5 Boat Tours in Akureyri for a First Visit

1.Árskógssandur: Whale-Watching Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 695 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $96Our pick

Review of Árskógssandur whale watching near Akureyri, with a traditional oak boat, humpback sightings, warm overalls, hot chocolate, and tips.

“Great whale watching trip. We saw a lot of humpback whales and quite close. Great staff, very friendly and nice explanations. We really appreciated the ethical and calm approach to meet the whales. A very concern captain to avoid stress to the whales. I highly recommended. Nice chocolate and pastries at the end ! Thanks for this adventure trip.”

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2.Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $203Top rated

Review of Húsavík Adventures’ fast RIB whale tour, with puffins, humpbacks, practical tips, prices, weather advice, and honest drawbacks.

“They take you on the water, stop to see the puffins home and provide you with some informative information. Then we had a chance to see a couple families of white nosed dolphins, and 4 whales on the trip! One of the best tours I have ever done!”

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3.2-Hour Whale Watching Express by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 489 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

Review of Akureyri’s 2-hour RIB whale-watching tour, with close humpback encounters, mountain views, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“Even in less than ideal weather, it was a great excursion. We saw 4 whales on our trip. Please note they will provide you a full outer layer--they call it overalls but it's like a protective suit and perfect on cold days.”

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4.Lake Myvatn Day Tour and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Akureyri Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 473 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $205

Review of Akureyri’s Lake Myvatn and Godafoss cruise tour, with lava fields, mud pools, hot baths, timing, transport, and value tips.

“This was a small group tour with our driver and guide, Oli. He provided an overview of each area with numerous stops, good explanations of what we were seeing and time to roam around. It was a safe, relaxing and fun adventure, trying to see as much as we could of north central Icelandic sites. Thank you Oli!”

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5.Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins Speedboat Tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 417 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $180

Review of Húsavík’s 2-hour RIB whale and puffin safari, with practical advice on wildlife, cold weather, safety, price, and booking.

“Personalised small group ! We saw lots of puffins, a minke whale and a few humpbacks and could get close to them . highly recommend !”

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