The 15 Best Tours in North Iceland

3-Hour Experiences, North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Akureyri: 3-Hour Classic Whale Watching Tour by Ship

/ August 15, 2026

1.3-Hour Classic Whale Watching Tour by Ship

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,000 reviews · 3 hours · from $108Our pick

3-hour Akureyri whale cruise in Eyjafjord, high-speed ship, thermal suits, and expert guides hunting humpbacks, plus comfy warmth.

“Really loved this whale watching trip (snowy February 2026). Even if we didn't see any whales, the scenic cruise along the fjord was very nice itself, but we saw two young humpbacks! We spent over an hour in their company as they were feeding, which was amazing. When we left to return to Port, they could still be seen in the distance. Very informative guide, very considerate of the whales and not getting too close. Free hot drinks onboard (coffee, hot chocolate, etc) was a nice touch and welcome after enduring the cold outdoors.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Guided, North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Húsavík: Whale Watching Tour with Guide

/ August 15, 2026

2.Whale Watching Tour with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,761 reviews · 3 hours · from $115

Húsavík whale watching from a traditional oak boat in Skjálfandi Bay, with live guide, warm overalls, hot chocolate, and cinnamon bun.

“Great Guides, had a lot of fun and the female Guide (don’t remember her name unfortunately) did such a great job on commenting where to see the whales and gave many interesting Information.”

Check availability →Read our full review

North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Húsavík: Traditional Whale Watching Tour

/ August 15, 2026

3.Traditional Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,115 reviews · 3 hours · from $100

Traditional Húsavík whale watching on a wooden oak boat in Skjálfandi Bay, with warm gear, live guide talk, and real wildlife spotting.

“We saw whales in the very first beginning, which was very nice. The whole trip was a bit too long for us (around 3.5 hours) but it’s bearable. The only downside is that there wasn’t enough sits for everyone so we almost stood the entire time.”

Check availability →Read our full review

North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Húsavík: Whale Watching – Family Run with Indoor Seats

/ August 15, 2026

4.Whale Watching – Family Run with Indoor Seats

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,521 reviews · 3 hours · from $96

Húsavík whale watching with indoor seating March to December. Friends of Moby Dick, warm suits, expert crew, and a 3-hour Skjálfandi Bay cruise.

“Guide and Boat Captain did great job with our tour and seeing the whales feeding close to our boat. Once in a lifetime event! Safety coveralls helped ensure you stayed warm and comfortable on the tour!”

Check availability →Read our full review

North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Puffin Cruises, Safari, Tour Reviews, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Húsavík: Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins by Speedboat

/ August 15, 2026

5.Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,221 reviews · 2 hours · from $175

Húsavík RIB safari to Puffin Island and Skjálfandi Bay. Modern boat, warm overalls, expert guide, big-whale odds in 2 hours.

“We had such an unforgettable whale-watching tour! For the first two hours, we searched without any luck, but that only made the adventure more exciting. The typical Icelandic weather — strong wind and rain — added to the atmosphere and gave us some pretty high waves, which made the whole experience feel even more real and adventurous. Spotting whales was definitely more challenging in those conditions, and although we didn’t get to see any humpbacks, the tour ended in the most magical way. In the last five minutes, a group of bottlenose whales appeared right next to the boat! Absolutely fantastic and a memory we’ll never forget.”

Check availability →Read our full review

North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Puffin Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Húsavík: Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour

/ August 15, 2026

6.Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 979 reviews · 2 hours · from $198

Speedboat whale watching in Húsavík, plus Puffin Island in season, from a warm RIB ride with a pro guide.

“This tour was fantastic! Our guide Ignacio was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We saw multiple humpback whales, puffins and arctic tern. The boat was comfortable and gear is provided to help keep you warm and dry. Tour is a good amount of time (not too long) and is run in small groups which was really nice! Highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Whale Watching from Downtown Akureyri

/ August 15, 2026

7.Whale Watching from Downtown Akureyri

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 971 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $104

3-hour whale watching from downtown Akureyri with thermal gear, indoor decks, WiFi, and a captain who hunts humpbacks and orcas.

“The tour is very good. Our tour guide was very informative and had a fun persona. We saw a humpback and a minke and few porpoises. I would highly recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waterfall & Canyon Trips

From Akureyri: Myvatn Lake, Craters, & Waterfall Tour

/ August 15, 2026

8.Myvatn Lake, Craters, & Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 793 reviews · 6 hours · from $187

A 6-hour North Iceland day trip from Akureyri covering Goðafoss, Mývatn pseudo-craters, Dimmuborgir lava fields, and Námaskarð.

“Great trip fantastic guide and well worth the money paid -”

Check availability →Read our full review

Boat Trips in North Iceland, Cruises & Boat Tours, North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Puffin Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

/ August 15, 2026

9.Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $203Top rated

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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2-Hour Experiences, North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Akureyri: 2-Hour Whale Watching Express by RIB Speedboat

/ August 15, 2026

10.2-Hour Whale Watching Express by RIB Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 489 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

Akureyri whale watching by RIB speedboat gets you close to humpback and minke whales in the Eyjafjord, with warm gear included.

“Even in less than ideal weather, it was a great excursion. We saw 4 whales on our trip. Please note they will provide you a full outer layer--they call it overalls but it's like a protective suit and perfect on cold days.”

Check availability →Read our full review

North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waterfall & Canyon Trips

Lake Myvatn, Hot-Springs & Godafoss Waterfall Tour from Akureyri

/ August 15, 2026

11.Lake Myvatn, Hot-Springs & Godafoss Waterfall Tour from Akureyri

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 478 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $188

Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn, Dimmuborgir and Hverir in one tight 6-hour loop from Akureyri, with lunch and comfortable transfers.

“This was one of the best tours we went on. The guide was fabulous. A lot of sites were packed into this day. The falls were beautiful and the lake was just breathtaking. I got a good picture of the geyser. I put over 10,000 steps on my phone. The lava fields were very interesting.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Boat Trips in North Iceland, Cruises & Boat Tours, North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waterfall & Canyon Trips

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

/ August 15, 2026

12.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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Boat Trips in North Iceland, Cruises & Boat Tours, Guided, North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Puffin Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale & Orca Watching, Whale Watching in North Iceland

Húsavík: Whale-Watching Cruise and Puffins Guided Tour

/ August 15, 2026

13.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…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Glacial River Rafting, North Iceland Tours & Experiences, Tour Reviews, Waterfall & Canyon Trips

Iceland’s Top Grade 4 Rafting – Drysuit, Canyon & Adrenaline

/ August 15, 2026

14.Iceland’s Top Grade 4 Rafting – Drysuit, Canyon & Adrenaline

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 438 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $290

Dry-suit canyon rafting on Iceland’s East Glacial River Gorge from Akureyri, with class IV adrenaline, pro guides, and warm meals.

“What a wonderful adventure. All four employees (guide, 2 recovery kayak and cameraman/recovery kayak) were enthusiastic, fun and very good at their jobs. We had beautiful weather. The level IV rapids were both challenging and exhilarating and the same time. We had a garage sale on the most difficult part of the rapids but we enjoyed every minute of it. I would definitely recommend this trip for anyone looking for a challenge.”

Check availability →Read our full review