Whale Watching in Ísafjarðardjúp

by Borea Adventures · Whale watching · Westfjords

4.5· 12 reviews of this tour4.60· 175 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Self-guided

from €117 per person

Next departure: Thu 13 May

Book Thu 13 May · €117 Other dates

Whale Watching in Ísafjarðardjúp — Borea Adventures

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Duration
2 hours and 30 minutes
Difficulty
Very easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Ísafjörður
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Borea Adventures Gear Storage and Meeting Point
Mávagarðsbryggja, Ísafjörður
Departs
10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30 …
Cancellation
Cancelling costs 30% of the price within 7 days of departure.

About this experience

A boat trip into the stunning Ísafjarðardjúp, in search of whales and other wildlife.

Join us on our fully fitted boat Síf, where we depart from Isafjordur and journey out into the surrounding Isafjarðardjúp fjord. Here we will look out for the blows of distant whales, and our expert captain will take you as close as possible without causing disturbance to the whales. The fjord is bursting with life, and there is the possibility of seeing humpback and minke whales, as well as dolphins and porpoises. We will search for the humpback, as they are one of the few species of whale which flashes you their tail on a dive, an incredible sight to see. You are also likely to see the many puffins in the water which nest on nearby Vigur and Æðey islands. On very rare occasions, killer whales (orcas) will also pass through the area. On our trip will be our experienced boat crew, and a guide to share with you their extensive knowledge of the local wildlife and area.

We will use our trips as an opportunity to add to the ongoing research on the whale population in the area, and guests are therefore encouraged to contribute to this by taking photos of the whales flukes (tails) for identification.

We have a very high rate of sightings within the area, however, as we are observing wild animals, we cannot guarantee we will see whales on every tour.

Description from the operator, Borea Adventures. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Sérferðir
Whale Watching

Good to know

We do not supply overalls or extra clothing for this trip, so please come equipped for cold Icelandic weather with the following;

Warm outdoor clothing. Sif is fully fitted boat, and has a warm interior, however, the best place for spotting whales will be standing outside, and therefore we suggest to bring layers to keep you warm.

Waterproof jacket, and trousers if you have them.

Hat and gloves.

Sun glasses.

Sunscreen.

Don’t forget your camera.

This tour is entirely on our boat, and therefore is available to anyone with limited walking capability. However, our boat does have a few steep steps, both to get onboard, whilst moving around between decks, and to the inside seating area. It is therefore not accessible by wheelchair, or by anyone with very limited mobility.

The minimum age is 4, as we do not carry life jackets for infants on board. Parents are responsible for keeping children safe while on board.

Cancellation for this tour

Cancelling costs 30% of the price within 7 days of departure. 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.

1Borea Adventures 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 →

Why we list it

Borea Adventures 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 Borea Adventures

Read all 175 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.6/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Valerie Kramer
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
We went on the Highlights of Hornvik trip in June 2026. We loved it! Hiking was challenging - don't expect level trails - rocks, mud, etc. Really felt like got to see a remote area. Guides were excellent. Very knowledgeable and shared all kinds of interesting information about plants, animals, the environment. Did a good job of managing the group. Since the company has their own boat they have some flexibility in terms of getting back in time - we were a little later but it was okay. Excellent day! Very impressed with the company. It was helpful that they provided walking poles if needed.
Hui-Jung Chuang
★★★★★ · 4 weeks ago
we are the 3 ladies who come from Taiwan and join the hiking tour in Hornstrandir national reservation park, we really enjoy the hiking, the good weather, the fresh air, the clear sky, the flowers and the colorful moss est . we are so lucky to see an arctic fox near the little house!! We especially want to thanks our tour guide ( sorry can't know how to write his name) keep our safety and help use choose easier road, and cooked the delicious meat ball. Ｗe really enjoy the hiking and thanks you all help also the boat stuff. we already introduce our friends to join your trip !!
Teresa Wong
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
Fantastic experience. We saw whales on the boat trip there. The hike was easy with little elevation. We managed to see many bird species, seals and of course the highlight the Arctic fox. The fish soup and Icelandic pancakes were delicious! Our guide was also hilarious, patient and made the whole trip a joy.
Amazing Spider-Flint
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
We did the two night Midnight Sun and Arctic Fox tour and it did not disappoint! First we were dropped off 6 km away from the house and hiked to the house. Our guide Mo, prepared our beds and cooked dinner. The next day we made short hikes up and down the coast looking for Arctic Foxes. The sky at sunset was amazing!! The third day just after breakfast a fox was spotted coming towards the house and came close. We spotted him again later from the kayak as he was laying in the grass near the shore. Everything was great and our guide had so much information on everything from the plants and fox to the history as well. Getting away from everything and unplugging was very relaxing. I can't recommend this tour enough.

Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Whale watching in the Westfjords: Ísafjörður or HólmavíkHólmavík if you're driving in, because it's on the way and the fjord is calm. Ísafjörður if you're already there, or off a cruise ship. Both are summer trips.

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 Ísafjörður, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site. Ourhotels is our sister company — the same people, a different business — so we list it first and say so.

All hotels in Westfjords →

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from

€117 per person

Borea Adventures'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.

Departs10:0010:3011:0011:3012:0012:3013:0013:3020:00

Ísafjörður: light 04:05–22:53, 18 h 48 min of daylight.

· Cancelling costs 30% of the price within 7 days of departure.
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Borea Adventures 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: Borea Adventures'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 €7 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.