2-Hour RIB Boat Whale Watching Tour from Reykjavik

A fast RIB boat can turn whale watching into two trips at once: a wildlife search and a lively ride across Faxaflói Bay. The 12-meter custom-built boat reaches feeding grounds quickly, and its small group gives you a better view than a packed sightseeing boat. On good days, you might follow humpback whales for an hour, watch dolphins beside the boat, or see a mother and calf together.

I like the maximum group of 12 and the excellent cold-weather kit, which includes thermal overalls, gloves, goggles, and life vests. I also like the suspension seats, a welcome touch on a boat that can bounce hard in rough water. The main caution is simple: this is not a gentle cruise. It may be uncomfortable for anyone with back or joint problems, limited mobility, or a low tolerance for speed and spray.

Key points to know before booking

• A proper high-speed RIB ride: The boat is built for quick travel between wildlife areas, with special shock-absorbing seats for a smoother ride.
• Small groups help: With no more than 12 people aboard, you have a more personal setting for questions and sightings.
• Four common targets: The crew searches for humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbour porpoises.
• Akurey in summer: When puffins are nesting in Iceland, the tour stops near this popular bird island.
• Cold-weather equipment is supplied: You receive warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and a life vest.
• Wildlife is never promised: If you see nothing, you receive a complimentary chance to try again on the Classic or Express whale-watching tour.

Leaving Reykjavik from the Old Harbour

Your day begins at the Special Tours ticket office at Ægisgarður 5 in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour. If you pay for hotel pickup, a bus takes you to the office and brings you back afterward. Without that add-on, you make your own way to the meeting point, which is near public transportation.

Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure. That extra time is not filler. You need to check in, find the changing area, put on the supplied gear, and hear the safety instructions before boarding. The changing setup can feel cramped when several departures are preparing at once, so arriving early makes the start less hectic.

The company provides warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and a life vest. Wear warm layers underneath and sturdy shoes. The gear helps with Iceland’s cold wind, but it does not turn the trip into a warm indoor outing. At speed, even a mild day on land can feel sharply cold on the bay.

You then board a new 12-meter RIB express boat, custom-built for this kind of work. The suspension seats are one of the most useful details here. They absorb some of the jolts and make the ride more manageable, though they cannot remove every bump when the sea gets rough.

What the RIB changes about whale watching

A standard whale-watching vessel gives you more room to walk around and usually feels calmer. The RIB gives you speed, a smaller group, and a closer-to-the-water position. That changes the mood completely.

The boat can move quickly toward likely feeding grounds instead of spending as much of the two-hour outing simply getting there. That matters in Faxaflói Bay, where wildlife can be spread over a wide area. Your captain can cover ground, while the guide watches for blows, fins, flukes, and groups of seabirds.

The smaller boat also makes sightings feel more personal. If a whale surfaces near the RIB, you are not looking over rows of heads. The tradeoff is comfort. This is a fast, open-water ride, and several people describe it as bouncy or like a roller coaster. Some find that exciting enough to be part of the main attraction. Others may find it tiring or painful.

The boat uses an approach that follows the IceWhale code of conduct, so getting closer does not mean chasing animals carelessly. Still, no small boat can control where a whale surfaces or how long it stays up. You may see a quick glimpse, or you may get repeated views of the same animal.

Across Faxaflói Bay with Esja in view

Once clear of Reykjavik, the trip opens into Faxaflói Bay. Keep your eyes moving, but also take time to look back toward shore. Mount Esja is one of the most memorable views on the route, especially when the air is clear.

The ride to the feeding grounds is part of the experience rather than dead time. You feel the boat accelerate, skim across the water, and change direction as the crew searches. The captain’s handling matters here, and the best moments come when a fast ride suddenly becomes a quiet wait for a surfacing whale.

Your English-speaking guide explains the animals and points out activity on the water. Guides such as Jonathan have been praised for explaining both whales and seabirds, while guides including Blanca have helped make the outing friendly and informative. Guide assignments can change, so book this for the format and crew standards rather than a specific person.

The captain and guide work as a team. The captain positions the RIB, while the guide helps you understand what you are seeing. A good guide will also help you prepare for a sighting, since a whale can appear, breathe, and vanish before you have raised your camera.

The whales and dolphins you may see

The main search focuses on humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbour porpoises. Humpbacks are often the big prize because their blows, backs, and tail flukes are easier to spot. They may surface several times, and on an especially good outing you might follow one for a long stretch.

Minke whales can be more elusive. You may get a brief look at the back or dorsal fin before the animal disappears. That does not make the sighting unimportant, but it does mean you should keep your expectations realistic. A quick glimpse is a normal part of whale watching, not a failed performance by the crew.

White-beaked dolphins can provide some of the most lively action. They may travel in groups and move quickly around the boat. Several strong outings included dolphins close to the RIB, and one particularly memorable encounter involved dolphins and humpback whales interacting.

Harbour porpoises are another possible sighting, though their smaller size and quick movements make them harder to spot. Bring binoculars only if they are compact and secure. With the boat moving and the sea shifting, you will usually do better by listening to the guide and keeping your eyes on the area they indicate.

You should not expect guaranteed breaching, tail slaps, or whales beside the boat. Some trips produce several humpbacks and dolphins. Others result in one whale, a few quick glimpses, or no whales at all. Nature sets the schedule.

Akurey and the puffin stop in summer

During the summer nesting season, the RIB stops by Akurey, a small island known for puffins. This adds a welcome bird-watching element to the trip, especially if the whales are keeping their distance.

Puffins are small, and the boat does not always get close enough for an easy photograph. You might see many birds, or you might need to rely on the guide’s directions and your own eyesight. Some people find the stop delightful. Others wish the RIB could approach nearer.

The puffin visit is seasonal, so do not count on it outside the months when puffins are in Iceland for nesting. It is best understood as a bonus, not the reason to book the tour. The whale search remains the main event.

The stop also breaks up the high-speed ride. After time spent scanning open water, watching birds around Akurey gives you a different kind of wildlife encounter before the boat turns back toward Reykjavik.

Returning along Reykjavik’s coastline

The return trip gives you another view of Reykjavik from the water. Keep your camera ready for the coastline, but protect it from spray and hold onto small items. The boat’s speed and movement make loose phones, hats, and cameras easy to lose.

The full outing lasts about two hours. That is long enough to reach the bay, spend time searching, visit Akurey when in season, and return without taking over your entire day. It also means the crew has limited time, so conditions and animal movements can make a real difference.

At the Old Harbour, the activity ends where it began. If you selected hotel transfers, the return bus waits to take you back to your hotel. If not, you can continue exploring the harbour and central Reykjavik on your own.

Is $189.87 a fair price?

At about $189.87 per person, this is a premium whale-watching outing. You are paying more than you would for a basic large-boat cruise, so the value depends on what you want from the experience.

I think the price makes sense if you care about a small group, fast travel, close viewing, and the excitement of the RIB itself. The supplied gear also saves you from renting or buying special waterproof clothing for a short activity. The suspension seats add comfort that is easy to appreciate once the boat reaches open water.

The price is harder to justify if your main goal is a guaranteed whale sighting. No operator can provide that. You could pay the full amount and see only one whale briefly, or none. The complimentary return option helps reduce that risk, but you still need another suitable time in your schedule.

The tour has earned a 4.5 rating from 96 reviews, with especially strong praise for the crew, boat handling, clean equipment, and close dolphin and humpback encounters. There are also serious warnings about rough conditions, cramped changing facilities, and at least one complaint about insufficient safety information. Those points do not cancel out the good, but they deserve attention before you book.

Who should choose this boat?

This tour suits you if you want an active outing rather than a quiet cruise. It is a good match for people who enjoy speed, open water, photography, and the chance to see wildlife from a small craft.

It can also work well for older children who meet the stated requirements. The activity is not recommended for children under 10 or under 145 centimeters, and the operator advises a moderate level of physical fitness. Another company response refers to children under 130 centimeters, so if a child is close to the limit, confirm the current rule before paying.

Think carefully if you have a heart condition, back trouble, joint problems, pregnancy, or mobility limits. Getting into a RIB requires physical effort, and rough seas can jar your body even with suspension seats. One 80-year-old participant enjoyed the ride, but that does not make it suitable for every older person.

The important question is not simply Can I handle a boat? Ask yourself if you are comfortable sitting in one position while the boat moves quickly through changing sea conditions. If the answer is uncertain, a larger whale-watching vessel may be a better fit.

Practical tips for a better outing

Arrive early, since the 30-minute check-in is required for a reason. Wear warm layers and shoes with a firm grip, even though the main waterproof clothing is supplied.

Keep your camera in a secure, water-resistant case. You may want photographs, but watching the sea is more useful than staring at a screen. Whales can surface on either side of the boat, and your guide may need everyone to shift attention quickly.

Sit where the crew directs you and listen during the safety talk. If the ride feels intimidating, tell the guide early. A guide helped one nervous passenger move to a more comfortable position, and calm communication can make a big difference.

Plan the whale tour early in your Reykjavik stay if your schedule allows. The bay depends on weather, and poor conditions can cancel a departure. If the company cancels, you can accept another date or receive a full refund. If you cancel, you need to do so at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.

If no wildlife appears, ask about the complimentary retry ticket. It can be used on the Whale Watching Classic or Whale Watching Express tours, and the offer does not expire according to the operator’s response. That is a useful safety net, though it still depends on having time for another outing.

Should you book the Reykjavik RIB whale tour?

Book it if you want the boat ride itself to be a major part of the day. The combination of a small group, fast access to Faxaflói Bay, supplied thermal gear, and the possibility of close humpback and dolphin encounters makes this one of Reykjavik’s more exciting sea outings.

Skip it if you need a calm, predictable cruise or have back, joint, heart, or mobility concerns. The wildlife can be sparse, the sea can turn rough, and the RIB’s bouncing is not a minor detail.

For the right person, the best payoff is not just seeing a whale. It is the whole sequence: racing past Esja, scanning the bay with a sharp-eyed guide, slowing beside a humpback, watching dolphins cut through the water, and returning along Reykjavik’s coast with salt on your goggles. Go with realistic wildlife expectations, and this tour offers a memorable two hours at sea.

FAQ

Where does the whale-watching tour start?

The tour starts at Ægisgarður 5 in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour, at the Special Tours ticket office.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the Old Harbour meeting point. Hotel drop-off is available if you selected the transfer option.

How long is the RIB whale-watching tour?

The tour lasts approximately two hours.

Is hotel pickup included?

Hotel transfers are not included in the basic tour price. Pickup and return can be added for an extra fee.

What wildlife might I see?

The crew searches for humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbour porpoises. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed.

Is Akurey included on every departure?

A stop at Akurey is included during the summer months when puffins are in Iceland for their nesting season.

What clothing and safety gear are provided?

The tour provides warm overalls, life vests, gloves, and goggles. You should still dress warmly and wear good shoes.

How many people can join the boat?

The tour has a maximum of 12 participants.

Is the tour suitable for young children?

The tour is not recommended for children under 10 years old or under 145 centimeters tall.

What happens if no whales are seen?

You receive a complimentary ticket to try again on the Whale Watching Classic or Whale Watching Express tours if there are no wildlife sightings.

Can the tour be canceled because of weather?

Yes. The experience requires good weather. If the company cancels because of poor conditions, you can choose another date or receive a full refund.