RIB Whale Watching Small-Group Boat Tour from Reykjavik
Description
Zoom around the Icelandic waters aboard a custom designed RIB speed-boat, and enjoy close-up views of whales, dolphins, puffins and more. The small yet powerful vessel is not just manoeuvrable out on the waters but also capable of reaching high speeds, allowing you to cover a larger area and get closer to the Reykjavik wildlife than you would in a classic boat. After seeing the sights on the open water, enjoy panoramic views to admire Jón Gunnar Árnason’s 'Sun Voyager' sculpture and Harpa Concert Hall on the shoreline. Numbers are limited to 12 per boat on this tour offering an unique small group experience with an expert captain & wildlife guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This great whale watching tour starts from the Old Harbour of Reykjavík and during the puffin season (early May to the end of August) we also visit the puffins in their natural habitat. Next we head out in search of the whales. There are very few things that will beat the experience of seeing the whales and dolphins as up close as you can at sea level from our RIB boats. On this fun tour the fast, stable and safe boats also allow us to cover more area as we search for the wild life, thus increasing your chances of spotting whales, dolphins and bird-life.
During the puffin season (early May to the end of August) we also visit the puffins in their natural habitat, at the Islands of Akurey, Engey or Lundey just outside of Reykjavík. The journey here is a short one, and we spend around 5-10 minutes with the Puffins. Puffins, auks, gannets and an incredible variety of other sea birds dominate the skies and sea cliffs just a few minutes sailing from the Old Harbour. Our RIB's are fast and small so we get you extra close and extra quickly out to the islands!
Next we head out in search of the whales in Faxaflói Bay. There are very few things that will beat the experience of seeing the whales and dolphins as up close as you can at sea level from our RIB boats. Our whale watching boats are equipped with high performance suspension seats. These shock absorbing seats increase safety and comfort and reduce the risk of injuries. So you can comfortably & securely enjoy your whale watching adventure out on the North Atlantic waters.
After the whale safari we travel back to Reykjavík, where we will take ride along the city's shore line, experiencing a unique panoramic view of Reykjavík from the sea (perfect for photos). Our boats will take you past the Sun Voyager sculpture on the seafront.
We then go by the harbour side of Iceland's most famous building, the glittering Harpa Concert Hall.
Finally, after a great adventure at sea, we head back to the harbour! This is approximately two hours after the tour start time.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Dress warmly: Wool or fleece seater, Hat, gloves and sturdy footwear are recommended
- In the case of no sightings you will get a ticket for the Classic Whale Watching tour
- Minimum Age Requirement of 10 Years
- Strict Minimum Height Requirement of 145cm (4ft 9in)
- Maximum Weight Limit of 140kg (308lb)
- Not recommended for travellers with knee problems
- Not recommended for young children
Reviews(257)
Finding the exact building was a little confusing, but other businesses helped me. There are flags, but they didn't have the name of the business I was looking for. Regardless, my experience was top notch. When you check in at the desk, they show you the hats, goggles, and gloves you can borrow - borrow them if you don't have your own! The briefing before you receive your suit is short and informative. The zip up waterproof suits are helpful protecting you from wind (and keep you dry from water sprays). I wore a sweater and jacket under my suit and was very comfortable. Others on the boat seemed chilled without those layers. Heading out to the sea was bumpy but our captain (Megan) did an excellent job navigating the large waves. It IS bumpy at times, so be prepared. We visited a tiny island not far from the harbor. Our guide, Maria, did a great job explaining what we saw (so many puffins and other birds). Then, we spent time searching for whales. The boat was small and everyone had a good view. The seats reminded me of riding a horse. They're comfortable and the holds (for hands and feet) make it easy to stay put when there are waves. There are other boats in the water and each boat searches for whales and provides information for other boats. None of the boats encroached on the whale's space. Everyone respected the animal's space while providing us a view of it. Pictures were shared so that everyone could have a copy of the pictures. I had my phone but wasn't able to capture good pictures. I appreciate having pictures of what I saw. I highly recommend this tour and would take it again if I return to Reykjavik.
I saw a lot on the tour. Whales, dolphins, and puffins. We were lucky that a whale jumped out of the water. However, I would secure the phone or camera with a strap, as the boat rocks a lot and you often have to lean far out to take photos. Since you sit behind one another, often the person in front is in the way. But it is worth it.
Incredible experience - Anna and Emily were wonderful guides. We saw a humpback breach multiple times and wave at us with his/her dorsal fin for a solid 5 minutes. Incredible. Highly recommend this outfit - safe, knowledgable, and you are sure to see some great sea life....AND free pictures after the adventure.
The tour was great!!! The guide was very informative, helpful, and was just as excited to see the whales and puffins as we were. It was kind of like going fishing. You are just waiting for the sea animals to do their thing and they didn’t disappoint. The puffins were the cutest.
The seats were comfortable for the experience, only 2 rows of seats so no issues being able to see, the captain and the guide were friendly and knowledgeable. The guide took her own pictures for us so you could enjoy seeing the whales and not worry about snapping photos
This tour was canceled due to weather so we had to switch to a larger vessel which was not as fun. Plus we all got very sea sick.
Very professional team Good organization, good guides Excellent experience Thank you for the time you provided us at 3m from the whale
I had a nice tour overall, though there weren’t as many whale sightings as I had hoped. I really enjoyed the RIB boat—it made the experience exciting. We did see dolphins, and we got fairly close to Puffin Island, although visibility from my side wasn’t great. Wildlife tours can be a bit of a dice roll in terms of what you’ll see, but the experience was still worthwhile. The staff and guides were professional, friendly, and informative throughout.
Super organized and very friendly! It was a great experience. We experienced dolphins right by the boat and even several whales in close proximity to the boat! A 100 percent recommendation!!!
We were accompanied by Eleftherios Manioudakis. He was very motivated and told us a lot about the animals we saw. We had an all-around good experience! Safety is prioritized, but fun is not lacking; you feel very comfortable. We would book again at any time. Besides whales, dolphins, and puffins, we also learned a lot about birds. Eleftherios even provided us with his pictures from the trip for free.
