The 9 Akureyri Whale Watching Tours to Book First

1.Akureyri: 3-Hour Classic Whale Watching Tour by Ship

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,000 reviews · 3 hours · from $108Our pick

Search for humpback whales from Akureyri on a comfortable three-hour Eyjafjord cruise with expert guides, thermal suits, and whale photos.

“Breathtaking experience! After sailing for a little over an hour we were very lucky to come across a pair of male humpback whales who put on an incredible display, including breaching twice. The guides on the ship were excellent and provided lots of information about what we were seeing. The facilities on the ship were very good. Highly recommended.”

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2.Whale Watching from Downtown Akureyri

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 971 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $104

Review of Akureyri whale watching on Eyjafjord: boat comfort, whale sightings, cold-weather tips, pricing, timing, and practical booking advice.

“Even on a fine day, make sure you wear warm clothes! It was a great experience - we saw a young humpback whale and two orcas. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we learnt a lot. Expensive, but good value!”

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3.Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

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

Review of Húsavík’s Big Whales and Puffins RIB tour, with wildlife highlights, cold-weather tips, price value, logistics, and booking advice.

“We had great whale sightings, up close. The weather was not great but the crew tried hard for us to have a good experience.”

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4.Akureyri: 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 humpbacks, fast boats, mountain views, practical tips, pricing, and honest drawbacks.

“Mack was a great guide and gave us loads of insights on whale behaviour. Found it really interesting. We saw many whales and it was great that the boat stayed a respectful distance from them allowing them to come toward us if they felt like it. It's the only tour we did in Iceland that I left feeling like it was well worth the money.”

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

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

Ride a fast RIB from Húsavík to spot whales, dolphins, and puffins, with warm suits, expert guides, and a small group setting.

“We had an amazing time! We saw minkes, humpbacks and the largest pod of dolphins I've ever seen jumping and playing all around our boat. Our guide and captain did a wonderful job! If you've never been on a rib boat before the seats are all individual - like a motorcycle or snowmobile - which allows you to bend your knees or stand when appropriate. This is important for when the boat is going fast and hits a wave hard. You will want to stand to prevent your back from being jolted on impact - think of it like going up and down in the saddle of a horse. Do…”

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6.Traditional Whale Watching from Húsavík by Local Family Company

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 389 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $102

Review of Húsavík’s traditional oak-boat whale tour, with practical advice on sightings, comfort, weather, price, timing, and who should book.

“Excellent experience! We saw 2 types of whales. Nice explanation. The only thing ai would recommend is make it a little bit shorter, Intji knit was too much time waiting for the same whale to come out again and again.”

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7.Traditional Oak Ship Whale Watching Tour From Husavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 366 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $118

Review of North Sailing’s 3-hour oak ship whale tour from Húsavík, with whale sightings, warm suits, guides, value, tips, and booking advice.

“Great tour. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They provide outer jumper to wear which helped with the cold weather. We saw 2 whales on our tour at 2pm. Hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls provided on the way back. Highly recommend booking this tour.”

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8.100% Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 273 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90Best value

Review of Hauganes whale watching near Akureyri, with practical advice on wildlife, boats, weather, price, comfort, and who should book.

“Very pleasant experience. We were running late due to rain and traffic, they waited for us. Thanks. Watch three whales.”

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9.Akureyri: Whale Watching Shore Excursions

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 250 reviews · from $100

Review of Akureyri whale watching, including humpback sightings, boat comfort, guides, price, timing, and practical booking advice.

“We enjoyed our guided tour to see the whales. Dominic, the biologist, is so knowledgeable about the whales and explained so much important information about these giant mammals. What we liked the most was the fact that the team went the extra mile to make sure we saw the whales up close, and we did. The captain of the ship was also very generous with his maneuvers; he drove to another location where we could see the whales. The whole group was satisfied, and we took unbelievable photos and videos as if we were professional photographers, all thanks to the captain and Dominic for going the extra mile to make…”

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