Is it worth it?

A puffin boat is worth an hour in summer and nothing at all outside it

Short answer

Worth it, with conditions

Worth it between roughly May and August, when the birds are ashore and the trip is short and cheap; the rest of the year they are at sea and there is nothing to see.

The short version

  • Worth it, with conditions. Worth it between roughly May and August, when the birds are ashore and the trip is short and cheap; the rest of the year they are at sea and there is nothing to see.
  • We hold 37 day tours here from 22 operators, median €110 a person, cheapest €50.
  • Cheaper alternative: Walk out to the cliffs at Dyrhólaey or Borgarfjörður eystri in season and watch them for free from land, often closer than any boat gets. The Westman Islands hold the largest colony in the country.

Worth it if

  • You are in Iceland between May and August, ideally June or July.
  • You want a short, cheap boat trip rather than a half-day commitment.
  • You are combining it with whale watching on the same hull, which several operators do.

Not worth it if

  • You are here between September and April. The colonies are empty.
  • You want close-up photographs. From a boat the birds are small and fast; a land colony is better for that.
  • You are already doing a longer boat tour that day. One boat a day is plenty.

What you are actually paying for

These are the shortest boat tours we sell — often an hour — which is why they are also among the cheapest. RIB speedboats cost more than the slower yachts and get closer to the islands.

Across our own contracted catalogue, puffins day tours run to a median of €110 a person, with the cheapest we hold at €50, from 22 operators. Private and per-vehicle products are excluded, because mixing them into a per-person figure makes it meaningless.

The cheaper thing to do instead

Walk out to the cliffs at Dyrhólaey or Borgarfjörður eystri in season and watch them for free from land, often closer than any boat gets. The Westman Islands hold the largest colony in the country.

If you decide it is worth it

What we actually hold, with live prices and departures. Nothing here is a placeholder listing — if it is on this page, it can be booked.

Your Friend in Reykjavik

Weekend Reykjavik Food Tour (Reykjavik Flea Market stop)

from €125 per person4.90· 1,779 Google reviews of the operator

14% above the €110 typical

meet at the start point · works in rain

3 h · from Reykjavík

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Book same day

On this special weekend Reykjavik food tour, you get to try the real deal traditional Icelandic cuisine. Smoked puffin, Lamb soup, The famous Hot dog, Fermented shark, Minke whale steak and a delicious Skyr dessert all await you on our unique food tour

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Húsavík Adventures

Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour

from €150 per person4.90· 407 Google reviews of the operator

36% above the €110 typical

from age 8 · meet at the start point

2 h · from Húsavík

  • Age 8+
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

We currently offer breathtaking Whale Watching and nature experience sailing trips in Skjálfandi Bay outside Húsavík, Iceland.

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Keep reading

Questions people ask

Is a puffin tour worth it?

Worth it between roughly May and August, when the birds are ashore and the trip is short and cheap; the rest of the year they are at sea and there is nothing to see.

When can you see puffins in Iceland?

Roughly May to August. They come ashore to breed in spring and leave for the open sea in the second half of August, with the exact dates varying by colony and year.

Is a puffin boat better than seeing them from land?

From Reykjavík the boat is the only option, and an hour to the islands in Faxaflói is a pleasant, cheap trip. If you are travelling to Dyrhólaey, Látrabjarg or the Westman Islands, land beats boat for both closeness and cost.

Why take our word for it

  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 206 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

Other things people ask about

All 42 verdicts →

Last updated · prices and departures checked 24 Oct 2026

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