Whale Safari and Puffins RIB Boat Tour from Húsavík

170 Reviews

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Húsavík, Iceland

Whale Safari and Puffins RIB Boat Tour from Húsavík

Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins from Húsavík

From $151.36

Lowest Price Guarantee

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more

Safety measures

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Offered in: English

Good for avoiding crowds

Overview

Discover Iceland’s most iconic wildlife with a 2 - 2.5-hour whale and puffin tour from Húsavík on an RIB speedboat. Enjoy views of the Skjálfandi Bay as you skim along the coast, covering an expansive territory in the high-powered craft. Watch for massive blue whales and acrobatic humpbacks, and learn about life beneath the surface from your experienced guide. During the breeding season of mid-April through mid-August, visit ‘Puffin Island’ to find a thriving colony of brightly-colored birds before returning to Húsavík.

2 - 2.5-hour whale and puffin tour in an RIB speedboat
See more of the coast in a speedboat tour
Spot whales and porpoises with help from expert nature guides
Visit 'Puffin Island' during breeding season
Once-in-a-lifetime experience

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From $151.36

Lowest Price Guarantee

What's Included

Professional guide

Live commentary on board

Warm safety overalls

Transportation to/from attractions (Tour departure is within walking distance from most accommodations in Húsavík)

Departure & Return

Departure PointGentle Giants – Húsavík Whale Watching , Garðarsbraut, Húsavík, Iceland

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Meeting Point: Gentle Giants Ticket Center Directions: Look for the big blue flags in Húsavík

Return DetailsThis activity will end right where it started.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Subject to favourable weather conditions. If cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
Please bring warm and waterproof clothing
Not allowed for passengers with heart- or back problems or pregnant women
The minimum age limit for children on the RIB speedboats is 7 years or minimum 130 cm in height
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
The puffin season is from April 15th – August 20th approximately. More focus on whales outside the puffin season
A minimum number of passengers is required for all our tours. If the minimum number is not reached, we reserve the right to change or cancel departures, even with short notice. In such cases, customers are offered alternative options or full refund
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Unfortunately, if no whales or dolphins are sighted whist on tour, passenger refunds are not permitted. However, customers can receive a voucher to join a traditional whale watching tour free of charge, depending on availability
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
OPERATED BY Gentle Giants Whale Watching

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Learn more about cancellations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

What is the policy on sanitization during Whale Safari and Puffins RIB Boat Tour from Húsavík?

A:The policies on sanitization are:

Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

See all safety measures taken by Whale Safari and Puffins RIB Boat Tour from Húsavík.

What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Whale Safari and Puffins RIB Boat Tour from Húsavík?

A:The policy on staff health & safety is:

Guides required to regularly wash hands

See all safety measures taken by Whale Safari and Puffins RIB Boat Tour from Húsavík.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

170 Reviews

5 stars

142

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1 star

Reviews by Viator travelers

Showing 1-10 of 170 reviews

Fantastic trip!

NaiChi_C

, Oct 2021

We saw three humpback whales. The crew was super professional and we could follow the whales and made some good pictures and video. The guide told some interesting stories and facts about the bay and whales. The clothes they provided were really warm. Excellent trip!

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Great

Sabine_G

, Sep 2021

Good guide, good boats and thermo suits. All arranged like it should be! We were lucky enough to also encounter orcas. I'd recommend gentle giants any day.

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Unique experience.

Elise_T

, Aug 2021

Good equipment and good team for this experience. The boat was good with good sensation with speed. We could see whales even Dolphins ! The team explain also all birds we Saw. We expect to see more whales but it was an unique experience

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Response from Host , Oct 2021

Dear eliseth, thank you for the wonderful review! Glad that you enjoyed it and saw whales. Best regards, Daniel

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Wonderful Evening!

Rhona_J

, Aug 2021

I was a little nervous...but we were incredibly lucky with the weather and it was a fabulous experience. Our guide - Miro - did a great job and we saw humpbacks, dolphins, minke and puffins! Wrap up though - we had a couple of layers on under our 'overalls' and by the time we got back (9pm-ish) it was a tad chilly :) Definitely a highlight of our Iceland visit.

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Response from Host , Oct 2021

Thanks Rhona_J for this wonderful review! Highlight of your Iceland visit indeed says it all, great to hear! All the best, Daniel

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Great experience!

Geert_V

, Aug 2021

A tourist griendhout whale, what more can we expect? Also thankful for the warm overalls. Miro gave good informatie and was helpful

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Response from Host , Oct 2021

Thanks for the great review! Glad to see that you enjoyed the tour and the service on board. Best regards, Daniel

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Wonderful time on the water

James_G

, Jun 2021

The guides were knowledgeable and they made every effort to ensure we saw whales. They turned the boat to ensure we were all able to take pictures. I recommend!

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Response from Host , Oct 2021

Thanks James_G for this wonderful review! Glad to hear that you saw whales and enjoyed the tour. Thanks for recommending the tour! Best regards, Daniel

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1 traveler found this review helpful

So many whales!!!

gracejones

, Jul 2019

We had a great time seeing many whales on this trip. I recommend it completely. Also, the staff at the desk were very friendly and helpful.

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Highlight of our Trip to Iceland

girlwhotravels2015

, May 2019

On our tour we saw two different whale species, dolphins, and the playful puffins! Can’t say enough how wowed we were with Gentle Giants! The crew were fabulous and organized. Great excursion!

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Midnight Whales

kcwojan

, Jun 2018

We originally had a tour scheduled at 7 PM (19:00), but were running behind on our drive from Höfn (word to the wise, don't get that ambitious!) and we were able to easily call and change to the later 9 PM (21:00) trip, the very last of the day. We were the only boat of any kind in the bay that night, and it was rainy. But the protective gear they gave us kept us warm, and we enjoyed the novelty of the sun being out so late and seeing many puffins. As we went farther into the bay, 2 humpbacks appeared, and we actually witnessed them having what the captain called

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The desk hostess, Ms. Sandra...

Mark B. W

, Nov 2017

The desk hostess, Ms. Sandra Mosquera Montes, initially scared us by saying that the first boat that went out at 9:00 a.m. a slow boat did not see any whales, and did we still want to go? I was originally leaning towards the cheaper, slower boat, but then I had a conversation with the receptionist at the Fosshotel Husavik, and she said the speed boat is better since it can go quickly to where any whale may be. That analysis made sense!! The speed boat lived up to its billing!! At the helm was Head Captain Sverrir Yngvi Karlsson, assisted by our guide, Head Guide Sarah Arndt! Captain Karlsson headed straight out into the bay, and with Ms. Arndt's assistance, we were on majestic hump back whales within a half an hour!! We tracked two, then two more, then single whales and finally a grouping of four whales together!! We were SO close to the whales!! Ms. Arndt was very informative during the course of the tour. Captain Karlsson kept us on the whales the entire time!! All together, we saw six or seven hump back whales! Each of their tail undersides have unique markings. It was well worth the extra money for the speed boat!! There were no Puffins since it was past their season, but it was still cool to see what we did see!! Photos below show some of the excitement!! Look at how close those fins are to the side of the speed boat!! At the end, Ms. Montes said that she was just being honest since there was a chance we would not see anything. So glad that we did see whales!! Ms. Montes and Ms. Arndt was also very helpful in arranging for me to borrow a card reader when I ran into a problem with my EOS 7D, Mark II camera!! Everyone was so nice, and I highly recommend Whale Watching with GENTLE GIANTS!!!

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