Whale Watching and Aurora Borealis

Top Attractions:

Reykjavik

Overview

Enjoy the amazing combination of whale watching and Northern Lights hunting tours from Reykjavik!

Tour Snapshot

Duration

7 hours

Level

Easy

Availability

january - april, september - december

Starting point

Reykjavik

End point

Reykjavik

Languages

English

Trip style

One-day tours

Minimum age

6 years

What to Expect

On Tour

Whale watching in Faxaflói bay
Information provided by guides
Warm floatable overalls to keep you warm and safe
WiFi, Souvenirs and Café on board
Minibus Transport
Expert Guide
Northern Lights Photos
Hot Cocoa, chocolate & blanket
English Speaking Tour Guide
Free WiFi on Board Your Bus

Transportation

Meet on location
Pick-up & drop-off in Reykjavik

Accommodation & Meals

Meals
Accommodation

Itinerary

7 hours

Tour Itinerary Overview

Iceland is known for incredible Northern lights and excellent Whale Watching but did you know that you can join for both these experiences right from Downtown Reykjavík? Meet us at the old harbor for a 3-hour whale-watching adventure with amazing views of the capital and watch the whales play in their natural habitat!

In the evening, our Aurora experts will pick you up for an unforgettable night and take you to a top location to view them. When the glorious dancing electric green waves color the pitch-black Arctic sky, you will surely be amazed! The tour offers complimentary photos of you with the Northern lights so that you can keep the experience not only in your mind and memory but also in pictures!

Whale Watching

The meeting point is at the Old Harbor in the downtown area, at the Special Tours Ticket Office, located at Geirsgata 13, 101 Reykjavík.

The adventure begins as we head out North of the peninsula. There is no shortage of whales in Faxafjói Bay, and we'll continue with butterflies in our stomachs.

Usually, we don't need to wait long before it happens. It often seems like the whales simply wait for us to show off their acrobatic skills! The most common sights are humpbacks and minke whales, both known for their curiosity. Humpbacks also show their incredibly picturesque jump up from the ocean. It is pretty hard to imagine such a gigantic creature being able to jump this high from the sea, but you will be surprised!

Other common sights include dolphins and porpoises, adding a certain cuteness factor to the whole experience. Your expert guides will keep you entertained with knowledge and fun facts about the whales and other wildlife in the area and make sure you don't miss out on when the ocean giants decide to pop up.

After enjoying the company of the ocean royals, you will be taken back to the old harbor. You will have time to roam around the charismatic Reykjavík, catch some dinner or do some shopping before being picked up for your Northern Lights experience of the night.

The Northern Lights

Finding the absolute best spot to view the Northern Lights can be a big challenge, especially if it gets cloudy, but this is where the Northern Light's expert guides come in handy. Their experience and skillful planning will ensure you are taken to the absolute best place to view the colorful dancing lights in their prime.

To ensure the experience is never forgotten, the guides offer complimentary photographs capturing you with the auroras. That’s a moment you are going to want to keep alive!

After the magical show, the guides will safely drop you off at a place of your choosing inside the downtown Reykjavík area.

Notable Information

Went to a tour but didn’t spot the Northern Lights? No worries, you can book another tour to see the lights free of charge. Note that this deal is unlimited and is valid for 3 years. So, don’t give up on your first time, get in touch with our Customer Care to witness this natural phenomenon.
During the whale-watching tour, we will be observing the animals in their natural habitat. As such, we cannot guarantee sightings of any kind. But, if we don't encounter any whales or dolphins, we will offer you a return ticket so you can join us again another day (within two years) for FREE!
This is a combination of two separate tours. If one of the tours is cancelled, you will still be able to join the other part.

Meet your operator

At Adventures.com we love transparency, there are operators involved in your booking, we just stay with those we trust. This tour is operated by:

Arctic Adventures

Arctic Adventures is a top Icelandic tour operator known for its small-group experiences. Since 1983, they’ve specialized in guiding travelers through Iceland’s wild terrains, from glaciers to volcanoes. Their tours are all about adventure and sustainability, led by expert guides who make sure every trip is safe, fun, and memorable. Arctic Adventures combines deep local knowledge with a strong commitment to nature, making them a trusted choice for anyone looking to explore Iceland up close and responsibly.

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Packing list

Get ready for your trip, here are some items, you should not forget

What to bring (Required)

Good hiking boots with ankle support
Shoe Spike Grips (Oct-Apr)
Warm outdoor clothing
Water & Windproof Jacket and Pants
Headwear
Gloves
Scarf

We're here to answer your questions

The Northern Lights are natural phenomena and we, unfortunately, cannot promise you will see them. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions.

For more information on the Northern Lights, please have a look at our Northern Lights tours.

We, unfortunately, do not have one simple answer to this question.

There isn’t just one single setting for your camera that ensures great photos. However, if you have manual options, you are probably best served with experimenting with various combinations of ISO, aperture, and exposure settings. As a rule of thumb, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2 8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed at between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have proven effective.

A good thing to keep in mind, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have given great results.

Different combinations may give very different results. Higher ISO setting will allow you to capture faster exposures, but the downside to this might be for example grainier images.

If the shutter speed is above 15 seconds it will result in a slight star movement.

Wider angle lenses are usually more versatile in low light settings, but longer lenses give you different options for compositions. Make sure that you remove all lens filters, as they may distort images. You will probably get the best results with manual setting for infinite focal length.

Reimbursement is not given if the northern lights tour goes ahead and no lights are seen but we do offer you the change to join a Northern Lights Minibus tour free of charge.

Please contact our Customer Care to re-book your tour.

When Northern Lights tours are canceled it’s usually due to unfavorable weather conditions.

In that case, your options will be to:

Reschedule for another day.
Choose another our tour and use the deposit for it.
Get a full refund.

Please go to the customer portal to re-book your tour or contact us by phone at +354 562 7000.

The northern lights are a pretty difficult thing to predict. We recommend you to check en.vedur.is to see the forecast and if the level is high and the skies are clear then it’s very likely that the tour is going ahead. We do update our website’s tour departure sheet with the information at 17:00 pm the latest. If your tour is canceled then you will receive an email from us.

If we think there is no chance at all of seeing the lights we will cancel the tour. We don’t want to bring you out and disappoint if there is no chance of the lights to be seen.

Yes, the guide on your tour will take a photo of you with the northern lights in the background.
These can be single or group photo’s and are free of charge.

The Northern Lights season is from late August until mid-April. However, if you want to increase your changes of seeing them, it is best to wait until the clear winter months of mid-September until March.

The northern lights depend on luck and weather if that is in your favor than you will be able to see the Aurora Borealis above the inviting streets of Reykjavík. Whether you see the lights or not they depend on two different factors. The first being the weather. If the sky is clear, no clouds, then you are halfway there to seeing the astonishing spectacle that is the Northern Lights (although light pollution can sometimes be a problem). Increased solar activity is the second half so, if these two merge together you may well be able to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik.

Still not convinced?

Customer Care

For Iceland, Scandinavia & Baltic tour

Open daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM GMT

Address

Köllunarklettsvegur 2

104 Reykjavík

+354 562 7000

BOOK YOUR TOUR

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