Whale watching tours from Reykjavik
Best whale-watching tours from Reykjavik, prices, requirements
Whale watching is an exciting activity if you wonder what you can do in Reykjavik during summer. The summer season is great for whale watching, as the wildlife in the bay is at its highest peak.
This is when the minke whales are at their most abundant, along with the white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises, and humpback whales, allowing us to enjoy and understand them in their natural environment.
Here are some whale watching tours are starting from Reykjavik:
The Classic Whale-Watching tour is about 3 hours long, and the trip is in Faxaflói Bay. While on a whale-watching tour, you will also see the birds on the bay during the summer. On this tour, kids under six years old have free entrance.
This tour includes the use of warm overalls and blankets; Excellent live guidance in English; Complimentary Wi-Fi onboard; Access to our Wildlife Exhibition; Heated indoor saloon; Large viewing windows; Whale guarantee (or try again for free); Pictures taken by the crew (if any).
The starting point is at the ticket office by the Old Harbor in downtown Reykjavík, where you will exchange your pre-paid voucher for boarding tickets.
Before the tour, you can go a few steps down the pier. You will find a Visitor Centre made on a fishing vessel permanently placed by the harbour. At the Visitor Centre, you can stroll through a unique floating wildlife exhibition to learn more about the animals you may encounter on tour.
On the tour, you will be guided by marine biologists who will explain everything about marine life around Reykjavik and respond to your questions.
All you need to do for this tour is to take your curiosity with you, check the weather, and dress accordingly because the weather may change the plans for whale-watching; you should check the online whale diary to check for updates on your departure.
Take notice that seeing the whales cannot be guaranteed as they are observed in their natural environment, but if the tour is unsuccessful, you will not get a refund but a ticket for a second try another day.
The prices for this tour can be checked here.
Whale Watching tour in Midnight sun
For the Whale Watching tour in the Midnight sun, you must go to the ticket office by the Old Harbor in downtown Reykjavík in the evening. The schedule for this tour is 15 June – 31 July at 20:30 and 1 August – 31 August at 19:00.
The tour will be around 2,5-3,5 hours and, as the name says, will take you on an unforgettable journey to the Faxaflói Bay under a golden sky.
The mystical midnight sun often casts a beautiful orange and pink glow on the mountains surrounding the bay, and together with the wildlife, it provides quite a unique experience.
As for the Classic Whale-Watching tour, no one can guarantee that you will see whales during the tour, but if the tour is unsuccessful, you will receive a complimentary ticket to try again another day.
The prices for this tour can be checked here.
For this tour, you should check the weather and dress accordingly. And because the weather may change the plans for whale-watching, you should check the online whale diary for updates on your departure.
You can try the Premium Whale-Watching tour if you want a more intense experience. This tour is for a smaller group of people (maximum 12 persons) on a RIB boat.
On this tour, you will be able to see the whales closer as the boat will sail in larger areas where a big ship could not sail. Also, a specially trained guide will guide you on this tour, and a certified RIB boat captain will sail the boat.
The starting point for this private tour is also the Old Harbor in Reykjavík; it has moderate difficulty and is about 2 hours long. This Private Whale-Watching tour has some different requirements:
This tour has a minimum of 2 passengers. If the minimum is not met, we will offer you the option to reschedule or get a full refund.
The tour may not be suitable for seniors (65+ years), pregnant women, or those with a history of heart or back problems.
You need to be able to stand in your seat (minimum height of 145 cm.) and fit into one of our overalls to participate (maximum size 3XL).
Participants will need to sign a waiver upon arrival to join the tour.
Please make your way to Old Harbor in at least 30 minutes. Before the scheduled tour departure, the pickup is unavailable for this tour.
If no whales or dolphins are seen on the tour, we do not refund the tour price but instead offer a complimentary ticket valid on our Classic Whale Watching tour. The ticket is valid for two years for returning passengers only and is non-transferable between tours.
On returning to Reykjavik, the captain will sail along the city’s coastline for beautiful sightseeing. The price for this premium tour can be checked here. The departure time for the tour is 10:00 for summer 2021. Note that for this tour, the pick-up is not available.
You should be careful and dress accordingly in warm and waterproof clothes.
In this tour, the boat will get closer to the whales, and you will also get to see puffins as on the way back, the ship will sail along the shoreline where the puffins usually nest.
Don’t dwell on thoughts and book one of the best Whale watching tours from Reykjavik.
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