Top 15 Boat Trips in North Iceland

1.Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $203Our pick

RIB whale watching from Húsavík in Skjálfandi Bay, with Lundey puffins during season, warm suits on board, small group views.

“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.”

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2.Lake Myvatn Day Tour and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Akureyri Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 473 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $205

Akureyri cruise port tour to Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn’s lava, steam vents, and optional Nature Baths, with easy pickup.

“Tour guide set the tone from the first stop, where he asked if anyone needed to use the restroom, when we said yes, he replied “you must hurry😡!” After that at every stop we were given strict instructions to be back at a set time, no longer than30 minutes at each stop. It was all very rushed. The tour would be better if there were less stops in order to experience the surroundings at a more leisurely pace. It would be better to not feel so rushed.”

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3.Whale-Watching Cruise and Puffins Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 444 reviews · 3 hours · from $135

3 hours on a traditional oak boat from Húsavík in Skjálfandi Bay, warm overalls, hot chocolate, whales and puffins.

“I would have given it a 4 star to be honest with you, neither of us were too impressed with the puffin tour. We didn't imagine what that part of it would be like, and I think I expected more from that, though in hindsight I can see why a) we couldn't get closer to the colony and b) the rocking boat didn't make using binoculars easy with the potential for motion sickness with continued use. And therefore, again, with hindsight, we wouldn't have taken the puffin tour option. With regards the whales - I believe we struck lucky with decent weather, plenty of sightings to get excited about. It…”

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4.Lake Mývatn and Godafoss Cruise Ship Day-Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 269 reviews · 6 hours · from $182

Small-group cruise day trip from Akureyri to Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn, with geothermal stops and optional Nature Baths.

“day trip was great -in the beginning it is a little confusing to find the actual bus/ van as there are so many tourists and companies operating now. - so pay close attention to instructions boiling / bubbling mud was a highlight”

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5.Whale Watching on a Carbon Neutral Oak Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 208 reviews · 3 hours · from $132

A 3-hour, carbon-neutral Húsavík whale watching cruise on a traditional oak boat, with warm overalls, hot cocoa, and wildlife sightings.

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6.Akureyri Express Whale Watching by RIB boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 168 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $180

A 2-hour express RIB whale watch in Akureyri with a max 12 passengers, warm gear, and a whale guarantee if you strike out.

“Great experience! The guides are very knowledgeable and did a great job of spotting whales. We followed a pod of humpback whales for over an hour! Be sure to wear waterproof clothing (boots and waterproof pants, for sure), and only sit in the front of the boat if you’re a thrill seeker.”

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7.Whale Watching on board a Traditional Oak Boat from Árskógssandur

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 92 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $99Best value

Whale watching on a traditional oak boat across Eyjafjörður fjord, with warm overalls, hot chocolate, and chances to spot minke, humpback, or orca.

“We have enjoyed this trip very much. Meeting point is easily accessible and the crew was welcoming and nice. Since the weather forecast was not in our favor since it was supposed to be raining it wasn’t like that at all. There was no rain and we saw two whales 🐳. The trip was enjoyable and very well guided.”

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8.Cruise Tour Godafoss and Myvatn Lake and Baths Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $216

Small-group cruise day to Godafoss, Mývatn sights, lava caves, geothermal mud and ends with Nature Baths.

“A great way to experience Iceland’s natural beauty in a smaller group with personalized service. Saw more than was listed which made the tour special.”

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9.Cruise Tour Godafoss Turf Houses and Forest Baths Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $181

Small-group Akureyri cruise tour to Goðafoss, Laufás turf houses, and Forest Lagoon geothermal baths, with easy port pickup.

“Great tour. Guide provided a lot of local insights. Forest Lagoon is as crowded but still very nice.”

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10.From Akureyri Port: Godafoss Waterfall Tour for Cruise Ships

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $102

Akureyri port excursion to Goðafoss waterfall, scenic northern drive, 45 minutes at the falls, and a quick Akureyri viewpoint stop.

“Andres was a great tour guide with very interesting facts about Iceland and it's history. It kept us interested the entire trip. The waterfall is very beautiful. There may be a small savings to get your tickets at the port, but the tour time will not be guaranteed.”

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11.Cruise Tour Godafoss and Myvatn Lake and Dettifoss Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 7 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $279

Small-group Iceland cruise tour hits Goðafoss, Mývatn pseudo-craters, geothermal caves, Hverir, Dettifoss, and Myvatn Nature Baths in 7 to 9 hours.

“There were several stops on the tour. Particularly interesting were: Godafoss, Dettifoss, and the Lava Rocks. The guide was very friendly and helpful in giving info and answering questions. She was also very nice about taking pictures of everyone.”

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12.RIB boat express: Whales, Eyjafjord and Akureyri

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $192

RIB whale watching from Akureyri on Eyjafjord, small group of 12, warm gear included, humpback whales plus a try-again guarantee.

“This was amazing! A huge bucket list item for us. We saw a few humpback whales and North Atlantic bottlenose whales. We watched a whale sleep, and had them wave at us. Our guides were excellent. Very informative and educational.”

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13.Lake Myvatn Private Day Tour Mývatn, Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $2,643

Private Lake Myvatn and Godafoss cruise shore tour from Akureyri, with steam vents, lava fields, and optional Nature Baths.

“Lovely tour of waterfalls, hot springs and lava fields. The varied landscapes were beautiful. The guide was friendly, informative and made my family of 10 feel right at home.”

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14.Lake Myvatn and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Husavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $306

Cruise-ship day from Akureyri: Godafoss, Lake Myvatn geothermal sites, optional Nature Baths, and Grjotagja cave with an English guide.

“A beautiful tour with knowledgeable tour guide. You get to see several different landscapes including snow capped mountains to bubbling mud pools. The waterfall was beautiful and there was enough time to take pictures. The geothermal pool/lagoon was a wonderful end of the tour.”

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15.Boat Tours from Siglufjörður

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $102

Wooden-boat fjord sailing from Siglufjörður with lighthouse sights, tunnels, sea angling chances, and the Hvanndalabjarg sea cliff.

“My wife and I come often to Siglufjörður as it is one of our favorite places in Iceland. Although it is one of most northern towns in Iceland, it often gets sunny summers and winters, allowing for great hiking, and skiing, both mountain and slalom. We know the area well but both of us wanted to see the village and the mountain range from the sea.”

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