Akureyri whale watching tours leave from three harbours: the town harbour beside the Hof building, the fishing village of Hauganes 25 minutes north, and Húsavík on Skjálfandi bay, about an hour east. No fare includes getting to the boat. So the harbour you can reach decides the tour you book; the boat comes second.
The big ship from the pier beside the harbour, sailing two and a half to three and a half hours with a naturalist guide. Overalls come in children's sizes, the indoor area is heated, and a sailing with no whales earns you a free ticket valid two years.
From $105 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Two and a half hours from the ticket office on the town harbour. You get thermal overalls in adult and children's sizes, a heated saloon with panoramic windows, seasickness tablets on board and a free try-again ticket if no whales are seen.
From $104 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The fast way out: two hours by RIB from the downtown pier, twelve seats at most, with overalls, goggles and gloves supplied. See nothing and you come again free on the classic ship. You must fit the overalls, which go up to size 3XL.
From $195 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Sails from the fishing village of Hauganes, 25 minutes' drive north of town, for two and a half hours with light refreshments and live commentary. Nobody collects you, so plan the drive: the harbour is at the far end of the village.
From $90 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three hours from the downtown pier on a large boat with several viewing platforms, big windows and Wi-Fi. Warm overalls, raincoats or blankets are on board, and a sailing with no sightings can be tried again free, here or in Reykjavík.
From $104 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Sold to cruise passengers: two and a half hours on the fjord from the town harbour, a short walk from the piers. Warm overalls come in children's sizes, the seating is heated, and you get a second-chance ticket if you see no whales.
From $103 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Two hours on Skjálfandi bay by RIB from Húsavík, an hour's drive east, with twelve seats and a guide separate from the driver. Check in 30 minutes early. Nobody under 8 or shorter than 130 cm, and bring your own gloves and hat.
From $166 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Two hours by speedboat from Húsavík, with a visit to Puffin Island from about mid-April to mid-August. Arrive 40 minutes before departure. Overalls are compulsory and supplied, and the minimum age is 8, with a minimum height of 130 cm.
From $173 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three hours on Skjálfandi bay in a traditional oak boat, run by a local family company from Húsavík. Warm overalls and rain jackets are supplied, and if no whales or dolphins show you get a voucher rather than a refund.
From $98 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The classic ship leaves the pier beside the Hof building: up to three and a half hours, overalls supplied, and a free second try if nothing is seen.
Check availabilityYou spend two to three and a half hours at sea with a guide who scans the water and talks you through what surfaces. The regional tourist board lists what you may see: dolphins, minke whales, humpbacks and, occasionally, blue whales. Eyjafjörður, the fjord the town sits on, is 60 km long, the longest in Iceland, so the boats from town find their whales without an open-sea crossing.
Three kinds of boat do the sailing. A ship carries a heated saloon, a café and big windows, and supplies overalls. A RIB is small, open and fast, with twelve seats. An oak boat is the traditional wooden fishing boat, converted; the Hauganes operator runs two of them, and one Húsavík company sails another.
Most of the boats sail from the town harbour, beside the Hof Cultural Centre, a few minutes on foot from the centre and the cruise piers. You need no car, no transfer and no early start.
The town ships give you a free second sailing if the whales stay away. The classic ship’s ticket is valid for two years in Reykjavík or Akureyri. The RIB from town sends you out again on the classic ship. Few things you book here protect the fare like that.
A ship for families and anyone who feels the cold. A RIB for speed and a low seat by the water. An oak boat for the slower, older way of doing it. You choose the ride as much as the harbour.
At two to three hours, a sailing leaves the rest of your day free: a lake day the next morning, the lagoon in the evening, or a food walk in summer.
This is the real choice for most people. Both sail good water; the difference is everything around the boat.
| From the town harbour | From Hauganes | From Húsavík | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting there | A walk from the centre or the piers | A drive of 25 minutes | A drive of about an hour |
| Fares from | $103 | $90 | $98 |
| Boats | Ships and a RIB | Oak boats | RIBs and an oak boat |
| Check-in | At the harbour office | At the harbour | 30 to 40 minutes before |
| If nothing is seen | A free second try | Not stated | A voucher on the family boats |
| Puffins | Not a puffin trip | Not a puffin trip | Puffin Island, about 15 April to 15 August |
| Fits a cruise call | Yes | Only with a car and time | Rarely |
Read the last row twice if you arrived by ship. The Húsavík RIBs are the highest-rated boats here, and they start an hour from your pier. Húsavík’s own case, and the town’s, are argued in full in Akureyri or Húsavík for whale watching.
What you get depends on the boat, but the pattern is steady. Every sailing includes a guide and live commentary. The ships add thermal overalls (most in children’s sizes), a heated indoor area and Wi-Fi. The RIBs add overalls and a life jacket, and the town RIB adds goggles and gloves. The Húsavík boats supply warm overalls and rain jackets when needed.
What you don’t get is transport. Not one whale fare includes getting to the harbour. Food and drinks on board are sold, not included, and some boats list gratuities as excluded. On the Húsavík RIB, bring your own gloves and hat. The full list of extras is in Akureyri tour prices.
Price. Fares run from $90 to $195 a person. The town ships cost about $103; the RIBs cost $166 to $195.
Time. Allow the sailing plus the getting there: nothing extra from the town harbour, an hour return from Hauganes, and a half day from Húsavík once you add the drive and the check-in.
Season and age. The puffins at Húsavík are there about 15 April to 15 August. The Húsavík RIBs take nobody under 8 or shorter than 130 cm. The Hauganes boat sails a summer season. The rest of the year, check your date in the calendar; the winter picture is in Akureyri in winter.
Booking. Every boat here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead. The Húsavík family company confirms within 48 hours rather than at once, so book it a few days out. Where each harbour sits is on the Akureyri map.
Two hours by RIB from Húsavík with twelve seats and a guide beside the driver. Drive over, check in 30 minutes early, and sail.
Check availabilityNext: Price every boat in Akureyri tour prices, or weigh the boat against the road in Akureyri tours compared. Every tour sits side by side on Akureyri Iceland Tours.