The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik
Recommended by 90% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Reykjavik, Iceland
+18
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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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
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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
NATASHA_D
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 2,924 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Marco_S, Sep 2026
Super good and super cold. Great vessel staff guide route bridge. A unique experience, o seriously recommend
Rosanna_C, Sep 2026
We expected/hoped that we would see far more whales than we did, though the tour guide and crew did a fine job.
Jon_D, Aug 2026
If you were debating whether it’s worth it, it is, 100%. We got to see whales and dolphins up close as well as getting a chance to take in the stunning scenery in the bay.
The guides are all marine biologists and so know what they’re talking about too.
One thing, wrap up warm, it gets cold!
Yaning_C, Aug 2026
I’ve been to several whale watching tours in other parts of the world before but this the first time I actually encountered whales. The experience was absolutely magical! The crews included many marine biologists and that definitely helped with the success. They spotted whales from miles away and made sure the boat didn’t scare them off when closing the distance. The tour also included insulation floating jumpsuits which was very warm and comfortable.
Eric_E, Aug 2026
Guide Rafael brought a beautiful blue sky day, excellent sound track and so much history in the ice. Receding glacier creates ever changing conditions. Pretty cool
john_t, Aug 2026
Amazing - saw several whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Great commentary and facilities. Would recommend hugely - but possibly not for a wet and windy day..
cousenssally, Aug 2026
Book online. Wear warm clothes and sunglasses. If you get seasick, take tablets early enough so they kick in. Listen to the guide, information is key. Look more than you take photos. Excellent trip
Heather_W, Aug 2026
Fun tour! We didn’t see any whales so they gave us a free one for when we come back! Great bird watching!
John_P, Aug 2026
We had a good trip, we saw a Minke and a Humpback whale and porpoises. Our tour guide was informative also.
Bruce_k, Aug 2026
Where warm layered clothing. Bring binoculars . More then just whales other ocean life. Birds dolphins.
Alicia_B, Aug 2026
Not guaranteed to see wildlife. We only saw puffins, however we were offered tickets for any other day from Reykjavik and Akureyri (we used at Akureyri and saw humpbacks). The crew was amazing :) (book it earlier during your trip so if this happens to you you go back)
The_L, Aug 2026
Friendly and knowledgeable staff and a very efficient process.
Saw whales and puffins and never felt rushed.
Highly recommended
Amber_L, Aug 2026
It's a wonderful experience! We were able to see dolphins, porpoise, and a Minke whale. Other tours on the same day were fortunate enough to see the humpback. Know not every tour will be the same. Be patient and enjoy the journey!
Joletta, Aug 2026
This was a 9:00 a.m. whale watching tour and the guide and the rest of the crew were excellent. We did get to see whales and other marine life.
Kathleen_V, Aug 2026
This tour was amazing! Our guide was very friendly and informative, giving little snippets of information as we started our tour, pointing out various birds, puffins and even a dolphin.
We had an incredible experience seeing a pod of 4 t were feeding so they were pretty much staying in 1 place and putting on quite a show! The boat captain and crew did a great job maneuvering the boat quickly so everyone was able to watch these beautiful creatures!
Charles_D, Aug 2026
This 3 hour excursion was very disappointing for a variety of reasons. First off, the boat used was old and there were not adequate handrails on the outside decks and given the rough seas, this could be many accidents waiting to happen. During very rough seas, my partner hit his head on a stupidly placed air-sick bag holder that was mounted on the side of the wall. Blood yes, serious injury no, but no assistance or help from crew. Second, this was my second attempt to see whales off Reykjavik. Last time we didn't see a one. The photo collection the company sent last night underscored the underwhelming experience of seeing seagulls, a three-mast boat, a few puffins (out of focus) and some splashes of waves and a few whale parts that were not recognizable without being told. Lastly, the trip was way overpriced in comparison to what it cost the company to go out with a large boat of travelers. This, I would highly recommend going whale watching in warmer waters, eg. off Mexico, when your hands won't freeze attempting to hold on for your life against really cold, wet handrails and you have a much, much better whaling experience seeing young mothers in feeding zones with their youngsters. Trust me, you will be underwhelmed in Icelandic waters.
Shawn_N, Aug 2026
Saw puffins and whales, crew was very nice. Dress warm. Bring a good camera with a minimum of 200mm lens.
Kevin_S, Aug 2026
The boat was comfortable and while not packed, it was crowded. So when something was noted on one side of the boat, if you weren't already there, you were not going to get to see it.
The crew was great - and made sure we were safe. The marine biologist was fantastic-knowledgeable, informative, and helpful.
Recommended, but because of the size of the boat, you might miss things.
They sent a lot of pics after - which was a nice unexpected surprise.
Emily_A, Aug 2026
Our whale watching tour was so special. I will start with the whales: we definitely saw them! We found a couple of humpbacks busy feeding and out guide did a great job of pointing them out and describing the behaviors we were seeing. It was truly amazing. The crew has the skills and experience to find what’s in the area. Additionally, they provided us with pictures of the whales and a journal entry about our voyage. We heard from someone else on the boat that if you go out and do not see any wildlife, they will provide you with a voucher to come out again another time (this family was on their re-do but your mileage may vary as I didn’t hear or read about this.)
But of course, one cannot control the outcome, and still I would recommend this trip. It was such a fun way to see the city of Reykjavik and the surrounding mountains. We had a beautiful day with a bit of wind and they provided motion-sickness tablets for free, but remaining outside I did not experience much malaise.
I also want to say that the company was very accommodating. We had booked a morning tour that we couldn’t get to due to travel disruptions and they were very willing to honor our reservation at a later time slot.
Nashit_N, Aug 2026
Excellent tour and team. We saw three species! Highly recommend the tour. Will definitely come again.
Matthew_M, Aug 2026
Our guide was very knowledgeable and took us to see amazing views of humpback whales including a baby! A couple minke whales entertained us as well. The best whale watching tour ever and we’ve been on several.
Gerald_D, Aug 2026
Great experience with very nice guides. The weather was a little cold and that was a small problem. The whales cooperated as gave of a great excursion.
Michael_R, Aug 2026
It was a great time and we saw quite a few humpback whales, mostly their tales and backs. Sometimes they would blow water out of their nose.
Bernice_R, Aug 2026
We were very lucky because we had several whales active that day around our boat in Iceland in Aug. i was able to catch a video of a whale breeching. Quite exciting.
BERNARD_N, Aug 2026
Nice boat didn’t feel crowded though it was sold out. Excellent guided everyone was nice we saw a couple of humpbacks. we had a good time
navneeth_b, Aug 2026
Did not see any whales . One of the member was sick they did not refund . Too expensive not worth it
christy_s, Jul 2026
We saw a few whales,m sightings, it was good but had hoped for closer and to be able to see them better.
I’ve never been so cold in all my life.
I wrapped up for the occasion. I had layers on layers of the correct clothing but out to sea that wind is a killer, any bare skin like your face stings so bad.
Glad we did it, it was a nice trip- take lots of warm clothes!
Rachael_M, Jul 2026
Pretty standard whale watching experience. Boat was decent sized and luckily the water was pretty calm during my experience. I knocked it down a star because there were a lot of people on the boat and not enough sitting areas. Also, if you were unlucky and were in a part of the boat that wasn't facing the whale when spotted you were likely not going to be able to see it because everyone was crowding to see. As someone who is only 5'1 I was not able to see the whale at first but someone tall was nice and let me stand in front of them and I saw it and got a few good pics. The boat did stay for a bit for us to be able to try to see the whale multiple times. There were some dolphins spotted at one point, but I had missed those because I was not in the right spot. The biologist on board also pointed out some of the sea birds that we came across.
Kara_C, Jul 2026
Sightings are not guaranteed. I wish I would have brought binoculars. The first time I went we did not see anything so they gave a free voucher. I ended up doing it again the next day and we saw one.
Candylupient, Jul 2026
Saw a lot of whales! The captain was able to find a location and we settled there (being respectful of the whales) while several humpbacks and a plethora of dolphins entertained us, almost as if choreographed. Naturalist/narrator was outstanding. Easy to understand, gave good information and didn’t talk too much. Naturalist who was stationed at the bar was charming and welcoming.
From $105.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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