2-Hour RIB Boat Whale Watching Tour from Reykjavik

Planning perspective

How I’d plan this experience

I’d choose this compact RIB outing if the boat ride is as much a reason to go as whale watching. It is a small-group, fast-boat format rather than a slow, all-ages cruise: more exposed and more physical, but potentially a particularly lively way to see Faxaflói Bay from central Reykjavík. My advice is to treat wildlife as the hoped-for highlight, not the promise, and book it when you have enough flexibility for a weather-related change of plan.

Who this faster boat suits

I’d recommend it to active travellers aged 10 and over who want a short adventure with a maximum of 12 passengers rather than a larger sightseeing vessel. The purpose-built RIB and shock-absorbing seats suggest that the experience is designed around speed and open-water excitement, while still making room for watching wildlife and the Reykjavík coastline.

It is less suitable if you want a gentle ride, are travelling with younger children, or have a spinal injury. Pregnancy and a need for low-physical-effort sightseeing are meaningful reasons to choose a different kind of harbour cruise instead; this is not a tour where the wildlife element cancels out the boat’s more energetic character.

Set expectations around the animals, not a checklist

The route searches the feeding grounds for humpbacks, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises, so there is a good range of possible sightings—but no fixed species list for any one departure. I think this works best for travellers who will still enjoy scanning the bay, the mountain views and the fast RIB journey even if sightings are brief or absent.

Summer adds the prospect of a stop at Akurey for puffins, which gives that season a second wildlife focus. Still, I would see puffins as seasonal rather than make them the sole reason to choose the trip. If no wildlife is seen, a complimentary ticket is provided for a further attempt on specified whale-watching tours; useful reassurance, though it cannot turn the original outing into a guaranteed sighting.

Plan the harbour routine as part of the experience

Although the time on the water is two hours, I’d protect at least 30 minutes before departure for the Old Harbour check-in, waiver, overalls and safety briefing. That makes this a better fit on a day with some breathing room than immediately before a tightly timed museum entry, meal or onward journey.

You can select a hotel-pickup option, but it is not included as standard; otherwise, you make your own way to the ticket office at Aegisgardur 5E. Up to four departure times can make it easier to place in a Reykjavík itinerary, and I’d pick one that leaves spare time afterwards rather than treating the advertised duration as the whole commitment.

Dress for exposure, even with the supplied gear

Warm overalls, life jackets, goggles and gloves are supplied, which removes much of the specialist-kit concern. My advice is still to arrive warmly dressed with good shoes, then regard the provided layers as protection from wind and spray rather than your only insulation. That is especially sensible for anyone whose hands get cold easily while holding on or taking photographs.

The guides provide the commentary in English, and the small boat format should suit curious travellers who want to ask questions rather than simply sit back. I’d bring a camera for the coastline and wildlife, but make comfort and secure footing the priority: the central trade-off here is an exhilarating, exposed ride rather than the sheltered feel of a conventional boat.

Planning analysis informed by the tour itinerary and traveller feedback · Updated October 29, 2026