Two-In-One: Whale & Puffin Watching Tours from Reykjavik

Wildlife makes Iceland feel wonderfully wild. This Reykjavik outing pairs a one-hour puffin cruise with a longer whale-watching trip into Faxaflói Bay, giving you two different views of Icelandic sea life in one day. The boats, schedules, and pace differ, so you get a small-boat bird trip followed by a more comfortable three-hour search for whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

I like the way the tour gives you two separate chances to see wildlife, rather than placing all your hopes on one boat ride. I also like the practical comforts: warm indoor seating, large windows, loaner binoculars, protective overalls, onboard WiFi, and live English commentary. The main drawback is clear: puffins can be small and distant, and whale sightings depend entirely on nature.

The experience costs about $140 per person and usually lasts four to six hours, including the break between boats. It is offered by Elding Whale Watching from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, and the 93 percent recommendation rate with a 4.7 rating suggests a well-run operation. Still, this is a wildlife search, not a guaranteed animal show.

The details that shape your day

• Two boats, two different outings: The puffin trip uses a smaller passenger boat, while the whale cruise uses a larger vessel built for a longer trip into the bay.
• A useful break in Reykjavík: You have roughly 90 minutes to two hours between tours for lunch, coffee, a walk, or a short rest.
• Best wildlife possibilities: The search may include minke whales, humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, puffins, seabirds, and occasionally other marine life.
• A free second chance for whales: If you do not see a whale, Elding allows you to return on another day at no extra charge.
• Comfort matters here: Protective clothing, a heated indoor saloon, big viewing windows, and food and drinks for purchase help on cold or windy days.
• A small group by boat-tour standards: The listed maximum is 30 people, though the smaller puffin boat can feel crowded when everyone heads outside.

Starting at Reykjavík’s Old Harbour

You meet at Elding Whale Watching, Ægisgarður 5c, in Reykjavík’s Old Harbour. The activity finishes at the same place, which makes planning simple if you are staying in central Reykjavík or getting around by public transport.

The harbour is a practical starting point, but give yourself time to find the correct Elding desk and confirm that you have tickets for both parts. The two cruises are separate bookings within one package, and one useful lesson from the experience is to check this before leaving the ticket counter. You do not want to discover that you have only been handed details for the first boat.

The tour is generally easy to join. It is near public transportation, service animals are allowed, and most people can participate. Children under 13 must wear life vests for the entire tour, as required by Icelandic law. Pickup and drop-off are not included, though they can be arranged for an extra fee.

First stop: puffins near Lundey

The puffin portion takes about an hour on a smaller boat. The crew sails toward one of three islands used by thousands of puffins during breeding season, with Lundey listed as the main stop. You stay on the boat and watch the birds around their island habitat. You do not land on the island.

That last point matters. The boat may bring you fairly close, but fairly close at sea is not the same as standing beside a puffin burrow. Puffins are fast, small birds, and they often sit on the water or fly past in quick bursts. Their black-and-white coloring can be easy to spot, but seeing their faces or getting a sharp photograph is much harder.

You can borrow binoculars, but the available pairs may not give you the clearest view. If puffins are a major reason for booking, bring your own binoculars or a camera with a strong zoom. A phone may record the moment, but it may not capture much detail at the distance involved.

The best part of this cruise is the chance to see puffins where they actually spend the season, rather than in a controlled setting. On a good day, you might see hundreds on the water, flying around the island, or gathered on land. On a less favorable day, you may see only scattered birds, especially later in the summer or when weather affects their behavior.

The smaller boat is also the main comfort concern. Some seating is indoors, and passengers may crowd the outside viewing areas when the boat reaches the islands. Access to the upper deck requires climbing a ladder, so this section may be less suitable for anyone who has trouble with ladders, or for very young children who need close supervision.

The Old Harbour break

After the puffin cruise, you get time back on land before the whale trip. The scheduled stop is about 90 minutes, while some departures leave closer to two hours between boats. Check the exact time printed on your confirmation, since the gap can vary.

This pause is one of the smartest features of the package. You are not stuck on one boat for four or five straight hours. You can grab lunch at the Old Harbour, get coffee, use the facilities, or walk around before heading out again.

Food and drinks are not included in the price. The larger whale-watching boat has a café or bar selling coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks, but one useful tip is to eat a proper meal during the harbour break. The onboard selection is better for warming up or taking the edge off hunger than for replacing lunch.

Ask the Elding staff for a restaurant suggestion if you do not know the area. The tour desk can also provide the toilet passcode, which is useful before or after the boat rides. These small details make the gap much easier to manage.

Second stop: searching Faxaflói Bay

The whale-watching cruise lasts about three hours and heads into Faxaflói, the large bay off Reykjavík. This boat is much bigger than the puffin vessel, with more room to move, indoor seating, and large windows in the heated saloon.

The usual search targets are minke whales, humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises. You may also see seabirds and other wildlife. Sightings can range from a quick dorsal fin to an extended encounter, such as a humpback surfacing repeatedly or a mother and calf moving near the boat.

That range is the heart of the experience. One day can bring several humpback whales, dolphins, and a minke whale breaching more than once. Another day may produce a single brief whale sighting. Even when the animals appear, you need to watch closely. A whale can surface for only a few seconds, and the best view may be on the opposite side of the boat.

The guides help a great deal here. Their job is not only to explain whale behavior, but also to direct your attention: look near a certain patch of water, watch for birds gathering, or scan beyond another boat. The guides are marine biologists, and their explanations cover whales, puffins, and the waters around Iceland. That turns quiet stretches into useful learning rather than dead time.

The crew also appears to take a respectful approach to wildlife. Boats do not simply charge toward animals or try to force a close encounter. This can mean the whale stays farther away, but it is the right trade-off for watching wild creatures without disturbing their behavior.

Comfort on the larger boat

I would choose the whale boat for comfort alone. The heated indoor saloon gives you a place to warm up, and the large windows mean you can keep watching without staying outside every minute. Protective windproof and waterproof clothing is available, which is especially valuable when the bay becomes cold or windy.

You can move between indoor and outdoor viewing areas as conditions change. I would still dress in layers and wear sturdy shoes. Provided clothing helps with wind and spray, but it does not make Icelandic weather disappear.

Complimentary WiFi is included, though the real value is the chance to put your phone away and keep your eyes on the water. The crew may also take photographs and send them to you free of charge. That is particularly useful during the puffin outing, when your own phone may fail to capture birds at a distance.

The boat has snacks and hot drinks for purchase. Seasickness tablets may be available from the staff before departure, and this can be worth asking about if you are uneasy on rough water. The tour requires good weather, so a cancellation or schedule change is possible if conditions become unsafe.

What the $140 price really buys

At $140, this is not a cheap add-on. But you are paying for two boat trips, protective clothing, binocular access, onboard commentary, indoor heated seating, WiFi, a wildlife exhibition, and the whale sighting guarantee.

The value is strongest if you want both types of wildlife and prefer an organized day from central Reykjavík. Buying two separate cruises could cost more, and arranging the timing yourself might be less convenient. The built-in harbour break also saves you from spending an entire half-day exposed to the weather.

The value is weaker if your main goal is a close puffin photograph. You cannot leave the boat, and the birds may remain too far away for a satisfying picture. It is also less compelling if you dislike the idea of spending three hours searching for whales that may appear only briefly.

The whale guarantee improves the calculation. If no whale is seen, you may ride again for free on another day. That makes the tour a good choice early in your Iceland stay, when you still have room to return. It is less useful on your final day, when a second attempt may not fit your schedule.

The wildlife odds and seasonal reality

The tour is most appealing in summer, when puffins are present around their breeding islands. June through August can offer strong conditions, but no month guarantees a perfect show. The timing of the season matters, and an August outing may be less rewarding in a particular year than expected.

Puffins are often easier to appreciate with binoculars than with the naked eye. They move quickly and may spend more time on the water or in flight than posing neatly on land. If you want a close view, other spots around Iceland may offer better opportunities, but this cruise gives you a boat-level look at an active seabird colony.

Whales are equally unpredictable. You might see minke whales, humpbacks, dolphins, and porpoises on the same trip. You might instead spend much of the ride scanning the bay and catch only a small whale or a few dolphins.

I like that the tour does not pretend the guarantee means guaranteed whales on the first attempt. The free return is a safety net, not a promise that nature will perform on schedule.

Who will enjoy this combination most?

This tour suits you if you want a well-organized introduction to Icelandic marine life and like having several possible sightings in one outing. Families, first-time visitors, photographers with proper zoom gear, and anyone interested in marine biology can get a lot from it.

It is also a good fit if you value comfort. The larger boat is spacious, indoor seating is heated, and protective clothing reduces the strain of cold wind. The 30-person maximum is manageable, although the smaller puffin boat may feel tighter near the best viewing points.

I would think twice if you need fully accessible boat access, since the upper deck on the smaller vessel requires a ladder. I would also reconsider if you expect animals to come close enough for easy phone photography.

For the best odds of using the whale guarantee, book this early in your Iceland visit. A morning or afternoon gap in your schedule gives you a chance to return if the first trip produces no whale sighting or if poor weather cancels the outing.

Helpful planning tips before you go

• Bring binoculars if puffins are a priority. Loaners are available, but your own pair may offer a sharper view.
• Bring a camera with a good zoom. A standard phone may struggle with distant, fast-moving birds.
• Eat during the Old Harbour break. The boat café is useful for hot drinks and snacks, not necessarily a full meal.
• Ask at reception for the restroom passcode before or after your cruise.
• Confirm that you have information for both the puffin and whale departures.
• Dress in layers, even when the forecast looks mild.
• Keep watching after the first sighting. Whales and dolphins can surface in different places around the boat.
• Book early in your visit if you want a realistic chance to use the free whale return.

Should you book the whale and puffin combo?

I would book it if you want variety, comfort, and a simple way to spend much of a day on Reykjavík’s waters. The whale cruise is the stronger half for many people, thanks to the spacious boat, heated saloon, expert marine biologist guides, and possibility of seeing humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

The puffin cruise is worthwhile if you accept that the birds may be distant. Go for the setting and the chance to watch a real colony, not for a guaranteed close-up photograph. If puffins are your single top priority, consider a different outing that uses a faster RIB boat, or seek land-based viewing elsewhere in Iceland.

At $140, the package offers fair value for two properly operated cruises and a free whale retry. Book it early in your stay, bring optical gear, and treat every sighting as a bonus from the wild rather than a scheduled performance.

FAQ

Where does the tour start and finish?

The tour starts and ends at Elding Whale Watching, Ægisgarður 5c, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland, in the Old Harbour.

How long does the full experience last?

The combined experience lasts approximately four to six hours. The puffin cruise takes about one hour, the whale cruise about three hours, and you have free time between them.

Are the puffin and whale trips on the same boat?

No. The puffin cruise uses a smaller passenger boat, and the whale-watching trip uses a larger boat.

Can I get off the boat at the puffin island?

No. The puffins are viewed from the boat near one of the breeding islands.

What wildlife might I see on the whale cruise?

The search focuses on minke whales, humpback whales, porpoises, and dolphins. Other birds and marine wildlife may also appear.

What happens if I do not see a whale?

You can take the whale-watching trip again on another day at no charge under the whale guarantee.

Are food and drinks included?

No. Food and drinks are available to buy onboard, and you can also eat at one of the Old Harbour restaurants during the break.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you will be offered another date or a full refund. Free cancellation is available when you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time.