Watch for minke whales, dolphins and humpbacks on a whale watching cruise from Reykjavik, and take in views of the coast from an open viewing platform or an enclosed cabin. Get the ultimate whale watching experience during the peak season from April through October, when over 20 kinds of whale flock to the North Atlantic. Cruise the harbor in comfort and style, enjoy access to an indoor saloon stocked with snacks and drinks (sold on board), and spot Iceland’s diverse aquatic species with help from the experienced crew.

Reykjavik whale watching cruise on a comfortable boat
Enjoy access to outside decks and an enclosed cabin
See Iceland's wildlife in a natural environment
Explore the coast from the water

What's Included

3-3,5 hours Whale Watching tour
Experienced and professional guides
Free ticket to join again in case of no sightings
Warm flotation overalls
Free WiFi on board
Heated indoor cabins with toilet facilities
Complimentary seasickness tablets available
Audio guide / headphones in English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese

Snacks and beverages sold on board
Pickup is available for extra charge

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Reykjavik Sailors Whale Watching and Northern Lights Adventures
Hlésgata Vesturbugt F101, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Note: Pick-up starts 60 minutes before departure. Pickup service is available for extra charge. If pickup service is not chosen - please meet us at departure point at least 30 minutes before scheduled departure.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
NOTE: You should schedule to be at our departure point at least 30 minutes before scheduled departure.
Please, check our DAILY DIARY before you come for the tour, all the important daily information of all our tours will be notified on our website.
If you have a boat tour booked, please check your email before the tour as all important daily information will be notified via email.
We recommend wearing good footwear and warm clothing. Don´t forget to bring your camera to take amazing photos!

Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 60 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

This is a good trip for someone who has never seen a whale in the ocean, but maybe not so good for someone who has been on other tours that were closer to the whales.

Was end of season though, so not as many as summer, but still great experience, whale watching in Iceland is a must!

Reviews

4.0

282 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 282 reviews

Misleading information

Cathrine_D, Mar 2023

In advance of booking I asked if it was realistic to see Humpback and Orca. The response was that this was more or less guaranteed. First thing we were told on the boat was that Orca was out of the questions as they only appear in these waters Four times Per year. And not know. Thereafter only animals we saw were dolphins. Of course beautiful, bur not at all what was expected. I feel strongly being mislead and very disappointed.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello The overview of the tour stands on Viator: "Watch for minke whales, dolphins and humpbacks on a whale watching cruise from Reykjavik, and take in views of the coast from an open viewing platform or an enclosed cabin. Get the ultimate whale watching experience during the peak season from April through October." On our website: "We sail into Faxaflói bay in search of Minke and Humpback whales, Dolphins, Harbour porpoises and Killer whales (a rare sighting)." We do offer always all passengers a free tour if their tour they joined was not successful, it is according to our conditions and best solution for everybody as we do provide you a 3 hours tour by boat with the crew and we do our best to make your time on the boat enjoyable with information provided by guide about ocean mammals and we also do our best to spot the whales, sometimes without a success but this is the risk everyone consider while booking a Whale Watching tour which takes place in wild nature and any human is not controlling. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Enjoyable trip, saw some dolphins

Bethany_C, Mar 2023

Didn’t see any whales but saw some cool dolphins. Had a really enjoyable trip, the guide was very informative and funny. Boat was warm and comfortable, good snack selection.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello Thank you for your review. We do offer always all passengers a free tour if their tour they joined was not successful, it is according to our conditions and best solution for everybody as we do provide you a 3 hours tour by boat with the crew and we do our best to make your time on the boat enjoyable with information provided by guide about ocean mammals and we also do our best to spot the whales, sometimes without a success. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Great to see the whales

Claire_K, Mar 2023

Amazing trip considering it was out of season for whale watching we say 2 humpback whales. There was 108 people on the boat. We saw another boat and it looked packed so that wasn’t too bad. Only disappointment was the tour wasn’t 3.5hours as mentioned. We didn’t have much time out at see and was more like 2hours.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello Thank you so much for your review. We love getting our guest feedback. Glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Needed sunshine

Hilary_R, Feb 2023

The weather spoilt it a bit as it snowed and rained and there weren’t enough waterproof overalls for everyone so I was wet through when up on top to photograph the whales. However we saw a couple of whales but only a dorsal fin each time. I was expecting to see much more. My husband enjoyed the experience though.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Hello Thank you for your rating. We are truly happy that you enjoyed your experience with The Reykjavik Sailors. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Humpback Whales!

Charlottebishop123, Feb 2023

We were lucky enough to see 3 humpback whales! A very informative guide, straight forward check in. A great tour!

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Hello Thank you for your review, we truly appreciate your feedback. We are so happy to hear that you had a good time with us on your tour. I will pass along the compliments to our crew team. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Great experience

Benjamin_M, Jan 2023

Definitely recommend doing this tour if visiting Reykjavik! We saw 3 humpback whales in today. Great trip!

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Hello Thank you so much for your review. We love getting our guest feedback. Glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Fantastic trip

Rachel_C, Dec 2022

Brilliant trip, we was very lucky to see 5 different humpback whales as well as dolphins. The boat was lovely, very clean & well equipped. The boat staff & leader were very welcoming & very knowledgeable. Would recommend this trip to others wishing to see these magnificent creatures in the wild

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Hello Thank you for your review, we truly appreciate your feedback. We are so happy to hear that you had a good time with us on your tour. I will pass along the compliments to our guides. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Out on the ocean wave

Claire_M, Nov 2022

The whale watching tour was really fantastic. Very easy to join the tour and find the boat. The information given out during the trip was second to none. It was a little disappointing not to see a whale -there was a glimpse of a fin and a lot of sightings of ‘the blow” but not a big sighting. The tour tried and tried to sight a whale and we even went over our time but it wasn’t to be. What was amazing and will stay with me was the sighting of dolphins right by the side of the boat. A fantastic trip and I would highly recommend.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Hello Thank you for your kind words. We are truly happy that you enjoyed your experience with The Reykjavik Sailors. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Whale watching Reykjavik

Susan_P, Nov 2022

Fantastic adventure….guide was experienced, educational, knowledgeable and entertaining. Saw two humpback whales and white snouted dolphins

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Hello Thank you so much for your great review, such a pleasure to hear that you enjoyed your time with us and our service. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Had a great day. Saw lots...

JAMES_D, Oct 2022

Had a great day. Saw lots of whales and dolphins to. Tour guid was really good very informative and friendly. Boat was great and we would recommend .

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Hello Thank you so much for your review. We love getting our guest feedback. Glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

It should be dolphin watching tour

magdalena_m, Oct 2022

In this time whales are on north part, so we pay a tour with a low possibility to see any. ... it would be fair to tell us that...

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Hello As we are working with wild animals, sightings can never be guaranteed no matter what time of year you sail. Whenever nothing is seen on a tour, we offer a free ticket to try again and you joined our complimentary tour the next day. As you can see the reviews below there are Humpback whales and Minke whales all year around in the bay. There is also no way that you can pay more money to guarantee you will see whales in the wild - they are wild animals, so we have no control over when and where they will appear. We do not use sonar or tracking systems as this can be harmful to whales and other marine life. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Amazing experience to see whales where they belong, and not in tanks or on a plate

supernana, Oct 2022

lovely calm water, harbour porpoise jumping out of the water, jelly fish swimming near the boat, minkie whales and humpback whales, Got plenty of pictures, just wish the 6foot plus people would be a little more considerate to children and more vertically challenged adults.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Hello Thank you for your kind words. We are truly happy that you enjoyed your experience with The Reykjavik Sailors. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Breathtaking creatures…

Nick_A, Oct 2022

From start to finish the trip was a very relaxed affair…. Having a two and a half year old we were a little nervous how he would be and we weren’t disappointed. The staff were all so friendly and welcoming, the boat (Andrea) gave plenty of comfy seating and a great vantage point inside to see anything, was a massive added bonus to be able to have a hot chocolate and waffles on the way out. Never believed we could be so lucky to see three humpbacks and they were in a very playful mood, as if this wasn’t enough already, we saw plenty of white beaked dolphins who w ere more than willing to pose for the cameras. Couldn’t recommend the trip highly enough.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Hello Thank you so much for your great review, such a pleasure to hear that you enjoyed your time with us and our service. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Great short trip

Libby_A, Oct 2022

Tour guide was funny and knowledgeable. We appreciated the hot beverages for sale as it was quite cold and windy. Saw lots of dolphins and a minke whale. Great short and exciting tour!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Hello Thank you so much for your review, we are truly delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us, and we hope to see you again sometime in the future. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Mark_P, Oct 2022

Didn’t get to see any whales which was disappointing and no option to re-take the tour due to going home. Very cold so I would wrap up very very warm, got to see dolphins.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Hello As we are working with wild animals, sightings can never be guaranteed no matter what time of year you sail. Whenever nothing is seen on a tour we offer a free ticket to try again. This offer never expires, so whenever you are back in Iceland please send us an email to info@reykjaviksailors.is and we will happily rebook you. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Whale watching

Shirley_C, Sep 2022

We did see whales and dolphins magical. The staff where very informative and friendly. We where on boat Andrea.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Hello Thank you for your kind words. We are truly happy that you enjoyed your experience with The Reykjavik Sailors. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Watch the whales!

Jamie_G, Sep 2022

The humpback and dolphins were great. Lucas was a wonderful guide. The thermal suits came in handy !

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Great crew and whales!

Emily_K, Sep 2022

We were able to see many whales and dolphins! The crew was great at finding them, pointing them out, and keeping them around the boat. Great friendly people!

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Hello Thank you for your rating. We are truly happy that you enjoyed your experience with The Reykjavik Sailors. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Waste of time and money

Dana_A, Sep 2022

Honestly, this was a waste of time and money. We did see lots of dolphins frolicking in the bay and we supposedly saw some whales, but it's like a tiny fin in the far-off distance in the water. You can barely see anything. If you are tight on time or money, do not bother with a whale watching trip, at least the ones out of Reykjavik. Maybe elsewhere they are better. The boat ride was nice and guide was nice, so this is not a reflection on this particular boat company, just the experience itself.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Hello On the evening you joined to our tour, we have seen Humpback whale, Minke whale, White-beaked dolphins and Harbour porpoises. As we are working with wild animals, sightings can never be guaranteed no matter what time of year you sail. Whenever nothing is seen on a tour we offer a free ticket to try again. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

Whale watching fun

Kayla_A, Aug 2022

We got to see a couple of whale sightings, it was totally worth it and the crowd had lots of energy which made it even more fun.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Hello Thank you for your kind words. We are truly happy that you enjoyed your experience with The Reykjavik Sailors. Best regards Reykjavik Sailors team

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