Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat from Downtown Reykjavik
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Reykjavik, Iceland
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Cover more ground than most boat tours on this small-group whale-watching adventure from Reykjavik that speeds you across the bay in a rigid inflatable boat (RIB). Look out for the whales, dolphins, and porpoises that call the area home while learning about the local environment from your guide and enjoying views of Reykjavik’s skyline as you ride.
- A small group means more attention from your guide
- Travel faster across the bay in a speedy RIB
- Stay warm with overalls and gloves that are provided
- Maximize your chances of seeing marine mammals
What's Included
- Up to 2-hour exciting tour in a small group 12-seater RIB boat.
- Reykjavík sightseeing with panoramic views of the Harpa Concert Hall and Sun Voyager.
- Warm overalls, gloves, goggles and all necessary safety equipment.
- Hotel transfer
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Old Harbour House | Food, Drinks & ToursÆgisgarður 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
We are located at the Reykjavík Old Harbour close to the city's center. It is the main port of departure for whale watching and northern lights tours. *Please arrive at the meeting point 30 MINUTES BEFORE DEPARTURE.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Faxaflói (Pass By)
Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre (Pass By)
Faxaflói (Pass By)
Engey (Pass By)
Lundey (Pass By)
Videy Island (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Near public transportation
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- 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
Cynthia_T
We had a great time on this excursion. Claudia and our experienced captain took great care of us. This trip is just the right combination of excitement and fun. We saw minke whales, puffins and spent most of our time up close with two humpbacks whales. I highly recommend this adventure! Also kudos to their booking staff who provided excellent communication.
Reviews
4.6
based on 27 reviews
Mitch_W, Sep 2025
This was a highlight from our time in Reykjavik! The speed boat was fun and created a smaller group experience compared to the larger boats. I had read some reviews about how rough the speed boats were but we didn’t have any issues (it was a pretty calm day, though). Our guide was a marine biologist and was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions during the tour. We saw several whales and a school of dolphins during our tour.
Cheryl_S, Aug 2025
Very friendly crew and they tried hard for us to see all 4 varieties of whales. We did and got super close!
Heather_P, Aug 2025
Honestly, this is nothing to do with the company, but I wanted to warn others about this activity in general in case it isn't their thing.
I went with my husband and 11 year old son. We were given equipment to keep us warm and dry (pro tip, use ALL the equipment and bring a hat -- even in the summer).
The first ten minutes were lovely. Then we got into open water and the real spray began. It was like sitting on a bicycle and having buckets of cold saltwater thrown on you repeatedly.
Shoes: soaked to the point of being squishy. Jeans: dripping wet. Jacket: damp and cold. And this was WITH the one piece snowsuit they give you. I could hardly look around because there was seawater being blown at me on every down slope of every wave. It wouldn't matter anyway because we saw no whales, which I understand as the company has no control over that. I couldn't have taken pictures even if we'd seen something as my hands were soaked despite wearing gloves and it was far too wet to use my phone anyway.
The guide and captain were very nice but I will NEVER do that again, despite the complementary ticket they offer when you don't see whales.
ashleytruong, Aug 2025
One of the best whale-watching tours we've ever been on and we've been on a lot. Saw so many whales up close and personal. I know a lot of this was about luck but we also had a great captain and first mate. They found us the whales and would get us so close and would stay in one place long enough for the whales to resurface a couple of times before moving on. Wish we could do it again!
Cynthia_T, Aug 2025
We had a great time on this excursion. Claudia and our experienced captain took great care of us. This trip is just the right combination of excitement and fun. We saw minke whales, puffins and spent most of our time up close with two humpbacks whales. I highly recommend this adventure! Also kudos to their booking staff who provided excellent communication.
Priscilla_A, Aug 2025
An absolute must-do when in Iceland!! We not only had a sighting, we had multiple sightings of whales dancing, waving, blowing.. you name it! A surreal experience! The boat is small enough to get close to the action. My family of 5 rate this excursion 10 stars!
Judy_G, Jul 2025
The guide was excellent and had a very good time. My only “problem” was that the whales and dolphins could be seen for barely a split second. And most of them were not very close.
Mark_W, Jul 2025
This is a fast paced experience. You straddle your seat and hold on for fast and bumpy ride that leads to dolphins, whales and puffins. We saw dolphins early in the ride followed by several minke whales. We were then entertained by five or more hump back whales who spouted, surfaced, dove and playfully slapped the water with their fins, for a fantastic show. One coming within 15 feet of the rib. We then cruised back by way of seeing puffins and the Harpa concert hall. This was a wonderful experience.
Pamela_T, Jun 2025
highly recommend this tour operator! They are very professional, friendly, and more affordable than others offering the same service. I went last week on the Amelia boat to see the whales, and today with the speed boat both experiences were amazing! I saw plenty of whales on both trips. Truly unforgettable!
Nickolas_B, Jun 2025
Awesome experience, saw whales, dolphins, and puffin island! Some dolphins came and swam right up under our boat. Our captain knew exactly where to find them all.
Frances_P, Aug 2024
I was pleased we selected the boat that sits close to the water. It makes you feel closer to the action. The guides tried hard to get us close and see a whale. We did see several jump in and out of the water. Overall, it was a fun trip. What would have made it even better if the guide told us some facts about wells. Never the less, it was well worth the trip. The ocean was gorgeous.
Saffron_S, May 2024
We turned up at the designated spot to be told our rib tour had been cancelled. No phone call prior, no notice, we were told it was due to rough sea (However, every other tour company was sending out ribs) The woman was quite dismissive and told us have a refund or go on the large boat, I don't mind what you do. We opted to go on the large boat as we're only in Rekjavik for a short amount of time. However, it messed up our schedule for tbr rest of the day.
I understand sometimes due to westher conditions things have to be cancelled, but they could have at least called us so we could have booked on with one of the many other tour companies going out.
That said the tour on the big boat was okay, you're packed in, so wasn't exactly what we wanted. Also as were expecting to be given warm overalls for the rib, so we weren't wearing warm enough clothes for a 3 hr boat trip. I'm was also slightly concerned about the H&S with the rail missing from bow of boat and exposed sharp metal nails from where it used to be.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we were unable to reach you to inform you of the cancellation. Safety is always our priority, and the decision to cancel was based on sea conditions, which can vary from one operator to another. We're sorry for the impact this had on your schedule and for any discomfort caused. We appreciate your understanding and will review your comments regarding the boat's condition.
Beju_S, Sep 2023
My kids loved this and what a wonderful experience to see the whales this close and dancing. Well organised trip.
Glenn_T, Sep 2023
Cancelled last minute due to wind conditions. I would understand but they had advanced notice, and chose to notify me the night before I had the tour in the morning. This gave me no time to make other plans for the day.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
We're sorry to hear that you were disappointed that your tour was canceled due to wind conditions.
We take the safety of our guests very seriously, and we would never put anyone at risk by operating a tour in unsafe conditions. The wind conditions on the day of your tour were unexpectedly strong, and we made the decision to cancel the tour in order to ensure the safety of our guests.
We understand that you are frustrated that you didn't have time to make other plans for the day, but we believe that this was the right decision. We hope that you will understand.
All the best
Iceland Discover
Nipun_S, Jun 2023
Epic experience and amazing guides. Pure untouched beauty and we got to see whales dolphins and puffins all in thier natural habitats
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Brilliant! I am so happy we got to share this with you!
emmaclear84, May 2023
Great tour, very lucky to see a humpback cleaning itself, splashing around. Also saw puffins on the way back.
Response from Host, May 2023
Thank you so much for this awesome review!
Louise_D, May 2022
Very good experience we saw one humpback whale, only thing to make it better would have been to see more.
Response from Host, May 2022
Thank you so much!
Sammi_C, Apr 2022
We had a fantastic experience on the speedboat, the guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We saw humpback whales and dolphins. When there is a sighting, you can travel much faster than ships with a rib boat. We fully recommend this tour if your´re visiting Reykjavik.
Response from Host, Apr 2022
It is so kind of you to take the time to write us this lovely review! I hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Iceland.
Ann_D, Sep 2025
Just do it! We first did a whale tour with a big boat but could not match this. Seen 4 different species, a total of 10 whales and 2 species of dolphins. There is quickly found, and at the end the climax came with 2 humpback whales 2 meters away swimming alongside our boat. Thank you to Julien and the top captain.
(We also stayed bone dry and had nice and warm)
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rosa_c, Aug 2024
Todo super bien. Vimos ballenas, vimos delfines y nos acercamos a los frailecillos… Eva un encanto!!! Gracias
Maren_H, Aug 2023
Sehr nette Crew, die Delfine hatten richtig Spaß und sind um unser Boot herumgesprungen . Das Schnellboot war auch super !
Response from Host, Aug 2023
We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your experience.
We are proud of our crew, who are always committed to providing our guests with an unforgettable day. We are glad that you were able to observe the dolphins so closely. The animals are very intelligent and curious, and it is always a special experience to see them in the wild.
Our speedboat is equipped with the latest technology and provides our guests with a safe and comfortable ride. We are glad that you felt comfortable on the boat.
All the best
The Iceland Discover team
From $160.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat from Downtown Reykjavik
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