Skip the crowds: Group Puffin Experiences | Birdlife-watching in Reykjavík

Embark on a premium Puffin and Birdwatching excursion, facilitated by purpose-built RIB boats with a maximum capacity of 12 passengers along with a professional birdlife guide. These offerings operate daily, up to nine times per day, from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour, running from May 1st to August 20th.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Whale Safari - The tour begins and concludes at our ticket office located at Reykjavík’s Old Harbour. Please arrive 30 minutes before departure to prepare for the tour. Our guide will then escort you to the boat docked at the Harbour.
  • Akurey - During the tour, we sail near 2-3 islands where puffins nest. As the islands are nature reserves, we…
What's Included
  • All necessary safety equipment including warm overalls, gloves, and goggles
  • Binoculars provided for each passenger
  • Inclusive of all local taxes
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Minimum age is 10 years
  • Minimum height is 145 cm
  • Not recommended for travellers with knee problems
  • Not recommended for young children
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(72 Ratings)
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L4194wqelainep
Oct 27, 2024
Everything promised and more! - Absolutely amazing and breathtaking morning spent with the very informative team. Puffins, dolphins and humpback whales were all seen. We spent a lot of time watching the whales, which was absolutely brilliant. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Product-of-canada
Sep 23, 2024
Excellent puffin tour on RIB boat - Having a small group of us in a RIB boat was a great experience. Both the guide and captain were great (Pedro & Rodrigo). Weather was on our side that morning, as there were only two partially sunny days during our 8-day stay in the city. Watching the puffins was so much fun. They are a bit skittish, so they do not let the boat get too close to the, particularly the ones in the water. If you are trying to get good close-up photos, you really do need a good zoom lens. The Boat does get close to their nesting island, but not close enough to get good close-up shots with a regular camera. I hear that there are other parts of Iceland, on land, where you can walk up to the puffins and they are not too afraid. But you will not find that here on this tour out of the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R5849gkcarinag
Sep 9, 2024
Easy and fast way to get the opportunity to experience whales and dolphins. - Great and easy way to get the opportunity to see whales, dolphins and puffins up close. The rib boats quickly went out to places where the whales could appear, then when we saw a whale or dolphin, the rib boat could just as quickly get slightly closer to the animals, so we could photograph. This is in contrast to the larger fishing boats / passenger boats, which also organize the whale safari, but which I chose not because they go significantly slower and take longer. We had to borrow overalls with hoods, life jackets, hats and mittens. I chose to bring my own mittens and hat. My hands and head got cold when they started driving. Sneakers were good enough to wear. We went on the tour in early August. We sat well in the boat and could hold on. The staff were very helpful and nice. The whole trip/experience was really well organized. The thing is that we also had flat water and sunshine....
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Arleeniebird
Sep 4, 2024
A fun experience! - A fun experience! They provide an extra layer of warmth with jump suits. I stayed perfectly warm and comfortable, even in the rain. We saw a number of Minke whales and some porpoises, and white beaked dolphins - who were curious and swam under the boat. The tour guide also identified some birds. We were out of season for puffins, but did see one juvenile. The tour was only 2 hours, so it was easy to squeeze into a busy day. Although I would have liked the tour to have been a little longer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brandie_h
Aug 24, 2024
Puffins!!!! - Really enjoyed our tour. The boats and guides were great. Loved that we had suits to keep is warm It was late in the season but we were still able to see quite a few puffins on the water (not super close, but from a distance so as not to disturb them) AND we got a bonus whale sighting!!! Appreciated the care the driver took around the Wildlife and the naturalist knew her stuff.
Review provided by Viator
Jennifer_t
Aug 21, 2024
Wonderful intimate tour - Our guide, Rachel, was amazing. It was really wonderful doing such a small tour. Everyone was able to ask questions and interact.
Review provided by Viator
Karen_g
Aug 18, 2024
Fun Puffin and Birding experience - We had a wonderful experience. We saw many puffins as well as other types of local birds. Trausti, our guide, was knowledgeable of the area and answered all our questions! I highly recommend this tour
Review provided by Viator
Alex_r
Aug 13, 2024
Awesome birding experience with passionate tour guide! - One of the highlights of our Iceland trip! As birdwatchers, we absolutely loved seeing the adorable puffins in their natural habitat and approaching them in an intimate yet respectful way. Our guide Rodrigo had lots of great knowledge about the puffins and other sea birds, but his passion and appreciation for the puffins is what really made it special. On this tour, Rodrigo and the ship captain ensured that we really got up close and personal with the puffins and other birds, without disturbing or disrupting their natural habitat, which we really appreciated!
Review provided by Viator
Donna_s
Aug 8, 2024
Good, but could have been better. - Great trip, saw lots of puffins! However, guide was very hard to hear (no device used for projecting her voice) and no binoculars were provided as stated in the Viator tour details. Could have really used them to see puffins up close. Not sure what made this a “premium” tour that warranted doubling the price of other similar tours.
Review provided by Viator
Lisa_w
Aug 9, 2024
Very disappointed - There was no experience the person who booked us had the tours to close and we missed it very disappointing because we only had one day in Reykjavik
Review provided by Viator