The 15 Best Boat Trips in Iceland

Reykjavík: Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise - The first stretch: scenery, seabirds, and the search

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

Review of Reykjavík whale watching in Faxaflói Bay, with wildlife, boat comfort, guide quality, cold-weather tips, prices, and booking advice.

“An amazing morning whale watching - we were lucky enough to see 2 humpback whales and lots of seals! Maria, our guide, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Even when we were looking for (and unfortunately not finding) more animals, she chatted away about the scenery and sea birds. The views themselves, especially at sunrise, make this a lovely thing to do but the whales coming very close to the boat made it exceptional! Also, the hot chocolate is so so good, and very reasonable!”

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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

Review of Reykjavík’s Amelia Rose whale watching cruise, with yacht comforts, wildlife odds, price, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.

“We had a brilliant time whale watching with Sea Trips Reykjavík. The boat was lovely, we saw two humpback whales and stayed with them for almost an hour. Would definitely recommend this tour.”

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Reykjavik: Northern Lights Yacht Tour

3.Northern Lights Yacht Tour

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

Review of Reykjavik’s Northern Lights Yacht Tour, with deck views, bar, guide, timing, weather limits, photography tips, and value advice.

“Great! Didn’t want the four hour tour as we are with our granddaughter so this was perfect- comfortable inside seating informative guide and yes! We did see the lights so as perfect finale to our Iceland adventure!”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Puffin & Wildlife Watching, Puffin and Wildlife Trips in Reykjavík, Reykjavík Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Boat Tour

4.Puffin Watching Boat Tour

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

See Reykjavik’s puffins on a one-hour boat tour to Lundey and Akurey, with guides, binoculars, wildlife, and a 100% sighting guarantee.

“A really enjoyable hour long boat trip to watch the puffins coming and going, adorable creatures, and saw plenty of other sea birds too. Joe the guide was excellent, entertaining and informative. Would highly recommend this trip.”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Dolphin Watching, Reykjavík Tours, Sailing, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching, Whale Watching Tours in Reykjavík

Reykjavik: Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

5.Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

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

Review of Reykjavik’s 3-hour Harpa Yachts whale cruise, with yacht comfort, wildlife odds, seasonal puffins, costs, and practical tips.

“The boat was comfortable and warm inside. We were incredibly lucky and found 2 humpback whales within 30 mins. One of the whales breached at least 15 times (we lost count). Our guide said this was very unusual for winter. Great experience, plenty of space to get a view. Guide was very approachable and had a good chat.”

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Akureyri Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching, Whale Watching Tours in Akureyri

Árskógssandur: Whale-Watching Boat Trip

6.Árskógssandur: Whale-Watching Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 695 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $96

Sail Eyjafjörður from Árskógssandur on a traditional oak boat, with warm overalls, whale sightings, hot chocolate, and cinnamon buns.

“We saw many whales and the guide told us many interesting things about them.”

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Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

7.Whale Watching Cruise on a Yacht in Reykjavik

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

Review of Reykjavik’s three-hour yacht whale cruise, with wildlife, bay views, practical tips, value, boat comfort, and whale-sighting advice.

“A bucket list ticked. Great staff that helped with any questions. Loved the boat, that could stay warm and dry with a cheeky triple or hang out watching for whales. Got what we came for and left very happy. Loved it”

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Whale-Watching Boat Tour with Expert Guide from Reykjavik

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

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

Review of Reykjavik’s whale-watching boat tour, with practical advice on wildlife, boats, weather, timing, price, and who should book.

“The ship is an old ferry boat, so it was large and comfortable, but also a bit slow. Be prepared for a 3 hour cruise, which is about 1 hour traveling out to the feeding grounds, 1 hour looking for/at whales, then 1 hour traveling back... that's what any whale watch is like. We saw 3 different kinds of whales on our cruise. It was the highlight of our trip!”

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Puffin Cruise with Expert Tour Guide from Reykjavik

9.Puffin Cruise with Expert Tour Guide from Reykjavik

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

See Reykjavik’s puffins on a one-hour cruise to Akurey Island, with an expert guide, onboard binoculars, flexible departure times, and free cancellation.

“Great tour. We did see the puffins. Wish we could have seen them closer but we did see them. Glad we got to see them before they leave the area.”

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Northern Lights Cruise from Downtown Reykjavik

10.Northern Lights Cruise from Downtown Reykjavik

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

Review of Reykjavik’s Northern Lights Cruise, with heated cabin, warm overalls, skyline views, aurora guarantee, and practical tips.

“This was a very cool experience and we did see the lights during the cruise tour, the host was very informative and friendly with good English. We used the provided coveralls and they were a must because it was so cold out on the water. The host pointed out where the lights were visable, and what directions etc. There was toilets on board which was great, and also a warmer cafe area with seating, but mostly we stayed on the outer decks. The boat was very large not also not too large, not too small, just the perfect size. Even showed and talked about the peace tower too which was…”

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Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

11.Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $203Top rated

Review of Húsavík’s Big Whales and Puffins RIB tour, with close wildlife encounters, practical tips, pricing, weather advice, and booking details.

“It was very good experience and guides are super friendly and helpful. We saw a few different whales during the trip.”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Dolphin Watching, Reykjavík Tours, Sailing, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching, Whale Watching Tours in Reykjavík

Whale Watching & Dolphin Yacht Cruise

12.Whale Watching & Dolphin Yacht Cruise

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

Review of Reykjavik’s 3-hour whale and dolphin yacht cruise, with boat comfort, wildlife chances, price, weather tips, and honest drawbacks.

“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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Lake Myvatn Day Tour and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Akureyri Port

13.Lake Myvatn Day Tour and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Akureyri Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 473 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $205

Review of Akureyri’s Lake Myvatn and Godafoss cruise tour, with lava fields, mud pools, port pickup, costs, timing, and practical tips.

“Had the thrill of getting a local man gives us a tour from the perspective of someone born and raised in the town.The tour itself was the best highlights of the area.”

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Húsavík: Whale-Watching Cruise and Puffins Guided Tour

14.Whale-Watching Cruise and Puffins Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 444 reviews · 3 hours · from $135

Review of Húsavík’s 3.5-hour whale and puffin cruise, with boat details, wildlife odds, cold-weather tips, price value, and booking advice.

“We were lucky to have a beautiful day! The whole crew were great, our biologist guide was friendly, informative and fun. I would highly recommend this company.”

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