If conditions in Reykjavík are unfavourable, the tour may either be cancelled or depart from an alternative harbour, which could extend the duration by 1-2 hours.
- No whales or dolphins spotted on your tour? Join us again another day for FREE!
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 196 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
We had an amazing time on our whale watching tour in Iceland! From start to finish, the crew were friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about marine life. The boat was comfortable and well-equipped, and even though the North Atlantic air was chilly, the staff provided warm overalls to keep everyone cosy. During the trip we saw several minke whales and even a couple of playful humpbacks! The guides gave fascinating commentary throughout the trip, sharing facts about the different species and Iceland’s marine ecosystem. They were also very respectful of the animals, keeping a safe distance and ensuring we didn’t disturb them.
The scenery alone was worth the trip -stunning views of the coastline, mountains, and the crisp Icelandic sea air. I’d recommend this tour to anyone visiting Iceland. Whether you’re a wildlife lover or just looking for a unique adventure, this experience was truly magical!
Reviews
4.6
based on 3,013 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
255 reviews
Select a theme to learn more
Travelers praise spacious, well-equipped boats with indoor seating, clean bathrooms, and comfort amenities like warm overalls and seasickness tablets. Guides impress with marine biology expertise and engaging commentary, enhancing whale and dolphin watching. Captains navigate skillfully and respectfully, optimizing wildlife viewing. The tour offers breathtaking natural landscapes, including volcanic sites and Northern Lights. While organization and logistics are seamless, some find the pacing long and cold, with variable wildlife sightings.
Was this helpful?
Traveler reviews summarised by AI
Sort by: Most insightful
Watching whales around the ship in the middle of the North Atlantic was an out of this world experience. The weather was stormy and the boat rocked hard, so it was definitely an adventure at sea. Still, seeing the whales up close made every moment worthwhile. It was an unforgettable wildlife encounter, with the ocean providing plenty of extra drama.
Make sure you are dressed in warm clothing. Excellent tour with a great guide - loads of new whale related information. If you want a refreshment take one before you leave as nobody tending during tour until 2 hours in.
It was a waste of 3 hours, we gotta see only 2 small whales which you can see in mediterenian. Nothing special was captured but insistly crew was saying ohh how luckly we are to see thess lovely creatures. During the 3 hours trip we had, we have seen nothing for 1 hour and i even fell asleep during this period. Total waste of money.
Great experience as we spotted lots of activity with 2 humpback whales and dolphins. Very well managed.
A lovely trip, weather was beautiful. Boat in excellent condition, very comfortable and our tour guide very knowledgeable.
An awesome experience. I have been on three of these tours now and every time I’ve been very fortunate to see a whale: this time was the same, but the whale (banana) kept showing up! We saw minkie whales as well as lots of sea birds and the beautiful Reykjavik harbour. The tour was well organised and although it was bitterly cold outside there are jackets to wear if you wanted: I would thoroughly recommend this tour and maybe I’ll do it again when I’m next back to Iceland.
The staff was fun and very knowledgeable. We saw multiple whale species and dolphins! The boat was not too crowded. For those of you worried about motion sickness- The boat was large enough that it was not an issue, even though we are typically prone to motion sickness.
Enjoyable boat trip to try and see whales. We were very lucky to see two humpback whales and dolphins - playing together. Close by! Emily, the guide, was very knowledgeable and interesting. All the crew were very friendly. Slightly rough seas but fortunately we don’t suffer from sickness - free tablets for those that felt poorly available!!
Absolutely brilliant! Elding staff were informative and friendly. Best excursion of our trip! Saw 7 humpbacks up close!
We had an amazing time whale watching yesterday with Elding. We didn't get many photos of the Minke Whales, so I emailed the company and they sent me the images they took. Which was awesome. Would highly recommend as we smiled and laughed the whole time.
We went to this activity with my friend with a last minute decision. The staff who welcomed us aboard weren’t really smiling and it didn’t feel welcoming. The person was on top of the boat, guiding us where to see the animals wasn’t really great with her intonation so it was very hard to understand what she was saying. Her voice fluctuated a lot and it got annoying fast. Other than that, whales themselves were amazing. But if you are short, it is kinda hard to see them when there are people in front of you. Maybe they could find a solution to that.
Absolutely amazing! Saw porpoises, a minky whale and 7 humpback whales! The guide was so knowledgeable. A completely breathtaking experience!
The whale watching trip was cancelled due to weather, but the tour operators were very communicative
We did get to see some whales which was great but there were too many people on deck. We ended up just going inside and enjoyed it better without people on top of us
Dress warmly but the boat also provides a jumpsuit and blankets.
Get your camera ready for the whale tails cresting !
Great experience very safe knowledge guides happy to provide education about the whale species and conservations efforts. Also gave a link to the photos that they took of the whales.
Was only 2 hours, not 3. It was well run but The boat is crowded. Good naturalist and they offer to send you the professional photos for free.
Trip was booked last minute price was very high for 3 hours which was prob. . More 2.5 hours cause other passengers felt sick . We did see about 3 or 4 whales at different point but we’re a fair way away. Not anywhere near the same value as golden circle or south coast tours which were similar price,
This was an incredible start to my first Iceland trip. The crew was clear about directing where to get overalls since it was a very chilly day. They also were good at spotting the various wildlife and navigating towards them without scaring them away.
The three-hour excursion felt rather long given that we only spotted two whales, with approximately 30 minutes of actual whale watching. Much of the trip was relatively uneventful. Additionally, the boat’s sound system could use an upgrade, as it was difficult to hear the guide’s commentary and the interesting information she was sharing
Great service friendly crew very knowledgeable saw dolphins and whales
Weather was beautiful great time
such an amazing experience. i was thinking of booking a second tour while the first one hasn’t even ended yet! would 10000% do again.
Fantastic experience! We saw three humpback whales and were able to watch them for a long period of time - it was amazing - the captain and crew were tremendous!
Amazing experience. So easy and straight forward, we see 3 humpback whales close and dolphins. Highly recommend
This was easy to book and it was nice to have spaces that were warm to go in when it felt cold. The tour was over booked however. There were not enough spaces for everyone to sit on the boat. When the whales were near the boat, the captain pointed the boat directly at the location of the whales (12:00) and only the people in the front of the boat could see the whales. There were about 30 people crowding to the front of each deck and impossible to see over or around them. There was one point that the whales swam to the side of the boat but after a few minutes the captain pointed the boat right at the whales again and we couldn’t see. It would have made more sense if the captain turned the boat at different angles so that people could have been distributed to multiple areas of the boat.
A brilliant experience. Our first trip was cancelled due to bad weather but it was easy to reschedule and we went out on 25th September. The staff were lovely, very knowledgeable and kind. We saw Minke whales, harbour porpoise and lots of humpback whales.
Sadly I didn't get to go on this tour as the weather made it unsafe to do so, but the way I was informed about the cancellation and was refunded was excellent.
It was cancelled for weather though the weather was not very bad. More likely they didn’t have a full tour. They also cancelled another tour is that was supposed to happen yesterday. Not very reliable
My husband and I had a great morning whale watching boat tour. The boat was comfortable with several options of places to sit, both indoors and outside. The Biologist on board gave great background on the animals in the harbor and was expert at spotting them. She also took photos which were shared with the travelers if they desired. Snacks and drinks available on board and the crew members were helpful. We saw a humpback, Minke whales and sea birds on our journey. Wind/water proof overalls are available on loan in many sizes if needed for warmth. I highly recommend this fun adventure.
Cancelled initial trip in am due to weather, communication with us was great!
We took the later trip, good weather, saw humpback whales, Minkey whales and Porpoises. The Captain circled around so we could see the whales multiple times!
Ship was comfortable, crew was so very nice!
Thank you!
Member Pricing
From
$99.75
per personWas $105.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Member Pricing
The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik
3,013
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$105.00
$99.75
5% savings
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- Full-day Tours
- Bus Tours
- Historical Tours
- Day Trips
- Outdoor Activities
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- Cultural Tours
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- Reykjavik
- Bus Tours - Heimaey Island
- Historical Tours - Heimaey Island
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Vik
- Full-day Tours - Vik
- Bus Tours - Vik
- Historical Tours - Vik
Attractions in Reykjavik, Iceland
- Imagine Peace Tower Tours & Tickets
- Thor's Woods (Thórsmörk) Tours & Tickets
- Vatnajokull National Park Tours & Tickets
- Akurey Island (Puffin Island) Tours & Tickets
- Thrihnukagigur Volcano Tours & Tickets
- Snaefellsjokull National Park Tours & Tickets
- Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Tours & Tickets
- Hofdi House Tours & Tickets
- Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús Tours & Tickets
- Seljalandsfoss Tours & Tickets
- Hallgrímskirkja Tours & Tickets
- Thingvellir National Park Tours & Tickets
- National Gallery of Iceland Tours & Tickets