Combination 5-Hour Northern Lights and Whale-Watching Boat Tours from Reykjavik

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Description

Summary

Tour starts
Special Tours, Reykjavík, Iceland
Duration
6 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Languages
English
Available
Sept. - Apr.
Minimum age
None

Description

Set sail on two unforgettable boat tours from Reykjavik with a whale-watching trip during the day and a northern lights hunting tour in the evening. Travelers keen on two magical Icelandic experiences (whale watching and northern lights hunting) should book this combination tour today.

On your first tour, you’ll participate in a fantastic whale-watching cruise. You can then choose whether to join the evening northern lights boat tour on the same day or another day of your vacation in Reykjavik. 

Both parts of this combination tour leave from the harbor in Reykjavik. Make your way to the meeting point (the tour operator’s ticket office) to check in and receive overalls to keep you warm during your trip. 

The whale-watching tour leaves at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. and lasts around three hours. You’ll head out of the harbor to sail for 30 to 45 minutes before reaching the whale-watching grounds in Faxafloi Bay. You can enjoy panoramic views of the city and mountains on the way. In clear weather, you can see the Snaefellsjokull glacier in the distance. 

The expert local guides onboard will teach you about the history of Reykjavik and answer any questions you have. They’ll also tell you all about whales in Iceland. Your guides are experienced and know the best places to look for whales and dolphins. 

During the tour, you could see minke or humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins, or harbor porpoises. They’re often curious and friendly, sometimes swimming very close to the boat and allowing you to take beautiful photos. After a couple of hours of whale watching, you’ll return to Reykjavik with plenty of time to rest before your next cruise.

The aurora borealis tour leaves at 9 or 10 p.m. (depending on the month) to ensure it’s dark enough to see the lights. After around 20 minutes of sailing, you’ll be far enough from the city’s lights to be able to see the incredible northern lights. 

The northern lights don’t appear in the sky every night, but the guides are experts at finding them. They have access to accurate cloud cover reports and aurora forecasts. Joining a guided tour is one of the best ways to increase your chances of spotting the natural display. 

The boat has a bar onboard and a video to teach you more about the northern lights. You can sit inside to enjoy the warmth or walk around the ship to experience the beautiful views of the city at night. 

If the lights appear, the onboard staff will take photos you can access online the next day. They can also help you with your camera settings for your own pictures. Alternatively, just enjoy the experience and gaze up at the aurora borealis. 

After two hours of sailing, hopefully, with an unforgettable view of the northern lights above you, you’ll return to Reykjavik. 

Don’t miss your chance to go whale watching and northern lights hunting on this brilliant combination tour. Check availability now by choosing a date.

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Included

Three-hour whale-watching boat tour
Two-hour northern lights hunting boat tour
Expert, English-speaking guides
Free Wi-Fi on board
Buoyant overalls to keep you warm on the boat
Free tickets to try again if you don’t see whales and/or northern lights during your trip
Digital photos of the aurora borealis taken on your trip
Access to a mobile app with additional information available in five languages

Activities

Whale Watching
Sightseeing
Boat Trip
Northern lights hunting

What to bring

Warm, waterproof clothing
Sturdy outdoor shoes
Fully charged camera
Spending money (there’s a bar and souvenir shop on the boat)

Good to know

All boat tours are subject to weather conditions. If the captain decides it's too dangerous to set sail for the whale-watching tour, you'll be offered the chance to reschedule. If you cannot join another tour, you'll be given a refund for the whale-watching tour.

If weather conditions are too dangerous to set sail for the northern lights tour, but the aurora forecast is good, you'll be able to join a bus tour free of charge. You'll also be able to rebook your northern lights boat tour for another day, even if you see the aurora on the bus tour. If the boat tour does operate, and you don't see any lights, you'll be able to reschedule another tour for free.

There's no guarantee that you'll see whales or the northern lights during your tours. Both are natural phenomena and can, therefore, be unpredictable. You'll receive a free ticket to try again if you don't see anything on your whale-watching tour.

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