Puffin season · roughly 20 April to 20 August

Reykjavik Puffin Tour

Six ways to see the Atlantic puffin from Reykjavík, compared honestly. Two RIB speedboats, two one-hour sailings on Faxaflói Bay, a four-hour whale-and-puffin combo, and a fourteen-hour day in the Westman Islands. What each costs, how close you actually get, and the short season that decides whether any of them run at all.

Our Top Pick Compare All 6

Reykjavik Puffin Tour Quick Facts

Time on the waterFour of the six are listed at one hour. The whale-and-puffin RIB runs two, the combo four across two separate sailings, and the Westman Islands day fourteen
Where you startFive leave from ticket offices on Reykjavík's Old Harbour, a short walk from downtown. Only the Westman Islands trip collects you from your hotel
Price rangeFrom ~$64 for an hour on the bay in a big boat to ~$268 for a guided day in the Westman Islands with the ferry and a museum included
SeasonThe listings put the birds ashore from about 20 April to 20 August. Outside that window they are far out at sea and the boats sell whale watching instead

The Bay in 60 Seconds

Reykjavik Puffin Tour: Quick Answers Before You Book

Only got a minute? Here is everything that actually decides which puffin boat you should be on.

In short: the one we would book is the Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Tour run by Whale Safari, at ~$107 per person. One hour by RIB out of the Old Harbour, coveralls and binoculars handed to you, and 4.8/5 from 406 reviews — the best-rated tour here with a review count big enough to trust. If that is more than you want to spend on an hour, the Puffin Watching Boat Tour on the wooden Skúlaskeið is ~$64 and carries a 100% sightings guarantee. Whatever you pick, check your dates first: these are summer tours, and outside roughly 20 April to 20 August there are no puffins on the islands to see.

Best all-rounder: Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Tour by Whale Safari — 1 hour, ~$107, rated 4.8/5 from 406 reviews, with guide and transportation subscores both at 4.9 and value for money at 4.6. Here is why we would book it.
Cheapest way onto the bay: the Puffin Watching Boat Tour at ~$64 — an hour on the old wooden Skúlaskeið, 33 passengers, engine cut at the islands, and a 100% puffin sightings guarantee in writing.
If you want whales as well: the Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour at ~$178 — two hours, capped at twelve people, with the strongest subscores on this page (guide 4.9, transport 4.9, value 4.6).
If you want an hour indoors: the 1-Hour Puffin Watching Tour at ~$65 puts overalls, raincoats, blankets and borrowed binoculars on a big Elding boat, and lets you try again free if nobody sees a puffin.
If you would rather not choose: the Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo at ~$150 bundles both — but read the timings before you book, because it is two separate sailings with a gap in between, not one four-hour trip.
If you want to stand on land among them: the Puffin and Volcano Tour in the Westman Islands at ~$268 — fourteen hours, a ferry, a volcano and a cliff-top colony, which is a completely different day from an hour on a boat.
The thing that catches everyone out: an hour is an hour. Four of these six are listed at sixty minutes door to door, which includes getting out of the harbour and back, so the time actually spent alongside the birds is a fraction of that. Nobody is allowed to land on the islands either — they are protected nesting ground, and you watch from the water.

The One We'd Book

Best Reykjavik Puffin Tour on Faxaflói Bay

Of the six here, this is the one we would book first — the highest-rated puffin trip out of Reykjavík, and the only one rated 4.8 with more than four hundred reviews behind it.

A RIB boat full of passengers in red flotation suits idling close to a green cliff island on Faxaflói Bay

Best Reykjavik Puffin Tour Overall

Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Tour

4.8 / 5 from 406 reviews · Whale Safari · free cancellation up to 24 hours before

This is the strongest-rated way to see the Atlantic puffin from Reykjavík, and it is not especially close. One hour in a rigid inflatable from the Old Harbour, out across the bay to the nesting islands, with a captain and a wildlife guide who take the boat right up to the rocks and inlets rather than circling at a distance. A RIB covers more water than a conventional vessel and can tuck into places a big hull cannot, which is the entire argument for paying more than the ~$64 alternative.

What makes it our pick is that the evidence holds up under pressure. A 4.8 average from 406 reviews is a serious sample, the guide and transportation subscores both sit at 4.9, and — unusually for a tour at this price — value for money is 4.6, higher than either of the cheap one-hour boats. Reviewers who mention the distance to the birds also mention the binoculars, the coveralls, the hats and the gloves, which is what a well-run cold-water hour looks like.

Price from: ~$107
Duration: 1 hour
Operator: Whale Safari
Meeting point: The Whale Safari office, Reykjavík Old Harbour
Boat: RIB — rigid inflatable, open to the weather
Kit provided: Coveralls, safety equipment, binoculars
Restrictions: Minimum 145 cm, maximum 140 kg, no back or knee problems
Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours before

Check Availability & Price Compare With Others

Where the hour actually goes

An hour is short, and the harbour eats some of it. The part people underestimate is what happens before the lines come off — you check in at the office, listen to a safety briefing and get zipped into a coverall, and none of that is inside the sixty minutes on the clock.

Before you leave

The Whale Safari office, Old HarbourMake your own way — hotel pickup is not included on this one, but the harbour is a short walk from downtown Reykjavík
Briefing and kitA short safety briefing, then coveralls and the rest of the safety equipment before you step aboard

Lines off

On Faxaflói Bay

Out of the Old HarbourPast the fishing fleet and the whale-watching boats, with the city and Mount Esja behind you
Across the bayThe part a RIB does better than anything else here — it covers open water fast and does not need to conserve fuel to do it
The nesting islandsGrassy slopes above rock, burrowed through with nest holes and loud with birds in season
In among the rocks and inletsThe stated reason to take a RIB: it gets closer to the cliffs and sits lower on the water than a conventional boat

Back alongside

Reykjavík Old HarbourAbout an hour after the scheduled departure, back at the same pier

What you'll actually see

Puffins are small — a bird you could hold in two hands — and they nest on slopes you are not allowed to set foot on. So this is not a zoo encounter. What you get is a colony seen from the water: birds on the grass, birds on the sea in rafts, and birds coming and going low and fast over the waves. The listing also names gannets, auks, fulmars and Arctic terns, all of which use the same islands.

Nesting slopesBurrowed grass above rock
Birds in flightLow and fast over water
The banded billBright only while breeding
Rafts on the seaBirds resting offshore
Sea cliffsShared with fulmars
Arctic ternsLoud, and they dive
Guillemots and auksThe puffin's relatives
Reykjavík from the bayCity and Mount Esja

Nobody on this page can promise you a bird in close-up, and neither will we. In season the islands hold thousands of them and the odds are excellent — but the birds are wild, the sea decides how close the boat gets, and binoculars are on board for a reason.

Why this one and not the cheap hour on the big boat?

The ~$64 wooden-boat tour further down this page is genuinely good, carries a written 100% sightings guarantee and cuts its engine at the islands so you can hear them. What it cannot do is go where a RIB goes. A big hull has to keep its distance from rocks and inlets; an inflatable does not. If you want to sit down out of the wind with a cup of coffee and see a colony from a comfortable deck, book the cheaper one and feel good about it. If the whole point of your morning is getting as close as Icelandic law and the swell allow, the extra ~$43 buys exactly that.

One thing we'd flag: this is the most restricted tour here. You must be at least 145 cm tall, under 140 kg, and the operator asks for no history of back or knee problems — a RIB slams over swell, and that is not a formality. There is no hotel pickup, no food or drink, and no sightings guarantee of the kind the two cheaper boats offer. It is also an open boat: the coveralls handle the wind, but bad weather is something you sit in rather than look at.

Who you'll be with

Whale Safari, working out of their own office on the Old Harbour. You get a professional captain and a wildlife guide rather than a recorded commentary, and binoculars are handed out on board — which matters more on this trip than most, because the birds are small and the boat does not stop at the same place twice.

Cold, spray and what to wear

The coveralls and safety equipment are provided, and that covers the wind and most of the water. What it does not cover is what is underneath. A RIB at speed on Icelandic water is cold in July, and the operator asks you to bring warm clothing, comfortable clothes and closed-toe or sports shoes — no heels, and no luggage or large bags on board. Wear layers you would be happy hiking in, and put anything you would hate to soak into a dry bag.

What's included

Professional captain and wildlife guide
Use of coveralls
All necessary safety equipment
Binoculars

Not included — or not allowed

Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Tips
Anyone under 145 cm
Anyone over 140 kg
Guests with a history of back or knee problems
Luggage or large bags

Best for

Travellers with one free morning in Reykjavík who want the fastest, closest look at a working puffin colony and do not mind paying for it.

Bird Notes

Reykjavik Puffin Tour Guide: Season, Islands and Boats

A bit of background on when the birds are actually here, where the boats take you, and why two tours on the same bay can feel nothing alike.

The season is short, and it decides everything

Puffins come ashore to breed and then leave for the open ocean. The listings on this page put that window at roughly 20 April to 20 August, and one of them narrows the puffin portion of its tour to 15 August. Book inside it and your odds are excellent. Book a week outside it and there is nothing on the islands to look at — the boats will still sail, but they will be selling you whales.

Three islands, and the sea picks which one

The boats work Akurey, Lundey and Engey, small low islands sitting in Faxaflói a short run from the harbour. Which one you get depends on the tide and the wind on the day, not on which tour you booked. One listing says so outright. Do not pick a tour because of the island names in the description.

Nobody lands on the islands

This surprises people, and it comes up in reviews. The colonies are protected nesting ground and the boats stay on the water — when one traveller wrote that they wished they could have got off the boat, the operator replied that the island is protected because the puffins are nesting there. Every tour here is a watching trip, not a walking one. The only way to stand among puffins is the Westman Islands day.

Two completely different boats

A RIB is an open rigid inflatable: fast, low to the water, no roof, coveralls instead of a cabin, and able to work in close to rocks. The alternative is a proper boat — the old wooden Skúlaskeið takes 33 passengers and cuts its engine at the islands, and Elding's vessel has indoor seating, blankets and raincoats. Same bay, same birds, two very different hours.

The guarantees are not the same guarantee

Read this bit carefully. Two tours here carry a 100% puffin sightings guarantee. One offers a puffin guarantee framed as "or try again for free" — which is a free second trip, not your money back. And two carry no sightings guarantee at all, including our top pick. None of them can be redeemed after you have flown home, so a guarantee is only worth something if you have a spare day.

If you want whales as well

Two options here bundle both. The Elding RIB does whales and puffins inside two hours and runs 1 April to 31 October, with the puffin part limited to the summer window. The Special Tours combo is cheaper but is genuinely two separate sailings with a gap between them — the 09:00 whale departure pairs with a 12:30 puffin trip, for example. That is a good chunk of a day, planned as one purchase.

All Six Trips

6 Best Reykjavik Puffin Tours and Boat Trips

Every option we would genuinely put on the table, with the catch that comes attached to each one.

An Atlantic puffin in flight against a blue sky with a beakful of small silver fish

Our Top Pick

Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Tour (Whale Safari) — Best Overall

One hour by rigid inflatable from the Old Harbour out across Faxaflói Bay to the nesting islands. You check in at the Whale Safari office, get a safety briefing and a coverall, then run out to the rocky islands and sea cliffs and work in close along the inlets where the birds nest. A captain and a wildlife guide are both on board, and binoculars are handed round.

Duration1 hour · round trip
OperatorWhale Safari
Rating4.8/5 (406 reviews)
Meets atThe Whale Safari office, Reykjavík Old Harbour
HighlightsNesting islands, sea cliffs, gannets, auks, fulmars and Arctic terns
Best forGetting as close to the colony as the boat and the swell allow

Worth knowing: the most restricted tour on this page — minimum 145 cm, maximum 140 kg, and no history of back or knee problems. No hotel pickup, no food or drink, no luggage on board, and no sightings guarantee. Value for money is 4.6, which is the joint best here, but it is still ~$107 for sixty minutes.

~$107per person Check Price

Passengers in yellow and blue jackets on the open deck of a small boat beneath an Icelandic flag

Cheapest Way Onto the Bay

Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Boat Tour — Best on a Budget

An hour aboard the Skúlaskeið — "Old Skúli" — a wooden boat that takes 33 passengers, which is small enough to feel personal and big enough to move around on. You leave the Old Harbour for Lundey and Akurey, and once you are alongside the islands the crew shut the engine off so you can watch and listen to the birds instead of the diesel. An expert guide talks you through the puffins, the fulmars, the gulls, the terns and the black guillemots.

Duration1 hour · round trip
OperatorSpecial Tours Iceland
Rating4.6/5 (1,434 reviews)
Meets atThe Special Tours office, Reykjavík Old Harbour
HighlightsLundey and Akurey, engine off at the islands, 100% sightings guarantee
Best forThe most evidence and the lowest price, on a boat you can walk around

Worth knowing: by far the biggest review base here — 1,434 of them — and the subscores split accordingly: guide 4.8 and transportation 4.7, but value for money 4.4, which is low for the cheapest tour on the page. Transfers, food and drink are not included. It is also the busiest option, so book a morning departure if crowds bother you.

~$64per person Check Price

A small RIB boat with passengers watching a whale's back break the surface on a calm grey sea

Puffins and Whales

Reykjavik: Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour — Best Small Group

Two hours in a specially engineered RIB, capped at twelve passengers, with a specially trained whale-watching guide and a certified captain. You run out to the islands for the puffins first, then head further offshore looking for whales and dolphins, and come back along the Reykjavík shoreline past the Harpa concert hall. Warm overalls, gloves and goggles are all handed to you.

Duration2 hours · round trip
OperatorElding Adventure at Sea
Rating4.7/5 (480 reviews)
Meets atThe ticket office at the Old Harbour, 30 minutes before departure
HighlightsPuffin islands, whales and dolphins, Harpa and the city from the water
Best forOne trip that covers both, in a group of twelve rather than thirty

Worth knowing: the best subscores on this page — guide 4.9, transportation 4.9, value for money 4.6. But the puffin part is seasonal within the season: the inclusion line reads 20 April to 15 August, five days shorter than the tour's own season note. Minimum age 10, minimum height 145 cm, maximum 140 kg, a signed waiver, and there is no toilet and no food on board.

~$178per person Check Price

A single Atlantic puffin standing on a grassy slope with its orange bill turned toward the camera

Warmest Hour

Reykjavik: 1-Hour Puffin Watching Tour — Best for Comfort

Elding's big-boat hour, running to Akurey, Engey or Lundey depending on the tide and the weather. The pitch here is comfort and kit: warm overalls, raincoats and blankets on board, binoculars to borrow, a naturalist guide, and seaman's coffee to keep the cold off. Alongside the puffins you can expect eider ducks, arctic terns, guillemots, cormorants, fulmars, geese and oystercatchers.

Duration1 hour · round trip
OperatorElding Adventure at Sea
Rating4.5/5 (570 reviews)
Meets atElding's ticket office, Ægisgarður 5, 101 Reykjavík
HighlightsAkurey, Engey or Lundey, borrowed binoculars, naturalist guide, engines off if the weather allows
Best forAnyone who wants to be warm, dry and sitting down

Worth knowing: the listing is sold as one hour but the description refers to a 1.5-hour cruise — worth confirming at checkout before you plan the rest of your morning. The puffin guarantee is a free second trip rather than a refund, refreshments cost extra, and value for money is the joint weakest here at 4.3/5.

~$65per person Check Price

An Atlantic puffin perched on a wet rock with the open sea blurred behind it

Both, in One Purchase

Reykjavik: Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour — Best Value Bundle

Two sailings sold together. The puffin half is the same Skúlaskeið trip as our budget pick, with its shallow draught letting it get in close to the islands. The whale half runs on the Andrea, the largest whale-watching boat in Iceland, with a cafeteria and an interactive, educational setup — or you can switch to a faster express boat that reaches the whale grounds sooner. Warm inside seating and overalls throughout.

Duration4 hours · two separate tours
OperatorSpecial Tours Iceland
Rating4.5/5 (655 reviews)
Meets atThe Special Tours office, Reykjavík Old Harbour
HighlightsMinke and humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises, plus the puffin islands
Best forFilling a whole day on the water for less than the two-hour RIB costs

Worth knowing: this is not a four-hour trip. It is two departures with a gap — the 09:00 whale sailing pairs with a 12:30 puffin sailing, for instance — and the listing says outright you do not even have to do them on the same day. Hot drinks and refreshments cost extra, and value for money is 4.3/5.

~$150per person Check Price

Towering dark basalt sea cliffs rising straight out of the Atlantic in the Westman Islands

Puffins on Foot

From Reykjavik: Puffin and Volcano Tour in Westman Islands — Best Full Day

The only way on this page to stand on land among the birds. A van collects you in Reykjavík, drives to the Landeyjahöfn ferry terminal and takes the Herjólfur across to Vestmannaeyjar — thirty minutes on the water. The day takes in Elephant Rock, puffin watching at Stórhöfði cape, the Eldheimar museum built over the 1973 eruption, the Skansinn fort, and a hike up Eldfell itself.

Duration14 hours · pickup included
OperatorArctic Adventures
Rating4.6/5 (214 reviews)
Meets atHotel pickup in Reykjavík
HighlightsStórhöfði puffins, Elephant Rock, Eldheimar museum, Eldfell volcano, Skansinn
Best forTravellers who want a whole day and a colony they can walk up to

Worth knowing: the ferry means paperwork — the operator needs every passenger's name, nationality and date of birth at least four days before the tour. It is flagged on GetYourGuide as a rare find that is usually unavailable, so dates go fast. Food and drink are not included and you are asked to bring snacks, water and hiking shoes.

~$268per person Check Price

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Before You Board

Reykjavik Puffin Tour Tips: Season, Boat and Booking

Four questions that will settle which boat is yours, before you put any money down.

How to pick your puffin tour in four steps

Check your dates against the season, first and before anything else. This is the only question on the page that can make the other three irrelevant. The listings put the birds ashore from about 20 April to 20 August, and one narrows its own puffin window to 15 August. A tour booked for early April or September will still sail — the boats run whale trips well outside the bird season — but there will be nothing on the islands. If your trip falls near either edge, message the operator through GetYourGuide before you pay rather than after.
Decide how close you actually need to get. This is what separates a ~$64 hour from a ~$107 one. The RIBs are open, fast and low, and they can work in among rocks and inlets that a conventional hull has to stay clear of. The bigger boats — the wooden Skúlaskeið and Elding's vessel — give you an indoor option, blankets, raincoats, a deck to walk about on and a cup of coffee, and they cut their engines at the islands so you can hear the colony. Neither is the better boat. They are answers to different questions.
Read what the guarantee actually promises. Two of these six carry a written 100% puffin sightings guarantee. One offers a puffin guarantee in the form of a free second trip. Two — including our top pick — offer nothing of the kind. None of them is any use once you have left Iceland, so if a guarantee is part of why you are choosing a tour, make sure you have a spare day left in the country to spend it on.
Check the restrictions against your group before you check the price. The Whale Safari RIB will not take anyone under 145 cm or over 140 kg, or anyone with a history of back or knee problems. The Elding RIB adds a minimum age of 10 and a signed waiver, and has no toilet on board. The Westman Islands day needs full passenger names, nationalities and dates of birth four days in advance because of the ferry. The two big boats are the ones that will carry almost anyone. These are operator rules, not suggestions, and they are not negotiable at the pier.

Side by Side

Reykjavik Puffin Tour Comparison: Price, Duration & Boat

All six in one place — the quickest way to spot which one fits your budget, your dates and your group.

Swipe the table sideways → the tour name stays put

Tour	Best for	Price	Duration	Starts from	Operator & rating	Highlights & caveats	Book
Puffin Watching Tour by RIB (our top pick)	The closest look at the colony, as fast as the sea allows	~$107	1 hour	Whale Safari office, Old Harbour	Whale Safari 4.8/5 (406)	Best-rated tour here, guide and transport both 4.9, value 4.6, coveralls and binoculars included, works in close to the rocks; min 145 cm, max 140 kg, no back or knee problems, no pickup, no guarantee	View Deal
Puffin Watching Boat Tour (Old Skúli)	The lowest price and the biggest pile of evidence	~$64	1 hour	Special Tours office, Old Harbour	Special Tours Iceland 4.6/5 (1,434)	1,434 reviews, 100% sightings guarantee, wooden boat for 33 passengers, engine cut at Lundey and Akurey, certified by GetYourGuide; value for money only 4.4, no transfers, no food or drink	View Deal
Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour	Both animals in one trip, in a group of twelve	~$178	2 hours	Ticket office, Old Harbour	Elding Adventure at Sea 4.7/5 (480)	Best subscores on the page (4.9 / 4.9 / 4.6), capped at 12 people, marine guide, overalls, gloves and goggles; puffin window only 20 Apr – 15 Aug, min age 10, min 145 cm, no toilet and no food on board	View Deal
1-Hour Puffin Watching Tour	Staying warm, dry and seated	~$65	1 hour	Ægisgarður 5, 101 Reykjavík	Elding Adventure at Sea 4.5/5 (570)	Overalls, raincoats and blankets, binoculars to borrow, naturalist guide, seaman's coffee, puffin guarantee as a free retry; listed as 1 hour but described as a 1.5-hour cruise, refreshments extra, value 4.3	View Deal
Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour	Both animals for less, if you have the day free	~$150	4 hours	Special Tours office, Old Harbour	Special Tours Iceland 4.5/5 (655)	Minke and humpback whales, dolphins and porpoises, warm inside seating, overalls, 100% guarantee on the puffin half; two separate sailings with a gap, not one trip, refreshments extra, value 4.3	View Deal
Puffin and Volcano Tour in Westman Islands	Standing on land beside a colony	~$268	14 hours	Hotel pickup in Reykjavík	Arctic Adventures 4.6/5 (214)	Stórhöfði cape, Elephant Rock, Eldheimar museum, Eldfell volcano hike, ferry and pickup included, small group, Wi-Fi on board; names and dates of birth needed 4 days ahead, no food included, rarely available	View Deal

Harbour Talk

Real Traveler Reviews of Reykjavik Puffin Tours

Unedited thoughts from people who have actually been out on the bay.

★★★★★

Took the RIB out of the Old Harbour on a flat calm morning in late June and it was the best hour we spent in Iceland. The guide got us in so close to the rocks that we could hear them. Bring a proper camera if you have one — the coverall they give you has a pocket for it.

★★★★★

Long one, sorry, but here is everything I wish somebody had told me before booking a puffin trip in Reykjavík. First and biggest: the season is real and it is short. We were there on the 22nd of August and it had basically finished — the birds had gone to sea and the boats were selling whales. We got lucky on a late colony and I would not count on that again. Second, an hour means an hour, and a chunk of that is getting out of the harbour. Third, you cannot land on the islands, so stop looking for a tour that does — they are protected nesting ground and every boat here watches from the water. Fourth, the guarantee is worth checking. Two of the boats guarantee sightings; the one we ended up on offers a free repeat trip instead, which is only useful if you have a spare day. We did, so it worked out. Fifth, wear more than you think. It was 13 degrees on land and a great deal colder doing twenty knots.

★★★★★

Kleine Boot, gute Guide, viele Papageitaucher. The wooden boat cut the engine at the island and it went completely quiet apart from the birds. Worth every króna.

★★★★

Good trip, honest review. You do not get close-up-photo close. The birds are small and the boat keeps a respectful distance from the nesting slope, so what you actually see is a hillside covered in puffins and a lot of them flying past at speed. The binoculars on board are not an optional extra, they are the tour. Knowing that in advance would have set my expectations better. Still glad we went.

★★★★★

We booked the two-hour RIB with the whales and it was the right call. Twelve people only, so everybody had a clear view, and the guide explained what the birds were doing rather than just naming them. We saw a minke whale on the way back in, which nobody had promised us. The overalls and gloves were genuinely necessary in July.

★★★★★

Une heure parfaite. The captain took us right into an inlet and switched off. My daughter still talks about it six months later.

★★★★★

We did the Westman Islands day because I wanted to see puffins on land, not from a boat, and that is exactly what we got. Long day — picked up before seven, back in Reykjavík very late — but the ferry crossing was beautiful and the cape at the south end of the island is covered in them. The volcano museum was better than I expected. Send your passport details early, they really do need them days in advance.

★★★★

一小时有点短. The boat was comfortable and warm and the blankets were a nice touch, but by the time we reached the island and turned around, it was over. If you are going all the way to Iceland for the birds, pay for the longer trip. Four stars for the crew, who were lovely.

★★★★★

Lundefugl i bøtter og spann. Even as a Norwegian who has seen plenty, the sheer number on those little islands was something else. Good guide, good boat, no fuss.

★★★★★

Booked the cheapest one on a whim with two hours to kill before a flight and it turned out to be the highlight of the trip. Old wooden boat, thirty-odd people, guide who clearly loves the birds. She answered my son's questions for a solid ten minutes. The 100% sightings guarantee is printed on the booking and we did not need it — there were hundreds.

★★★★★

Fuimos en la lancha rápida y valió la pena. Two things that surprised me. One, the wind. It is not the air temperature that gets you, it is the speed — take gloves even though they hand you a suit. Two, how good the guiding was for an hour-long tour. She talked about why the bill changes colour, why they nest in burrows and why the islands are closed to visitors, and none of it felt rehearsed. We saw them on the water, on the grass and in the air, all in sixty minutes.

★★★★

Attenzione al combo. We booked the whale and puffin package thinking it was one four-hour trip and it is not — it is two separate departures with a long gap in the middle. Once we understood that it was fine, and we had a very good lunch in the harbour in between, but the booking page could be a lot clearer. Both sailings themselves were excellent.

★★★★★

Went out at nine in the morning in early July with the sea like glass. Puffins everywhere, a few fulmars, terns screaming at us the whole way. Simple, cheap, brilliant.

★★★★★

Third time in Iceland and the first time I have bothered with a puffin trip. Should have done it years ago. The RIB is the way — you are low down and moving, and the birds come past at eye level. Just be honest with yourself about the back and knee warning on the booking page, because it is not there for decoration.

Ready when you are

Book the Best Reykjavik Puffin Tour

If you have a free morning in Reykjavík between late April and late August and you want the closest look at a working puffin colony, the Whale Safari RIB is the one we would put in the calendar. One hour from the Old Harbour: a safety briefing and a coverall first, then out across Faxaflói Bay to the nesting islands and in among the rocks and inlets where a conventional boat cannot follow, with a captain and a wildlife guide on board and binoculars handed round.

It is rated 4.8 out of 5 by 406 travellers, with guide and transportation subscores both at 4.9 and value for money at 4.6 — the joint best on this page. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure, and you can reserve now and pay later. Just check your dates against the season before you book anything.

~$107

per person · 1 hour · Whale Safari

Check Availability

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
✓ Reserve now, pay later
✓ Coveralls, safety equipment and binoculars included
✓ Captain and wildlife guide on board

Curious Minds

Reykjavik Puffin Tour FAQ: Your Questions Answered

The questions we get asked most often before people book a puffin boat out of Reykjavík.

Which Reykjavik puffin tour is the best one overall?

For most people it is the Reykjavik: Puffin Watching Tour run by Whale Safari. It starts from ~$107 per person for one hour by RIB out of the Old Harbour, with a professional captain, a wildlife guide, coveralls, safety equipment and binoculars included. It holds 4.8/5 from 406 reviews — the best rating on this page with a serious sample behind it — with guide and transportation subscores both at 4.9 and value for money at 4.6. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.

When is puffin season in Reykjavik?

Roughly 20 April to 20 August. That is the window the GetYourGuide listings themselves give, and one of the six narrows the puffin portion of its tour to 15 August. Puffins only come ashore to breed; the rest of the year they live far out on the open Atlantic. Outside the window the boats still sail, but they are running whale-watching trips, not puffin trips. If your dates fall near either edge, contact the operator before you pay.

How much does a Reykjavik puffin tour cost?

Anywhere from about ~$64 to ~$268 per person on this page. The one-hour boat trips start at ~$64 on the wooden Skúlaskeið and ~$65 with Elding, the Whale Safari RIB is ~$107, the four-hour whale-and-puffin combo ~$150, the two-hour Elding RIB ~$178, and the full day in the Westman Islands ~$268. All prices are per person and they move with the season and your departure date.

How long is a puffin tour from Reykjavik?

Four of the six are listed at one hour, door to door, which includes getting out of the Old Harbour and back. The Elding whale-and-puffin RIB runs two hours. The Special Tours combo is listed at four hours but is really two separate sailings with a gap between them. The Westman Islands trip is a fourteen-hour day with hotel pickup and a ferry. Note that one one-hour listing describes itself in the body text as a 1.5-hour cruise — worth confirming at checkout.

Which islands do the Reykjavik puffin boats visit?

Akurey, Lundey and Engey — small low islands in Faxaflói Bay, a short run from the Old Harbour. Which one you visit depends on the tide and the weather on the day rather than on which tour you booked; the Elding listing says so explicitly. All three hold large seabird colonies, and alongside puffins you can expect fulmars, gulls, Arctic terns, black guillemots, eider ducks, cormorants, geese and oystercatchers.

Are puffin sightings guaranteed on a Reykjavik tour?

On some of them, and the wording matters. The Special Tours boat trip and the Special Tours combo both carry a written 100% puffin sightings guarantee. The Elding one-hour tour offers a puffin guarantee in the form of a free second trip rather than a refund. The Whale Safari RIB and the Westman Islands day carry no sightings guarantee at all. None of these is any use after you have left the country, so only count a guarantee if you still have a spare day in Iceland.

Can you land on the puffin islands near Reykjavik?

No. The islands are protected nesting ground and every boat trip on this page watches from the water. When one traveller wrote that they wished they could have got off the boat, the operator replied directly that the island is protected because the puffins are nesting there. If you specifically want to stand on land beside a colony, the Westman Islands day trip is the only option here — it includes puffin watching at Stórhöfði cape on foot.

RIB or big boat — which is better for seeing puffins?

They solve different problems. A RIB is open, fast and sits low on the water, and it can work in among rocks and inlets that a conventional hull must stay clear of — that is the stated reason it costs more. A bigger boat gives you an indoor option, a deck to move around on, blankets, raincoats and coffee, and the wooden Skúlaskeið cuts its engine at the islands so you can hear the colony. If you want proximity, take the RIB. If you want comfort, take the boat.

Where do Reykjavik puffin tours leave from?

Five of the six leave from ticket offices on Reykjavík's Old Harbour, which is a short walk from downtown. The Whale Safari RIB meets at the Whale Safari office, the two Special Tours trips at the Special Tours office, the Elding RIB at the harbour ticket office thirty minutes before departure, and the Elding one-hour boat at Ægisgarður 5, 101 Reykjavík. Only the Westman Islands day trip includes hotel pickup and drop-off.

Is there a minimum age or height for a Reykjavik puffin tour?

It depends on the boat. The Whale Safari RIB requires a minimum height of 145 cm, a maximum weight of 140 kg and no history of back or knee problems. The Elding whale-and-puffin RIB sets a minimum age of 10 alongside the same 145 cm and 140 kg limits, and asks for a signed waiver. The two larger boats and the Westman Islands day carry all ages. Check the individual listing before booking for a family.

What should you wear on a Reykjavik puffin tour?

Warm layers, whatever the month. On the RIBs the operator hands you coveralls and safety equipment — Elding adds gloves and goggles — but a fast open boat on Icelandic water is cold even in July, so wear what you would hike in underneath. Closed-toe or sports shoes are required and high heels are not allowed; luggage and large bags are refused on board. On the bigger boats you can go inside, and overalls, raincoats and blankets are provided.

Can you see puffins and whales on the same trip from Reykjavik?

Yes, two ways. The Elding Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour does both inside two hours for ~$178, capped at twelve passengers, and holds the best subscores here. The Special Tours Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo is cheaper at ~$150 but is two separate sailings — the 09:00 whale departure pairs with a 12:30 puffin departure, for example — and the listing says you do not even have to do them on the same day.

Is the Westman Islands day trip better than a puffin boat from Reykjavik?

It is a different purchase rather than a better one. For ~$268 and fourteen hours you get hotel pickup, the Herjólfur ferry from Landeyjahöfn, puffin watching on foot at Stórhöfði cape, Elephant Rock, admission to the Eldheimar museum built over the 1973 eruption, the Skansinn fort and a hike up Eldfell. It is the only way on this page to be on land beside a colony. But it needs passenger names, nationalities and dates of birth four days ahead for the ferry, and it is flagged as rarely available.

Can I cancel or change my Reykjavik puffin tour booking?

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure is standard across all six listings, and every one of them also offers reserve-now-pay-later. Several state that tours cancelled by the operator because of sea conditions are fully refunded. Terms are set by each provider and can differ by tour and by date, so always confirm the specific policy shown at checkout. All bookings, payments, changes, refunds and customer support are handled directly by the tour operator or booking platform, not by this site.