Classic Puffin Watching Cruise from Downtown Reykjavík
Description
This tour offers a memorable way to experience Iceland's wildlife, just minutes from downtown Reykjavík. Depending on the tides and conditions on the islands our captains will take you to either Engey, Akurey or Lundey, which are well known for their plentiful birdlife. In addition to puffins you have the opportunity to view other birds such as eider ducks, arctic terns, guillemots and cormorants. You may also see seals, adding to the excitement of the tour. Our crew will share interesting facts about puffins against the scenic backdrop of rocky shores, and if the weather is good, we might turn off the engines so you can enjoy the natural sounds! If no puffins make an appearance on the tour, we will offer you to try again another day, free of charge!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet us at the Old Harbour in Reykjavík and board one of our smaller boats that will take you to the charming puffins!
We stop by one of three puffin islands (Engey, Akurey or Lundey) outside Reykjavík to watch the thousands of puffins that travel to Iceland each summer to breed. As the islands are nature reserves we cannot step foot on land, but rather try to sail as close as possible. Borrow binoculars or bring your own. We recommend a good zoom camera for good quality pictures.
Along the cruise you will have the chance to see Reykjavík from a unique angle, among it the beautiful Harpa Concert Hall, the towering Hallgrímskirkja Church and perhaps the Sun Voyager sculpture!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- As the birds are small in size, we recommend bringing a tripod and a good zoom lens for 'close up' photography and/or binoculars (also available to lend on board)
- The deck on the boat can be slippery. We recommend wearing good sturdy footwear. For optimal viewing and a more enjoyable cruise this tour is weather dependent.
- Please note that our fleet is not completely accessible for low mobility as there are steep stairs between lower and upper decks and high thresholds to get from the decks into the saloon as well as from the saloon to the toilets.
Reviews(316)
Highly recommended! The puffins are so cute, amazing to see them. The tour took us right up close so you could see them flying and on the ground with their burrows. Astonishingly vivid. The guide was excellent, really knew her stuff, very informative and funny!
Very good tour, made all the better with the knowledgeable guide, Maria
Fabulous one hour adventure. Saw a bountiful amount of puffins in all sorts of different adventure and activities. Guide was incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommend this trip!
Well organized, very efficient, and professional.
A short boat ride to a nearby island just covered in puffins! Plenty of time to gently circle the island and watch the birds.
The guide was very knowledgeable. I like that they send photos. The location to meet the boat is an easy walk from downtown.
wonderful and informative! definitely recommend the tour. we saw so many puffins!
Our guide was extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She made everyone feel welcome. It was really neat to see the puffin colony, in flight and on the water though we were still quite away from the island a camera is needed rather than a phone I think.
We took the puffin-watching cruise on June 17th at 2 p.m., and it was fantastic. The guide (who was actually a marine biologist) was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. She answered every question we had and made the experience even more memorable. We saw plenty of puffins up close, and it was a truly wonderful afternoon. They even sent us pictures of puffin she took with her professional camera. Overall, it was a great experience.
We had a fantastic time. Our guide Maria was very friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the Puffins and sea birds in general. There were thousands of Puffins and we even got to see the head of a seal! Would thoroughly recommend.
