Sail out of Europe's self-declared whale capital aboard a traditional oak schooner. An on-board marine biologist from the University of Akureyri identifies species in real time while you warm up with hot chocolate and cinnamon cookies.
Sail out of Europe's self-declared whale capital aboard a traditional oak schooner. An on-board marine biologist from the University of Akureyri identifies species in real time while you warm up with hot chocolate and cinnamon cookies.
Rating
4.7 / 5.0
Languages
English, Icelandic, German
Location
Húsavík harbour
Difficulty
Easy
April – October
Weather may affect visibility, not operation — we run regardless unless conditions are genuinely unsafe.
Operated by
Akureyri-born and Akureyri-based, we have been chasing the northern lights and guiding whale-watching trips in Skjálfandi Bay since 2015. Our team of eight combines marine biologists from the University of Akureyri, a retired Icelandic Met Office forecaster, and certified wilderness first responders — a mix you don't find in the big Reykjavík operators. We run a deliberately small operation. No rented coaches, no commission-only freelance guides. Every vehicle in our fleet is owned, serviced, and driven by someone on the team. When you book with us in October, the guide picking you up from your Akureyri hotel is the same person who serviced that van the week before and who will be logging the whales you see into our long-running Skjálfandi Bay cetacean database. North Iceland sees a fraction of the tourist traffic of the south — which is exactly why we love it. Mývatn, Húsavík, Goðafoss, Dimmuborgir, the Diamond Circle — these places still feel like discoveries. We keep group sizes under eight on the aurora chases and under twelve for the day tours, so they stay that way.
Meet at the Norðurljós Guides kiosk on the main pier.
30-minute sail to the outer bay.
Most trips see their first humpback or minke around the 30-minute mark.
A 20-minute detour past Lundey island, home to ~100,000 breeding pairs of Atlantic puffins.
Dock back at Húsavík.
We provide gear for your comfort and safety where required:
This tour is suitable for most fitness levels:
MW
April 2026
“Lovely, relaxed day. Goðafoss was as pretty as the postcards, the sulphur vents at Hverir smell exactly like you'd imagine, and the Mývatn Nature Baths were a real highlight — quieter than the Blue Lagoon and the view over Hverfjall crater is unbeatable. Lunch at Vogafjós farm was genuinely good (the smoked trout!). Our only nitpick: the Dimmuborgir walk felt a bit short compared to everything else in the day. Would still recommend.”
MW
April 2026
“Two humpbacks, a minke, and enough white-beaked dolphins we lost count. The biologist on board, Þóra, explained how she could tell each humpback apart by its fluke patterning — then emailed us after the trip with the research IDs for the individuals we saw. The Gísli Árni schooner is gorgeous, the flotation suits kept us warm even in the spray, and the hot chocolate below-decks was perfect. Bring sea-sickness tablets if you're unsure — the swell was gentle but still noticeable.”
MW
April 2026
“We had tried an aurora tour out of Reykjavík the week before and saw nothing — this was a completely different experience. Just our family of four in a Duster with Guðrún, who knew exactly which fjord to drive to when the clouds rolled in over her first spot. The lights came out for about 40 minutes over Grenivík and it was one of the best nights of our lives. The hot chocolate and heated blankets were a nice touch. Worth paying the premium for the private trip.”
The schooner is stable but Skjálfandi Bay can still get swell of 1–2 m on windy days. If you are prone to sea sickness, take tablets 30 minutes before boarding — we carry spares at the harbour kiosk. Children 4+ are welcome; under-8s travel with a parent on the safety benches. Our cetacean sighting rate is 95%+ over the last five seasons; if we see nothing you get a free rebook voucher.
From
Operated by
Norðurljós Guides
Cancellation and refunds depend on the offer — see Terms of Service and FAQ.
The price we show is the price you pay for that quoted itinerary — no hidden booking fees on our side. Found a like-for-like offer for less? Tell us and we'll work with partners to match when possible.
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