The tour commences at our ticket office in the Old Harbour in downtown Reykjavik where you can exchange your pre-paid voucher for admission tickets. Merely steps away you will find our Visitor Centre, facilitated on board a converted fishing vessel permanently placed by the pier, which is where you will meet our crew for the day. Before (or after) the tour you can stroll through our souvenir shop, have a drink at the Whale Café or enjoy the onboard whale exhibition located in the hull of the boat. The show includes multimedia images and videos of whales as well as fun facts about the cetaceans and other marine animals we are likely to come across on the tour. From that point you will be show to our whale watching vessel where the tour takes place.
Once on board the tour boat you will find several outdoor viewing platforms, a large indoor saloon with an on board café where you can buy light refreshments, basic bathroom facilities and a cloak room where you can borrow one of our blankets or overalls on colder days. You can either stay outside in the fresh air but you are also welcome to stay inside the heated lounge and observe the views from within, through our large panoramic windows. One of our excellent guides will commentate on the sights and views at hand through the intercom system on board and will be available to you and happy to answer any questions you may have throughout the tour.
Summer season (1 April – 31 October) is great for whale watching, as the wildlife in the bay is at it’s highest peak! This is the time when the Minke whales are at their most abundant, along with White-beaked dolphins, Harbour porpoises and the occasional Humpback whales, giving us the chance to enjoy and understand them in their natural environment.
Winter season (1 November – 31 March) is a whole other experience and adventure compared to our summer tours. Each year continues to surprise us with the wildlife it offers. The winter low lying sun is also something not to be missed, as it casts a warm glow over the white-capped mountains surrounding the bay and to breathe in the winter’s fresh and crisp air is just incredible. If you are traveling in winter (Nov-Feb), please select our Reykjavík Winter Whale & Dolphin Watching option.
The most common cetacean in the area are the Minke whales, White-beaked dolphins and Harbour porpoises. Occasionally we spot other species including Humpback whales, Killer whales/Orcas, Fin whales and Blue whales to name but a few.
The weather can change quite frequently in Iceland and therefore we reserve the right to alter routes and itineraries by sailing from other harbours in the nearby area where the weather or sightings are more favourable each time, which could result in a slightly longer tour. Please consult with our ticket sales staff if you are on a tight schedule.
Please be aware that the tours are run in wild nature and we can never guarantee sightings on a particular tour. The estimated duration of tours are standard times and can change according to conditions at sea. Although our success rate is high, the cetacean abundance is unpredictable and varies with the food availability of our shores.
COMBO: Combine this activity with a Puffin tour, Northern Lights Cruise, Imagine Peace Tower tour or check out other combo packages we have put together.
Please note that for your enjoyment, this tour is subject to weather and conditions at sea and therefore it could get cancelled on short notice. Stay updated on your tour status or check recent sightings by having a look at our online Whale Diary.
Dress warmly and don’t be shy to also put on our warm overalls!
What’s included?
Use of warm overalls
Excellent guidance
Free on board WiFi
Access to our Visitor Centre / Whale Exhibition
TOUR AREA
Our whale watching tours are focused mainly on the southern part of Faxaflói bay, just off Reykjavík. Each day we scan the area for signs of whales as we never know for sure where we might find them. Sometimes we have to go far while at other times the whales are quite close to the shore. On some occasions (mainly in winter), when weather conditions or chances of spotting whales are greater elsewhere than our regular area in Faxaflói, we depart from nearby harbours like Hafnarfjörður, Keflavík, Sandgerði or Grindavík making the tours last anywhere from 3-5 hrs.
