The 15 Reykjavik Speedboat Tours That Earn Their Fare

1.Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 621 reviews · 2 hours · from $200 a head Our pick

Ride a 12-seat RIB from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor through Faxaflói Bay, looking for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and puffins. Guides such as Claudia, Julian, and Bianca bring marine knowledge to the trip, while warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and a free return trip help take the edge off Iceland’s cold, changeable weather.

“Unbelievable experience! At least a dozen Humpback whales, dolphins, puffins, Minke whales. Unforgettable experience. Best day ever!!! 🐳 😍😍”

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2.Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 393 reviews · 2 hours · from $194 a head

You’ll ride a 32-knot RIB from Reykjavik with suspension seats, warm flotation gear, and an English-speaking guide. The two-hour trip searches Faxaflói Bay for minke and humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises, with a summer stop near Akurey puffin island. Your ticket also covers the Whales of Iceland Museum.

“It was amazing to see these beautiful animals so near to the boat 🐋😍🌊”

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3.Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 293 reviews · 2 hours · from $200 a head

Join a small group of up to 12 at Reykjavík’s Old Harbour for a two-hour RIB ride into Faxaflói Bay. A marine biologist guide helps you spot puffins, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, while the crew shares photos afterward. Warm waterproof gear is supplied, but expect wind, spray, and a bouncy ride.

“Everything was amazing. Staff friendly, kind and funny and knowledgeable. Made the experience even better. We saw amazing wildlife.”

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4.RIB Whale Watching Small-Group Boat Tour from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 241 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $208 a head

This two-hour Whale Safari trip leaves Reykjavik’s Old Harbour in a fast, stable RIB limited to 12 people. You’ll visit puffin islands from early May through August, then search Faxaflói Bay for humpbacks, minkes, dolphins, and porpoises. High-performance suspension seats and supplied coveralls help with the rough North Atlantic ride.

“Such a good time. Guys are great and the get you prepared in nice warm jumper suits. We got to see whales!!! Three of them came under the boat what an awesome experience! If you get seasick like I do don’t worry about it, it’s not rough!! Highly recommend.”

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5.Speedboat Whale Watching Small-Group Tour in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 223 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $164 a head

Ride a 12-seat RIB from Reykjavik into Faxaflói Bay with an English-speaking guide such as Rebekah, Joe, Anika, or Joel. Expect a fast, bouncy trip, warm waterproof gear, views of Sun Voyager and Harpa, and chances to see humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, puffins, and seals.

“This was a great, close up view of Humpback and Minke Whales. The crew was fantastic and the speedboat ride was exciting.”

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6.Whale Watching Tour by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 119 reviews · 2 hours · from $192 a head

From Reykjavik’s old harbor, you’ll ride a 12-seat RIB with suspension seats, warm waterproof gear, gloves, goggles, and a scarf. Your English or Icelandic guide searches Faxaflói Bay for whales, dolphins, seals, and puffins, while pointing out Harpa Concert Hall and the Sun Voyager. The ride is exciting, but rough water can make it demanding.

“Amazing experience being so close to the whales. Lovely guide who was very informative and overall very highly recommend.”

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7.2-Hour RIB Boat Whale Watching Tour from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 96 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $189 a head

Join a small group of up to 12 people aboard a custom 12-meter RIB from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour. Guides such as Yoda, Blanca, and Jonathan help search for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Expect warm overalls, goggles, suspension seats, a summer puffin stop at Akurey, and a thrilling, sometimes bumpy ride.

“Great guide and captain. Saw some whales but was hoping to see more or some breaching. Learned a ton!!”

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8.Whale Watching in Reykjavik by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 77 reviews · 2 hours · from $200 a head

Join a captain and English-speaking wildlife guide for a two-hour RIB speedboat trip from Reykjavik Old Harbour. With only 12 passengers, you can search a wide area for whales, dolphins, porpoises, seabirds, and seasonal puffins. Warm overalls, suspension seats, and a free return ticket if no whales are seen are included.

“Guides were super knowledgeable of the area and the animals. Did a good job locating the puffins and whales. Overall highly recommend and great experience”

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9.2 hour Round Trip in Vestmannaeyjar on a RIB Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $247 a head Top rated

Explore Vestmannaeyjar by fast RIB boat with a local captain and guide. You’ll enter sea caves, see Elephant Rock, puffins, eider, gannets, and kittiwakes, and head toward Súlnasker. Float suits and life jackets are supplied. The small boat carries no more than 12 people, making it easier to see the cliffs and hear the guide.

“Surreal experience touring all around Vestmannaeyjar on a RIB boat! Our captain and guide were both so excited and generous in sharing all of their knowledge about the island and various local traditions! Highly recommend booking this experience if you visit Vestmannaeyjar - truly unforgettable!”

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10.Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat from Downtown Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $145 a head

You’ll leave Reykjavik’s Old Harbour in a 12-seat RIB, speed past Harpa and the Sun Voyager, and search Faxaflói Bay for minke and humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and puffins. Warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and safety gear are supplied. Guides such as Claudia, Eva, and Julien have led highly praised trips, but rough seas can make this a wet, bumpy ride.

“This is a fast paced experience. You straddle your seat and hold on for fast and bumpy ride that leads to dolphins, whales and puffins. We saw dolphins early in the ride followed by several minke whales. We were then entertained by five or more hump back whales who spouted, surfaced, dove and playfully slapped the water with their fins, for a fantastic show. One coming within 15 feet of the rib. We then cruised back by way of seeing puffins and the Harpa concert hall. This was a wonderful experience.”

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11.RIB Speed-Boat Puffin Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · 1 hour · from $81 a head

Join an English-speaking guide for a one-hour RIB speedboat trip from Reykjavík’s harbor to nearby puffin islands. You’ll wear a full-body waterproof suit, goggles, and life vest before racing across the bay in suspension seats. The boat gets closer to the colonies than larger vessels, with views of Harpa Concert Hall from the water.

“This was an amazing experience! Two in one ticket, ride and puffins! Being able to get up close to the puffins was incredible! Truly enjoyed our guide explaining how detrimental puffin hunting is and more importantly how to put a stop to it! Would definitely do a speed boat tour again!”

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12.Puffin Watching Tour by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · 1 hour · from $84 a head

Join Special Tours for a one-hour RIB speedboat ride from Reykjavik’s Old Harbor to Lundey and Akurey. Your English-speaking guide explains puffins, fulmars, gulls, Arctic terns, and black guillemots while the boat idles near the rocky islands. Full-body waterproof suits, goggles, and life vests are supplied. Expect fast views, cold spray, and small birds that can be hard to photograph.

“Me and my ten-year-old grandson really had an absolutely wonderful whale watching trip. We were more or less surrounded by a number of Humpback whales, feeding at leisure despite our presence. On the top of this there were several groups of dolphins playing in the area, too. And our crew of two guides and the captain of the boat really did a wonderful job. We look forward to a second trip, hopefully later this year. Thank you all for making this possible.”

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13.Puffin Watching Speedboat Express

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $76 a head Best value

You’ll ride a 12-seat RIB from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour to the islands near the city, where the engines shut off for quiet puffin watching. Guides such as Celia, Patrickgin, Rebecca, and Joe share facts about birds, wildlife, and Reykjavik. Warm waterproof overalls, gloves, goggles, and a lifejacket are provided.

“So much fun! Patrickgin was so funny and full of information about Puffins! Very enjoyable! It was a bit Rocky on the water near the puffin island but so fun to see them in their natural habitat.”

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14.Whale Watching – RIB Boat Adventure in Kopavogur, Iceland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $202 a head

Set out from Kópavogur with RIB Adventures on BLIKI, an open boat powered by twin 440-horsepower engines. Spend about an hour searching for whales, dolphins, and puffins, then pause near Nauthólsvík beach for harðfiskur, Icelandic dried fish. The trip lasts about two hours and returns to the harbor.

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15.Glacier Lagoon Private Tour with Private Zodiac boat ride on the Iceberg Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $1,267 a head

From Reykjavik, you’ll travel south with a private guide to Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Reynisfjara, and Vík before reaching Fjallsárlón. A provided warm overall keeps you comfortable during a private Zodiac ride among icebergs and toward the glacier’s ice wall. You’ll also visit Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach.

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