Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins Speedboat Tour from Húsavík
Description
Join Iceland's original RIB whale watching tour on modern speedboats Cover a wide area of Skjálfandi Bay aboard a fast, modern RIB speedboat to maximise your chances of spotting large whales in the wild Learn about Iceland's nature and wildlife from an expert guide Stay warm in safety overalls provided by the crew Choose a truly locally owned family company in Húsavík
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Subject to favourable weather conditions. If cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
- Please bring warm and waterproof clothing
- Minimum age is 8 years and minimum height 130 cm
- The puffin season is from April 15th – August 15th approximately. More focus on whales outside the puffin season. Should weather or sea conditions change, even with short notice, this may include skipping the visit to Puffin Island
- A minimum number of passengers is required for all our tours. If the minimum number is not reached, we reserve the right to change or cancel departures, even with short notice. In such cases, customers are offered alternative options or full refund
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Unfortunately, if no whales or dolphins are sighted on the tour, passenger refunds are not permitted. However, customers can receive a voucher to join a traditional whale watching tour free of charge, depending on availability
- Please arrive at the Gentle Giants Ticket Center in Húsavík at least 40 minutes before departure
- The tour on RIB speedboats is not allowed for passengers with heart- or back problems or pregnant women
- Not allowed for passengers with heart- or back problems or pregnant women
Reviews(462)
Absolutely amazing! Guide the captain make made it so enjoyable and of course the whale’s! The puffin’s we’re so cute!
The gentle Giants whale watching and puffin tour was excellent! The person who greeted us and helped us into our gear was very friendly and helpful. Demetria, our biologist guide, was informative and interesting. We were able to see thousands of puffins flying overhead, two humpback whales, and a playful trio of dolphins. What a great day!
Our tour was canceled due to weather, and I appreciated the communication via email that allowed us to rebook for a different time. Ultimately the whole day of tours, including our rebooked time slot, was canceled (we completely understand that part) and the offered rebooking for the next day was too late for our itinerary. I emailed the company to inquire about earlier time slots the next day, and they said the earliest they had was 3 pm. Funny enough, a few hours later I went to their website and they had a whole schedule of earlier time slots that were available. I realize they may have just added those slots, but they should have informed all canceled customers that new slots were available. Poor customer service in this regard, I felt misled and would not choose them again.
Our travel advisor, Hidden Iceland, book us on the Big Whale Safari & Puffins Tour. The rib boat is the way to go - very fast - without being disruptive to the animals. We tracked three humpbacks and a couple of "Menke" whales. The guide was very informative. Watching the bigger, crowded boats - plodding along - we were very happy to be on a smaller more nimble boat. Highly recommend.
We're so glad you enjoyed the RIB experience and all those whale sightings! Thank you for noticing how our whale watching tours in Húsavík balance exciting encounters with respect for the wildlife. Wishing you many more great adventures. All the best, Fabio.
WOW! - what a great excursion. Everything was so well organised from getting the waterproof suits, being helped on and off the boat, and the information during the trip. Our guide, Alba who was from Barcelona was very friendly and took care of everyone making sure they could get on and off the boat ok. She was very informative and kept pointing out puffins, dolphins and whales all the time. I can't begin to count how many dolphins we saw. And as for whales, saw one minke whale about 3 humpback whales including a mother and calf, what a sight. A great experience from start to finish. The two hours went very quick. Also thanks to the driver of the boat but didn't get her name but she was very quick to get to the wildlife when spotted. would highly recommend Gentle Giants for a whale watching tour. Thank you
Wow, what an incredible day! We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Alba and the captain. Thank you for your kind words and for choosing Gentle Giants for your whale watching adventure in Húsavík. Until next time, Fabio
A great experience that I can recommend 👍
Thank you for your kind recommendation! We’re glad you enjoyed your experience with Gentle Giants and had a great time exploring Skjálfandi Bay. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us. Kind regards, Beatriz
My mum has knee problems, which I mentioned when purchasing tickets - we were told that she can of course sit at the back. I again mentioned it when we were walking to the boat; however, she was made to take a middle seat, which was very difficult and painful, as you have to raise the leg very high to get there. Additionally, we saw no whales - we were told by the puffin island that other boats have now found whales, but we don’t have time to go see them. This was extremely disappointing as tour actually lasted less than 2 hours. We specifically took RIB boat, which was much more expensive, to be sure we can see whales. We did get offered to go again on a bigger (cheaper) boat, but we didn’t want to as we got soaking wet and cold (despite jackets and raincoats) already during the first tour. Extremely expensive for zero value we got. Do not recommend.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We especially regret the difficulty your mother experienced with the seating arrangement and we understand how frustrating that must have been. Whale watching involves observing wild animals in their natural habitat, and although our boats share sightings with one another, changing sea conditions and the time available for each tour sometimes mean we cannot reach every location where whales have been spotted. For this reasons we offer our lifetime voucher, although we completely understand that this may not be useful for every traveller. We truly appreciate your comments, as they help us review how we communicate and deliver the best possible experience for our guests. Kind regards, Beatriz
we had an amazing time with my family and 10 years old son. we say lots of whales and puffins from close. the guide was good. we had lots of layers on and we didnt feel cold. the views of the harbor and fjord were amazing. highly recommended!
We're delighted your family had such a memorable whale watching adventure in Húsavík! It's wonderful to hear your son enjoyed seeing the whales and puffins up close. We hope to welcome you all back to Gentle Giants one day. All the best, Fabio.
Knowledge guides, our guide was a marine biologist. Amazing captain. He positioned us perfectly to see the whales and found a pod of dolphins as well!
Went on July 15th, 2026 with Matteo - funny guide but knowledgeable. Made a great effort to ensure we saw a lot of marine life while we were out! We saw a few Minke whales, a female humpback whale, 6+ seals, and went by Puffin’s Island where there were hundreds, if not, thousands, of them. Guides definitely know there’s a whale that hangs out in a certain spot so it seems likely that you’re able to see one. Bonded with some girls on board and had a great time! Highly recommend the RIB experience than other boats. They’re able to get close and adjust the view. You’re also only competing with a small group of people vs a large group on other boats.
