Are you looking to book a Reykjavik whale watching tour? In the post below, I detail everything you need to know about booking a whale watching tour from Reykjavik, including insight from my experience and tips on what to pack!
Below are some of the top tours, hotels, and more! Donʻt forget to plan ahead when visiting Reykjavik and its surroundings! 🇮🇸 Top activities and tours in Reykjavik: 🛌 Top places to stay in Reykjavik: 🚗 Visiting Reykjavik independently? Be sure to book your Iceland rental car ahead of time to ensure availability!
Reykjavik is one of the best places in the world to go whale watching, with its nutrient-rich cold waters supporting plenty of species ranging from migratory whales to resident populations of dolphins. In fact, it is one of the few places in Europe where you can go whale watching year-round.
Because of this, many whale watching companies in Reykjavik offer a range of tours for different kinds of travelers, from luxury cruises to thrill-seeking speedboat trips. In this guide, I will detail my experience of taking a whale watching yacht cruise — and also explain why I opted for this experience over some others.
If you have any questions regarding Reykjavik whale watching tours or about the experience I took, please leave a comment below!
Why Whale Watch in Reykjavik?
I love seeing whales in their natural habitat; there is something so majestic about these beautiful creatures that move with such grace despite their massive size. I have been fortunate enough to see whales around the world, and I will always opt to take a whale watching tour when one is available.
On my most recent trip to Iceland, I had one last free morning before my flight left and so I decided to use this time to head out to sea and see if I could spot some whales… and it was a fantastic use of time!
Whale watching is one of the best things to do in Reykjavik as it runs year-round with all sorts of whale species present in the waters, though the species vary depending on the season. During the core summer tourism season from May until September, you have good chances to see humpback, minke, and blue whales.
While October to April is not the best time to see whales in Iceland, there are still decent chances to see the year-round resident harbor porpoise, as well as the white-beaked dolphin and killer whales. During this part of the year, there are still chances to see some of the humpback whales, at least the ones that for one reason or another do not make their annual migration.
There are two primary tour options for whale watching from Reykjavik, a RIB boat tour or one on a larger yacht-like vessel. RIB stands for ‘rigid inflatable boat’, which often means you’re in for a more cramped and rockier journey. I opted to take the tour on a larger vessel, since I had no particular desire to get too wet on my trip and I wanted to use a larger camera.
This guide will detail my experience of that tour, but at the end, I will provide you with some alternative options in case something different would be more suitable for you!
Key Tour Information
Below I have outlined the key information for the whale watching tour onboard the Amelia Rose Yacht.
Tour Length: 3 Hours
Pick-up: Yes, for an extra fee
Booking Period: Year-round
How to Book a Whale Watching Tour from Reykjavik
I booked my Reykjavik whale watching tour through GetYourGuide, one of my preferred options for booking tours. The booking process is incredibly simple; just choose the tour you wish to take, the date, and number of people you want to participate.
You will then need to choose if you wish to book a tour with or without hotel pick-up. The cost will vary depending on the option you choose and if you have already rented a car you don’t need to spend extra on hotel pick-up. Each option will have a few available tour times, which you will need to choose from, before checking out or adding it to your basket.
You will then need to choose your cancellation policy, as standard the tour can be canceled up to 24 hours in advance free of charge. However, Get Your Guide offers you the chance to extend this policy until an hour before the tour. This option increases the price of the tour, but you will get a 100% refund if you cancel the tour. This is great if you’re trying to hedge your bets on Iceland’s fickle weather!
Once you have chosen your cancellation policy, you will need to fill in your details and select a payment option. All major card providers are accepted, along with online payment solutions like PayPal.
After you have booked your tour you will receive a confirmation email that includes a QR code ticket for the tour which you will need on the day of the Reykjavik whale watching tour. There’s no need to print anything, which is great if you’re booking this tour spontaneously while you’re already traveling.
Where to Meet Before Your Whale Watching Tour
On the morning of your tour, you will need to check in 30 minutes before your departure time at the Old Harbour House (Aegisgardur 2, 101 Reykjavik).
Opposite the bar, you will find self-check-in machines where you can scan the QR or barcode provided by Get Your Guide.
The machine will then print off your boarding pass, and from there, you can work your way over to the ship. If you have any issues, there are also staff available to help you with the process.
If, like me, you tend to arrive at places very early, the bar is open throughout the check-in period. This is a great place to buy some hot drinks and small pastries. There are also toilets available to use in the building.
Once you are at the ship, you will need to hand in your boarding pass to the crew member. After that, you can board the ship and find your spot onboard.
My Experience on Board
I went on this whale watching tour full of optimism that I would see whales. The weather was nice, the seas were calm, and I just felt like Iceland was going to provide a bounty of these beautiful creatures. After setting off from the harbor, the day started well with puffins flying all around the boat, which I saw as a good omen.
Soon after exiting the harbor, we saw our first whale. A minke whale was swimming around the harbor entrance, diving down deep to feed and later resurfacing at different spots around the boat. We stayed to watch this whale for a short while before heading out to the deeper waters, where there is a whale protection zone.
Once we arrived at the main whale watching area, we were greeted by a playful pod of white-beaked dolphins. They took breaks from feeding to play in the wake of the boat, which was fun to see. The small pod consisted of a few adult dolphins and several baby dolphins.
Unfortunately, no whales appeared while we were in the protection area. After an hour or so of searching for whales (though at least the time was spent watching the dolphins), we headed back towards the harbor.
As we came back into the harbor, the minke whale was still hanging around, so we spent a little more time watching it before docking in the harbor.
I am glad I opted for this yacht whale watching tour from Reykjavik over a RIB boat, as the boat itself is very spacious with multiple decks, a heated cabin with a bar, and toilets. At no point did I feel like the boat was overly crowded, and I always found enough space to photograph as much as I wanted.
If you get cold on the boat, there are plenty of blankets available to use for free, although be sure to keep hold of them so they don’t blow away!
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I do not see any whales or dolphins?
If you are unfortunate enough to not see any wildlife on your tour you will be given a free ticket to join the tour again.
Is a RIB or yacht better?
There are positives for both kinds of tours. RIB boats are faster, giving you a chance to spend more time searching for whales.
They are also able to get closer to shore. The plus side of this is that during the puffin season, they can take you right up to the shore to observe the puffin nesting area.
The fast-paced boats are also more exciting in general for those who want to mix whale watching with the thrill of racing through the ocean and bouncing off the swell.
While the yachts might not be adrenaline-inducing, I prefer them for photography, as there is plenty of space to bring a bigger lens and use a monopod if necessary during low light conditions.
They are also great if the weather is bad, as you can hide away indoors until whales or dolphins have been spotted.
🛥️ Click here for rates and availability of Reykjavik whale watching by yacht
🚤 Click here to check out RIB boat whale watching tours from Reykjavik
Who can’t take the Reykjavik whale watching tour?
In general, this tour is very easy and doesn’t involve any physical activity, although you will need to be able to maneuver around the boat’s walkways and steps.
The boat is well-designed to deal with the turbulent waters of Iceland to provide the smoothest sailing experience possible and minimize seasickness.
However, this isn’t guaranteed and those who get seasick should take seasickness tablets or wear a seasickness band. There are free seasickness tables available onboard too.
What to Wear on your Whale Watching Tour
The most important thing is to dress properly. No matter the season, Iceland is never a particularly warm country, and once you head out to sea it gets a lot colder. I recommend wearing a thick wool jumper, a windproof jacket, and warm trousers.
If you are doing the tour in winter, you will most likely want to wear additional thermal layers underneath too. I suggest wearing a warm hat, a scarf or neck gaiter, and a pair of photography gloves throughout the year.
What to Bring on Your Tour
You do not need to bring too many things with you on the whale watching tour; however, I do suggest bringing the following with you.
- A camera:Â I definitely recommend bringing a camera with a good zoom lens to help you photograph any animals you see!
- A pair of binoculars: The whales are not always particularly close and it is worthwhile bringing a pair of binoculars with you, especially if you do not have a zoom lens.
- A phone strap: Accidents happen on boats. It’s not uncommon that a rogue wave may knock someone into you… and the next thing you know, your phone could go overboard! I always attach a strap to my phone during boat cruises for that extra security.
Do you have any questions about booking a Reykjavik whale watching tour? Please leave your comments or questions below and I will try and answer them!