Reykjavik: Whale Watching & Lava Show

GYG

Reykjavik: Whale Watching & Lava Show

★ 4.1(7 reviews)

• Guide works in English
• Duration per the operator: 1 days

from $149

See dates, price and what is included at the operator

A day that pairs the bay with a molten rock show

This is a full-day outing from Reykjavik that combines a whale watching cruise with a visit to the Lava Show, two experiences that usually sell as separate half-day trips. The tour runs for one day and is led by Special Tours Iceland, with an English-speaking guide accompanying the group. You start in Reykjavik, head out onto Faxafloi Bay in search of whales, and then move inland to the Lava Show, where you watch real molten lava flow in a safe, indoor setting. The price starts at 149 USD. The itinerary also touches Vík í Mýrdal, though the catalogue gives no detail on how long you spend there or what you do at that stop. This is a tour for travellers who want both a wildlife experience on the water and a geological spectacle on land without having to book them separately.

Photographs from the operator Special Tours Iceland. They show the listing, not your day.

What the 149 USD covers and what it does not

The entry price of 149 USD buys you the whale watching cruise, the Lava Show experience, and the services of an English-speaking guide for the day. The operator states that the guide is included, and the tour is conducted in English. Free cancellation is offered, though no deadline is given for when you must cancel to qualify. No fees apply at any of the places on the itinerary. There is no admission charge at the whale watching departure point, no parking fee at the Lava Show venue, and nothing extra to pay at Vík í Mýrdal. The price you see is the price you plan around. The operator does not list any optional extras for sale, so there is no add-on to budget for beyond the base fare. What you are not told is as straightforward as what you are told: meals, drinks, and hotel transfers are not mentioned in the listing, so you should assume they are not part of the deal. The lack of a stated pickup point suggests you make your own way to the departure location in Reykjavik.

A score too thin to lean on

The tour holds a rating of 4.1 out of 5, but that figure comes from only 7 reviews. In a category of 36 whale watching listings, this places it at rank 33 by number of reviews, meaning most competitors have far more customer feedback behind them. Seven votes are not enough to tell you whether the 4.1 is a reliable measure of the experience or a quirk of a small sample. By price, the tour sits mid-field at rank 22 of 36, with the group ranging from 33 to 348 USD. The rating itself is respectable, but the thin base of reviews means you should weigh it lightly and read recent traveller reports elsewhere before committing. The neighbouring tours in the same category, such as the 3-hour Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise with 11,217 reviews, offer a far stronger evidence base if you want to compare experiences.

When the bay is at its calmest

The tour runs year-round, so the season you choose changes what you get. From June through August, daytime highs reach 13 to 15 degrees Celsius, and lows stay above 7 degrees, making the hours on deck the most comfortable of the year. The sea is at its calmest in these months, which matters for a full day that includes time on the water. May and September are workable shoulder months, with highs of 10 and 11 degrees respectively, though the wind on the bay will make it feel colder. From October to April, highs hover between 3 and 8 degrees, and the low in winter months drops to minus 2. A full day in those conditions means you spend the cruise portion bundled up, and the Lava Show becomes a welcome indoor break. The short daylight hours of December and January also compress the day, so check the start time when you book. The middle of the day, roughly 10 am to 3 pm, offers the best light and the warmest part of the day for the boat segment.

What happens once you reach the dock

You meet the Special Tours Iceland crew at the Reykjavik harbour for the whale watching leg. The boat departs from the old harbour area, and the crew handles the safety briefing before you head out onto Faxafloi Bay. The cruise itself is the part of the day where the weather has the most say. Rain and wind are common on the bay, and the boat will still sail in most conditions, but the crew may adjust the route or shorten the time at sea if the swell makes it uncomfortable. After the cruise, you travel to the Lava Show venue, where the indoor presentation runs regardless of the weather. The guide stays with the group through both segments. The stop at Vík í Mýrdal is listed on the itinerary, but the catalogue gives no detail on what is staffed there or what you do at that point, so treat it as a scheduled pause rather than a structured visit.

Who this day suits and who should look elsewhere

This tour suits travellers who want variety in a single day: some time on the water looking for whales, then a seated indoor show about volcanic activity. It also suits those who prefer a longer outing over the standard 3-hour cruises, since the full-day format gives you more for the higher price. The Lava Show component makes it a good pick for families or anyone who wants a guaranteed indoor highlight even if the whale sighting is sparse. It is not for travellers who want a dedicated, extended whale watching session, since the day splits its time between the bay and the land-based show. It is also not for those on a tight budget, given that the 149 USD entry price sits above several alternatives. If your priority is purely the whales and you want a shorter, cheaper option, the 3-hour Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise at from 97 USD offers a more focused experience with a far larger base of reviews to judge it by.

GYG

Reykjavik: Whale Watching & Lava Show

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 $149

Ansehen