Reykjavik Whale Watching RIB Boat Tour: 2-Hour Small Group

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Free cancellation

1/12

Duration2h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Spot whales and dolphins from a speedboat built for rough water, not a cruise ship.

You arrive at the Old Harbour, get suited up in warm overalls and safety gear, then board a custom RIB boat with a small group and an expert guide. Two hours out to the whale feeding grounds in Faxaflói Bay, with a summer stop at puffin island Akurey, then back along the Reykjavik coast. Hotel pickup and drop-off are optional. If no whales appear, you get a free return ticket.

Step-by-step itinerary

Whale watching tour from Reykjavik

Meet guide at Old Harbour ticket office
Put on warm overalls and safety gear
Listen to safety briefing
Board custom-built RIB express boat
Travel to whale feeding grounds
Watch for whales and dolphins
Stop at Akurey puffin island (summer only)
View Reykjavik coastline on return
Return to Old Harbour

The Experience

The ticket office sits right at the Old Harbour, and that's where you'll meet your guide before anything else happens. They hand you the overalls—bright orange, puffy, the kind that makes you look like you're about to work an oil rig—along with a life jacket, gloves and goggles. The guide runs through the safety speech while you're still on solid ground, which is good because once you're on the RIB express boat, the focus shifts entirely to what's out there. The boat itself is custom-built, 12 metres, with suspension seats that actually absorb the chop instead of letting you feel every wave in your spine. That matters more than it sounds when you're heading out into Faxaflói Bay.

The two-hour whale watching tour from Reykjavik takes you past Esja mountain and out toward the feeding grounds where humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises show up when they show up. There's no script here—the guide knows where to look, but the animals don't follow a schedule. If it's summer, you'll stop at Akurey, the puffin island, where the birds are nesting and the water is calmer. The ride back follows the Reykjavik coastline, which gives you a chance to catch your breath and get your camera ready. The whole thing is two hours, which is long enough to feel like you've actually been out on the water but short enough that you're not exhausted by the time you're back at the harbour.

Groups stay small—maximum 12 people—so you're not crammed in with a hundred other tourists. You'll need to arrive 30 minutes early for check-in and the safety briefing. If you booked hotel pickup, a bus collects you beforehand and brings you back after, which saves you the logistics of getting to the Old Harbour yourself. Wear warm clothes and good shoes; the water is cold and the boat moves fast. One thing to know: wildlife sightings aren't guaranteed. If the whales don't show, you get a free ticket to try again on another whale watching tour, which is how the operator handles the reality of the ocean.

What’s included

Your tour includes warm overalls, life jacket, gloves and goggles, an expert guide who speaks English, suspension seats for comfort on the water, and a visit to Akurey puffin island during summer months.
Hotel pickup and drop-off are optional.
If you don't see whales, you receive a complimentary ticket to try again on another whale watching tour.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by Special Tours Iceland

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want a small-group whale watching experience without the crowds, and who don't mind that sightings aren't guaranteed—the free return ticket covers that risk. The two-hour format and optional hotel pickup make it easy to fit into a Reykjavik day without long logistics.