A truly unique whale watching experience – the mystical midnight sun often casts a beautiful orange and pink glow to the mountains surrounding the bay and together with the wildlife it provides quite a unique perspective.

Itenerary

A truly unique whale watching experience in the magical summer sun and the everlasting daylight.

Available:
15 June – 31 July at 20:30
1 August – 31 August at 19:30

Meet us at our ticket office in the Old Harbour in downtown Reykjavík where you will exchange your pre-paid voucher for admission tickets. Our sales staff will show you to our floating wildlife exhibition in our Visitor Centre which is facilitated on board a converted fishing vessel permanently placed by the pier. Before the tour you can enjoy the onboard multimedia show that includes images, videos and facts about the whales and marine life. We can expect to see minke whales, white beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises and even humpback whales on the 2.5-3.5 hr. evening cruise – just as on our day tours!

The mystical midnight sun often casts a beautiful orange and pink glow to the mountains surrounding the bay and together with the wildlife it provides quite a unique experience. To make the tour even more enjoyable, we often shut off the boat engines to enjoy the soothing sound of the water and the whales and the birds to the fullest. With the added feature of mellow music played on the way back to port, the tour is ideal for some romance or as a start of a night out in the city. If you’re in the mood for some drinks, have a look at our onboard bar menu – we recommend the ‘Whale Punch’!

Since this is a wildlife tour, we urge you to manage your expectations and keep in mind that we can never predict or guarantee sightings of any kind. In case we don’t encounter any whales or dolphins, we do not offer refunds, but instead give out complimentary tickets so you have the opportunity to try again another day.

As the weather in Iceland can be unpredictable, we advise you to plan ahead and dress accordingly. In case of unfavourable conditions in the bay, the itinerary may be altered (often resulting in a slightly longer tour) or the tour could get cancelled altogether. You will be notified of any changes as soon as possible, but we suggest that you have a look at our online whale diary to check for updates.

Meeting Type

Meet on location_OR_PICK_UP

Meeting Place

AEgisgardur 5, 101 Reykjavík

Good to know

You can check previous sightings through our online Whale Diary (https://elding.is/whale-diary) before your tour.

We abide by a Code of Conduct (https://icewhale.is/code-of-conduct/) for responsible whale watching, ensuring each encounter is on the animals’ terms, and distance may be kept to minimize disturbance.

Tour area

Our whale watching tours are focused mainly on the southern part of Faxaflói, just off Reykjavík. Each day we scan the area for signs of whales as we never know for sure where we might find them. Sometimes we have to go far while at other times the whales are quite close to shore.

FAQ

When is the best time to go whale watching, morning or afternoon?
As the tours are run in wild nature and the whales don’t come up by schedule it just depends on the day. Sometimes there is more activity and/or less wind in the morning than in the afternoon and vice versa. It might come in handy to look at our online Whale Diary before the tour to see how our sightings have been the days before.

How close do you get to the whales?
It depends on the whales as we focus on whale friendly whale watching. Sometimes the whales are just as curious about us as we are of them and come close to the boat while at other times they tend to stay away.

How do you find the whales?
We use the most non-invasive method; only our naked eyes and binoculars. Our experience and knowledge of the area is also supplementing.

What happens if I don’t see any whales on the tour?
The tours are run in wild nature and we can never guarantee sightings on a particular tour. Our sighting success is very high but in the unlikely event that you don’t see whales or dolphins, you are offered a complimentary tour. It might come in handy to look at our online Whale Diary before the tour to see how our sightings have been the days before.

What kind of whales can I expect to see?
The whale watching tours are wildlife excursions and therefore we never know beforehand what animals we might spot. The most common whales in the area are minke whales, humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises but on rare occasions we’ve seen orca, fin whales, sei whales and even blue whales. The sightings are slightly seasonal, as the large proportion of the baleen whales tend to migrate south during the winter. It might come in handy to look at our online Whale Diary before the tour to see what species we’ve been the days before.

Where is the best position on the boat?
Everyone has their favourite spot. The front and the sides on the viewing platforms are great spots. The back of the boat tends to be the best spots for those sensitive to motion sickness and for those who prefer to stay on the insides the side windows of the saloon come in handy.

How should I dress for the tour?
There is no dress code but we always recommend dressing warmly as it is a bit colder on the water than in land. On board we offer use of warm floatable overalls, raincoats and blankets free of charge but gloves and hats might come in handy, especially during the winter months.

I am prone to seasickness, is the tour advisable for me?
It depends on the conditions on the day of the tour. In the ticket office you can get the best available information about the conditions at sea. You can come on the day of the tour or the day before and we will advise you what to do. We also offer free motion sickness tablets if you want to take one before the tour. If our recommendations is not to do the tour on a particular day, we can also help you alter your travel itinerary if needed.

Do you sell any refreshments on board?
Yes, Elding whale watching boats have an on board café where you can buy light refreshments during the tour.

Are there toilets on board?
Yes, Elding boats have all the toilet facilities you would expect.

Do you offer discounts for children?
Yes, check our prices for special children fares on each tour.

Do you offer discounts for groups?
Please contact our sales office at elding [at] elding.is with your details and we will be happy to make you an offer.

Do you offer wheelchair access?
Yes our boats are wheelchair accessible. However, each boat has more than one level and there is no elevator on board. This means little or limited access to indoor area, toilets and on board café.

Do you offer hotel pick up?
Yes we offer pick up and drop off at hotels and guesthouses in Reykjavík area for an additional charge.

Is there parking close by?
Yes, about 300 m from our ticket office there is a large gravel parking lot where you can park free of charge. GPS: N64°09’08’’ W21°56’55 / N64 09.141 W21 56.926

My tour was cancelled. What do I do next?
The Elding team happily advises and assists you to find a new departure date if possible when the weather conditions are better. No charge is made on our behalf if you cannot join our tour due to cancellation of the tour.

Short description

A truly special summer experience of whale watching in Iceland – observe magnificent sea life while drifting in the magical light of the midnight sun.

Vendor

Elding Adventure at Sea

Difficulty Level

Easy

Duration

3 hours

Price

£82.81

Adventures Globally

Iceland, Reykjavik, ReykjaviK Classic Whales In The Midnight Sun Experience

Verified Listing

Iceland, Reykjavik, ReykjaviK Classic Whales In The Midnight Sun Experience

Login