Akureyri Cruise Port: Whale Watching Shore Excursions

Tour comparison

This table sets the two cruise-friendly trips side by side, with prices, length and inclusions taken from each tour's own listing. Both sail Eyjafjordur, where humpback whales are the main attraction and are seen throughout the year, according to Visit Akureyri.

The 2.5-hour boat trip leaves more of your port call free for town. The transfer version fills the time between docking and sailing, which suits passengers who want no logistics at all.

Ratings and reviews

Special Tours Whale Watching from Akureyri carries a 4.6 rating from 593 reviews. Whale Watching with Transfer from Akureyri Port carries a 4.4 rating from 56 reviews. Special Tours Iceland runs the first from its ticket office at Oddeyrarbot 1.

Saga Travel runs the second from a sales hut at the cruise ship port that opens 1 hour before departure, with staff in red jackets.

Berths and tendering

Check your cruise line's daily programme for your berth, because the arrangement depends on the ship and the berth allocation. If your ship anchors and tenders, allow extra time to get ashore before starting any tour.

Up to three ships can sit alongside and up to four can call on busy summer days, so some passengers come ashore by tender. On a tender day, the 2.5-hour boat trip is the safer pick.

Where the Whale Boats Leave

The whale watching boats do not leave from the cruise berth itself. Elding and Special Tours both depart from the pier by Hof Cultural house. Special Tours checks you in at its ticket office at Oddeyrarbot 1.

Elding's tours start from the floating pier, and there is free parking next to its ticket office. The Saga Travel trip is the exception: its bus collects you at the cruise ship port and drives about 25 minutes to Hauganes. If anything changes on the day, the harbour service answers 24/7 on +354 460-4200.

Akureyri cruise port to city centre

From the ship, walk towards the Hof cultural centre. It serves as the main tourist information point, and the whale watching boats depart beside it. Some berths sit further out, about 1 kilometre from the centre, and shuttles and taxis cover that stretch.

It is handy for confirming a tour meeting point. Local buses within Akureyri are free and all loop back to the town centre, starting from the Midbaer stop by the town square.

Whale watching first

A whale watching trip is the excursion that starts closest to the ship. Boats depart by Hof Cultural house, so you can walk from the gangway. Special Tours Whale Watching from Akureyri lasts 2.5 hours and costs $102. Whale Watching with Transfer from Akureyri Port costs $133 and runs 4 to 8 hours with the bus included. Humpback whales are the main attraction in Eyjafjordur and are seen throughout the year.

Waterfalls and volcanic landscapes

Godafoss waterfall is a common second excursion from the port. Lake Myvatn is about an hour's drive from the port, and a Lake Myvatn and nature baths tour runs about 6 hours, which fills most of a call. Lake Myvatn is the most popular guided tour for cruise passengers.

Godafoss is manageable on your own with advance transport planning, while Lake Myvatn usually works better as an organized excursion.

Forest Lagoon

Forest Lagoon is about 3 kilometres from the port and opens at 10:00. It is a 5-minute drive or a 40-minute walk from the town centre, and it runs a free shuttle bus for passengers with pre-booked tickets. On a long call it pairs well with the 2.5-hour whale watching trip.

Independent transport options

Local buses within Akureyri are free of charge and all loop back to the town centre, with loops of 30-50 minutes. Regional buses from near Hof can reach Godafoss with limited capacity, and SBA Nordurleid runs Godafoss bus transfer tours of about 2.5 hours from Hof on selected dates.

If you prefer a car, the BSO taxi company offers taxi tours of 2 to 6 hours for up to 4 people, covering Godafoss, Laufas, Myvatn and Dettifoss. A hop-on hop-off bus stands on the left as you exit the port.

Book ahead on cruise days

Visit Akureyri warns that on busy cruise days demand is extremely high, and tours, taxis or rental cars can be hard to find. Up to four ships can call on the busiest summer days. Reserve any tour, including whale watching, before your sailing.

Both trips on this page allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.

A short port call on foot

Start at the tourist information point at Hof and confirm your tour meeting point. Then walk into the centre for shops and a cafe meal. If you only have a few hours, the 2.5-hour Special Tours Whale Watching from Akureyri leaves time on either side.

It sails May to September on the catamaran Lilja, with warm overalls in children's sizes on board.

Plan the timing

Note your all-aboard time, allow for the walk of about 400 metres back from Hof, and add a buffer of at least 30 minutes. A 2.5-hour fjord trip still leaves most of a typical call free. If your ship tenders rather than docks, add the tender queue to your return plan.

The Whale Watching with Transfer from Akureyri Port trip removes the timing risk. Its bus returns passengers to three Akureyri drop-off points in time for the cruise departure.

Season and species

Most cruise ships arrive from May to the end of September, the same months Special Tours sails from Akureyri. Humpbacks are seen in the fjord throughout the year. Special Tours also looks for minke whales, dolphins and seabirds, and the Saga Travel trip lists minke whales, harbour porpoises and white-beaked dolphins. No operator promises a sighting. Special Tours gives a free ticket to try again if you see no whales, which only helps if your ship returns.

Operators who join IceWhale follow its code of conduct, which aims to minimise impact on cetaceans and keep whale watching sustainable.

Layering basics

A waterproof outer layer, a warm mid layer, a hat and gloves cover most boat trips. Sturdy shoes handle the wet pier and the walk to Hof. Special Tours provides warm floatable overalls, with children's sizes, and Elding advises dressing warmly because it is chillier on the water than on land.

Akureyri sees summer highs up to 25°C, but a fjord boat is colder than the town. If you are prone to seasickness, take medicine before boarding, as Elding suggests.

Akureyri cruise port to Godafoss Waterfall

You can join a bus transfer tour of about 2.5 hours from Hof, run by SBA Nordurleid on selected dates, or take a taxi tour of 2 to 6 hours with BSO. With advance transport planning Godafoss works on your own, while Lake Myvatn usually works better as an organized excursion. Pairing Godafoss with whale watching is tight: the waterfall trip and the 2.5-hour boat trip together fill most of an 8-hour call.