Reykjavik · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS

The 15 Best Boat Trips from Reykjavik

30 tours  ·  from $60

Whales, puffins, sea angling, the aurora from open water and the New Year fireworks. The 15 below all sail from the old harbour, priced by hours at sea and clear on how cold the deck gets.

Reykjavík: Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise - The ride into Faxaflói Bay
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Reykjavík: Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise

1.Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 9,838 reviews · 3 hours · from $87Our pick

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay for a three-hour search for minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals. Guides such as Maria, Lucky, and Gunther explain the wildlife and point out sightings. You get indoor warmth, outdoor viewing, WiFi, a café, and hotel pickup options.

“This was one of the best experiences I’ve ever done on holiday. Getting to see two humpback whales in their natural habitat was absolutely phenomenal. The boat was comfortable with many vantage points, and it had a fully stocked bar with loads of snacks and a variety of drinks to choose from. The staff were friendly and informative.”

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Reykjavík: Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht - Three decks for spotting whales and dolphins
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Reykjavík: Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht

2.Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,911 reviews · 3 hours · from $107

Sail from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor aboard the Amelia Rose, a smooth offshore yacht with three viewing decks, warm blankets, WiFi, and an indoor bar. Guides such as Lucky and Roman help you spot humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds across Faxaflói Bay.

“The whole Team was great on the Amelia Rose Yacht. Definitely recommend.”

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Reykjavik: Northern Lights Yacht Tour - A two-hour search across Faxafloi Bay
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Reykjavik: Northern Lights Yacht Tour

3.Northern Lights Yacht Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,253 reviews · 2 hours · from $93

Join an English-speaking guide and crew at Reykjavik’s Old Harbor for a two-hour yacht cruise beneath the aurora. Watch from three open decks, warm up in the lounge with a hot drink, and get help with night photography. Hotel pickup is optional, and free rebooking may be offered if the lights do not appear.

“Was an incredible evening seeing the Northern Lights whilst in the sea. Could see the Northern lights within 5 minutes of sailing. Initially not to dissimilar to seeing them in the UK (faint green) however after about 30 minutes then lights came alive and illuminated the sky. Dancing across they looked incredible, even seeing a meteor during the spectacle. Reduced my mother to tears! Incredible evening experienced by the whole family.”

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Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Boat Tour - Lundey and Akurey, the puffin islands
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Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Boat Tour

4.Puffin Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,052 reviews · 1 hour · from $64

Cruise from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour aboard the wooden Puffin Express, or Old Skuli, to Lundey and Akurey. An English-speaking guide such as Patrick, Joe, or Rebekka explains puffins and other seabirds while you watch from the boat. Binoculars are provided, and puffin sightings are guaranteed.

“It was a fun trip to see the puffins. The guide was knowledgeable and humorous.”

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Reykjavik: Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise - Choosing between MY Harpa and MY Amelia Rose
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Reykjavik: Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

5.Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 707 reviews · 3 hours · from $106

Sail Faxafloi Bay from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor aboard MY Harpa or MY Amelia Rose. Guides such as Lucky and Rebecca point out humpback and minke whales, dolphins, seals, porpoises, seabirds, and summer puffins. Expect three hours on the water, warm blankets, WiFi, indoor seating, and a return ticket if no wildlife appears.

“Great time! We saw humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, and puffins.”

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Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik - Sailing past Harpa and Reykjavik’s coast
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Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

6.Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 684 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $102

Set out from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour for a three-hour cruise through Faxaflói Bay. Your English-speaking guide helps you spot minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and perhaps orcas. The yacht has outdoor viewing areas, warm indoor seating, toilets, and a bar. If no whales appear, you can take a return cruise free.

“Long wait, 2.5hrs, 2 bays visited, Autumn/Winter is likely not a great season. We managed to only see a whale tale once, for 2 seconds (85€ sounds a bit expensive)”

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Whale-Watching Boat Tour with Expert Guide from Reykjavik - The Guides Make the Difference
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Whale-Watching Boat Tour with Expert Guide from Reykjavik

7.Whale-Watching Boat Tour with Expert Guide from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 651 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $86

Meet at Reykjavik’s Old Harbor for a high-speed 2.5-hour trip or a slower 3.5-hour cruise into Faxaflói Bay. Your guide explains the wildlife while you watch for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds. Thermal coveralls, indoor seating, Wi-Fi, and a try-again ticket are included.

“This whale-watching tour was amazing! The guides were friendly and knowledgeable. We wore the provided overalls and stayed nice and warm. Saw puffins, a humpback whale, and minke whales. Thanks Special Tours!”

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Puffin Cruise with Expert Tour Guide from Reykjavik - Timing your cruise around puffin season
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Puffin Cruise with Expert Tour Guide from Reykjavik

8.Puffin Cruise with Expert Tour Guide from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 636 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $63

Take a one-hour express boat from Reykjavik to Akurey Island, where puffins gather from May through August. Your English-speaking guide, perhaps Patrick, Peter, or Joe, explains puffins and local seabirds while you circle the island with binoculars on board. The trip suits a busy sightseeing day.

“We had the opportunity to see some puffins on this trip. It was a good time, the only issue was we could not understand the gentleman who was talking about the puffins.”

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Northern Lights Cruise from Downtown Reykjavik - Finding a comfortable place on the boat
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Northern Lights Cruise from Downtown Reykjavik

9.Northern Lights Cruise from Downtown Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 610 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $105

Sail from downtown Reykjavik into Faxaflói Bay for about two hours, watching for the Aurora Borealis from outdoor decks or a heated cabin. Elding provides floatable overalls, Wi-Fi, hot drinks for purchase, and a free return cruise if the lights do not appear.

“If you get seasick, take your dramamine, but so worth it! They explained how to take the best pictures of the lights, instruicted us on where to stand - everything we needed to make some good memories!”

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Whale Watching & Dolphin Yacht Cruise - What the guides add to the trip
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Whale Watching & Dolphin Yacht Cruise

10.Whale Watching & Dolphin Yacht Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 488 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $108

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor aboard Harpa or Amelia Rose for about three hours in Faxafloi Bay. Your guide, sometimes including Lucky, helps you spot whales, dolphins, and summer puffins. Expect open viewing decks, indoor seating, blankets, a bar, Wi-Fi, and a return trip if wildlife is not seen.

“We had such a great experience as a family (2 adults, 2 children). We have been wanting to see whales for a long time and finally got to tick them off the bucket list. So pleased we got to see a few groups of Humpback whales - amazing! I would definitely recommend this trip to others, the crew were great at tracking them and communicating with all on board. We didn't use the warm areas or bars onboard, but it was good to know that facilities were available if we needed to use them. We were too engrossed with taking the experience in on the top deck! 🐋❤️”

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Reykjavik: Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour - Puffins on Old Skúli near Reykjavík
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Reykjavik: Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour

11.Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 442 reviews · from $148

Cruise from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor on two separate wildlife trips. The shallow-draft Old Skúli gets close to puffin islands, while the spacious Andrea searches Faxaflói Bay for minke and humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Guides such as Patrick and Rebecca add facts, humor, and help spotting wildlife.

“The Whale Watching was incredible! Our guide did a great job of pointing out all the dolphins and telling us all about the animals we were seeing. They also did a great job of finding a big group of Humpback Whales and finding ways for us to observe them safely and respectfully which was great. We also loved doing our Puffin Tour and would recommend brining binoculars for anyone planning on doing this part as the puffins were much smaller than we thought.”

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From Reykjavik: Northern Lights Sightseeing Cruise - Finding a place on the two observation decks
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From Reykjavik: Northern Lights Sightseeing Cruise

12.Northern Lights Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 438 reviews · 2 hours · from $88

Sail from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour with an English-speaking guide, blankets, Wi-Fi, and two observation decks. You’ll leave the city lights behind, watch the mountains fade into the night, and search the sky for the aurora. Hotel pickup is optional, and free rebooking is available if the lights do not appear.

“Amazing we got to see the lights within 20 minutes of setting off, they even danced for us!! Epic!!”

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Northern Lights Yacht Cruise in Reykjavik - Searching for the aurora over Faxaflói Bay
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Northern Lights Yacht Cruise in Reykjavik

13.Northern Lights Yacht Cruise in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 428 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $94

Cruise from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour into Faxaflói Bay for about two hours while guides track the aurora. You’ll have a warm cabin, viewing decks, Wi-Fi, a bar, and help with night photography. The yacht may pass islands and Reykjavík’s coast, with whales, dolphins, and porpoises possible.

“Very easy to find tickets and boat. We were very fortunate as lights were all around us and very easy to see/photograph.”

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Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat - Crossing Faxaflói Bay at 32 knots
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Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

14.Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 393 reviews · 2 hours · from $194

Join a small-group RIB tour from Reykjavik’s harbor for two hours among the feeding grounds of Faxaflói Bay. Expect fast cruising, spring-mounted seats, warm flotation gear, an English-speaking guide, summer puffin sightings near Akurey, and entry to the Whales of Iceland Museum.

“It was perfect for us! The weather was great and we saw different kind of whales. Our guide Rebekka was great, she gave as good informations and was super happy to see the puffins like we! Thank you!”

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Reykjavik: Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride & South Coast Full Day Tour - Stjórnarfoss, a quiet first stop
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Reykjavik: Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride & South Coast Full Day Tour

15.Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride & South Coast Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 363 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $259

Travel from Reykjavik to Iceland’s southeast coast with a professional guide and driver. Cruise for 30 minutes among the icebergs of Jökulsárlón, visit Diamond Beach and Vík, and walk behind Seljalandsfoss. Guides such as Pierre, Thor, Daniel, and Sunny are praised for clear commentary and careful timing.

“This trip was longer than 14 hours. I felt a lot of time was wasted with unnecessary stops. It got so dark that it wasn't very safe to go behind the waterfall on the trip. The food stops weren't great. It might be better to stop at places where you can grab a sandwich and go rather then have a meal prepared. Next time, I will look for a better more organized tour.”

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New in Cruises & Boat Tours

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