On the Water
3 hours
Free cancellation
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Elding Whale Watching
Elding Whale Watching
4.5
Boat ToursEco ToursSightseeing ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife Tours
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About
Elding is a tour supplier in Reykjavik offering whale watching and other adventures at sea all year round. We are conveniently located just off Reykjavik's old harbor. The various types of whales commonly sighted include minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises and the popular humpback whales. We will be accompanied by sea birds such as gannets, puffins, guillemots, cormorants, gulls, kittiwakes, arctic terns, and many more. Check our online Whale Diary for daily updates on whale sightings. To make our tours even more comfortable, we provide our passengers with warm (and floatable) overalls and raincoats. For safety reasons, all children under 12 years of age are required to wear life jackets during the tour.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Elding Whale Watching
Private and Luxury
2 hours
Free cancellation
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from
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Northern Lights
5 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$170
per adult
On the Water
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 92% of travelers
92% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$99
per adult
Day Cruises
60–90 minutes
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 93% of travelers
93% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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$60
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
4,165 reviews
Excellent
2,790
Very good
802
Average
295
Poor
141
Terrible
138
KayleighO
13 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We went on our first Northern Lights Cruise on Monday when it was quite cloudy and snowing so we didn’t see anything but it was still a great trip/experience. We were all given complimentary tickets to return and so we tried again last night when the chances were a bit higher due to it being clearer and more aurora activity.
It took about 2 hours but it was completely worth it because WE SAW THEM!! and it was incredible.
Highly recommend to anyone to wear the overalls the cruise provides if you’re planning on standing outside because they’re so great that you can’t even feel the cold!
We really enjoyed the cruise because obviously we saw the lights but it was just so informative and we loved that the cruise providers weren’t in a rush to get back. The lights really started to become prominent and ‘dance’ as we were about to head back to the harbour but the boat stopped again and allowed us all to take in the spectacular show. We were all told how to best program our cameras to capture the lights but the crew also use their cameras and you can request the pictures via email if you didn’t manage to capture your own which meant we were able to just stand back and enjoy it rather than panicking about capturing it on film.
Thankyou for such a great experience and we feel very lucky!
It took about 2 hours but it was completely worth it because WE SAW THEM!! and it was incredible.
Highly recommend to anyone to wear the overalls the cruise provides if you’re planning on standing outside because they’re so great that you can’t even feel the cold!
We really enjoyed the cruise because obviously we saw the lights but it was just so informative and we loved that the cruise providers weren’t in a rush to get back. The lights really started to become prominent and ‘dance’ as we were about to head back to the harbour but the boat stopped again and allowed us all to take in the spectacular show. We were all told how to best program our cameras to capture the lights but the crew also use their cameras and you can request the pictures via email if you didn’t manage to capture your own which meant we were able to just stand back and enjoy it rather than panicking about capturing it on film.
Thankyou for such a great experience and we feel very lucky!
Written January 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear KayleighOrman1990,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience of our Northern Lights Cruise. As the auroras are a natural phenomenon they are difficult to predict and therefore it is good to leave a few nights open in order to go out and test your luck - we're delighted to see you had the opportunity to join us a second time to witness the incredible displays of mother nature!
All the best,
The Elding team
Written January 30, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Carol W
Lancaster, UK57 contributions
Mar 2020
Luckily the trip wasn't cancelled even though it was a bit choppy. Elding offered sea sickness tablets to those who needed one, tips to recover faster if you felt sea sick too. The guide was very informative and when we saw the humpback whale it was worth every minute. On the return to port a shout when up as a pod of dolphins appeared leaping out of the water and obviously enjoying showing off for us.
Written March 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Carol W,
Thank you very much for taking the time to rate and review our tour and services. We're glad you enjoyed the experience and encounters with the magnificent wildlife in our waters!
All the best,
The Elding team
Written March 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Laura E
Worcester, England, United Kingdom28 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
Brilliant trip! Saw over 6 humpbacks! The crew were brilliant, providing an informative and interesting dialogue to the trip and quickly letting everyone know the best place on the ship to see the whales. Would highly recommend booking with this company as even though our first trip was cancelled due to bad weather, they quickly got us booked on another trip and were very quick at responding to emails, which was much appreciated on our short trip to Iceland. Thanks again for a bucket list adventure!
Written February 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dbalats
Athens37 contributions
Jun 2021
We decided to make the Whale Wathcing excursion from Akureyri with the Elding Company, because of the excellent reviews. We booked the tour online, because of 95% chance of seeing whales and we would embark on a big ship with capacity of 200 persons. However, when we got to the Elding office in Akureyri, we were sent to another embarkation port to embark in a small boat of another company. After an hour of sailing the guide of the tour told us that some dolphins had appeared around the boat. We saw at some points the tail of a few dophins and the guide told us that we were really lucky because this happening was extraordinary and occurred very rarely! Perhaps this is true for people originating from land-locked countries, but we have seen many times dolphins, jumping over the water and playing by the ship, and not just some tails, as on this occasion! We saw at some point the captain and asking him about the whales he told us that for many weeks he had not seen even one whale! He told us that the time period to see whales was September. When we remarked that this was a whale watching tour and not a dolphin watching tour, he had nothing to say. Overall this tour with the Elding company was a great disappointment and I recommend avoiding it except if you want a pricey journey along a fjord, without seeing any sea animals. Also, do not take seriously the claims of the companies of 95 or even 98% success in watching whales, except if this percentage is for the whole summer!
Written July 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Dbalats,
We're sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your experience.
For several reasons, we sometimes cooperate with other companies in our area in Akureyri. This we do instead of cancelling our tours. The boats travel to the same areas, so the chances of encounters are the same despite being on board with a different operator.
The information you recounted regarding when to see whales is completely false. We see whales in Eyjafjörður all year round, with highest success rate from May-August, although it can vary from year to year. Our first 3 years in operation, we even had 100% sighting success! These are however wild animals and predicting their whereabouts is not possible and has to be taken into consideration when joining such a tour.
We always appreciate any sort of feedback during or right after a tour, as that gives us a chance to discuss the circumstances and in some cases offer compensation. In case of non-sighting tours, we always offer a free ticket to try again in Reykjavík or Akureyri. Please feel free to email us if you were not offered this option.
Hope to see you on board on a future tour!
All the best,
The Elding & Whale Watching Akureyri team
Written November 24, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
thatchy55
Essex, UK6 contributions
Feb 2020
yes we saw a Minke, some harbour porpoise and a seal. Gave a very good knowledgeable commentary on whales, smaller mammals and the local habitat. After about 45 mins of watching the whale news spread and 4 other boats joined. Our boat (Elding) pulled out so as not to distress the animal to much. This impressed me. Would recommend the company highly
Written February 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear thatchy55,
Thank you for taking the time to rate and review our tour and services. We're glad you had an enjoyable experience with our knowledgeable crew meeting the interesting animals that we have living in the bay of Faxaflói. Our emphasis has always been on offering whale friendly tours and a big part of that is to respect their space and minimise disturbance to any natural behaviour. We truly appreciate your acknowledgement!
All the best,
The Elding team
Written February 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Monica M
Astoria, NY39 contributions
Jul 2021
So happy we booked the Premium whale watching tour from Reykjavik. So worth the extra cost! Even just riding the fast boat was worth the cost, we were able to get so close to the whales. We got lucky and saw different kinds of whales and a baby porpoise. The Tour Guide was so informative and fun to listen to. I really recommend this company, they were professional and we felt safe.
Written July 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking the time to rate our services and for sharing your experience with future passengers!
All the best,
The Elding team
Written September 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Flahdagal
Largo, FL49 contributions
May 2022
We booked the Reykjavik Premium Whale Watching tour, which is the RHIB tour. On the day of the tour, we were informed that the water was too rough and canceled and that we were welcome to rebook later in the week. As boaters, we very much appreciated Elding's commitment to safety in this regard. As it happened, we were able to rebook on a later day.
Elding's equipment is well maintained and we felt very secure on the RHIB, as well as comfortable with the foul weather gear provided by the tour. And we saw a whale! The tour very carefully tried to limit the pressure on the animal (there were a lot of boats out) but even so we got some amazing pictures and glimpses. With their professionalism and obvious care of the wildlife, I would highly recommend this company. As a bonus, they provide a dropbox for the pictures that their guide took on the trip, so you can enjoy the sights instead of experiencing things from behind your camera.
Elding's equipment is well maintained and we felt very secure on the RHIB, as well as comfortable with the foul weather gear provided by the tour. And we saw a whale! The tour very carefully tried to limit the pressure on the animal (there were a lot of boats out) but even so we got some amazing pictures and glimpses. With their professionalism and obvious care of the wildlife, I would highly recommend this company. As a bonus, they provide a dropbox for the pictures that their guide took on the trip, so you can enjoy the sights instead of experiencing things from behind your camera.
Written June 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for taking the time to rate and review our services and for sharing your personal experience with future travellers.
All the best,
the Elding team
Written September 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Phil M
7 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
Superb trip today (19the Jan 13:00) Close up with Flak the humpback whale. The guide was excellent in providing info on the whole trip as was the captain in following Flak whilst also ensuring we didn't intimidate Flak. We moved on when more boats arrived to ensure he wasn't crowded. Showed a very thoughtful approach and care for wildlife.
Highly recommend the company.
Highly recommend the company.
Written January 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveler41928144379
4 contributions
Mar 2020
You will find a warm welcome from the crew waiting for you as you board the boat where you can sit and enjoy the refreshment of your choice. Be warned, when I took this trip on 18/3/2020, it was bitterly cold so wrap up warm. Overalls are normally available but the Corona Virus prevented their use on my trip. Sighting of the lights is not guaranteed and, when other companies' boats were returning to port, my trip was extended by some 45 minutes in the hope of seeing the lights. A decision which turned potential disappointment into great excitement. A wonderful experience organised by warm-hearted experts.
Written March 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to review our services and share your experience with future travellers!
All the best,
The Elding team
Written September 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Izaura W
United Kingdom39 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
If watching a seal, a young humpback whale and some dolphins in open sea, surrounded by a majestic landscape was not enough, we were mesmerised by the walking encyclopaedia, Milla, who enlightened and entertained us with a wide variety of knowledge and later, “showing off” her talents, by saying the kind of whale we were seeing in several languages!! The bar had everything you may need; we were warned about the steep steps; we were offered safety gear and proper protection clothing for the weather.
We had the opportunity to get to know Milla, whom we thanked in person, but it just didn’t feel right to let it like that. So, a message to her managers, Anna and Megan: congrats on having Milla as one of your guides!
We had the opportunity to get to know Milla, whom we thanked in person, but it just didn’t feel right to let it like that. So, a message to her managers, Anna and Megan: congrats on having Milla as one of your guides!
Written January 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Izaura W,
Thank you for sharing such a delightful and detailed review of your experience with us!
We are glad we were able to share the incredible wildlife of the bay with you, surrounded by a majestic landscape.
It's great to know that our bar, safety measures, and protection clothing met your needs, and we appreciate your acknowledgment of the effort we put into ensuring a comfortable and safe journey.
We'll make sure to pass on your gratitude to Milla and share your commendation with our head naturalists.
Thanks again for your lovely feedback!
All the best,
The Elding Team
Written January 10, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
What are the changes to see whales/ esspacily orcas in july/wearly August. Possible we are coming next year.
Written August 3, 2019
Hello Jos S, thank you for your question. We have about 90% sighting success in summer which includes dolphins and whales. We don't see a lot of orcas from Reykjavík although sometimes they do venture into the bay. Feel free to have a look at our online whale diary on our website where you can compare 'seasons' back to 2008! All the best, the Elding team
Written August 6, 2019
How do we know that the beautiful whales you show us aren't going to die an agonising death at the end of a harpoon fired from the Icelandic whaling boats based at Reykjavik?
Written September 17, 2018
Dear robalveston,
Thank you for your question and for taking the time to share your concerns regarding the ongoing whaling at our shores.
It is evident that whaling and whale watching can't co-exist. Elding is among the strongest and most outspoken voices against whaling in Iceland and the end goal for us is obviously to stop this unnecessary and cruel industry. We believe that the most effective method is to show the government that the whales are worth more alive than dead - so please visit Iceland, do not consume whale meat and go whale watching to support the whales!
All the best,
The Elding team
Written September 18, 2018
Hello. We have a whale watching tour booked for Friday 16th March. Can you recommend what type of clothing to wear? Also footwear? Thanks Amanda
Written March 12, 2018
Dear ajmolloy100,
Thank you for your question!
We recommend wearing good sturdy shoes (hiking shoes or similar - no heels if possible), hat, gloves and a warm jacket. We do have overalls and blankets you can borrow onboard which we recommend wearing over your clothing for better protection.
See you soon!
All the best,
The Elding Reykjavík team
Written March 12, 2018
hi, we will do the whale watching tour from Reykjavik end of March. Is the sea very raugh? do many people get seasick? thank you
Written January 31, 2018
Dear Bundiloi,
Thank you for your question!
Turbulent seas are more often than not caused by high wind speed, so it is not really possible to say that it is more rough in March than other months of the year as the weather changes fairly quickly in Iceland.
People are very different when it comes to seasickness. Some can feel nauseous just by standing at the pier and others are completely fine in high swells.
If you are worried about these factors, we recommend keeping an eye out for the weather forecast in the days leading up to your tour. The less wind in the days before, the less likely the sea is to be rough. You can of course reschedule your booking free of charge if you don't like the conditions on the day of you tour.
We also recommend having a look at our online whale diary so you can get a better idea of what the past tours have been like, in regards to weather and whale sightings.
Hope this answered your question!
All the best,
The Elding Reykjavík team
Written February 2, 2018
What time are the pick ups from Reykjavik for a 1pm cruise?
Written January 16, 2018
Hi becky24wales,
Pickup is always 45-15 min. prior to tour departure - so in this case it would be from 12:15-12:45. Please note that this service is not included in the tour price.
All the best,
The Elding Reykjavík team
Written January 18, 2018
Dear Radhika1001,
Thank you for your question. So far in January we have seen White-beaked dolphins and Humpbacks, but there is no telling what future tours may bring. These are wild animals and therefore sightings cannot be guaranteed. If there are no whales however we will offer you to try again another day. You can check our online whale diary for more detailed information.
All the best,
The Elding Reykjavík team
Written January 8, 2018
Is possible leave luggage in your offices/structure prior to departure?
Written November 3, 2017
Dear ChiccoG_17,
Yes, we have some room for storing luggage at our premises -
please check with our ticket sales staff on arrival.
All the best,
The Elding Reykjavík team
Written November 4, 2017
can you book for just one person?
Written May 17, 2017
Yes, you can book for how many people you want to go
Written May 27, 2017
Has anyone been on the Smyril line ferries around Iceland?
I am researching it and can't find much on it?
Sorry to jump into this forum but seems like it's the only way to find any information
Cheers
Written April 25, 2017
Hello Kerrinny,
The Smyril Line is a ferry between Iceland, Faroe Islands and Denmark - it does not travel around Iceland.
Check their schedule online: smyrilline . com/sailing-schedule
Best regards,
The Elding team
Written April 26, 2017
Will the whales be there in July?
Written March 1, 2017
Dear skiNebraska,
We can expect to see Minke whales, dolphins, porpoises and even Humpback whales in July! See our whale diary for further reference at elding.is/whale-diary
All the best,
The Elding Reykjavík team
Written March 1, 2017
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