Harbour town · North Iceland

Húsavík

Also written Husavik — we keep the Icelandic spelling.

Iceland's whale-watching harbour, on Skjálfandi bay. The main season runs roughly April to October.

prices and departures checked 24 Oct 2026

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The short version

  • 25 tours in our catalogue stop at Húsavík — 23 of them day tours from a single base, 2 as part of a longer package.
  • A seat on a day tour here typically costs €293, from €88 at the cheapest. Private tours are priced per vehicle and sit outside that figure.
  • 14 different operators run here, so a cancellation rarely means the day is lost.
  • Departures in our next 360 days fall in October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September.
  • Seasonal here: Puffins ashore (May–August), Whale watching (April–October), Midnight sun (May–July), Lupine in bloom (June–July).

The facts

Type
Harbour town
Region
North Iceland
Tours that stop here
2523 day tours · 2 multi-day
Day tour, cheapest
€88
Day tour, typical
€293median of 17 per-person fares
Operators
14
From Reykjavík
300 km (185 mi)straight line — the road is longer
Coordinates
66.0475, -17.3439

Daylight through the year

Iceland's daylight swings further than almost anywhere people holiday, and it decides what a tour can actually show you. Times are for the 15th of each month at this spot.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
January11:0615:304 h 24 min
March07:3319:0511 h 31 min
June——the sun does not set
September06:2619:4413 h 18 min
December11:3614:332 h 57 min

What is seasonal here

None of these have fixed dates, so each one says what its real dates depend on.

Puffins ashore

May–August

They arrive to breed and leave once the chicks fledge, usually by mid-August. Colonies differ by a week or two.

Whale watching

April–October

Boats run year-round from Reykjavík, but Húsavík and the northern harbours are seasonal and sightings peak in summer.

Midnight sun

May–July

True midnight sun only above the Arctic Circle — Grímsey. The mainland gets civil twilight all night, which looks much the same.

Lupine in bloom

June–July

Introduced, controversial and impossible to miss when it flowers. Peaks a fortnight later in the north than the south.

What people do here

Getting here without a car

The 21 tours we sell that stop at Húsavík leave from Akureyri, Húsavík and Reykjavík, with a handful from one other town. Akureyri, where most of them start, is about 5 h 35 min from Reykjavík by road.

16 of the 21 collect you from your accommodation or a designated stop, so the tour is the transport — there is nothing else to arrange and no timetable to read.

A seat on a day tour here starts at €88 and typically runs €285, per person, private charters excluded because those are priced per vehicle and would flatter the figure. There is also a scheduled bus or transfer serving Húsavík, from €323 — cheaper than a tour, with no guide and no stops on the way.

The days themselves run from about 3 h to 10 h door to door, so check the length as carefully as the price — the cheapest seat is often the longest coach day. 12 different operators run here, which matters more without a car than with one: if the weather cancels your day, there is usually another departure rather than a lost trip.

Being driven is the easy answer here: enough operators run it that a cancellation rarely loses you the day, and you get to look out of the window instead of at the road.

Cheapest way in without a car: a guided day tour from Akureyri, from €88 per person.

We have done the sums on this properly: why we tell people to skip the rental car in winter.

Scheduled bus or transfer options to Húsavík: Private Taxi Transfer Akureyri - Húsavík · Private Taxi Transfer Húsavík - Akureyri

Tours that stop at Húsavík

Taken from each operator's own itinerary, not from marketing copy — these are tours whose agenda names Húsavík as a stop.

The Traveling Viking

The Diamond Circle

from €293 per person5.0· 19 Google reviews of the operator

106% above the €142 typical for sightseeing day tours

Moderate · pickup included

8 h · from Reykjavík

  • Wi-fi on board
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation until departure

The Diamond circle

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Gentle Giants

GG3 Whales & Horses

from €169 per person4.60· 2,289 Google reviews of the operator

21% above the €139 typical for whale watching tours

from age 10 · meet at the start point

4 h · from Húsavík

  • Age 10+
  • Gear included
  • Admission included

The Whale and the Icelandic Horse

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Friends of Moby Dick

Húsavík: Whale Watching Tour with Heated Indoor Seating

from €88 per person4.60· 361 Google reviews of the operator

37% below the €139 typical for whale watching tours

meet at the start point

3 h · from Húsavík

  • Gear included
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

At our family-run whale-watching business, we believe every tour should be an unforgettable experience. That's why we work tirelessly to ensure our guests have the best whale-watching experience.

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Imagine Iceland Travel

Diamond Circle Day Tour from Akureyri or Lake Myvatn

from €285 per person4.70· 59 Google reviews of the operator

pickup included

9 h · from Akureyri

  • Book the night before

Discover the Natural Wonders of Diamond Circle, Lake Myvatn, the amazing Dettifoss Waterfall in Vatnajokull National Park, Jokulsargljufur Canyon, Hljodaklettar Echo Cliffs, Asbyrgi Canyon, Tjornes Cliffs, Husavik & GeoSea optional add on

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Fox Adventure ehf

Adventure! Diamond Circle Tour!

from €293 per person5.0· 20 Google reviews of the operator

106% above the €142 typical for sightseeing day tours

Moderate · from age 6 · pickup included

10 h · from Akureyri

  • Wi-fi on board
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

The Diamond Circle is a magnificent circuit of 250km in North Iceland, which includes some of the most stunning sights and spots for unearthly landscapes.

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Showing 12 of 25. Browse everything or build a day around it.

Who runs them

14 operators, all of whom we hold a contract with. We do not list every company in Iceland, on purpose.

BusTravel Iceland · Fox Adventure ehf · Friends of Moby Dick · Gentle Giants · Geo Travel · Icelandic Adventures / Iceland Fishing Guide · Imagine Iceland Travel · Nordur Travel Services ehf · Snaeland Travel · Star Travel · Sýsli - Ferðir og ökukennsla ehf · The Traveling Viking

Húsavík: questions people ask

How many tours go to Húsavík?

We list 25 — 23 day tours and 2 multi-day packages, from 14 operators. That is what we currently have contracts for, not everything that exists in Iceland.

How much does it cost to visit Húsavík?

The place itself is usually free to enter; what you pay for is getting there. A day tour seat runs from €88, with a typical price of €293. Some sites charge separately for parking or admission — check the individual tour.

When can you visit Húsavík?

Looking at the next 360 days of live availability, departures fall in October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September. That is a rolling window rather than the full year, so a month missing here is not necessarily a month with nothing running.

How much daylight is there at Húsavík?

January: 4 h 24 min · March: 11 h 31 min · June: the sun does not set · September: 13 h 18 min · December: 2 h 57 min. Iceland stays on UTC all year, so there is no clock change to allow for.

Do you need a tour, or can you drive to Húsavík yourself?

Both work. Driving gives you the stops you want and the time you want them; a tour removes the winter road decisions and lets everyone look out of the window. We sell the tours and say so — if self-driving suits you better, it suits you better.

Can you get to Húsavík without a car?

Yes — 21 guided day tours in our catalogue stop here, and a scheduled bus or transfer serves it as well. 16 of the tours pick you up from your accommodation, so no onward transport is needed.

How far is Húsavík from Reykjavík?

The tours that go here mostly start in Akureyri, about 5 h 35 min from Reykjavík on roads that stay open all year. That is driving time in normal conditions and not an estimate of your day — a tour that reaches Húsavík and comes back is a good deal longer than twice that.

What is the cheapest way to get to Húsavík?

A guided day tour from Akureyri, from €88 per person, with €285 the more typical fare. Private tours cost more because they are priced per vehicle rather than per seat.

Hotels

Where to stay near Húsavík

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

All hotels in North Iceland →

Put it in a day

Húsavík is rarely a whole day on its own. The planner knows how long each tour takes and how far apart the start points are, so it can build the rest of the day around it.

Plan a day around Húsavík