Water activity

Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Tour

4.9 / 5

50 reviews

Activity provider: Whale Safari
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    Water activity

    Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Tour

    Activity provider: Whale Safari

    4.9

    50 reviews

    From US$ 74.25 per person

    Get up-close views of Iceland’s beautiful puffins from a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) on a 1-hour cruise from Reykjavik. Board your RIB and whiz across Faxaflói Bay to see the puffins congregated on its islands and cliffs.

    About this activity

    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
    Reserve now & pay later
    Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
    Covid-19 precautions
    Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
    Duration 1 hour
    Check availability to see starting times.
    Live tour guide
    English

    Experience

    Highlights
    • Enjoy a puffin watching cruise by RIB boat from Reykjavik
    • Whizz out into the Faxaflói Bay to watch the Puffins and Seabirds
    • Cruise around the sea cliffs and islands to admire the nesting birds
    • Learn all about these colorful birds from your expert guide
    • Watch for Gannets, Auks, and Arctic Terns
    Full description

    Discover the puffins of Iceland on a wildlife watching tour by RIB Boat, These boats cover a larger area and get closer to the puffins than on a conventional vessel. Watch the birds as they nest, dive and fly, and learn about their characteristics as you cruise around the rocks and cliffs.

    Make your own way to Reykjavik Old Harbour in the early morning and meet the captain of your RIB. Listen to a short safety briefing, put on your provided coveralls, climb aboard, and take hold of the grab rail as your boat sets off. Take in the views of Faxaflói Bay as your RIB zips out over the ice-cold waters. As you cruise, watch for Iceland’s wildlife, including the many species of sea birds that frequent the bay and its islands in summer.

    As well as puffins, gannets, auks, fulmars, and Arctic terns all visit the local waters. Bump over the waves toward the rocky islands and sea cliffs, and sail up close to the rocks and inlets to view the puffins that nest here between May and August. As you watch the puffins, listen to interesting facts about the species from the expert guide and captain. Hear about their natural behaviors and diet, and snap photos of them nesting, diving, and flying as you sail around the little inlets. 

    After about an hour on the sea, arrive back at Reykjavik harbor where your puffin watching cruise ends.

    Includes
    • Professional captain and wildlife guide
    • Use of coveralls
    • All necessary safety equipment
    • Binoculars
    • Food and drinks
    • Tips (optional)
    • Hotel pickup and drop-off
    Not suitable for
    • Children under 10 years
    • Pregnant women
    • People with back problems
    • People with mobility impairments
    • People under 4 ft 8 in (145 cm)

    Select participants and date

    Participants

    Date

    Meeting point

    Meet at the "Whale Safari" office in the Old Harbor of Reykjavik.

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    Important information

    What to bring

    • Warm clothing
    • Comfortable clothes
    • Closed-toe shoes
    • Sports shoes

    Not allowed

    • Luggage or large bags
    Customer reviews

    Overall rating

    4.9 /5

    based on 50 reviews

    Review summary

    • Guide
      5/5
    • Transportation
      5/5
    • Service
      5/5
    • Organization
      4.9/5

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    Star rating:

    Weather worked in our favor today. Our guide Rachel and captain Megan (may have missed on the name) were friendly and very knowledgeable. Super easy getting to and finding the office and loading into the boat. Got lucky and saw a harbor porpoise and a seal relaxing on a rock as well as the stars of the show, puffins. Seeing them in their natural habitat, swimming, flying, fishing, fleeing from bigger birds trying to steal their food was amazing. The boat ride was fun as well and the whole family enjoyed the trip.

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    March 25, 2023

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler – United States Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Exceeded my expectations with how many puffins we saw and a seal too! They contacted us to reschedule our 9am tour to 4pm the day before. This was great because the weather would have caused our 9am to be canceled. Tour guide was very knowledgeable about puffins. I would highly recommend this tour.

    March 25, 2023

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler Verified booking

    Helpful?

    This was a last minute decision to do a boat tour in Reykjavik, I booked all my tours in Iceland through Get Your Guide. The RIB boat was so much fun, not too choppy but still thrilling. Our guides on the boat we’re very knowledgeable and super friendly. We did this late in the afternoon and only 2 other people were on our boat. We saw a lot of puffins and did 2 different stops. I would highly recommend this especially if you are unsure about being on a RIB boat. The tour provider has coverall for everyone which really helps with blocking the wind.

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    March 25, 2023

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    GetYourGuide traveler – United States Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Product ID: 59202

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