Puffin Watching from Reykjavík
Just minutes from Reykjavík's Old Harbour, the small islands of Akurey, Lundey and Engey host thousands of nesting Atlantic Puffins every summer. A short boat ride brings you close to the grassy cliffs where they gather — no long drive required to see Iceland's most photographed seabird up close.
The Experience
A Short Sail to the Puffin Islands
Boats leave right from Reykjavík's Old Harbour and reach the puffin islands of Faxaflói Bay in well under half an hour. Akurey and Lundey are grassy, cliff-edged islets with no permanent residents — just thousands of burrowing seabirds during the breeding season.
A Closer Look
The boat slows along the cliffs so you can watch puffins come and go from their burrows, orange bills flashing as they land. Guides share commentary on the birds' habits — their monogamous pairs, their burrow-digging, and their remarkable underwater flying dives for fish.
When to Go
Puffins arrive in Icelandic waters in late April and head back out to sea by mid-to-late August, so tours run only within that window. Numbers peak in June and July, when both parents are busy shuttling sandeels back to a single chick waiting in the burrow.
Dress warmly — it's cooler on the water than in the city, even in summer. Bring a zoom lens or binoculars if you have them; boats stay a respectful distance from the cliffs to avoid disturbing the colony. Sightings are excellent in season but, as with all wildlife tours, never absolutely guaranteed.
Available Puffin Watching Tours
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Planning a Larger Group?
Contact us directly and we'll help arrange group bookings or combine this with another day tour.
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