The 15 Iceland Puffin Tours Worth the Króna

1.Puffin Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,052 reviews · 1 hour · from $64Our pick

Cruise from Reykjavik’s Old Harbour to Lundey and Akurey in Faxaflói Bay, where puffins nest among other seabirds. The one-hour trip runs aboard the wooden boat Skúlaskeið, nicknamed Old Skuli, with an English-speaking guide and binoculars available. Guides such as Patrick, Joe, and Rebekka have brought the birds to life with stories and humor.

“Really helpful guide and captain, the whole trip was extremely smooth. Would’ve liked it if the boat could get a little closer to the puffins, but otherwise everything was top-notch.”

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2.Puffin and Volcano Tour with Ebbi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 731 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $114Top rated

Explore Heimaey by air-conditioned minibus with local guide Ebbi. Stop for puffin viewing at Stórhöfði, see Elephant Rock, visit a Viking town and stand inside Eldfell’s crater. Expect several short walks and weather-dependent wildlife sightings. The tour lasts about two hours, costs $114.88 per person and meets at Vestmannaeyjar harbour.

“Very family friendly, informative, fun, and great guide. Loved seeing the puffin colony, walking on a volcano site, and seeing the past lava flows. Highly recommend!”

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3.Puffin Cruise with Expert Tour Guide from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 636 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $63

From Reykjavik’s harbor, take a roughly one-hour cruise toward Akurey Island, where puffins nest from May through August. An English-speaking guide points out puffins and other seabirds, and binoculars are provided. The boat circles the island before pausing with its engines off. July is generally the strongest month for puffin numbers.

“On time, excellent captain and staff. Quite knowledgeable about puffins. Very personable. Convenient to get to from Hotel Borg.”

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4.Whales and Puffins Express Cruise Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 442 reviews · from $148

Meet at Reykjavík’s Old Harbor for two separate cruises: a puffin trip on shallow-draft Old Skúli, then whale watching aboard the spacious Andrea or a faster express boat. Guides explain the wildlife, binoculars and warm overalls are provided, and guides such as Patrick bring science and humor to the trip.

“Absolutely amazing! We saw a humpback whale right next to our boat and Rebecca was an amazing guide and very knowledgable about all the whales you can see in the bay.”

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5.1-Hour Puffin Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 305 reviews · 1 hour · from $66

From Elding’s harbor office, sail toward Akurey, Engey or Lundey to watch puffins and other seabirds near their breeding grounds. A naturalist guide shares facts and local tales; binoculars, warm overalls, raincoats and blankets are available on board. The route depends on tides and weather, and the boat stays far enough from the birds to avoid disturbing them.

“Guide was knowledgeable. Perfect amount of time to circle the island.”

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6.Puffin Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 277 reviews · 1 hour · from $101

From Reykjavik’s Old Harbour, ride a RIB across Faxaflói Bay to puffin colonies on nearby islands. Your captain steers close to the rocks while an English-speaking guide explains puffin behavior and points out gannets, auks, fulmars, and Arctic terns. Coveralls, safety equipment, and binoculars are provided. The nesting season runs from May through August.

“Rob was a great guide very knowledgable! Saw so many puffins!”

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7.Classic Puffin Watching Cruise from Downtown Reykjavík

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 276 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60Best value

From Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, take a small boat toward one of three protected puffin islands, Engey, Akurey, or Lundey. Your English-speaking guide explains the birds as you watch from the water, with binoculars and raincoats available to borrow. The cruise lasts about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the departure.

“Plenty of time to see the puffins. The tour was on time and the captain and the marine biologist did a great job.”

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8.Premium Small-Group Puffin & Bird Watching tour from Reykjavík

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 124 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $105

From Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, ride a custom RIB to puffin nesting islands in Faxaflói Bay. The May 15 to August 20 tour lasts about an hour, carries up to 12 people, and supplies warm overalls, gloves, goggles and binoculars. Guides such as Maja, Alex and Sam have led trips, sharing facts as the captain approaches the birds quietly.

“Great professional service. Excellent equipment provided for the windy, rainy day. Only minus is: no photo email yet 4 days after our tour.”

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9.Puffin and Volcano Tour in Westman Islands

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 111 reviews · 14 hours · from $272

Travel from Reykjavik by van and ferry to Vestmannaeyjar, where an English-speaking guide leads you to puffin cliffs, Elephant Rock, Eldheimar Museum and Eldfell Volcano. The 14-hour day includes ferry tickets, museum admission and pickup. Guides have included Tomasz, Thor, Rebecca and Elisa. Bring food, sturdy hiking shoes and warm, waterproof layers.

“I really liked the guide Elisa. She is very caring and competent. We enjoyed our trip not depend of the weather.”

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10.Iceland Super Saver: Puffin Cruise plus Whale-Watching Tour from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 110 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $156

From Reykjavik’s Old Harbour, take two separate boat trips: a longer cruise in Faxafloi Bay for whales, dolphins and porpoises, and a shorter ride around Akurey for puffins and seabirds. Your guides help spot wildlife; warm overalls, puffin binoculars and whale-cruise Wi-Fi are included. You can choose the order, but reconfirm both departure times.

“We had a fantastic time in this 2 part adventure. Saw a humpback whale, harbor seals and dolphins amidst a breathtaking view. On Puffin tour, saw so many active puffins near and on the island. Both guides were amazing. Highly recommended tour!”

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11.Puffin Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 45 reviews · 1 hour · from $66

From Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, take a one-hour boat trip to the puffin islands about 15 minutes away. A live English-speaking guide and experienced captain lead the outing, with binoculars provided and room for up to 38 passengers. You watch puffins and other birds from the boat, with views back toward the city.

“Guide was helpful. Saw few puffins as they start to leave by this time.”

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12.Eyjascooter Puffin Tour in Iceland

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $156

See Heimaey by electric scooter on a 1-hour-45-minute guided tour, with helmet and vest provided. Your guide takes you to puffin-viewing spots and island viewpoints, then to the Sea Life Trust Museum. Guides named on past tours include Sarka and Hreidar. Puffins are wild, so sightings depend on the season and the birds themselves.

“I would have given this tour 5 - Stars but sadly as our guide said when we arrived the Puffins had flown away just a couple days before we go there to do the tour. However we didn't go all that way to not still enjoy ourselves and take an awesome scooter tour around the island with an excellent guide. The scooters really zip you along and were so much fun to ride I even checked online once we got home to see what one might set me back to purchase. While we did not see the puffins (what the wife really wanted to do) we got a great detailed…”

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13.Whale Watching and Puffin Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 35 reviews · 4 hours · from $153

From Reykjavik’s Old Harbour, join an English-speaking guide for a whale-watching cruise, then change to a smaller boat for a puffin outing near the islands. The whale trip lasts about 2 to 3.5 hours; the puffin trip about an hour. Guide Daniel earned particular praise on one outing, though guides may vary.

“Saw so many whales and puffins! I loved both tours. The guides were enthusiastic. Highly recommended to do the combo tour if you wanna see the puffins up closer after the whale tour”

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14.Premium Whale and Puffin Watching Evening Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 28 reviews · 2 hours · from $200

Set out from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour in a 12-person RIB with a captain and wildlife guide. Circle puffin islands, scan Faxaflói Bay for whales and dolphins, then return along the city shoreline. The two-hour evening tour runs in summer, when long daylight makes a late outing practical.

“Amazing!! We were fortunate to see hundreds of puffins as well a humpback whale on 2 separate occasions as well as several dolphins! It does get cold out there so I was glad to have hat/gloves/layers so I could focus on enjoying the experience and not on how cold I was!”

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15.Golden Circle – Puffin Travel Private tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $77

From Reykjavik, Puffin Travel takes your private group of up to four to Thingvellir, the Geysir geothermal area, Strokkur and Gullfoss. Expect a roughly seven-hour day with hotel pickup, Wi-Fi, photo stops and room to adjust the route. Guides include Gulla, Villi and Sigríður Ósk.

“Our guide was absolutely fabulous and gave us a good picture of the highlights He was terrific Enjoined the whole experience a lot”

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