Vigur Island Tour with Return Boat Transfer from Ísafjörður
Description
Take a boat to Vigur Island - the tiny island with a BIG history - to experience the wild nature of the Arctic Westfjords alongside authentic Icelandic hospiltality and heritage in one of the country's most beloved locations for birdlife, particularly eider ducks and PUFFIN!
Tour Options
Itinerary
A scenic 30-minute boat ride across the majestic ĺsafjarðardjúp fjord in a comfortable cruiser, with commentary, brings you to Vigur (watch out for likely whale sightings on the way).
Guests are welcomed on arrival by one of the island’s resident family or naturalist guides who will provide a brief orientation to the island and any information you will require about timings for the return journey. They will explain something of the eventful history of Vigur stretching back to the original settlement of Iceland in the 9th Century. Some of Iceland’s oldest buildings are on the island (owned by the National Museum of Iceland’s Historic Buildings Collection) as well as its only remaining windmill and oldest seaworthy boat. Guests are invited into the barn where eiderdown is collected from around the island and prepared for export using traditional, sustainable and duck-friendly methods. This almost uniquely Icelandic industry is a centuries-old rural tradition and is kept alive on Vigur as a way of preserving this important rural heritage as well as providing vital income for the island.
Time to explore the island on a walk to the best locations for getting close to the abundant birdlife on Vigur, including the stunning Puffin Path. Exactly what you see depends on the time of year of your visit and the weather on the day. As well as birds, there are good opportunities to observe seals and whales all year round. There are options for guests who prefer not to walk far and your guide will be able to suggest alternative routes if any part of the walk is unsuitable. Visit the smallest Post Office in Europe, coffee room and shop where you can enjoy complimentary home-baked ‘Happy Marriage Cake’ and coffee in the Icelandic tradition. Any free time left over can be spent enjoying the various wildlife viewing points or the historical exhibitions.
The same boat that brought you to Vigur will return you to Ísafjörður, offering another opportunity to enjoy the spectacular fjordland scenery and to see whales and wildlife.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(25)
You should know when Puffins leave Iceland if you’re expecting to see them. Also, they don’t look for whales. If you see them, purely accidental. With that said, the island is beautiful, birds are plentiful and don’t miss the Eider barn. It’s truly a beautiful place and worth the trip!
It's 40 minutes by boat to the island and you have two hours or so to wander around. I thought the tour might include a little whale watching but it doesn't - you have to choose one or the other. You're able to get pretty close to the puffins because, as long as you stay on the trails, they aren't afraid of you. There were a lot of arctic terns as well. The island is small so if you're not into birds, this isn't the tour for you. The family which own and live on the island are engaging. There's a small gift shop and a really good pastries.
Absolutely amazing!! The island is amazing and you can even freely walk around or have a brief tour first. Fun fact….the owner of the Island is the only woman to have done a solo crossing of Antarctica ! The island is beautiful- I am not a ‘birder’ but might have to become one! We went during puffin season….so so many puffins!
Beautiful day with lots of muffins, August 11 Pleasant boat ride to island. Friendly staff Beautiful scenery.
The most wonderful puffin experience! We booked very early (I think about 8 months before) through Iceland Highlights - the Vigur Island from Isafjordur cruise ship port tour, and went on the waitlist. (I could not book this tour on trip advisor at the time) In January we were offered a place and had just one day to confirm and pay, which was fine as this was a real bucket list for me to do, and I'm so pleased we booked it early as it was booked out on the day. The harbour meeting place was a 5 minute walk from our Sky Princess Ship berth (we were lucky we did not have to tender) and clearly signposted. Great boat ride to the beautiful rugged Island which was FULL of the most gorgeous puffins (July). We walked very quietly to view a few up close, and also saw many hundreds of others on the cliff nearby. Lots of fun walking along the path (in the other direction from the puffins), holding a stick to protect us from the swooping Artic terns, and also enjoyed seeing the eider ducks, other birdlife and a seal in the distance. We enjoyed the homemade cake, the tiny windmill, the interesting viking boat, the beautiful buildings and scenery all around. We also saw a whale fluking it's tail on the return journey. Perfect day and would definitely do it again!
Vigur Island was the highlight of our cruise around Iceland. We saw plenty of puffins in their natural environment (visited late July) and very fortunate to be there before puffins start leaving the island in mid August. The talk on the Eider Duck down was also very interesting and educational. If ever in Iceland again, this would be on the top of my ‘to do’ list during puffin season.
Great tour. Really enjoyed seeing the puffins and other birds. It was a little hard to walk around and try to dodge the bugs some of which looked terribly big. The rhubarb pie was absolutely delicious. I could have had the whole pie in one go. This pie is the best I've tried in the whole Iceland.
⭐☆☆☆☆ (1/5 stars) We booked this tour in the morning via TripAdvisor and received a booking confirmation shortly thereafter. Therefore, we naturally assumed that our spot on the tour was secured. When we arrived at the boat on time, however, we were told that the tour was overbooked and that we were therefore not allowed to come along. What annoys us the most is that we were not informed beforehand. Had we known in time, we could have looked for another tour or another activity for our vacation day. Instead, we stood at the harbor and our day was practically lost. Of course we got our money back, but that replaces neither the lost vacation day nor the disappointment. A confirmed booking should also mean that you can actually participate in the tour. If an overbooking happens, customers should be informed in time and not find out only on-site that they are not allowed to come along. Unfortunately, that was a very frustrating experience. I hope that confirmed bookings and communication with guests will be handled better in the future.
This was such an amazing experience. While we watched other groups board boats and see puffins from a distance, this tour actually goes to the island and lets you get off. It is overseen by the family that lives on the island. This exceeded our expectations in every single way and it would be the first thing we recommend someone going to Iceland to schedule.
You will see puffins. Hundreds of them, along with other birds native just to Vigur Island. You’ll be able to see puffins in their natural state. It’s a very authentic experience. The farmer who owns the island is friendly, informative and hospitable. It is quite windy on the island, but the farmer and his wife provide homemade pies and coffee. If you want to see puffins this is as sure as you can get. The trip on the water can be a bit rough, but that’s not the fault of the tour operator. Wind is a big factor in the fjord. On our trip the waves were noticeable, but out of the 70 people no one was sea sick. Embrace the water as part of the trip, as the scenery is quite spectacular.
