The 9 Iceland Speedboat Tours That Earn Their Price

1.Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,221 reviews · 2 hours · from $175Our pick

Ride a small RIB from Húsavík to Puffin Island and Skjálfandi Bay for fast, lively whale watching with warm gear included.

“We had such an unforgettable whale-watching tour! For the first two hours, we searched without any luck, but that only made the adventure more exciting. The typical Icelandic weather — strong wind and rain — added to the atmosphere and gave us some pretty high waves, which made the whole experience feel even more real and adventurous. Spotting whales was definitely more challenging in those conditions, and although we didn’t get to see any humpbacks, the tour ended in the most magical way. In the last five minutes, a group of bottlenose whales appeared right next to the boat! Absolutely fantastic and a memory we’ll never forget.”

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2.Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 979 reviews · 2 hours · from $198

Race across Skjálfandi Bay from Húsavík by small RIB boat to see whales, dolphins, puffins, and dramatic Icelandic coastal views.

“Had such a great time on the whale watching and puffin island tour! they provided us with a warm jumpsuit and ventured out in a speed boat. It was so amazing visiting the puffin island!! the amount of puffins you see feels like a dream. We also got to see dolphins playing around the speedboat and Humpback whales!! It was truly an amazing experience!”

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3.Whale Watching by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 621 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

Review of Reykjavik’s 2-hour RIB whale-watching tour, with wildlife odds, boat comfort, price, weather tips, and practical advice.

“Amazing trip, such fun and plenty to see! So worth doing 😃”

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4.Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $203Top rated

Ride a fast RIB from Húsavík to spot humpback whales, dolphins, puffins, and more in Skjálfandi Bay on a small-group Iceland tour.

“The guide and driver were nice and tried to find whales - we did see dolphins and a minke whale. Had they gone further up the coast, we saw more whales from the road, but I don’t blame them for that. We had 3 families on our tour and the guide easily could have arranged everyone in groups on the boat, but instead they made our family split up so that we were separated from our children. I thought that was rude and something easily fixable. Be warned that it is very cold and bumpy especially coming in and out, but we were prepared for that.”

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5.Akureyri: 2-Hour Whale Watching Express by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 489 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

Race across Eyjafjord in a 12-seat RIB, spot humpback whales up close, and enjoy a thrilling two-hour tour from Akureyri.

“Loved being able to get so close to the whales. Great fun and a very knowledgable guide.”

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

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

Ride a small RIB from Húsavík to see whales, dolphins, and puffins on this fast, fully guided two-hour Iceland tour.

“Great experience on the RIB visiting the puffins and whales. Beautiful. Great narrative by our guide. Skillful captain.”

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7.Whale Watching Tour by RIB Boat

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

Ride a fast RIB from Reykjavik into Faxaflói Bay for whales, dolphins, puffins, expert guides, warm gear, and a Whales of Iceland Museum visit.

“Honestly such a cool experience! We’ve whale watched a few times, but always by bigger boats. Highly recommend giving the RIB a try, it’s honestly so cool to be that close to whales and puffins! We even saw some dolphins on our trip. Highly recommend!”

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8.Whale and Puffin Watching RIB Boat Tour

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

Review of Reykjavik’s 2-hour RIB whale and puffin tour, with marine biologist guides, warm gear, wildlife odds, price, and practical tips.

“Great crew! lots of whales and a really fast boat. the perfect weather was the icing on the cake”

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

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

Review of Reykjavik’s small-group RIB whale tour, with puffins, humpbacks, dolphins, practical tips, pricing, and comfort advice.

“This was one of the highlights of our trip! Being near water level and not sharing space with a lot of other people trying to see the same things made a tremendous difference when compared to whale watches we have done in other places. Watching whales breach from the 12 person boat is magical! And as a bonus, the RIB boat ride is fun on its own!”

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