Reykjavík Whales & Northern Lights

by Elding Adventure at Sea · Whale watching · Northern lights · Reykjavík

4.6· 31 TripAdvisor reviews of this tour 4.50· 2,419 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Eco-certified

from €183.99 per person

Next departure: Sat 24 Oct

Book Sat 24 Oct · €183.99 Other dates

Reykjavík Whales & Northern Lights — Elding Adventure at Sea

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25 photos from Elding Adventure at Sea. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
6 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup available at extra cost, or meet at the start point
Starts at
Elding ticket office
Ægisgarður 5c, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
09:00, 13:00, 17:00
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Meeting point, in Elding Adventure at Sea's words: Please arrive at the Elding ticket office no later than 15 min. prior to tour departure.

About this experience

Book this combo tour and enjoy a Classic Whale Watching tour and Northern Lights Cruise at a discounted rate. This package is the perfect way to experience Iceland’s stunning wildlife and natural wonders - all in one day.

Start your day with a 3 hr. whale watching tour at 09:00, 13:00 or 17:00 (see calendar for availability), departing from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour. Our expert marine biologist naturalist will guide you through sightings and share fascinating insights about the marine life in Faxaflói bay. During this time of year, we see many seabirds, and the most commonly spotted species include humpback whales and harbour porpoises, in addition to white-beaked dolphins and minke whales. The various wildlife against the winter-lit landscape surrounding the bay makes for a breathtaking experience.

After the incredible marine adventure, you'll have time to explore Reykjavík’s city centre and enjoy a lovely dinner before returning to the harbour for the next part of your journey.

Starting at 21:00 or 22:00 (depending on the season), we set sail again for an approximately 2 hr. Northern Lights & City Cruise into the southern part of Faxaflói bay. As we depart the harbour, enjoy views of Reykjavík’s glittering shoreline and illuminated landmarks, including Harpa Concert Hall and Hallgrímskirkja church. When the Imagine Peace Tower is lit, we sail by to admire its radiant beam before turning our gaze to the northern skies in search of the auroras. Watching the vast, starry sky from the sea is an unforgettable experience, and with Iceland’s unpredictable weather, we aim to maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights by operating the tour whenever conditions allow.

Description from the operator, Elding Adventure at Sea. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Check-in
Classic Whale Watching (3 hours)
Free time in Reykjavík
Northern Lights Cruise (2 hours)
Disembarking

Included

3 hr. Classic Whale Watching tour
2 hr. Northern Lights Cruise
Excellent guidance
Use of overalls onboard
Free WiFi on board
Entry to Wildlife Exhibition
Large viewing windows
Heated indoor saloon
Cafeteria & Bar on board

Not included

Pick up / Drop off (available at request)
Refreshments (can be purchased on board)

Good to know

Please dress according to weather and remember to bring a hat, gloves and sturdy footwear. Feel free to borrow our thermal overalls, if needed.

The total duration of the tours varies depending on tour start times you choose, but keep in mind that in between the two tours, you will have several hours of free time. Upon booking, you will receive an email with information on the exact duration and departure times for each tour.

Note that if you select hotel pick-up or drop-off, you will only be collected at your preferred meeting point before the Whale Watching tour and returned only after the Northern Lights Cruise. Extra transfers can be arranged upon request.

The tours are subject to suitable sea conditions and therefore one or both could get cancelled on short notice. We will do our best to notify you in good time in this case, but please check our website for updates.

While Reykjavík offers the ideal conditions for aurora viewing and whale watching, they are both highly unpredictable. If no sightings are reported on your tour(s), you will be offered a complimentary return ticket, which is valid for two years.

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. 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.

1Elding Adventure at Sea 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 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.

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

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Sailing with Giants: Whale Watching from Reykjavik from Your Friend in Reykjavik is €79 — €105 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Elding Adventure at Sea · €184	Your Friend in Reykjavik · €79
How long it runs	6 hours	3.5 hours

The €105 buys you 2.5 more hours out. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Who this is not for

Not available in summer; the operator runs it roughly September to April.

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

Why we list it

Elding Adventure at Sea 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 Elding Adventure at Sea

Read all 2,419 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Iola Wilson
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
We had an incredible sunset whale watching trip. From the beginning, every member of staff was attentive and helpful. Our guide shared lots of info on the wildlife we spotted - birds and whales. We were blessed with beautiful weather and the boat wasn't busy so we had room to move around and spot wildlife. Lots of tips on how to spot whales were shared. We saw a minke whale and then in the distance the sprays from several humpbacks.We made our way towards these and then stayed with one for ages - it was magical! The captain was very generous with time - because our encounter was quite far out, our trip was over 3.5 hours, we were not rushed back because time was running out! We saw lots of different bird species too. The sunset was stunning and we were able to enjoy this on the way back and also get some beautiful pictures of Reykjavik as we approached. We were also impressed with the way Elding respect the wildlife. Our 9 year old learned so much about whale spotting and ga been putting it to use on our cruise - spotting minkes and humpbacks from the ship! Thank you so much, Elding, for a truly memorable and magical evening!
Frank Campbell
★★★★★ · a month ago
Great experience! Information on what and where very clear on the website and the ground staff very nice and friendly when one went for the tickets. The crew were helpful, fun and full of information on the whales but also other wildlife that could be seen. They were really persistent in ensuring we actually did see a whale, and we ended up being quite far out of the port with the total cruise time around 3.5 hrs instead of the envisioned 2.5 hrs. We were most grateful for their efforts!!! It was much appreciated that after the tour itself we received an e-mail with photos the crew had taken of our particular cruise. Highly recommended!
Emily A
★★★★★ · a month ago
Our whale watching tour was so special. I will start with the whales: we definitely saw them! We found a couple of humpbacks busy feeding and out guide did a great job of pointing them out and describing the behaviors we were seeing. It was truly amazing. The crew has the skills and experience to find what’s in the area. Additionally, they provided us with pictures of the whales and a journal entry about our voyage. We heard from someone else on the boat that if you go out and do not see any wildlife, they will provide you with a voucher to come out again another time (this family was on their re-do but your mileage may vary as I didn’t hear or read about this.) But of course, one cannot control the outcome, and still I would recommend this trip. It was such a fun way to see the city of Reykjavik and the surrounding mountains. We had a beautiful day with a bit of wind and they provided motion-sickness tablets for free, but remaining outside I did not experience much malaise. I also want to say that the company was very accommodating. We had booked a morning tour that we couldn’t get to due to travel disruptions and they were very willing to honor our reservation at a later time slot.
Casey Phifer
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
Booking excursions through Elding was seamless, and I really appreciated their ecological focus. I first took their free ferry to Viðey with my Reykjavík City Pass, then enjoyed the experience so much that I booked both their classic whale watching and puffin tours. Everything felt easy and well organized, from the cold weather gear to the books, wildlife guides, and knowledgeable experts who narrated the tours and answered questions along the way. These excursions gave me some of my favorite memories of Iceland while getting to learn. about the wildlife and explore Faxaflói Bay. Highly recommend!

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

What to do on your arrival afternoon in ReykjavíkFood walk, whale watching or bed on the afternoon you land — which one survives a red-eye, which one wastes the day, and the combo we'd actually book.
Best Northern Lights Tour in Iceland (2026): 5 PicksThe northern lights tours we would book ourselves from Reykjavík and Akureyri, by minibus, super jeep and boat, with real prices and honest odds.
Blue Lagoon and northern lights: one day or two?Do them on different days. The one-day combo is 15 hours and €306; the lagoon fits your arrival or departure, and a €73 lights bus fits any clear night.

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.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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from

€183.99 per person

Elding Adventure at Sea's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

The next departure we can see — change it if this tour is for another day.

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs09:0013:0017:00

Reykjavík: light 08:43–17:41, 8 h 58 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Elding Adventure at Sea cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: Elding Adventure at Sea's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €8 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.