Tours/Reykjavik/Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik
Viator · group up to 125 pax

Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

4.4(711)Reykjavik1 hour
VIATOR4.4(667)TRIPADVISOR4.5(44)

Description

Join our 3-hour whale watching cruise, starting in the Old Harbour, and traveling through the spectacular Reykjavík Coast. Our whale watching tour focuses on Minke Whales, Humpback Whales, Orca Killer Whales, and other marine wildlife. Please note, the tour takes place in wild nature, sightings cannot be predicted or guaranteed. If there are no sightings on the tour, we do not offer refunds but instead, we offer our passengers a free return to join our tour depending on availability, valid for up to three years. Weather is a big factor for the tour, and we may have to cancel the tour. Additional Information We also offer private yacht rental in Reykjavík. Whether it’s a romantic cruise or an evening sailing adventure for all your friends, we’ve got you covered.

Tour Options

3-Hour Whale Watching Cruise

Itinerary

Pass by

The ship sets sails from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour and during your journey, you’ll sail among the small islands in the Faxaflói Bay, as well as along the coast of Reykjavík, providing you with a fantastic view of the city as you search for the wildlife in the water. The most common sights are minke and humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises. However, there is always a chance to spot a few orcas (also known as killer whales) as well as a wealth of other species. The professional team onboard is very experienced in spotting whales and is dedicated to making sure their passengers leave with a smile!

Pass by

Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland. The opening concert was held on May 4, 2011. The building features a distinctive colored glass facade inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland.

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Faxafloi bay is situated on its southern shore. From Reykjavik it is possible to see the peninsula of Akranes in the northeast and even the Snæfellsjökull at a distance of about 120 km (75 mi). This bay has few islands and the ones it does have are close to land, in particular contrast to the bay directly north of it, Breiðafjörður, which has the most islands of any bay in Iceland.

Pass by

Engey is the second largest island of the Kollafjörður (Faxa Bay) fjord in western Iceland.

Pass by

Lundey, literally "Puffin Island" in Icelandic, is a small, uninhabited island off the western coast of Reykjavík, Iceland.

Pass by

Viðey is the largest island of the Kollafjörður Bay in Iceland, near the capital of Reykjavík.

Highlights

Panoramic views
WiFi on board
All Fees and Taxes
Drinks and snacks are available for purchase
Professional guides
Spacious observation decks
Restroom on board
Warm blankets

What's included

Included
Panoramic views
WiFi on board
All Fees and Taxes
Drinks and snacks are available for purchase
Professional guides
Spacious observation decks
Restroom on board
Warm blankets

Traveller Ratings

4.4
711 reviews
5
498
4
108
3
51
2
21
1
33

Important Information

  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Reviews(711)

M
Melissa_M
June 30, 2026
Whales!

The tour was a perfect amount of time. We were lucky and able to see several whales and dolphins. We highly recommend this experience.

K
Karen_M
June 28, 2026
Great to see the city

Excellent background on many aspects of Iceland, good walking pace; I learned a lot and saw a wide variety of places in the historic downtown areas.

R
Road26724633980
June 26, 2026
Excursion good, but trouble with pre-arranged transfer from the cruise port.

Since the "yacht" is located in the harbor, we pre-arranged pickup from the cruise port. The pickup instructions were very vague: "Kindly ensure you are waiting in front of your hotel or selected pickup location at that time and look for a black car or minibus." With a cruise ship at port, there are dozens of "black cars and minibuses". My wife waited at the cruise ship pickup/dropoff point (where we expected they would show up), and I went down to the bus parking lot just in case they were parked there. We waited the entire time allotted and did not find a black car or minibus with our name associated with it. The instructions should be specific to the cruise port location and our cruise ship. We ended up taking a costly taxi ride to somewhere close to the harbor, and walked 8 minutes to find the harbor meetup location. VERY FRUSTRATING. The excursion was good; we saw 2 different types of whales, porpoises, and dolphins. Advertising the boat as a "yacht" is misleading. It is a nice, but older, ship similar to all of the other whale watching excursion boats. The captain did a good job of safely navigating the ship when marine life was spotted. The onboard staff were all friendly, and the guide was well-versed in the local marine wildlife. Overall, a horrible experience coordinating transfer to the marina, but a pleasant excursion on a ship that did not meet my expectations of a "yacht".

S
Suzanne_P
June 25, 2026
Amazing breaching humpback whales

Whale watching is a very hit and miss experience. Well, our yacht cruise was definitely a hit! We were fortunate to have beautiful sunny weather with great visibility. There were several whales near our ship, breaching, rolling, waving their fins, practically performing for us. What an amazing experience!

L
Lorraine_G
June 23, 2026
Great trip!

Great trip! Our guide was great and very knowledgeable. We saw lots of whales, learned how to spot them.

C
Cheryl_H
June 14, 2026
Fun times with friends

Got to see a couple different types of whales and some porpoises. The boat was a nice size and had room inside to stay warm.

B
Brianna_R
June 13, 2026
Amazing experience! The...

Amazing experience! The yacht was super comfortable with lots of good viewing spots. We saw 5 humpback whales! The crew were awesome and they gave detailed descriptions of the wildlife. Would highly recommend and would do again when we return.

M
Michael_C
May 21, 2026
Isabel was very...

Isabel was very knowledgeable and friendly. She spoke about the whales we saw and had a lot of knowledge about them.

T
Tanya_N
May 16, 2026
Okay experience, not worth the price you pay

The experience was ok. The boat was very nice and the operators tried really hard to help us see any whales that we could possibly see given the weather conditions. I personally felt the experience was pricey for what you actually get which is basically a couple hours on a yacht. The concessions were so overpriced - I paid somewhere around $3 USD for a cup of hot water and a tea bag, over $5 for a candy bar. I regret doing this and wish I had spent my last day in Iceland doing something I would have enjoyed more.

A
Arunas_M
May 4, 2026
Cheaters

we have booked a yacht - in advance - becouse wife has sea sickness…. and there was no yacht !!! we where put into Amelia big slow boat …. my wife suffered a lot …. Amelia team made a great job - everything to satisfy clients , telling stories about whales - perfect ❤️ But you as Viiator - you are cheating- people are booking yacht and you are sending to a simple boat … explanation that you got a broken window - just lie … as even for may 4 and 5 you still offer a yacht - that is not coming …. i will check with the loyer what action to be taken … shame to behave like this …

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