Traditional Whale Watching from Húsavík by Local Family Company

4.38

4.4(399 reviews)

3 hours

English

Mobile ticket

Show all 12 photos

Overview

Available languages

English

3 hours

Mobile ticket

Sail aboard a traditional Icelandic oak boat from Húsavík, the Whale Capital of Iceland

Enjoy a relaxed 3-hour whale watching tour in Skjálfandi Bay

Discover whales and Icelandic wildlife with knowledgeable local guides

Stay warm in safety overalls provided by the crew

Choose a truly locally owned family company in Húsavík

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Subject to favourable weather conditions. If cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund

Please bring warm and waterproof clothing

Children must be accompanied by an adult

A minimum number of passengers is required for all our tours. If the minimum number is not reached, we reserve the right to change or cancel departures, even with short notice. In such cases, customers are offered alternative options or full refund

Unfortunately, if no whales or dolphins are sighted on the tour, passenger refunds are not permitted. However, customers can receive a voucher to join a traditional whale watching tour free of charge, depending on availability

Please arrive at the Gentle Giants Ticket Center in Húsavík at least 40 minutes before departure

What To Expect

Experience the real Gentle Giants of Húsavík – the Whale Watching Capital of Europe. Welcome aboard a traditional Icelandic oak boat for a 3-hour fully guided adventure in search of the mammals of the ocean. Your chances of seeing whales are up to 97-99%.

Options

GG1 Whale Watching

Experience the traditional tour from Húsavík. Our birthplace is considered by visitors as the Whale Watching Capital of Europe. It is a unique adventure at sea - watching the wonders of nature.

What‘s Included

Professional guide

Warm safety overalls, and rain jackets if needed

Live commentary on board

Exclusive discounts with selected local partners in Húsavík

Transportation to/from attractions (Tour departure is within walking distance from accommodations in Húsavík)

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

4.38

399 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

285

Whale watching
James R,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Had a good time on this 5 pm tour. We saw a humpback whale and followed him for about 30 minutes. The whale jumped all the way out of the water! My 2 kiddos got seasick so I would recommend taking some seasick meds before the ride. The oak boat is very jumpy. The guide was great and very knowledgeable.
Excellent experience
traceycL3969MN,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was an excellent experience on our Icelandic holiday. The whole operation was very smooth with excellent attention to safely and information. The guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining, and the staff at the ticket office were very friendly and helpful. We had around 4 hours on the boat and managed to see some humpback whales diving, although none were feeding or breaching. Well worth the fee and would definitely do it again given the opportunity.
Sightings of humpback whales.
thomaskV3469OT,Jun 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Very good whale sighting. The captain always turned the boat so that everyone had a good view.
Perfect day for Whale Watching
LUCY S,Jun 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Everyone involved in this whale watching tour was extremely professional and helpful. My family and I were driving from Hofn (5 hours) to get on the 1:15 p.m. boat. We had car trouble and I kept in touch with a very nice woman from the tour. I told her our problem and she said they will try to wait for us as long as they could. As I go closer, I told here we were there and she told me to go straight to the ticket office, they were waiting for us. The tour itself was terrific. We saw 3 whales, 2 stayed together and the third was by himself. We had beautiful weather and enjoyed our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the whales and even told us the names of the 3 whales that we saw. If you ever get to Iceland, I suggest that you take this whale watching tour, you won't regret it. If my family and I ever get back to Iceland, we will definitely take this tour again.
Awesome!
Bajjemaa,May 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Lovely trip, nice crew, lots of interesting facts and info. Have seen a lot of whales, the weather was very nice, we really had an awesome day!!
Pure experience
michiel r,May 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent guide, friendly, patient, exactly the right information. And always a great smile. We did see 3 whales. That was great too.
We saw humpback whales!
HUIPHIN H,Apr 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
It was such a great adventure and we managed to see humpback whales! The sea was very choppy this morning and some of the guests had very bad seasickness but nevertheless the guides were very professional and constantly looking after us. The guide was also very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the sea life in Iceland from him.
Excellent experience on the high seas.
Sightsee306393,Apr 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
gentle giants let us know the weather conditions we’re going to a bit windy so we came prepared. We were very fortunate to have seen a pair of humpbacks (mother and calf?
Excellent
I7528WSevak,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Interesting experience ! We didn’t manage to see any whales since we did the tour on the 15th of April which is only the beginning of the whales period in Husavik bay. The service was very good and polite. Jemler, our Dutch guide, was amazing. Very social and talkative and we had much fun on the boat! Dress warm and make sure your shoes are waterproof.
Unmissable experience
pietrog452,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This historic family-run Husavik whale watching company took us by boat for a morning among the whales. Cabin crew very friendly and helpful, but above all patient. In a few hours of travel we were lucky enough to see several whales up close, even in pairs and trios, as they dived flapping their large tails. Good value for money. Unforgettable experience!

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€85.00

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Related Experiences

Operated by Gentle Giants Whale Watching

Traditional Whale Watching from Húsavík by Local Family Company

4.38

4.4(399 reviews)

3 hours

English

Mobile ticket

Show all 12 photos

Overview

Available languages

English

3 hours

Mobile ticket

Sail aboard a traditional Icelandic oak boat from Húsavík, the Whale Capital of Iceland

Enjoy a relaxed 3-hour whale watching tour in Skjálfandi Bay

Discover whales and Icelandic wildlife with knowledgeable local guides

Stay warm in safety overalls provided by the crew

Choose a truly locally owned family company in Húsavík

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Subject to favourable weather conditions. If cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund

Please bring warm and waterproof clothing

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Please arrive at the Gentle Giants Ticket Center in Húsavík at least 40 minutes before departure

What To Expect

Options

GG1 Whale Watching

Experience the traditional tour from Húsavík. Our birthplace is considered by visitors as the Whale Watching Capital of Europe. It is a unique adventure at sea - watching the wonders of nature.

What‘s Included

Professional guide

Warm safety overalls, and rain jackets if needed

Live commentary on board

Exclusive discounts with selected local partners in Húsavík

Transportation to/from attractions (Tour departure is within walking distance from accommodations in Húsavík)

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

4.38

399 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

285

Whale watching
James R,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Had a good time on this 5 pm tour. We saw a humpback whale and followed him for about 30 minutes. The whale jumped all the way out of the water! My 2 kiddos got seasick so I would recommend taking some seasick meds before the ride. The oak boat is very jumpy. The guide was great and very knowledgeable.
Excellent experience
traceycL3969MN,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was an excellent experience on our Icelandic holiday. The whole operation was very smooth with excellent attention to safely and information. The guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining, and the staff at the ticket office were very friendly and helpful. We had around 4 hours on the boat and managed to see some humpback whales diving, although none were feeding or breaching. Well worth the fee and would definitely do it again given the opportunity.
Sightings of humpback whales.
thomaskV3469OT,Jun 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Very good whale sighting. The captain always turned the boat so that everyone had a good view.
Perfect day for Whale Watching
LUCY S,Jun 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Everyone involved in this whale watching tour was extremely professional and helpful. My family and I were driving from Hofn (5 hours) to get on the 1:15 p.m. boat. We had car trouble and I kept in touch with a very nice woman from the tour. I told her our problem and she said they will try to wait for us as long as they could. As I go closer, I told here we were there and she told me to go straight to the ticket office, they were waiting for us. The tour itself was terrific. We saw 3 whales, 2 stayed together and the third was by himself. We had beautiful weather and enjoyed our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the whales and even told us the names of the 3 whales that we saw. If you ever get to Iceland, I suggest that you take this whale watching tour, you won't regret it. If my family and I ever get back to Iceland, we will definitely take this tour again.
Awesome!
Bajjemaa,May 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Lovely trip, nice crew, lots of interesting facts and info. Have seen a lot of whales, the weather was very nice, we really had an awesome day!!
Pure experience
michiel r,May 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent guide, friendly, patient, exactly the right information. And always a great smile. We did see 3 whales. That was great too.
We saw humpback whales!
HUIPHIN H,Apr 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
It was such a great adventure and we managed to see humpback whales! The sea was very choppy this morning and some of the guests had very bad seasickness but nevertheless the guides were very professional and constantly looking after us. The guide was also very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the sea life in Iceland from him.
Excellent experience on the high seas.
Sightsee306393,Apr 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
gentle giants let us know the weather conditions we’re going to a bit windy so we came prepared. We were very fortunate to have seen a pair of humpbacks (mother and calf?
Excellent
I7528WSevak,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Interesting experience ! We didn’t manage to see any whales since we did the tour on the 15th of April which is only the beginning of the whales period in Husavik bay. The service was very good and polite. Jemler, our Dutch guide, was amazing. Very social and talkative and we had much fun on the boat! Dress warm and make sure your shoes are waterproof.
Unmissable experience
pietrog452,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This historic family-run Husavik whale watching company took us by boat for a morning among the whales. Cabin crew very friendly and helpful, but above all patient. In a few hours of travel we were lucky enough to see several whales up close, even in pairs and trios, as they dived flapping their large tails. Good value for money. Unforgettable experience!