Akureyri Birdwatching Tours: Our Top 4

1.Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $203Our pick

Join Husavik Adventures for a two-hour RIB boat trip across Skjálfandi Bay. A captain handles the boat while a guide explains whales, dolphins, porpoises, and puffins. The boat carries no more than 12 people, includes warm waterproof overalls and a life jacket, and visits Puffin Island during the April 15 to August 20 season.

“Easy and enjoyable! From booking to the event we were informed and provided a memory we will find challenging to forget. The outfit kept us warm and dry and we saw the whales and puffins as close as possible. The driver and guide were knowledgeable and pleasant. The trip fulfilled all of our expectations.”

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2.Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins Speedboat Tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 417 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $180

You’ll ride a fast RIB boat from Húsavík into Skjálfandi Bay with a guide and captain searching for whales, dolphins, porpoises, and puffins. Guides such as Nicoletta, Clara, Mario, and Victoria have been praised for clear wildlife commentary. Puffin visits run roughly April 15 to August 15, while whale watching remains the main focus outside that period.

“So it was early in the season, so we were a bit worried if we would see anything. Lets just saw we walked away stunned. Saw a couple of humpback whales within the first 20 mins, and then found a blue whale. The tour guide went speechless for about a min, she was just as amazed as we were. We tracked it for about 30 mins. The boat and captain were great, saw the larger boats in the distance, but they could not pivot quickly enough to catch it like we did. Probably one of the biggest highlights of the trip.”

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3.Whale and Puffin Watching around Skjálfandi Bay from Husavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 99 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $139

Join North Sailing in Húsavík for a 3.5-hour wildlife cruise across Skjálfandi Bay. A professional guide helps you watch for humpback, minke, and blue whales, dolphins, puffins, and seabirds. Warm overalls and hot chocolate help with the cold, while the Puffin Island visit depends on sea conditions.

“Unfotunately there was bad sea the day we planned our visit. Our tour was postponed (in order to wait for better sea conditions) and modified (we had to skip the puffins). Of corse we were sad about that but nobody could preview it at the moment of the booking and the North sail team was more than cooperative in trying to find a solution and suggesting several options to reschedule the tour and allow us to have the better possible esperience. Of corse they were available for refounding (we were refound for the part of the tour we missed). In the end we also saw the whales 😊”

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4.Whales and Puffins Tour from Husavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 85 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $130Cheapest here

Sail from Húsavík into Skjálfandi Bay for a close look at Puffin Island, then search for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds. The English or multilingual crew supplies warm overalls and light refreshments. Puffins are seasonal, so book from late April through August 15, not later.

“Nice crew, we saw 6 humpback whales and a lot of puffins, not much parking space, no clear notice of at what time we had to check in.”

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