The essentials
- The family-run whale watching tour is listed from US$85[1] and the Original Big Whale Safari and Puffins by Speedboat from US$171[2].
- The Original Big Whale Safari and Puffins by Speedboat runs for 2 hours with a live tour guide in English.[2]
- The speedboat safari is rated 4.73 from 1,423 reviews, with Guide 4.8, Transportation 4.9 and Value for money 4.5.[2]
- Skjálfandi Bay is about 28 kilometers wide, and Puffin Island is a nesting ground for around 36,500 active breeding pairs of puffins.[3][4]
- Reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on the speedboat safari.[2]
- Top choice Original Big Whale Safari from US$171 Duration2 hours[2]Rating4.73 from 1,423 reviews[2]RouteHusavik, Puffin Island, Skjálfandi[2]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[2] Check availability
- Big Whales & Puffin Island from US$164 Duration2 hours[5]Rating4.83 from 1,059 reviews[5]RouteHusavik, Puffin Island, Skjálfandi[5]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[5] See this tour
- Family-Run Whale Watching from US$85 Duration3 hours[1]Rating4.70 from 1,987 reviews[1]RouteSkjálfandi[1]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[1] See this tour
To provide realistic expectations to spot whales, we have gathered data of sightings in Skjálfandi Bay from every tour since the beginning of whale watching in 1995 in Húsavík. The results are truly impressive, with a 97% success rate of overall sightings!
Is the Original Big Whale Safari worth the price?
Things to check
What a Húsavík whale watching tour costs
Prices in Húsavík move with the boat, the length of the trip and how far into the bay you go. The family-run whale watching tour is listed from US$85[1], the traditional whale watching tour from US$98[9], and the whale watching tour with a guide from US$99[10]. Higher up the range, the Big Whales and Puffin Island speedboat tour starts from US$164[5], and the Original Big Whale Safari and Puffins by Speedboat from US$171[2].
The Húsavík whale tour price shown on any listing is a from price for one seat, so what you actually pay depends on the date and how early you book. If you want the money question settled first, the GeoSea geothermal baths entrance ticket starts from US$60[11]. A day built around one boat trip and one warm soak can be planned to fit a range of budgets, and neither add-on is a whale watching tour.
Add-ons shape the day more than they shape the cost of a boat seat. A museum visit fits neatly before a sailing, when you want the background on what you are about to look for on the water, and a soak in warm seawater is a good way to finish once the salt has dried on your jacket. Neither replaces time out on the bay, but both turn a grey, windy afternoon into something worth having.
Speedboat or oak boat: what changes the price
The single biggest difference between a cheap ticket and an expensive one is the boat itself. Large traditional vessels carry more passengers and take a steady route out to the feeding grounds. Rigid inflatable speedboats carry smaller groups, move much faster and reach Puffin Island inside a short window. You are paying for speed, for a smaller group and for the number of stops packed into a shorter trip. On a speedboat you feel every swell and every turn, and the ride itself becomes part of the memory. On a bigger boat the crossing is calmer, you can stand up, walk about and hold a camera steady.
The fast boats are genuinely quick. The RIB Express, for instance, has a comfortable cruising speed of 32 knots[12]. Each speedboat listing here runs for 2 hours[2][5], while the family-run tour, the whale watching tour with a guide and the traditional tour each run for 3 hours[1][9][10]. A longer trip is not automatically the better one. On a cold, choppy day the shorter ride can be the kinder choice, and on a flat, bright afternoon the slower boat gives you more time on deck with a camera.
A humpback fluke against the snowy mountains of Skjálfandi Bay
The Original Big Whale Safari and Puffins
The Original Big Whale Safari and Puffins by Speedboat is listed from US$171[2]. It runs for 2 hours[2] with a live tour guide in English[2], and the stops are Husavik, Puffin Island and Skjálfandi[2]. It sits at the top of the price range on this page, and it folds the bay's two headline sights into one short outing. If this is the one you want, arrive at the harbour with time to spare, dress for spray and keep a dry bag handy for a phone or a camera.
Its rating is 4.73 from 1,423 reviews[2], broken down into Guide 4.8, Transportation 4.9 and Value for money 4.5[2]. Those three numbers are worth reading side by side if the price difference comes down to a few dollars. Passengers score the guiding and the ride very highly, and score value for money a little lower.
Lower priced ways to get on the water
The family-run whale watching tour is the cheapest whale watching option listed here, from US$85[1], rated 4.70 from 1,987 reviews[1], with a stop in Skjálfandi[1]. The traditional whale watching tour is a close second, from US$98[9] and rated 4.62 from 2,336 reviews[9]. Both keep you out on the water for 3 hours.[1][9]
Step up a little and the whale watching tour with a guide is listed from US$99[10], rated 4.63 from 2,958 reviews[10] and wheelchair accessible[10]. The GeoSea entrance ticket from US$60 is wheelchair accessible too[11]. If accessibility matters to your group, those three listings are the ones to read first, and you still choose between a steady ride and a tour that adds puffins.
from US$171
The Original Big Whale Safari and Puffins by Speedboat is listed from US$171 for a 2 hour trip with a live English speaking guide.[2]
The bay, the light and the water
Skjálfandi Bay is about 28 kilometers wide at its widest point and about 25 kilometers long[3], a broad stretch of water with room for both fast and slow boats. Húsavík itself has a population of roughly 2,500[13], and commercial whale watching in Iceland began here in 1995[14]. The name Húsavík means 'the house bay', after the winter camp Garðar and Náttfari set up in Skjálfandi Bay and the house they built here[15]. The harbour sits close to the centre of town, so the walk from a coffee to a gangway is a short one.
Summer changes the shape of the day. In Iceland the sun never fully sets from May through August, and the midnight sun peaks around the summer solstice in June[6], so a late sailing comes back in bright light. The sea stays cold: the average summer water temperature in Skjálfandi Bay rises to 8.8 C[7]. Humpbacks in the Northern Hemisphere average 49 to 52 feet long, with an average weight for a mature adult of 50,000 to 80,000 pounds[16], and North Sailing reports a 97% overall whale sighting success rate based on sightings in Skjálfandi Bay since 1995[17].
What to wear and how to plan the day
The price of the trip is the easy part to settle; the day around it is where a little thought pays off. Dress in warm layers with a windproof outer layer, gloves and a hat, and pack sunglasses for the glare off the water. Shoes with grip beat smooth soles on a wet deck, and a dry bag keeps a phone or camera safe from spray. If you are prone to seasickness, take medication before you board rather than after, and stay on deck where you can see the horizon.
Planning around the boats is simple, because most departures leave from the same small harbour and you can walk from a cafe to a gangway in minutes. Before you sail, watch where the other boats are going. One tip from the Whale Trail is to look for boats, especially if they are stopped[8], and the same habit helps when you scan the bay from shore after your own trip. Puffin Island, out in Skjálfandi Bay, is a nesting ground for around 36,500 active breeding pairs of puffins[4]. Binoculars are worth the pocket space.
Booking, cancellation and paying later
The booking terms on the speedboat safari suit a trip that depends on weather. The listing offers reserve now and pay later[2] and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund[2], and starting times are shown when you check availability for your date[2]. The family-run tour and the whale watching tour with a guide offer reserve now and pay later as well[1][10].
Dates fill and every price here is a from price rather than a fixed total, so compare a few days before you commit. Line up the from price, the duration, the route and the rating breakdown on one screen, then plan the rest of the day. GeoSea seawater from geothermal boreholes is kept at 38 to 39 °C year round[18] and its entrance ticket starts from US$60[11]. Either is an easy finish to a cold, salty morning.
Húsavík whale watching tours by listed from price
From prices for one seat on each GetYourGuide listing: Family-Run[1], Traditional[9], with Guide[10], Big Whales and Puffin Island[5], Original Big Whale Safari[2].
Estimate your group cost
Amounts are the from prices shown per person on these GetYourGuide listings: family-run[1], with guide[10], Big Whales and Puffin Island[5], Original Big Whale Safari[2].
When to book and when to sail
Book your whale tour
Choose the boat
Speedboat safaris run for 2 hours and the bigger boat tours run for 3 hours.[1][2]
Compare the from prices
Listed from prices run from US$85 for the family-run tour to US$171 for the speedboat safari.[1][2]
Reserve and pay later
Húsavík tour listings offer reserve now and pay later, which lets you hold a place before paying.[2]
Check your start time
Starting times are shown when you check availability for your chosen date.[2]
Know your cancellation window
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on the speedboat safari.[2]
Ready to book the Húsavík whale safari?
from US$172Reserve now & pay later
