Whales of Iceland: Sea Watch Experience and Exhibition Visitation

Watch for whales in the Icelandic sea and visit the Whales of Iceland exhibition. Choose from a 2.5- or 3.5-hour whale watching cruise and explore Europe’s largest whale exhibition independently or on a guided tour.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Enjoy this 3-3.5 hour whale watching adventure, sailing out from Reykjavik´s Old Harbor, selecting your preferred departure time. Meet your captain, listen to a safety briefing, pull on a pair of provided coveralls, and find a spot on deck or in the indoor cabin.
As your boat pulls away, listen to onboard commentary about the marine life of Faxaflói…

What's Included
  • Complimentary sea sickness tablets
  • Experienced biologist on tour
  • Heated indoor seating
  • Free WiFi on board and at Whales of Iceland
  • Use of thermal overalls available
  • Admission to Whales of Iceland Exhibition
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel transfers (available for whale watching on request for an additional cost)
  • Food and drink (available to purchase at both locations)
Additional Information

Embark on a journey in search of whales in the vast seas of Iceland and explore the Whales of Iceland exhibit on this unique tour from Reykjavik. Take a 2.5- or 3.5-hour seafaring expedition and watch for the presence of minke and humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbor porpoises in Faxaflói Bay. Afterward, marvel at life-size models of whales…

Location
Geirsgata
Please meet us for the whale watching at our Special Tours Ticket Office, located at Geirsgata 11 in Reykjavik's Old Harbour.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
3.9
(14 Ratings)
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Steffani_w
Dec 31, 2024
The best experience i've ever had - we decided to visit the whales of iceland museum before our boat tour on the same day so we could learn a little about the whales before we tried to spot them. The museum is stunning, wide open spaces with life size whale models in them, it's quite spectacular if you have never seen it before. We decided for a bit of fun to take part in the adult level quiz around the facility (IT IS HARD!) but kept us all engaged and ensured we didn't just whizz through it, plus i now have a whale expert certificate from the museum so it was worth the challenge! - if you literally just wanted a quick look around you could spend 10 mins in there but we wanted to make the most of it. We couldn't sit and watch the screenings that were available to do schedule conflicts but that was okay. I think it's a great way to start the whale watching experience. The boat tour is about a 15 minute walk from the museum (20 if its icey and you are scared to slip like me!) We exchanged our vouchers for boat tickets and got onto the boat and received a warm welcome from the staff on the boat. The thermal suits provided were in a large variety of sizes although i would say you will struggle if you are bigger than a size 22/ 24 (some of our group were of this size and had to SQUEEZE) i couldn't find anything bigger in the sizes available for them. SUPER worth wearing them - hat gloves and scarf definitely recommended alongside it but we were nice and toasty! The travel to the bay where the whales were was not very far and very picturesque - we got to see some seals as we were traveling. Once at the bay we saw a whale within about 2 minutes! Then the magic just continued - there was a total of 3-4 humpback whales in the bay while we were there and appeared unphased by our presence - i would have found the experience difficult if we were clearly distressing them but they hung around the boat which was great. The boat was very full so at times hard to make it in time to see anything - once we were in the swing of it the boat was very good at moving around so all sides got the opportunity to view. If you paid more for a smaller group you might find it easier - we decided just to plant ourselves on one side at the railings and accept what we did and didn't see and honestly we saw so much i didnt feel like we missed out on anything not running around the boat with everyone else. Some other travelers lost interest after a while and sat downstairs while we were still watching the whales - this was much more calm and enjoyable for those who stayed on the deck. We didn't realise when we got on board that they have photographers there to capture the whales so we didn't have to worry about not getting great shots - these were put online and FREE to download after the tour - I was really impressed with this and they got some lovely shots. We must have been out for about 3-4 hours in total - and i loved every second. Over all one of the best experiences of my life - i would highly recommend to everyone - staff on the boat were brilliant, friendly and super knowledgeable. THANK YOU!!!
Review provided by Viator
Christopher_d
Oct 14, 2024
Whales ate the star! - Humpbacks put on a show! Extra benefit was the stunning views of the coast from the sea. Friendly staff.
Review provided by Viator
Rhysm584
Feb 1, 2024
We saw whales, we loved it - We went during the end of January and saw multiple hump back whales, so we’re pleased. The staff gave us waterproof overalls to everyone, so no one was cold or wet. They have a cafe on board, with drinks, hot drinks, snacks, and everything you need. The tour guide was passionate about the whales and this was easy to notice and understand, they are magical.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davina_m
May 3, 2022
Whale watching - We were so lucky to see a humpback whale breach to the side of our boat and we saw harbour porpoises too. Jonathan our guide was super knowledgeable and gave us the heads up as to where they were and what breeds were around. Thank you for the use of the warm overalls. Museum was great too, we did this in the morning, the video in the back room especially worth a watch. What a day, one that We’ll never forget! Such a privilege to see these beautiful animals up close. Thank you!
Review provided by Viator
Markus-dottir
Sep 9, 2021
Where can we buy the whale song? - Iga,the tour Guide, was very entertaining, in 5 languages and singing so beautifully a whale song, that 2 of them showed up right after. Where can we buy the record?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
473tristans
Jul 4, 2020
Perfect tour - Amazing tour we good to see many whales and our fantastic guide Daniel explained everything we needed to know and more I would recommend this very much it was amazing we even got to see a whale jumping I Gotta Hand it all to Daniel he was a perfect tour guide have a nice day :) -Tristan Salzwedell
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jmy67
Sep 16, 2021
A worthwhile morning - Iga knows whales & speaks several langs, but queasy from wearing the suits. Saw a few humpbacks 👍🏼
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Yara_k
Jun 25, 2019
A little disappointed - The only issue I had is that the boat is very big, which has its advantages, however, you are less likely to have time to move around when the captain points out a whale somewhere in the ocean. I was not able to see any of the whales the captain mentioned. Despite that, the boat trip was comfortable and the weather was amazing.
Review provided by Viator
Matteo_c
Feb 21, 2022
A bit disappointed, no... - A bit disappointed, no Whale and the boat was crowded. Don't go if you have motion sickness or it becomes a nightmare. People were kind and provide pills for motion sickness. Only other plus is the free entry for the Museum
Review provided by Viator
Mlt
Feb 27, 2016
Before booking this trip I read... - <p>Before booking this trip I read reviews and didn't really expect to see any whales as its out of season although I was hoping to. I think if I went back again I would give this trip a miss.</p>
Review provided by Viator
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up to 9 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
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