ICELAND
Good iceland speedboat tours sell out weeks ahead in season and the great ones go first. Below: the 13 to book early, what each includes, and where they differ.
Join Gentle Giants in Húsavík for a two-hour RIB safari with up to 12 passengers. You’ll visit Puffin Island in season, race toward whale sightings, and hear live commentary from guides such as Matteo, Carla, Jo, and Beatriz. Warm overalls and rain gear are supplied.
“Very nice tour , we see more dolphin very close and a whales a little far away. Amazing experience”
Join a small group of up to 12 on a fast RIB from Húsavík. You’ll wear a warm flotation suit, visit Puffin Island from April 15 to August 20, and search Skjálfandi Bay for humpbacks, minkes, dolphins, and more with guides such as Austin, Inaki, and Ignacio.
“We saw at least 4 whales (humpback), and lots of puffins. It was definitely better than the traditional ship, as we were able to go quickly when a whale was spotted. I sometimes get motion sickness, but the open air and speed meant I did not have a problem at all. Very nice and educational guides. One of our highlights of the trip.”
Join an English-speaking guide aboard a nimble 12-seat RIB from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor. You’ll race among Faxaflói Bay’s islands, search for humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and puffins, and enjoy city views from the water. Warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and safety gear are provided.
“Omg it was amazing! The rib ride itself was fantastic and then we saw humpbacks and dolphins too. The puffins were lovely too. Our pilot was the best guide 🙂”
Ride a 12-seat RIB from Húsavík into Skjálfandi Bay with a captain and wildlife guide. Search for humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises, and visit Puffin Island from mid-April to mid-August. Warm flotation overalls and a life jacket are supplied, but bring gloves and a hat.
“Overall fun experience even though we took the 9am tour which was the first tour of the day hoping to see Whales, but only saw a few fins, not that exciting. Very cold, wet and rough waters getting out there so expect to get wet! They provide great gear for all. Austin our guide was great, very informative. I will say the negative was that it was also suppose to be whales & puffins, but the puffins aspect of the tour was never addressed, so not sure if what happened with that (?) overall no regrets.”
Join guides such as Sergio, Mack, Agnes, or Yoann for a fast, two-hour RIB ride from Akureyri’s Hof pier. You’ll wear a protective suit, search Eyjafjord for humpback and minke whales, and may see dolphins, porpoises, seabirds, and a geothermal waterfall.
“Excellent tour which was a quick walk from the cruise port. Our guide Sergi was knowledgeable and we felt very safe with the Captain too. We saw many humpback whales and learned a lot about them! Highly recommend the RIB boat which could get closer to the whales and move much faster!! Really was ‘express’”
Join Gentle Giants in Húsavík for a two-hour RIB speedboat trip across Skjálfandi Bay. Guides such as Clara, Victoria, Mario, and Nicoletta share wildlife insight while the captain searches for whales and dolphins. From April 15 to August 15, the route may include Puffin Island.
“Guide was very knowledgeable and personable! Boat was on top condition and very comfortable. A must do!”
Join Special Tours Iceland for a two-hour RIB ride from Reykjavik’s harbor into Faxaflói Bay. Suspension seats, warm flotation suits and a small boat help you reach feeding grounds quickly. Guides such as Rebecca, Daniel and Patrick share facts while you watch for minke whales, humpbacks, dolphins and summer puffins.
“Amazing tour! We got to see some once in a lifetime activity from the whales, dolphins and puffins just outside of Reykjavik. Rebecca did a great job and its so obvious that she loves her job so much which made the experience even more special.”
Join a small group of up to 12 at Reykjavik’s Old Harbour for a two-hour RIB ride with a marine biologist guide. Visit puffin islands, search for whales and dolphins, then return past Harpa and Sun Voyager. Warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and crew photos are included.
“Very enjoyable!!! We saw puffins, dolphins and whales. The whale even jumped out of the water and turned around. This was a close encounter with nature thanks to our terrific guides.”
You’ll leave Reykjavik’s Old Harbour in a 12-person RIB, visit puffin islands from May through August, then search Faxaflói Bay for whales and dolphins. A marine biologist leads the trip, while suspension seats and supplied coveralls help with the cold, fast ride.
“Best guide ever. Thanks for an amazing experience. Perfect day with multiple whales. Would recommend to anyone”
Join Katla Whale Watching for about two hours on a fast, 12-seat RIB from central Reykjavik. Guides such as Rebekah, Anika, Joel, and Joe have led trips featuring humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, and puffins. Warm overalls, gloves, goggles, and life jackets are provided.
“This was very memorable for us, we got to see a few whales, one came right up to our boat. The speed boat is quite fun and feels like the better option over the bigger boats, you will bounce up and down a lot but the seats have suspension so its not so bad. our guide, Rebekah was very friendly and knowledgeable about all the animals that we saw.”
Meet Elding Whale Watching in central Akureyri for a two-hour RIB trip into Eyjafjörður. Guides such as Jacob, David, Agnes, and Lindsey share whale facts while the captain seeks humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, and seabirds. Warm overalls, goggles, and gloves are provided.
“Fantastic experience on the rib boat and we were very well looked after. Saw so many whale sightings, quite emotional experience for us, especially as one whale breached which was quite a wow moment. Great to have a marine biologist aboard who was very knowledgeable”
Join an English-speaking guide and up to 11 other passengers for a two-hour RIB tour from Dalvík. Suspension seats soften the ride as you search Eyjafjordur for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and summer puffins.
“Kurze Wartezeiten, nur 15 vorher. Wir waren nur 6 Teilnehmende und konnten uns auf dem Boot bewegen. Haben mehrere Buckelwale gesehen. Die beiden Bootsführer konnten all unsere Fragen zu den Walen und zur Landschaft beantworten.”
Take a 2-hour whale-watching trip from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour in a 12-seat RIB with suspension seats, warm waterproof gear, gloves, goggles, and a scarf. You’ll pass Harpa and the Sun Voyager, search Faxaflói Bay for whales and dolphins, and cruise near puffin-nesting islands with an English or Icelandic guide.
“Great tour guides, full safety gear provided, great rib ride also and they did their best to find us Whales, we saw some dolphins, all round amazing experience!”
Every kind of fast boat on the site, and the water it runs on.
