Akurey Puffins Iceland: Boat circles the nesting colony

Board the Puffin Express and Circle Akurey Island at Engine-Off Peace

You board a specially designed boat in Reykjavik, cruise fifteen minutes to Akurey Island, and spend time watching puffins nest and dive while an expert guide explains what you're seeing. The boat circles the island with engines off so you can hear the seabirds themselves. You get binoculars, a knowledgeable crew, and multiple daily departure times to choose from: no need to arrange your own transport or timing.

Step-by-step itinerary

Puffin cruise from Reykjavik

• Pickup from Reykjavik hotel
• Board puffin express boat
• Cruise 15 minutes to Akurey island
• Observe puffins and seabirds onboard
• Circle Akurey island for viewing
• Enjoy quiet time with engines off
• Return to Reykjavik

The experience

The boat leaves the harbor in Reykjavik and takes fifteen minutes to reach Akurey Island, where puffins nest between May and August on rocky slopes just offshore. The puffin express is built low and narrow so it can get close to the shoreline without running aground: close enough that you'll see the birds diving for food and settling into their burrows without binoculars, though the guide hands them out anyway. Your expert guide talks through what you're watching: which seabirds are nesting, how puffins hunt, why the island's small hills matter to their breeding cycle. It's the kind of detail that makes the difference between watching birds and understanding them.

After circling the island for observation time, the captain cuts the engines. That's when it gets quiet. Just water lapping, wind, and the sound of the seabirds themselves. Northern fulmars, arctic terns, black guillemots, and the puffins moving in and out of their nests. You're not rushed through it. The silence is part of the tour, and it's deliberate. Most people don't expect that part.

The puffin cruise from Reykjavik runs five departure times daily (up to seven in June through August), so you can fit it around the rest of your itinerary without forcing an early start or a late return. Hotel pickup is available if you book it directly with the supplier, though there's a small extra fee. If you're staying near the harbor, you can walk to the boat yourself and skip that step.

What’s included

Your puffin cruise from Reykjavik includes the boat ride to Akurey Island, an expert guide who explains the seabirds and their behavior, binoculars for closer viewing, and time circling the island with the engines off so you can experience the natural soundscape. Hotel pickup is available as an add-on for an extra fee.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 May 2027

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (7 to 15 years) · Infant (under 7): free

GroupUp to 33 · max 9 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Special Tours Iceland

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see puffins during nesting season without arranging your own boat or guide: the fixed departure times and expert commentary are what turn a boat ride into an actual understanding of what you're watching.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 15 years); Infant (under 7): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

When do puffins nest on Akurey Island?

May through August. Outside those months, the birds have migrated and the tour doesn't run.

How long is the boat ride to Akurey?

Fifteen minutes from Reykjavik harbor to the island.

Can I bring binoculars or does the boat provide them?

Binoculars are provided on board, so you don't need to bring your own.

How many departure times are available?

Five departures daily most of the season. Up to seven departures from June through August.

Is hotel pickup included?

Pickup is available but must be booked separately with the supplier and costs extra. You can also make your own way to the harbor.

What other seabirds might I see besides puffins?

Northern fulmars, arctic terns, gulls, and black guillemots are common on and around the island.