Reykjavik: Whale Watching & Northern Lights Combo Cruise

The best part of this Reykjavik combo cruise is the contrast: whales by daylight, northern lights after dark. You spend time in Faxaflói Bay watching for minke whales, humpbacks, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and seabirds, then head back out at night to search the sky from the same coastal waters.

I like two things here. First, the tour gives you a second chance at the northern lights if poor weather spoils the first attempt. Second, the boat has heated cabins, toilets, WiFi, and warm flotation overalls, so you can enjoy the open deck without treating cold weather as a survival test. The main drawback is the price, $205 per person, plus the long break between the two cruises and the fact that neither whales nor auroras can be promised.

Key points at a glance

• Two very different cruises in one day: Spend about three hours whale watching, then return for a two-hour evening search for the aurora.
• Faxaflói Bay offers wide views: You can see mountains, islands, and birdlife around Reykjavik while looking for marine animals.
• The wildlife sightings can be excellent: Past trips have included humpback whales, minke whales, dolphins, seals, and playful whales known as Apple and Banana.
• Weather decides a lot: Choppy water can lead to a change of day, while bad weather can cancel the northern lights cruise.
• Warmth is built in: Provided flotation overalls, heated indoor cabins, toilets, and complimentary seasickness tablets make the boat practical.
• The return option matters: If the northern lights do not appear, you receive a free ticket to try again, subject to availability and operating conditions.

A full day on Faxaflói Bay

You begin at Geirsgata 11, where you check in at the Special Tours office on the corner. Arriving 30 minutes early is sensible. It gives you time to check in, collect any needed gear, and reach the boat without starting the day in a rush.

The first cruise lasts about two and a half to three hours. The boat heads into Faxaflói Bay, the broad body of water off Reykjavik, where the crew searches for marine life in its natural setting. You are not visiting an aquarium or watching a staged display. The animals choose the distance, direction, and timing.

That freedom is part of the appeal, but it also explains why sightings vary. One trip may bring a humpback close to the boat, while another may produce only a distant glimpse or no whale at all. The crew keeps watch and provides commentary in English, helping you understand what to look for and why the boat may pause or change course.

The bay also gives you plenty to watch when the animals stay out of sight. You will have views toward the mountains and islands around Reykjavik, along with seabirds moving across the water. I like this aspect because the cruise still gives you a sense of Iceland’s coast, even during a quiet spell for wildlife.

Looking for whales, dolphins, and seals

The main targets are minke whales and humpback whales. Harbor porpoises and white-beaked dolphins are also possible, and seals have appeared on some trips. The reports from this outing include two humpbacks, minke whales, dolphins, and four separate whales on one particularly successful day.

You should keep your expectations flexible. A whale-watching trip is a search, not a guarantee. A few passengers have seen a humpback within minutes of leaving the harbor, while others have had to wait and scan the water for much longer. The most useful habit is to watch the whole waterline instead of staring at one fixed spot.

Humpbacks can provide the most dramatic moments, with their size and visible blows making them easier to follow. Minke whales may be more subtle. Dolphins can appear in quick bursts, and harbor porpoises are often harder to spot because they are smaller and less showy.

The guides make a real difference here. Names attached to especially well-received trips include Rebekka, Lucas, and Daniel. Rebekka was praised for sharing the excitement of a dolphin and humpback sighting, while Lucas and Daniel were described as helpful and engaging. Guide quality matters because you need someone who can explain what is happening without turning every pause into dead air.

Bring a phone or camera, but charge it fully before leaving. One person had a successful day with both whales and northern lights, only to lose most of the photo opportunity when a phone battery died. Cold conditions can also make battery life less reliable, so keep your device protected and use it selectively.

The five-hour pause in Reykjavik

After the whale cruise, you return to Reykjavik for a break of about five hours before the evening departure. This is not a quick changeover. You have time to eat, warm up, recharge your phone, and explore nearby streets before returning to the meeting point.

That pause is useful, but it shapes the whole day. You should not treat this as a simple six-hour block with continuous activity. The two cruises together last about five hours, and the schedule includes a substantial gap between them. Check the exact departure times when booking so the arrangement fits your plans.

Food and drinks are not included, though purchases can be made onboard. The break gives you a better chance to find a proper meal in Reykjavik rather than relying on boat snacks. It also lets you return with dry layers and a full battery for the night cruise.

The starting point is fairly central for some city hotels. One past booking described an easy walk from Center Hotels Plaza and noted the location near bus stop number 4. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to make your own way to Geirsgata 11 for both departures.

Chasing the northern lights from the water

The evening cruise lasts about two hours and takes you away from Reykjavik’s city lights in search of darker skies. You can stay inside the heated bar area or put on the supplied warm flotation overalls and watch from the outdoor deck.

The sea can give you a broad view of the sky, with fewer buildings and streetlights in the way. That does not mean an aurora will appear. Cloud cover, solar conditions, and general weather all affect the result. Several trips have been successful, including one where the lights appeared soon after leaving the dock, but another evening was canceled because of bad weather.

This is where the free return ticket has real value. If the northern lights do not show, you can join again rather than treating the failed search as money lost. A repeat visit may also be possible when the first evening is canceled or when conditions change. One booking was moved to the next night and produced a successful sighting.

You should still think of the return option as helpful flexibility, not a guarantee of a second suitable night. It works best if you have at least one spare evening in Reykjavik and can adjust your plans. If your schedule is packed with day trips, the benefit is smaller.

The northern lights cruise is also less physically demanding than standing outside on land for hours. You can warm up indoors, use the toilets, and step onto the deck when the sky looks promising. That easy back-and-forth suits you if you want a chance at the aurora without committing to a long, cold wait in an unfamiliar rural area.

How weather changes the plan

Iceland’s weather is not a side note here. It controls both comfort and the chance of seeing anything. Choppy water has led the operator to suggest moving a whale trip to another day, and that change produced a much better outing for one booking.

If you are prone to seasickness, take the complimentary tablets offered onboard and dress sensibly. Warm, weather-appropriate clothing remains important even though the boat supplies flotation overalls. The suit helps with cold and spray, but it does not replace a warm base layer, hat, gloves, and sturdy footwear.

The heated cabin is a welcome fallback. You can watch from outside when conditions are pleasant, then return indoors when the wind picks up. I would use the deck for short viewing periods rather than assuming you must stay outside for the full cruise.

The activity is wheelchair accessible, which is useful information when comparing boat options. Pets and smoking are not allowed. Since the tour involves wildlife and weather, you should also be comfortable with changes to timing or routing if conditions are unsafe.

Is $205 a fair price?

At $205 per person, this is an expensive outing, even by Icelandic standards. The price includes two separate cruises, professional English-speaking guides, warm flotation overalls, indoor heated areas, toilets, WiFi, and a free return ticket after a no-sighting northern lights trip.

The value depends on how you use the combination. Buying separate whale and aurora cruises may cost a similar amount, but the combo saves you from arranging two different operators and gives you one coordinated plan. The return ticket adds useful protection for the northern lights portion, where weather can easily spoil an evening.

Still, you are paying for the opportunity to search, not for guaranteed sightings. If you see only a few distant animals and no aurora, the price may feel steep. If you see humpbacks, dolphins, and glowing skies in the same day, the combination can become one of the strongest memories of a Reykjavik visit.

I would consider it good value for a first Iceland trip when you have limited time and want two headline experiences in one booking. I would be more cautious if you already have whale watching or northern lights plans elsewhere, or if you cannot spare a second evening for a rescheduled aurora cruise.

Who will enjoy this combo most?

This outing suits you if you want a full day with a strong chance of memorable nature sightings and do not mind uncertainty. Families, couples, photographers, and first-time visitors to Iceland can all find something useful here, especially with indoor heating and provided overalls.

It is also a good fit if you are staying centrally in Reykjavik and can walk or take local transport to the harbor. The central meeting point makes the two departures easier to manage, though you still need to arrange your own hotel transport.

You may want to choose a different plan if you dislike boats, get badly seasick, or need a tightly fixed schedule. The five-hour gap, possible weather changes, and need to return for a second departure make this less convenient than a single, continuous activity.

I would also avoid filling the evening with another fixed booking. The northern lights portion may be canceled, moved, or offered again depending on conditions, and the flexible return policy works best when you leave room in your schedule.

Practical ways to get more from the boat

Arrive 30 minutes early at Geirsgata 11. Wear layers rather than relying only on the supplied overalls, and charge your phone before the first cruise.

Use the indoor cabin as a warm base, not as a sign that you are missing the experience. You can go outside when whales are being watched or when the aurora appears, then return inside to warm up.

Keep your camera ready, but do not spend the whole trip looking through a screen. Whale sightings can be brief, and the best moment may be the one you catch with your own eyes. If you are taking photos at night, lower your screen brightness and conserve battery.

Treat the commentary as part of the outing. The guides explain what you are seeing and help you understand why the boat waits, turns, or continues farther into the bay. Friendly, enthusiastic guides such as Rebekka, Lucas, and Daniel have helped turn good sightings into memorable ones.

Finally, keep one extra evening open if the northern lights are important to you. The repeat ticket is one of the strongest practical features of this package, but you need time available to use it.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at Geirsgata 11 in Reykjavik. Check in at the Special Tours office on the corner and arrive 30 minutes early.

How long does the experience last?

The advertised duration is six hours. The whale-watching cruise lasts about two and a half to three hours, and the northern lights cruise lasts about two hours, with a five-hour break in Reykjavik between them.

What animals might I see?

Possible sightings include minke whales, humpback whales, harbor porpoises, white-beaked dolphins, seals, and seabirds. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Are food and drinks included?

No. Food and drinks are not included, but you can buy them onboard. The break in Reykjavik also gives you time to eat between cruises.

What happens if I do not see the northern lights?

You receive a free ticket to join the northern lights tour again if there are no sightings. The northern lights cruise may also be canceled because of bad weather, with the option to request a refund or reschedule for another night.

Is the boat suitable in cold weather?

Yes. Warm flotation overalls are provided, and the boat has heated indoor cabins and toilets. You should still bring weather-appropriate clothing.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. You need to make your own way to Geirsgata 11 for the tour.

Should you book it?

Book this combo if you want to pair two uncertain but thrilling Iceland experiences and have enough time to handle the long break between departures. The strongest reasons are the chance to see humpbacks and dolphins in open water, the heated facilities, and the free northern lights return ticket.

I would skip it if $205 feels too high for a weather-dependent outing or if your Reykjavik schedule leaves no room for a repeat attempt. For everyone else, this is a practical way to place whales and auroras in the same day, with enough shelter and flexibility to make Iceland’s rough weather more manageable.