Reykjavik: the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

GYG

Reykjavik: the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

★ 4.4(1,133 reviews)

• Guide works in English
• Duration per the operator: 3 hours

from $105

See dates, price and what is included at the operator

Three hours out of Reykjavik harbour

This is the original whale watching tour from Reykjavik, run by Elding Adventure at Sea. It leaves from the city harbour and spends three hours in Faxaflói Bay, the stretch of water that opens up west of the capital. The trip is a straightforward introduction to whale watching: you board a purpose-built vessel, leave the harbour behind, and head for the feeding grounds where the boats have had the most luck that day. The operator runs the tour in English, with a guide on board to point out what surfaces and to explain what you are looking at. It suits first-timers who want a reliable, unhurried look at the bay without committing to a full day at sea. The price starts at 105 USD, and the boat is not wheelchair accessible, so bear that in mind if it matters to you. The itinerary lists Reykjavik itself as the start and Vík í Mýrdal as a reference point, but the actual sailing stays in the bay near the city; the three hours are spent on the water, not travelling the south coast.

Photographs from the operator Elding Adventure at Sea. They show the listing, not your day.

What the fare covers and what it does not

The 105 USD entry price gets you the three-hour sailing with an English-speaking guide on board. Food is not part of the fare, so if you think you will want something to eat or drink during the trip, plan to bring it with you or buy it before you board. The operator offers free cancellation, which is useful if the weather looks doubtful and you want to keep your options open. No fees are added on the day for the places involved in this tour. The sailing itself is the whole of the experience, and there are no separate admission charges or parking costs to factor in at any point. What you see on the day depends on the whales, of course, and the operator does not guarantee a sighting, but the boat will stay out for the full three hours regardless.

What the score means

The tour holds a rating of 4.4 out of 5, based on 1,133 reviews. That is a solid score, and the number behind it matters: more than a thousand people have taken this trip and recorded their experience, which gives the rating real weight. It ranks fourth out of 36 whale watching tours in Reykjavik when ordered by the strength of the evidence behind the score, meaning it has one of the larger review counts in the category. The score itself is slightly below the top of the group, but the volume of feedback tells you the experience is consistent. A tour with a perfect score and a handful of reviews is a gamble; this one has been tested by a large number of passengers and has come out well.

When the bay is at its best

Reykjavik's temperatures peak in July, when the average high reaches 15 degrees, and stay above 10 degrees from June through September. That is the window when a three-hour sail is most comfortable. In the summer months, the daylight stretches long into the evening, so the tour can run late without losing light. May and September are cooler, with highs around 10 to 11 degrees, but still workable if you dress for it. From October onward, the averages drop below 8 degrees, and by December and January the high is only 3 degrees with lows around minus 2. A three-hour trip in winter means cold air moving across open water, and the wind on deck will make it feel colder than the air temperature suggests. The middle of the day is the warmest part of the year round, and for a tour of this length, a midday or early afternoon departure gives you the best chance of comfortable conditions on deck.

Getting on board and settling in

You meet the boat at Reykjavik's old harbour, where Elding has its base. The departure point is easy to reach on foot from the city centre, and the harbour area is busy with tours, so give yourself a few minutes to find the right vessel. Once on board, the guide will give a short briefing on what to expect and where to look. The boat has both covered and open deck areas, so you can move between them depending on how the wind feels. The sea in the bay is generally calmer than the open Atlantic, but it can still get choppy, and if you are prone to motion sickness, it is worth thinking about that before you sail. The guide stays on deck throughout and will call out when something is spotted. There is no set schedule for sightings, so the pace of the trip depends entirely on what the bay offers that day.

Who should take this tour

This is the tour for someone who wants a proper whale watching experience without the premium price or the physical demands of a faster boat. It costs less than the RIB speedboat option, which starts at 195 USD and lasts only two hours, and it carries more passengers, which makes for a steadier ride. If you are travelling with children, or you prefer a larger vessel with room to move around, this fits better than the speedboat. The tour with the expert guide, at 103 USD, is slightly cheaper and runs for two to three hours, but it has fewer reviews behind it. If the number of past passengers matters to you, this original tour has far more feedback than any of the comparable options except the marine life cruise, which has over 11,000 reviews but starts at a similar price. If you want the fastest and most exposed ride, the RIB is the one to choose, but if you want a straightforward, well-tested introduction to the bay's wildlife, this is the safer pick.

GYG

Reykjavik: the Original 3-Hour Whale Watching Tour

Dates, remaining places and the current version of what is included are at the operator. This page reflects the state of the catalogue, not the state of this morning.

from $105

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