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Classic Puffin Watching Cruise: A Tour from Downtown Reykjavík’s Old Harbour
4.7
165 Ratings
Reykjavík
Embark on a classic puffin watching cruise from downtown Reykjavík’s Old Harbour. Spot puffins and other bird species while enjoying a fun and eco-friendly boat adventure.
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Old Harbour - Join us at Reykjavík’s Old Harbour and hop on one of our smaller boats to visit the delightful puffins!
- Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre - During the cruise, you’ll get a unique perspective of Reykjavík, including sights like the stunning Harpa Concert Hall, the impressive Hallgrímskirkja Church, and possibly the Sun Voyager sculpture!
What's Included
- Excellent live guidance in English
- Photos taken by crew (upon availability)
- Binoculars provided for guest use
- Raincoats available for guest use
What's Not Included
- Pickup / Dropoff (available for a fee)
- Food & Drinks (bring your own or purchase on board)
Additional Information
This tour offers a memorable way to experience Iceland’s wildlife, just minutes from downtown Reykjavík. Depending on the tides and conditions on the islands our captains will take you to either Engey, Akurey or Lundey, which are well known for their plentiful birdlife.
In addition to puffins you have the opportunity to view other birds such as eider ducks, arctic terns, guillemots and cormorants. You may also see seals, adding to the excitement of the tour.
Our crew will share interesting facts about puffins against the scenic backdrop of rocky shores, and if the weather is good, we might turn off the engines so you can enjoy the natural sounds!
- As the birds are small in size, we recommend bringing a tripod and a good zoom lens for ‘close up’ photography and/or binoculars (also available to lend on board)
- The deck on the boat can be slippery. We recommend wearing good sturdy footwear. For optimal viewing and a more enjoyable cruise this tour is weather dependent.
- Please note that our fleet is not completely accessible for low mobility as there are steep stairs between lower and upper decks and high thresholds to get from the decks into the saloon as well as from the saloon to the toilets.
Location
Elding Whale Watching
Meet us in the ELDING ticket office located at Ægisgarður 5c by the Old Harbour district in Reykjavík. Once at the pier, simply follow the red colour to find us! Be sure to arrive at least 15 min. before departure to ensure enough time to check in and to board the boat.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(165 Ratings)
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E1977fumarkd
Aug 15, 2024
Great Activity in Reykjavik - We enjoyed the boat trip to a puffin island at Reykjavík. The binoculars that were given to passengers was helpful. But what we truly appreciate was the photos that were taken by a member of the crew, which look to be of professional quality, that upon request were sent to us free of charge after the trip had ended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fearless59406433290
Aug 14, 2024
Puffin watching with Elding - We did this tour while visiting Reykjavik on a cruise ship. The boat was a cabin boat which gave us protection from the weather, not an open RIB. They took us close to an island which is a Puffin colony, so there were lots of Puffins fishing studiously allow us go get up close and take lots of pictures. They also sent us fantastic photos that our tour guide took by email. It was most enjoyable and very educational.
Friendly staff and excellent value for money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurakatzleacu
Aug 11, 2024
Excellent and iconic puffin watching! - Absolutely lovely boat ride during which we saw quite literally hundreds of puffins very close up! Definitely would recommend. My two kids (10 and 8) also enjoyed and at an hour it was the perfect length for them.
Review provided by Viator
Leela_m
Aug 9, 2024
See puffins up close! - As a birdwatcher, I have always wanted to see puffins in their native habitat. The trip was fabulous and exceeded my expectations! We went to 2 nearby small islands. At the first larger island, we were surrounded by large numbers of puffins that came close to the boat, and we spent a long time among them. There were other sea birds flying around too. Our guide was so knowledgeable and helpful in answering all my questions, and from others. I would definitely recommend going with Eldis to see the Icelandic puffins as you will be sure to see them! Thank you!
LMc
Review provided by Viator
Misships
Jul 31, 2024
Puffins! - "Overmet" my expectations. Saw soooo many puffins! And Anna, the guide, delivered some interesting information about them and other birds we saw, and even better pictures of them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chuckmd3291db
Jul 30, 2024
Puffins Everywhere - We were super happy with this excursion. We did this on the last day of our 10 day tour and its stands out as one of the highlights of our time in Iceland. The boat was comfortable, and it only took ~ 15 minutes to make it to the puffins. The guides were friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The puffins were everywhere, flying, floating, and standing on the rocks. We didn't have the greatest weather (drizzling and overcast) but we still managed to get some good video and photos. If you like birds and puffins you will have a great time on this excursion.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caitlinsm4703cl
Jul 26, 2024
Highly Recommend! - This was such a unique and fun experience! We saw hundreds of puffins and our guides were stellar! The boat ride was smooth and quick and the views were lovely!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
123lenaju
Jul 26, 2024
Puffin Tour with Child - We were on site with a cruise ship and wanted to take a trip on our own. Thanks to the city's free shuttle, we were also able to save ourselves a pickup service or taxi. We were let out at the bus stop and then walked for about 10 minutes and were also able to spontaneously get tickets for a tour. If you talk to Mr. Puffin writes by e-mail they reply relatively quickly, so you can clarify a few details the night before in case you do not want to run or want to know when the tours start.
The trip was nice. It must be noted that you can only see the puffins (parrot birds) with binoculars (these are provided). If you want good photos you either have to bring a good lens or you are lucky and the crew takes pictures. These were provided to us on request by link free of charge. We were traveling with child and only had to pay for adults. We had a lot of fun together. It was worth it and was also nice to do something without the cruise company.
When we come back and our child is old enough we would like to do the other tour where you can get closer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Odiziki
Aug 3, 2024
Great day with a Puffin - Great day at sea- it was great to see the small island with all the puffins , and many more in the water and above.
Wish we could stay longer- too short
Review provided by Tripadvisor
442janetp
Jul 28, 2024
Lousy weather but a good crew. - Considering it was raining, overcast and very choppy seas…not the greatest for snapping photos of small seabirds. But a great crew.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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