The 5 Best Whale Watching Tours in Húsavík

The top 5 whale watching tours in Húsavík in northern Iceland. Going to Húsavík and want to book a whale watching tour? And wondering which of the many whale watching boat trips is the best? The very detailed description of the 5 most beautiful boat tours to see whales in Húsavík, with complete information on the duration of the tour, type of boat used, maximum number of participants on board and direct links to easily book online by credit card. The Original Whale Watching Tour: the most famous boat tour to see whales in Húsavík. Whales & Puffins: whales and puffins in a single tour aboard a traditional boat. Whales & Puffins RIB Tour: the tour to see whales and admire the puffins with the fast RIB Rigid Inflatable Boats. Silent Whale Watching Tour: in search of whales aboard a silent electric propulsion boat. And finally the Húsavík Whale & Sails Tour: see the whales from a fascinating vintage sailing schooner. But even before deciding which Húsavík whale watching company to rely on and which tour to book, there is an important preliminary aspect to consider: evaluate whether to participate in a tour to see whales aboard a traditional boat or book a RIB whale watching tour. Prices change significantly and above all the entire visit experience changes…

Photo Credit: Húsavík Adventures

The Ultimate Guide to Whale Watching Tours in Húsavík in Northern Iceland

Which Boat to Choose for Whale Watching Tours in Húsavík

• Can’t wait to go to Húsavík to see the whales up close? And are you researching which whale watching boat tour to book?

• Húsavík is the best place in Iceland, if not in all of Europe, for whale watching, and the tourss offered by local companies are many, you are spoiled for choice on which whale watching tour to book.

• But even before making a decision on which company to use for the whale watching boat trip, i.e. who to trust, there is a preliminary question to answer.

• That is, whether to participate in a tour to see whales aboard a traditional boat or aboard a fast RIB boat. Whichever option you choose, there are pros and cons to consider.

Traditional Boat Whale Watching Tours: Pros and Cons

• The traditional boats used for whale watching are usually old reconverted fishing boats, these are the boats most used by companies that organize tours to see whales. Some Húsavík companies, North Sailings above all, offer cruises aboard electric propulsion boats, very pleasant due to the absence of noise, both for the passengers and for the whales themselves.

• Pros: the price, usually affordable and within everyone’s reach; on board you have freedom of movement, you can sit down, you can wander around on the deck, you can move from one side to the other of the boat, and if it’s windy, look for a more sheltered corner where you can take refuge; some boats are very fascinating, vintage sailing boats, and even if you have little luck in whale watching it is always a pleasure to get on them and sail.

• Cons: in July and August the boats often go out to sea with the maximum capacity of passengers, which means a very unpleasant crowding; not always with traditional boats it is possible to get very close to the whales, sometimes it happens to see them from a distance of over fifty meters.

• An independent video of the entire whale-watching experience in Húsavík aboard a traditional boat, in this case the Náttfari boat operated by North Sailing, the footage was shot in the middle of the Coronavirus period and enters the alive at minute 0’55”, whales appear at minute 4’06”:

RIB Boat Whale Watching Tours: Pros and Cons 

• RIB is the acronym for Rigid Inflatable Boat, in simpler words it indicates rigid keel inflatable boats. A type of vessel increasingly used by whale watching operators, in Húsavík as well as in Reykjavík. Driven by 2 or 3 outboard motors of 300 or 400 horsepower, RIB boats are very fast, capable of reaching 52 knots.

• Pros: a RIB is going to be more nimble, it means RIB tours are more engaging because you can get closer to the whales, sometimes no more than 5 or 6 meters; RIB boats are much faster than traditional boats, it means being able to cover greater areas of territory and have greater chances of sightings, as well as being able to reach the whales more quickly once located; the number of participants is small, usually no more than 12 people, the situation is undoubtedly more intimate than what you can experience on a traditional boat.

• Cons: whale watching tours aboard RIB boats are much more expensive than those on traditional boats; freedom of movement on board is very limited, generally you sit on your seat for most if not the entire duration of the tour, without being able to move; you suffer more from the cold and are more subject to spray, and if it starts raining your experience could becomes unpleasant.

• You can get an idea of whale watching tours from Húsavík aboard fast RIB boats from this video by Húsavík Adventures:

Top 5 Whale Watching Tours in Húsavík

• There is no other place in all of Iceland where whale watching is more successful. In Húsavík, whale watching tours have become a big business, which every year brings tens of thousands of visitors to this pretty town in the far north of Iceland.

• There are 4 whale watching companies currently operating in Húsavík, and each offers an extensive range of tours. Of these excursions I have selected 5 whale watching tours, operated by different companies and conducted both on traditional boats and on fast RIB boats. These are the 5 whale watching tours that I consider the best among all those organized in Húsavík.

• All tours can be easily booked by credit card through Viator and GetYourGuide, the two largest companies in the world specialized in the sale of day-tours and online activities. Viator is owned by TripAdvisor while GetYourGuide has the advantage of customer service available on the phone in several languages. When you book, confirmation is usually immediate, so you can also book by date such as the day before.

• Before booking your favorite whale watching tour, keep two things in mind. 

• The first one: the best months to see whales in Húsavík are the 3 summer months of June, July and August, in this period the chances of sighting are very high and the companies schedule up to 4 or 5 departures daily. The same companies, but with reduced frequencies, start sailing in April and end in November, but the chances of seeing the whales decrease significantly.

• The second one: the North Atlantic is almost always a cold place, very cold indeed. And the wind never fails in North Iceland. And wind means waves. Cover yourself with the warmest clothes you have and if you are someone who suffers the sea forget it.

Photo Credit: North Sailing

The Original Whale Watching Tour: Húsavík’s Most Popular Whale Watching Boat Tour

An entire, exclusive pier, 10 boats, generally old wooden fishing boats renovated and reconverted as boats to carry tourists. In business since 1995 North Sailing is the veteran of all the companies that organize whale watching tours in Húsavík and the one with the largest fleet, today still managed by the same family, 3 different generations at work led by the legendary Captain Hörður.

And this is their most popular and most successful whale watching tour, 3 hours sailing from Húsavík in the waters of Skjálfandi Bay in search of humpback whales, fin whales, porpoises and dolphins. Sometimes it also happens to spot the blue whale.

On board, during the tours it may happen to meet guys from the University of Iceland’s Research Center in Húsavík, in case you do not hesitate to ask questions, they are usually happy to share their experiences. As with all whale watching tours departing from Húsavík each participant is provided with a raincoat to protect against rain and splashes.

• Company: North Sailing.

• Boat: traditional boats.

• Passenger capacity: 5 different boats are used, some with 2 decks and with a covered area; the smallest is the Knörrinn of 15.2 meters in length overall and with a capacity of 46 pax, the largest is the Garðar, 28 meters in length and 146 pax total including the crew.

• Whale watching tour duration: 3 hours approx.

• What do you see: whales and dolphins.

• Price, info & Booking: Húsavík: Whale Watching Tour with Guide

• Another option: the classic tour for whale watching aboard a traditional boat is also offered by the Gentle Giants Whale Watching company and can be booked with From Húsavík: Traditional Whale Watching Tour. The boats used are Sylvía and Faldur, respectively 17.5 and 14.5 meters long and capable of accommodating 70 and 45 passengers. It may be worth comparing if there are any promotions.

Photo Credit: Sergii Gulenok

Whales & Puffins Tour: Whales and Puffins On Board a Traditional Boat

If you are traveling between June and the first week of August and have never seen puffins then this boat cruise is for you. In a single tour you see both the puffins, at the beginning of the tour when the boat skirts the islet known as Puffins Island, and the whales, to which a large part of the duration of the boat tour is however dedicated.

This whale watching tour is arranged by North Sailing, takes place aboard a traditional boat and has a decidedly lower price than the whale & puffins tours conducted aboard RIB boatss. Keep in mind one important thing: you see puffins, by the hundreds, but not up close. In fact, the boats coast Puffins Island without obviously being able to approach a few meters from its coasts, almost all of the puffins you see are in the water or flying alongside and above the boat. If you want to photograph puffins up close, a boat cruise is not the right solution. Or you have to be a pro photographer and have the right camera.

• Company: North Sailing.

• Boat: traditional boats.

• Passenger capacity: also for the cruise that includes the puffins the same boats of the classic whale watching tour are used, namely the Knörrinn, the Sæborg, the Náttfari, the Bjössi Sör and the Garðar, with capacities from 46 to 146 people on board including the crew.

• Whale watching tour duration: 3,5 hours approx.

• What do you see: whales, dolphins and puffins.

• Price, info & Booking: Whale and Puffin Watching around Skjálfandi Bay from Husavik

Photo Credit: Húsavík Adventures

RIB Whales & Puffins Tour: Watching Whales and Puffins with a RIB Speedboat

Do you like sail fast? Not afraid of waves and splashes? RIB whale watching tours offer a completely different experience from that of traditional boats, here you sail aboard fast 12-meter long rigid inflatable boats equipped with a pair of 315 horsepower engines each and capable of reaching 45 nautical miles per hour, over 80km/h. This allows you to quickly reach the sea area where whales are usually seen.

Not only does this mean less transfer time, but also the ability to suddenly change plans if a whale is reported somewhere else in the bay than where you are at the moment. Just keep in mind that whale watching tours aboard RIBs are much more expensive than the same tours aboard traditional boats.

This specific tour includes both puffin-watching sailing along the shores of Puffins Island and whale-watching. Also, unlike similar RIB tours organized by other whale watching operators in Húsavík, the RIB boats used by this company offer only 2 seats per row, one on the left and one on the right with no third seat in between; this ensures not only greater comfort but above all a greater viewing angle when seated, being able to observe and photograph the whales more easily.

• Company: Húsavík Adventures.

• Boat: RIB speedboats, originally built for the patrolling activities of the Icelandic Coast Guard, very stable.

• Passenger capacity: maximum 12 pax, all seated.

• Whale watching tour duration: between 2 and 2,5 hours.

• What do you see: whales, dolphins and puffins.

• Price, info & Booking: Húsavík: Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour

• Another speedy RIB option: the tour aboard the RIB boats in search of whales and puffins is also organized by Gentle Giants Whale Watching, this is the link to investigate Whale Safari and Puffins RIB Boat Tour from Húsavík. Remember the puffin season in Iceland usually ends around mid August, if you go after that you most likely won’t see any, the puffins fly away.

Photo Credit: North Sailing

Silent Whale Watching Tour: Excursion in Search of Whales On Board an Electric Boat

Little noise, zero emissions. Everyone likes it, whales and tourists alike. The former are not disturbed, the latter can enjoy cruising without the constant annoying noise of the diesel. Only the wind and the lapping of the water on the hull. North Sailing’s carbon-neutral cruises aboard the electric propulsion vessel Andvari are a success, and do not cost a euro more than excursions on traditional boats. Hot chocolate and cinnamon buns on the way back included. Recommended tour.

• Company: North Sailing.

• Boat: traditional, silent electric sailboat.

• Passenger capacity: Boat Andvari, maximum 75 pax.

• Whale watching tour duration: 3 hours approx.

• What do you see: whales and dolphins.

• Price, info & Booking: Húsavík: Whale Watching on a Carbon Neutral Oak Boat

Photo Credit: North Sailing

Húsavík Whale & Sails Tour: See the Whales from a Vintage Sailing Schooner

3 magnificent vessels, of those that attract the eye when you see them sailing. Boat names are Hildur, Haukur and the splendid Opal, hull in oak wood, overall length between 21 and 33 meters, 2 masts, during the whale search phase you sail by motor, then if possible the crew hoists the sails and the only noise your heard will be that of the wind.

3 hours of sailing in Skjálfandi Bay, getting on board one of these boats and enjoying the landscape is already a pleasure, then if you see whales it’s even better. The large space on board allows you to move from one side of the boat to the other and from bow to stern. Hot chocolate and cinnamon buns on board on the way back to Húsavík included.

• Company: North Sailing.

• Boat: traditional boats, hybrid schooners, you sail both by sail and motor, the schooner Opal has been reconverted to electric propulsion.

• Passenger capacity: Hildur 50 pax, Haukur 46 pax e Opal maximum 60 pax.

• Whale watching tour duration: 3 hours approx.

• What do you see: whales and dolphins.

• Price, info & Booking: Húsavík: Whale Watching by Traditional Wooden Sailing Ship

Photo Credit: North Sailing

Important!

• Before booking please read the full description of the whale watching tour you like in the official page of Viator and GetYourGuide carefully, please check what is included and what is not, meeting points, times of departure and cancellation policies. After booking, if you have any queries or doubts, immediately contact Viator or GetYourGuide Customer Service in order to receive assistance.

• The day before the tour, please reconfirm the departure time with the local supplier. You receive phone and email of local whale watching tour company immediately after your booking. Any hotel in Húsavík can help.  

• Read the reviews. If the majority of the reviews are positive that’s a good thing. And always check all the info you read here in the official page of each whale watching tour, things change and the official site provides the latest updates.

• For last, if you are in Reykjavík and are looking for a guided excursion by bus or minibus to visit the Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle, Vík and the southern coast, the Snaefellsnes peninsula, see the northern lights or take part in a boat excursion to observe the whales in the bay of Reykjavík, in The 8 Best Guided Tours and Day-Trips from Reykjavík you will find the detailed description of the best day tours departing from Reykjavík to visit the great wonders of Iceland. One chapter is devoted to how tour pick-ups and drop-offs work for the hotels located in the city center of Reykjavík.

Last Update: February 13th 2023

 

Front cover photo credit: Whale Watching Boat Tour in Húsavík, courtesy GetYourGuide. Photos are taken from official Whale Watching Tour Companies, Copyright © All Rights Reserved. Other photos come from Flickr: Creative Commons Licensed Photos. Terms of license are valid at the time of publishing this post.