The 14 Best Birdwatching Tours from Reykjavik

1.Puffin Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,052 reviews · 1 hour · from $64Our pick

Join Special Tours Iceland at Reykjavik’s Old Harbour for a one-hour ride aboard the wooden Puffin Express, Old Skuli. Cruise to Lundey and Akurey with an English-speaking guide, binoculars, and a stated 100% puffin-sighting guarantee. Guides such as Patrick and Joe add humor and bird facts.

“Our trip was excellent - our guide Vera was very informative and interesting. Andreas our Captain was very knowledgeable and helped me onto and off the boat very carefully and attentively for which I was very grateful as I have accessible problems. A great experience thank you so much.”

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2.Puffin Cruise with Expert Tour Guide from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 636 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $63

Take a one-hour express boat from Reykjavik to Akurey Island, where guides such as Patrick, Peter, and Joe share facts about puffins and seabirds. You will circle the island, use onboard binoculars, and watch for nesting birds, seals, fulmars, gulls, Arctic terns, and black guillemots.

“Great tour. We did see the puffins. Wish we could have seen them closer but we did see them. Glad we got to see them before they leave the area.”

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3.Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 552 reviews · 4 hours · from $153

From Reykjavik’s Old Harbor, you take two separate cruises: a shallow-draft boat to puffin islands and a larger vessel into Faxaflói Bay for whales. Guides such as Patrick, Alex, and Oscar bring useful facts and humor. Choose classic or express whale watching, and borrow binoculars for the birds.

“Great day. Trip was well paced and all the landmarks we visited were we'll worth seeing”

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4.1-Hour Puffin Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 305 reviews · 1 hour · from $66

Sail from Ægisgarður 5 with Elding Adventure at Sea to Akurey, Engey, or Lundey. A naturalist guide, free binoculars, warm overalls, rain gear, and blankets help you watch puffins and seabirds without disturbing them. Guides such as Frida and Olivia have added lively stories and bird photos.

“This was a nice tour but I wish there were some binoculars offered because it was difficult to see morale than just blobs given that the birds aren’t very big.”

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5.Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour

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

Join a small group of up to 12 at Reykjavik’s Old Harbour for a two-hour RIB ride with a trained guide, often a marine biologist. Visit puffin islands, search for whales and dolphins, and return past Harpa and Sun Voyager. Warm suits, gloves, and goggles are provided.

“Everything was fantastic, the guide was knowledgeable and the whole experience well organised and very enjoyable, and a bonus we saw hump back whales and the Puffins!”

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6.Puffin Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 277 reviews · 1 hour · from $101

Meet your captain and English-speaking guide at Reykjavik Old Harbour for a one-hour RIB ride to nearby puffin colonies. Guides such as Anna and Maria explain puffin behavior while you watch hundreds of birds on the water, cliffs, and in flight. Coveralls, safety gear, and binoculars are provided.

“Fantastic. Guide and operator were excellent. Tour was informative and we were able to see Puffins in their natural habitat.”

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7.Classic Puffin Watching Cruise from Downtown Reykjavík

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 276 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60Best value

From Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, Elding takes you by small boat to Engey, Akurey, or Lundey, where puffins breed each summer. The one-hour cruise includes binoculars, raincoats, live English guidance, and city views of Harpa and Hallgrímskirkja. Bring warm layers and a zoom lens.

“It was an excellent experience and very informative. We saw many more puffins that expected! We would definitely do again.”

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8.Premium Small-Group Puffin & Bird Watching tour from Reykjavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 124 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $105Top rated

From Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, you’ll ride a fast RIB boat toward two or three puffin-nesting islands in Faxaflói Bay. Guides such as Maja, Alex, Alma, and Ricardo share bird facts while the captain quietly approaches the colonies. Warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and binoculars are included.

“Great tour!! Saw sooooo many puffin. Small group is the way to go so you can get close to the islands where the puffins are. Very knowledgeable guide Alex. Highly recommend”

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9.Puffin and Volcano Tour in Westman Islands

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 111 reviews · 14 hours · from $272

Travel from Reykjavik by minibus and ferry to Vestmannaeyjar. You’ll watch puffins at Stórhöfði, visit Eldheimar Museum, explore Skansinn, and hike Eldfell Volcano. Guides such as Thor, Rebecca, Tomasz, and Elisa are known for clear local stories and careful pacing.

“Getting to see the Puffins this late in the season & walking up Eldfell Volcano cone were the best parts of the trip. Guide Wendy was knowledgeable. Transport clean and efficient. Not much else on the Westman Island(s) other than the volcano museum. If had a bit more time, would’ve liked to visit the Beluga Whale centre/puffin rehab centre.”

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10.Iceland Super Saver: Puffin Cruise plus Whale-Watching Tour from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 110 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $156

Join Special Tours Iceland for two separate boat trips from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour: a short cruise around Akurey for puffins, followed by a longer search for whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Guides such as Jo, Lucas, Blanca, and Patrick have led memorable outings, but wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

“Our (puffin) guide, Patrick, was a hoot! I could have sworn he was from the US Midwest, because to me he had no accent. He was very funny while being informative as well. Saw lots of puffins. The whale watching was fantastic as well. Although we didn’t see any whales, we did see many dolphins and porpoises.”

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11.Conventional Ride (Free as a Bird) from Hveragerdi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 50 minutes (approx.) · from $74

Ride the 1 km Mega Zipline above Svartagljúfur gorge near Hveragerði in a seated harness. You’ll see waterfalls and the Reykjadalur trailhead below. The English-language experience lasts about 50 minutes, welcomes most participants, and takes up to 18 people per session.

“Longer Zipline but more site seeing than adventurous. Literally took 5 min to do whole line costly for what it was about. Couldn’t see landscape as it was foggy and pouring rain.”

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12.Reykjavik Premium Puffin tour | Close Up and Personal

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 71 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $85

From Reykjavik’s harbor, you’ll ride a high-speed RIB to Lundey, one of the puffin islands, with a maximum of 12 people. Expect warm flotation gear, safety equipment, live bird commentary, and a close boat-based view. Guides such as Knute, Adam, and Naina may share photos and seabird facts.

“ride out to the puffins was quite rough. There were a lot of puffins flying around and swimming, many with fish in their mouth. Bonus was seeing a humpback whale in the same location.”

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13.Two-In-One: Whale & Puffin Watching Tours from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 59 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $140

Combine a one-hour puffin cruise near Lundey with a three-hour whale search in Faxaflói Bay. You’ll use binoculars, hear live English commentary, borrow protective gear, and have free time for lunch in Reykjavik’s Old Harbour between boats.

“The Puffin tour was done on a party yacht repurposed for bird watching. It was uncomfortable for that purpose, especially at max occupancy. As others have mentioned, this isn't a single tour, but two completely independent tours. The whale watching is on a much bigger boat.”

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14.Reykjavik Shore Excursion: Puffin Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 56 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $63

Cruise from Reykjavik’s Skarfabakki Harbour to Akurey Island, where puffins gather on the cliffs, water, and around their burrows. Your guide explains local birds and plants, loaner binoculars help with distant views, and the small boat can approach the rocky shoreline. Guides may include Joel, Patricia, Oscar, or Rebekah.

“I'm sorry to say but this excursion was very underwhelming. It was a big group of folks (31). We went near the island but couldn't really see the puffins and binoculars were not offered. Also, we weren't required to put on lifejackets which is poor water safety. A few facts about Puffins were offered, but I would have liked way more information to keep us engaged. I would definitely NOT recommend this excursion. It was pricey as well and not worth it in my opinion. However, I did do several other tours that I booked through Viator that were awesome - South Coast tour and Golden Circle for example -…”

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