Strandir Adventure by Minibus

by Iceland Discover · Whale watching · Westfjords

4.4· 17 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Good with teenagers

from €116.72 per person

No published departures in the coming months — ask us

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Strandir Adventure by Minibus — Iceland Discover

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13 photos from Iceland Discover. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
13 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup available at extra cost, or meet at the start point
Starts at
AEgisgardur 5c, 101 Reykjavik
Ægisgarður 5, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
09:00
Cancellation
No refund once booked

About this experience

Even amongst Icelanders the Westfjords are known for their magnificent scenery and tranquillity. Whales swim in the fjords, and the arctic foxes live at the base of it’s mountains. If your dream is to be at one with nature this is the place. Rivers, waterfalls, birds, and the roar of the ocean are the only sounds you will hear.

Strandir is an area with an exciting and tragic history of witchcraft, witch-hunting and sorcery which makes this a tour into the mystical world of the supernatural.

We start early and drive from Reykjavik to the small town of Holmavik which is the largest settlement in Strandir and serves as a centre of commerce for the county. Here you also find the museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft.

From Holmavik we drive along the coastline of Steingrimsfjordur where we frequently see the majestic Humpback Whales at play in the Fjord.

The Sorcerer´s cottage is a place where you can get to know the life of locals during the 17th century. You can easily understand why the people turned to sorcery to make lives easier.

Some 70 kilometres from Holmavik we arrive to the magical, ghostlike village of Djúpavík. Hundreds of people lived here in the golden “herring” age. The abandoned factory along with the rusted remains of Ms. Sudurland bring you back in time and give you an idea of how remote this place truly is.

Just north of Djúpavík we will dip our toes in what can arguably be named as one of the most remote man made swimming pools in the world, Krossneslaug. Here you can relax in the comfortably warm pool while watching the roaring waves of the North Atlantic.

A truly sensational experience.

Holmavik

Here you´ll find the museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft.

Coastline of Steingrimsfjordur

Where we frequently see the majestic Humpback Whales at play in the Fjord.

The Sorcerer´s cottage

A place where you can get to know the life of locals during the 17th century.

The Djupavik village

Hundreds of people lived here in the golden “herring” age. The abandoned factory along with the rusted remains of Ms. Sudurland bring you back in time and give you an idea of how remote this place truly is.

Krossneslaug

The most remote man made swimming pools in the world.

Description from the operator, Iceland Discover. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Holmavik
Coastline of Steingrimsfjordur
The Sorcerer´s cottage
The Djupavik village
Krossneslaug

Included

Free WiFi
Personal experience
Trusted tour operator
Small group experience
Expert guides
Comfortable mini bus
Pickup is available for an extra charge

Good to know

You can bring some favorite snacks and beverages if you like.
We recommend you bring hiking boots with slip-resistant soles if you are visiting in the winter.

Please dress according to the weather ...the ever changing Icelandic weather.

Cancellation for this tour

No refund once booked. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

If the weather cancels this tour

Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is sea state — the skipper decides an hour or two before departure; in winter this happens often. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1Iceland Discover decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.

What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until the cutoff shown above, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

Who this is not for

Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 13 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.
Not the one to book if your dates might move: this operator does not refund once booked.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

Iceland Discover is one of 207 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about Iceland Discover

Read all 17 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.4/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Sarah Hodges
★★★★★ · a year ago
We booked the whale watching tour on the Amelia Rose. The boat was comfortable with a warm cabin on two levels. It was not possible to see much from inside, so be prepared to be on the outdoor decks (very cold in December). The crew was skilled, and we saw several humpback whales not far out of the harbour in Reykjavik. The check in process was a little confusing, with kiosks inside a crowded pub and staff only intermittently available to advise on how/when to board the boats (proceed through the back door of the restaurant or around to the back from the entrance to the docks as soon as you have your ticket from the kiosk). We did not purchase anything from the bar, but it was available. There were bathrooms on board. There was WiFi, but I never found the password posted. The views looking back at Reykjavik and of the mountains in the bay were striking.
J M
★★★★★ · 11 months ago
I went on the whale watching tour on the Amelia Rose in August this year. Our guide, Julian is a marine biologist so he gave very useful, detailed information about not only the whales and but also the other sea life and birds during our tour. We were very lucky because despite the very cold, grey, rainy weather, we saw some whales, among them minke whales. I enjoyed the tour very much.
Gian Franco Capra
★ · 8 months ago
This was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in all my years of traveling around the world. It’s not really a whale watching tour at all. In reality, it consists of going out in a boat that never gets far from the harbor and then chasing poor whales, disturbing their peace. Every time a tail or even the smallest water spout appears, the boat rushes toward the unfortunate whale, which of course gets scared and swims away. In 2026, activities like this should be banned. Neither my family nor I would ever have joined had we known it was something so barbaric. I strongly suggest the company rename it to what it truly is: “Join us and go to bother the whales.” Stay away, this is a complete waste of money.
Birk Karsten Ecke
★★★★★ · 2 years ago
The whale-watching tour will remain an unforgettable experience. We saw several minke whales and puffins. Sometimes just a few meters from the ship. The guide was very professional and accurately announced where the whales could be seen. The captain did everything he could to keep track of the whales and allow for multiple sightings. There is enough space on the ship and people don't get in each other's way. However, the tour was only twenty percent booked at 9:15 that Monday morning. Indoor decks, warm blankets, and a bar are available. I can fully recommend this tour. I would book it again. Vouchers must be redeemed for a boarding pass at the Old Harbor House at Ægisgarður 2, 101 Reykjavík. From there it is only about a hundred meters to the ship's dock. Many thanks again to the Crew for this nice and unforgettable trip.

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Whale watching — questions people ask

When is the best time for whale watching in Iceland?

April to October, with June to August the most reliable. Humpbacks and minke whales feed in Faxaflói off Reykjavík and in the northern fjords all summer, and white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises turn up on most trips. Winter boats still sail from Reykjavík, but sightings drop and the sea is rougher. If whales are the point of your trip, come in summer and book an early departure; seas are usually calmer in the morning.

Can you see whales from Reykjavík in December?

Sometimes. Boats run from the Old Harbour all year, and winter trips do find whales, mostly humpbacks and the occasional orca. But December means short daylight, cold wind and a higher chance the operator cancels for weather. Sightings are noticeably less frequent than in summer. If you are here in winter, go anyway, but treat it as a sea trip with a chance of whales rather than a whale trip. Most operators offer a free second trip if nothing shows.

Is Húsavík or Reykjavík better for whale watching?

Húsavík, if you can get there. Skjálfandi Bay in the north sees humpbacks close to shore from May to September, and the small family-run boats like Friends of Moby Dick (/experience/752602/) keep group sizes down. Reykjavík is more convenient: boats leave the Old Harbour five minutes from most hotels and run all year. Akureyri and Dalvík in Eyjafjörður are also strong. If you are only in Reykjavík, go from Reykjavík and do not feel short-changed.

Will I get seasick on a whale watching tour?

You might. Faxaflói is open sea and the boats roll, especially in wind. Take a tablet an hour before departure, stay on deck in fresh air and watch the horizon rather than your phone. Morning trips tend to be calmer than afternoon ones. If you know you suffer badly, a two-hour RIB trip (/experience/155331/) is faster and bumpier but shorter, or pick a northern fjord like Eyjafjörður, which is more sheltered than the bay off Reykjavík.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

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Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €7 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.