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

Planning perspective

How I’d plan this experience

I’d choose this two-part outing if you want to devote a substantial stretch of a Reykjavik day to wildlife rather than treat whale watching as a quick harbour-side diversion. Its appeal is the contrast: a short island-focused puffin trip, then a longer search across Faxaflói for cetaceans. That makes it particularly good for first-time visitors, families with patient wildlife-minded children, and anyone who enjoys having guides put sightings in context. The important mindset is to regard it as time on the water with possibilities, not a close-up wildlife encounter on demand.

Who this combination suits best

I think the format is strongest for travellers who genuinely want both birds and marine mammals, rather than those whose only priority is whales. The puffin element is a one-hour trip to breeding-season islands, while the whale-watch is the longer three-hour component, so the day has a clear split in emphasis.

Naturalist and marine-biologist commentary should add value if you like learning while you look. I’d also favour this option for a group with mixed interests: the bird-focused first sailing gives the day structure, and the later whale search offers a different kind of anticipation rather than repeating the same experience twice.

Set expectations for sightings and viewing distance

My advice is to bring binoculars or a zoom camera and to be comfortable with distant viewing. The puffin boats sail to islands rather than landing on them, and protecting nesting birds naturally limits how near a vessel should approach. Several accounts point to this being the key trade-off: the birds can be hard to pick out even with binoculars, while the whale portion may deliver anything from limited sightings to a very active day.

I’d treat the whale re-try provision as useful reassurance, not a reason to plan around guaranteed animals. Weather and wild-animal behaviour remain central to the experience. If a close, uninterrupted photographic encounter is your priority, this is not the most predictable kind of activity; if the search itself is part of the pleasure, it makes more sense.

Plan for a six-hour harbour day, not back-to-back boats

The practical advantage here is the built-in break: you have about two hours between sailings, with the Old Harbour immediately relevant to the day’s rhythm. I’d use that time for lunch rather than trying to fit in a distant Reykjavik attraction; keeping the middle of the day simple should make the two-boat format feel pleasantly paced instead of fragmented.

Arrive with time to spare at the Old Harbour ticket office. There is no included pickup or drop-off, so this works best for travellers happy to make their own way to a fixed meeting point and manage the break independently. Food and drinks are not included, another reason to budget the gap as a proper lunch stop.

Choose your viewing strategy and consider mobility needs

I’d pack for wind and rain even if the forecast looks benign, then use the heated indoor saloon as your recovery space between periods outside. Outdoor deck time is likely to matter for the clearest puffin views, yet indoor windows can be a sensible fallback when conditions are rough, cold, or deck positions feel crowded. Protective clothing is included, which makes this a more approachable choice for travellers who do not own boating gear.

There is a real accessibility limitation to weigh before choosing it. Although foldable chairs can be brought onto the bigger boats, steep stairs and high thresholds mean the fleet is not completely wheelchair accessible. I’d regard that as a meaningful constraint rather than assuming the stated general fitness suitability covers every mobility requirement.

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