This day tour combines puffin watching with the classic Golden Circle route. Start with a boat trip to a puffin nesting area about 15 minutes from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor. During the summer months (typically May–August), Atlantic puffins gather on nearby islands, giving you a chance to observe them in their natural habitat.
In the afternoon, you‘ll travel the Golden Circle, which includes Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall. Spend the morning watching puffins nest along Reykjavík’s coastal islands before heading inland to explore Þingvellir’s rift valley, the bubbling Geysir geothermal area, and the powerful Gullfoss waterfall.
Save up to 10% by booking a combo tour!
This full-day tour brings together coastal wildlife with Iceland’s most visited sightseeing route. In the morning, board a traditional wooden boat from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor and cruise to nearby islands where Atlantic puffins nest during the summer months. You’ll observe the birds from the water while your guide shares insight into their behavior and the surrounding coastline.
In the afternoon, travel the Golden Circle route, visiting Þingvellir National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall. This itinerary brings together wildlife, geology, and Icelandic history in one well-paced experience.
You’ll be picked up from a designated location in Reykjavík at 9:00 AM and transferred to the Old Harbor in downtown Reykjavík. From there, you board Old Skúli, a boat specially designed for puffin watching, and head to a small island just off the coast.
The boat ride will take about 15 minutes. Along the way, you’ll see Reykjavík’s shoreline and Mount Esja, the mountain range across the bay. Seals are sometimes spotted in the area, and whales may occasionally be seen.
The islands visited are home to around 30,000 nesting Atlantic puffins during the summer season. Puffins nest in burrows and rocky crevices near the shore. The boat’s low profile allows for careful coastal viewing. The engine is turned off near the nesting grounds to avoid disturbing the birds.
An experienced guide will provide information about puffins and other seabirds in the area. This short tour offers a close look at one of Iceland’s most iconic summer wildlife species.
The puffin watching tour will end at around 10:30 AM, giving you ample time to grab a bite to eat before the journey will continue from Old Reykjavik Harbor at 12:00 PM.
The Golden Circle begins at Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its historical and geological importance. Iceland’s parliament, Alþingi, was founded here in 930. Assemblies were held at Þingvellir until 1798, and the parliament was later re-established in Reykjavík in 1845. The site is considered the birthplace of Icelandic democracy.
Þingvellir National Park also lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates slowly drift apart. Visible cracks and fissures in the landscape show this geological boundary. You can walk through the rift valley and experience the meeting point of two continents.
The next stop is the Geysir geothermal area in Haukadalur valley. This active geothermal field features hot springs, steam vents, and erupting geysers. The original Great Geysir, now mostly dormant, gave all geysers their name. Nearby, Strokkur geyser erupts every 5–10 minutes, sending hot water up to 20–30 m (65–100 ft) into the air.
The final stop is Gullfoss waterfall (Golden Falls), one of Iceland’s most visited natural attractions. The waterfall is fed by the Hvítá river, which originates from Langjökull glacier. Gullfoss plunges in two dramatic tiers into a rugged canyon, sending up clouds of mist that often catch the sunlight and form bright rainbows. From the marked walking paths, visitors can stand close enough to feel the spray and take in full force of the falls.
This product consists of two separate tours operated independently. In the event that one tour is canceled due to weather or operational reasons, the remaining tour will proceed as scheduled.
If a cancellation happens, the affected part will be handled according to the cancellation policy.
You can book almost all of our trips here on our website. You will find a booking window on each tour page and the best and safest way is to book and pay is directly through our website.
You will receive a confirmation email after you have made the booking. If you think that you have made a booking and haven’t received an email confirmation then you may please contact us via email with an inquiry through our contact form, and we will figure it out together.
We do not require minimum participants on most of our tours but there is a minimum of 2 people for a few of our trips. If you are traveling solo and interested in a tour that requires more than 2 participants than we can take down your information and contact you if more people book the tour.
We can arrange private departures as per customer request. Almost all of the tours that we offer can be arranged as a private tour. If you prefer to have a private tour arranged than you may feel free to contact us through email info@adventures.com
If your tour that you have booked is canceled on our behalf than you will receive a 100% refund. The refund process is different depending on the way you booked the tour.
If you booked the tour through our website then we will start the refund process as soon as we know if you will not be rescheduling and you will receive a separate email with a confirmation about that your refund has been processed.
If you booked the tour via booking agent than you will need to contact them directly to receive the refund. We will confirm with them about your canceled tour and then the refund process will start on their end. Extreme Iceland only receives the payment when the tour has finished, that means that your payment still remains with the booking agent and therefore, the refund can only be processed directly from their end.
We can unfortunately not accommodate you and your group if the number of your group extends the number of available seats left on the tour. Our website shows the correct number of available seats left. It is impossible to squeeze additional participants onto sold out departures as we have really strict policy measures as to how many participants are assigned to each guide on our tour departures. Therefore we hope that you understand as this is of course done with our customer's safety in mind.
If you’re visiting between mid-October and mid-April, it’s highly recommended to use lightweight crampons, also known as ice spikes. These small traction devices attach to your shoes and help prevent slips on icy paths, making sightseeing safer and more comfortable. You can purchase them during the booking process to ensure you’re prepared for winter conditions. They are yours to keep after the tour ends!
