Húsavík and Skjálfandi Bay
Húsavík lies about 76 km east of Akureyri on Skjálfandi Bay. Several whale watching companies sail from its harbour, mainly from April to October, and the GeoSea baths sit on the cliff above it.
Oak boat whale watching from Húsavík
Oak boat · 3 hours
✓ Free cancellation
from €77
Book on GetYourGuide
RIB to Puffin Island and the big whales
RIB, max. 12 · 2 hours
✓ Free cancellation
from €125
Book on GetYourGuide
North Sailing calls Húsavík the whale watching capital of Iceland. The town looks out over Skjálfandi Bay, and Visit North Iceland gives the main season as April to October. A boat trip and an hour in the sea-water baths fit easily into a day from Akureyri.
The drive and the bus from Akureyri
By car it is about 76 km and a little over an hour without stops. The shortest route goes through the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel east of Akureyri, which charges a toll. You register the number plate online and pay for the trip between 24 hours before and 24 hours after driving through. If the toll is not paid, the bill goes to the registered owner of the car with a collection fee added.
Without a car, Strætó line 79 runs from Akureyri via Fosshóll, the stop at Goðafoss, and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. In the summer 2026 timetable it runs several times a day.
Oak boats from the harbour
The classic trips last about three hours on traditional oak boats. North Sailing serves hot chocolate and a cinnamon bun on board and provides warm overalls. Gentle Giants is a local family company that traces 160 years of family history in the bay; it asks you to check in at its ticket centre at least 40 minutes before departure and hands out rain jackets as well as overalls. Friends of Moby Dick sails the boat Vinur, which has a large heated indoor area, and checks you in at its office in the middle of the harbour 30 minutes before departure. Vinur is not suitable for wheelchair users.
Humpback and minke whales are the most frequent visitors according to Friends of Moby Dick, while white-beaked dolphins, blue whales, fin and sei whales and harbour porpoises turn up less often. North Sailing mentions humpbacks and blue whales in the bay in spring, and Gentle Giants says humpbacks come back in October. None of this is a promise for your trip.
The reviews are clear about the downsides. On windy days the bay has a swell, three hours feel long and plenty of passengers get seasick, so take tablets beforehand if you are prone to it. In September several reviewers found the boats crowded. Some weeks bring few whales, and when nothing is seen the companies usually hand out a ticket for another trip rather than a refund.
RIBs and Puffin Island
The faster option is a two-hour trip on a rigid inflatable with no more than 12 passengers. Gentle Giants and Húsavík Adventures, which shares its office with its parent company North Sailing, both run one. During the nesting season the RIBs stop at Puffin Island; the operators give the window as about 15 April to 15 or 20 August, and outside it the trips concentrate on whales.
The minimum age is 8 and the minimum height 130 cm, and the trips are not recommended in pregnancy or with back or heart problems. The water-resistant overalls are compulsory by Icelandic law. Gloves and a hat are not included and worth bringing, because reviewers describe spray and cold even in August. Húsavík Adventures needs at least four passengers to sail and otherwise offers another departure or a refund.
GeoSea on the cliff
GeoSea is a sea-water geothermal bath on a west-facing cliff above Skjálfandi Bay, at Vitaslóð 1. The ticket includes soap, shampoo and a locker; towels and swimwear are not included, so bring your own. Booking ahead is recommended but not required. Reviewers like the view over the bay and describe the pools as small, windy and older than other baths in the region. Cruise passengers point out that there is no transport from the port to the baths, only a walk uphill, and that tickets were not refunded when their ship skipped Húsavík.
The geothermal baths page compares GeoSea with the Forest Lagoon and the Earth Lagoon at Mývatn.
The Whale Museum
The Húsavík Whale Museum is a non-profit organisation founded in 1997, and it has carried out research in Skjálfandi Bay since 1998. Its blue whale project began in 2010, after a blue whale was found stranded at Skagi in northwest Iceland. Opening hours are not listed on its home page, so check before you plan around it.
Húsavík on a Diamond Circle day
Visit North Iceland puts the Diamond Circle at roughly 250 km. A full-day tour from Akureyri takes about eight hours and usually combines Goðafoss, Mývatn, Dettifoss and Ásbyrgi; not every version stops in Húsavík itself. The BusTravel day from the cruise port includes a packed lunch and a seaside village, and reviewers mention days when Húsavík was skipped and the return ran late. Imagine Iceland Travel lets you choose Húsavík as a drop-off point and passes the Tjörnes cliffs, where puffins nest in summer. More on the route is on the Goðafoss and Diamond Circle page.
If you only have one day for whales, compare Húsavík with the boats from Akureyri, Hauganes and Dalvík on our whale watching page. The Eyjafjörður trips save you the drive.
All tours side by side
Oak boats and 12-seat RIBs from Húsavík harbour, the GeoSea ticket and the Diamond Circle days from Akureyri that pass through the area.
| Tour | Format | Duration | Age | Rating | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak boat whale watching from HúsavíkNorth SailingA traditional oak boat crosses Skjálfandi Bay from Húsavík with live commentary, warm overalls, hot cocoa and a cinnamon bun. | Oak boatGuide, warm overalls, hot cocoa and cinnamon bun | 3 hoursHúsavík, no pickup | – | 4.6 (3,111 reviews) | From €77Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
| Traditional whale watching in Skjálfandi BayGentle GiantsA locally owned family company sails an Icelandic oak boat from Húsavík into Skjálfandi Bay, with overalls and rain jackets on board. | Oak boatGuide, safety overalls, rain jackets, local discounts | 3 hoursGentle Giants ticket centre, Húsavík, 40 minutes before | – | 4.6 (2,473 reviews) | From €85Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
| Whale watching from Húsavík with a heated cabinFriends of Moby DickThe boat Vinur has a heated indoor area with two toilets and several outdoor decks for sightings in Skjálfandi Bay. | Boat with heated cabinCaptain, guide, flotation suits, children's life jackets, local discounts | 2.5–3 hoursHarbour office in Húsavík, 30 minutes before | Not for wheelchair users | 4.6 (2,314 reviews) | From €74Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
| RIB whale safari and Puffin Island from HúsavíkGentle GiantsA RIB for up to 12 passengers covers more of Skjálfandi Bay and stops at Puffin Island in the nesting season. | RIB, max. 12Guide, safety overalls, rain jackets | 2 hoursGentle Giants ticket centre, Húsavík, 40 minutes before | From 8 years and 130 cm | 4.7 (1,536 reviews) | From €127Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
| RIB to Puffin Island and the big whalesHúsavík AdventuresA 12-seat RIB crosses Skjálfandi Bay, passes the Tjörnes peninsula and visits Lundey in the puffin season. | RIB, max. 12Guide, water-resistant overalls, raincoat, life vest | 2 hoursHúsavík, no pickup | From 8 years or 130 cm | 4.8 (1,118 reviews) | From €125Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
| GeoSea sea baths in HúsavíkGeoSeaMineral-rich seawater at 38–39°C on a cliff above Skjálfandi Bay, with a swim-up bar and a steam room. | Entry ticketEntry, locker, shower products | At GeoSea, Húsavík | – | 4.7 (848 reviews) | From €52Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
| Diamond Circle from the port with packed lunchBusTravel IcelandA coach day from the cruise terminal to Goðafoss, Ásbyrgi, Dettifoss, Húsavík, the Tjörnes viewpoint and Námaskarð. | Coach, guidedGuide, air-conditioned coach, packed lunch, Wi-Fi | 8 hoursAkureyri cruise terminal | – | 4.6 (255 reviews) | From €181Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
| Diamond Circle with Dettifoss and ÁsbyrgiThe Traveling VikingA full day from Akureyri to Goðafoss, Ásbyrgi canyon, Dettifoss, Dimmuborgir and the Hverir geothermal area, with hotel pickup. | Guided day tripHotel pickup, guide | 8 hoursHotel pickup in Akureyri | – | 4.9 (36 reviews) | From €280Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
| Diamond Circle with Dettifoss from AkureyriImagine Iceland TravelA small-group day with pickup in Akureyri or at Mývatn to Goðafoss, Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi, Tjörnes and Húsavík, with GeoSea as a paid option. | Small groupPickup, guide | 8 hoursPickup in Akureyri or at Lake Mývatn | – | 5.0 (1 review) | From €270Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide |
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Questions travellers ask
How do I get to Húsavík without a car?
Strætó line 79 runs from Akureyri to Húsavík via Fosshóll several times a day in the summer 2026 timetable and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. The winter timetable differs, so check it before you travel.
When is the whale watching season in Húsavík?
Visit North Iceland gives April to October. Some boats also sail in March and late autumn. No operator can promise whales, and reviews from March and September mention days with few or distant sightings.
When can I see puffins?
The RIB tours stop at Puffin Island during the nesting period, which the operators give as roughly 15 April to 15 or 20 August. Outside that window they concentrate on whales.
What happens if we see no whales?
That depends on the operator and the tour, so read the terms on the tour page. Reviewers usually describe a ticket for another trip rather than money back, and for one RIB tour the free trip is on the larger boat.
Is GeoSea far from the harbour?
GeoSea sits on a cliff above the bay at Vitaslóð 1. Cruise passengers in the reviews point out that there is no transport from the port and that the way up is a walk uphill.
Where these facts come from
Dates, opening hours and rules change. We checked these pages in October 2026; the official source has the final word.
