Best Iceland Boat Tours — Our Top 14

1.Whale Watching and Marine Life Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 9,838 reviews · 3 hours · from $87Our pick

Review of Reykjavík whale watching in Faxaflói Bay, with wildlife, boat comfort, guide quality, weather advice, price, and booking tips.

“We had our whale watching tour on 14/02/26! 🐋 When originally doing my research and deciding to do a whale watching tour, I was abit skeptical about booking a whale tour outside of the season….as of course this lowers the chance of seeing the whales. But I’m soo glad I took the chance! As it was absolutely amazing!! We saw 2 humpback whales and it just was just such a wonderful and rewarding experience to see them! At one point they got soo close to the boat, giving us the chance to get lots of photos and videos! We couldn’t have asked for a better experience!! All the staff on…”

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2.Whale Watching Cruise on the Amelia Rose Yacht

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,911 reviews · 3 hours · from $107

Review the Amelia Rose whale watching cruise from Reykjavík, with yacht comfort, wildlife odds, practical tips, value, and booking advice.

“Good instructions and easy booking system. Very helpful even when we wanted to book on two more people the same morning. lovely boat. We saw humpback Wales 10 minutes after leaving the harbour. It was a wonderful experience and definately worth the money. Plenty of space on three different viewing decks and a lovely indoor area and bar serving the best hot chocolate!”

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3.Northern Lights Yacht Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,253 reviews · 2 hours · from $93

See Iceland’s northern lights from a comfortable yacht in Reykjavík, with three viewing decks, a bar, warm blankets, and flexible rebooking.

“Oh wow how lucky were we! The northern lights made an appearance even before we boarded the boat. The guide told us it was so unusual to see the lights for a constant 2 hours. The boat was big enough, the guide was helpful, the sea was calm, the clouds kept away, the lights were amazing! What more could we want 😃”

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4.Puffin Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,052 reviews · 1 hour · from $64Best value

Review of Reykjavik’s one-hour puffin boat tour, with island views, birdlife, practical tips, value advice, and honest drawbacks.

“Fabulous- helped that the sea was calm. We were able to get so close to the island to see the puffins.”

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5.Húsavík: Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 979 reviews · 2 hours · from $198Top rated

Review of Húsavík’s 2-hour RIB whale and puffin tour, with practical advice on wildlife, weather, price, safety, and who should book.

“Amazing . Saw so many whales and dolphins … and puffins also”

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6.Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching Yacht Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 707 reviews · 3 hours · from $106

Review of Reykjavik’s 3-hour Harpa Yachts cruise, with whale sightings, dolphin watching, puffins, yacht comfort, weather tips, and value advice.

“Fantastic afternoon - very comfortable and welcoming crew. Very lucky to get some close ups with humpbacks.”

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7.Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 552 reviews · 4 hours · from $153

Review of Reykjavik’s whale and puffin cruise combo, with boat details, timing, wildlife odds, value, guide tips, and practical advice.

“We enjoyed both thevpuffinscand the whales. Saw lots on both”

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8.Húsavík: Whale-Watching Cruise and Puffins Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 444 reviews · 3 hours · from $135

Review of Húsavík’s 3.5-hour whale and puffin cruise, with oak boat sailing, hot chocolate, wildlife tips, price, and practical advice.

“Very good trip. Saw 3 whales and quite a few dolphins. Saw a lot of puffins by the island but not close up. That was a bit of a disappointment. It is very cold on the water. Be sure to dress warmly with a warm hat and gloves.”

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9.Northern Lights Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 438 reviews · 2 hours · from $88

Cruise from Reykjavik into darker waters, watch the stars, and hunt for the Northern Lights aboard a warm, comfortable boat.

“Fantastic service and we were so lucky to see a spectacular show of the Northern lights, the kp rating was 6.67 and you could see the lights with the naked eye. Great crew, very well organised trip. Thank you”

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10.Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 393 reviews · 2 hours · from $194

Review of Reykjavik’s 2-hour RIB whale-watching tour, with puffins, dolphins, warm gear, fast rides, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“Amazing tour! We got to see some once in a lifetime activity from the whales, dolphins and puffins just outside of Reykjavik. Rebecca did a great job and its so obvious that she loves her job so much which made the experience even more special.”

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11.Best Value Whale Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 300 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $103

Review of Reykjavik’s 3.5-hour whale watching tour, with practical advice on wildlife sightings, boats, weather, value, and what to bring.

“the trip was fantastic, the lady navigating the whale watching was so passionate about the activity, we were so lucky and saw a whole pod of orcas and a hump back whale”

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12.Small Group Golden Circle from Cruise Terminal

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 293 reviews · 6.5 hours · from $166

Review of Reykjavik’s 6.5-hour small-group Golden Circle tour, with Þingvellir, Strokkur, Gullfoss, port pickup, tips, and drawbacks.

“Diego was lovely, giving us history about the sites on the tour, as well as a lot about Iceland’s history, economy, and more. We even had time for a couple of bonus stops! Well worth it, especially if you have limited time around Reykjavik.”

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13.Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 293 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

Review of Reykjavik’s 2-hour RIB tour for whales, puffins, and dolphins, with marine biologist guides, warm gear, and small-group access.

“The staff were amazing and very friendly, the guide Matt knew his stuff. one of the best experiences I've ever had. I would highly recommend it”

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14.From Akureyri: Lake Mývatn and Godafoss Cruise Ship Day-Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 269 reviews · 6 hours · from $182

Review of Akureyri’s 6-hour Lake Mývatn and Godafoss tour, with small-group transport, geothermal stops, costs, timing, and cruise tips.

“excellent itinary, plenty of photo stops, guide was brilliant. I can't recommend it enough.”

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