11 Iceland Shore Excursions Worth the Money

1.Lake Myvatn Day Tour and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Akureyri Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 473 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $205Our pick

Review of the Akureyri cruise excursion to Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn, with lava fields, hot springs, costs, timing, and practical tips.

“Small bus. Holds 16 cramped. Bus felt unsafe…rear of bus needs to be checked Driver was entertaining but full of himself. Tour was supposed to be 5 1/2- 6 hours but lasted 7 hours…we were exhausted at end No WiFi on bus which was upsetting”

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2.Reykjavik: Small Group Golden Circle from Cruise Terminal

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 293 reviews · 6.5 hours · from $166

See Þingvellir, Strokkur, Öxarárfoss, and Gullfoss on a 6.5-hour small-group tour from Reykjavik’s cruise terminals.

“Diego was a knowledgeable guide and a very nice person. He shared much information with us regarding the history, culture and current conditions of Reykjavík and Iceland.”

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3.Lake Mývatn and Godafoss Cruise Ship Day-Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 269 reviews · 6 hours · from $182

Review of Akureyri’s 6-hour Lake Mývatn and Godafoss tour, with geothermal sights, small-group transport, cruise timing tips, and honest value advice.

“excellent itinary, plenty of photo stops, guide was brilliant. I can't recommend it enough.”

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4.Whale Watching Shore Excursions

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 250 reviews · from $100

Review of Akureyri whale watching: humpbacks, minke whales, seabirds, warm suits, fjord views, pricing, timing, and practical tips.

“Our tour was amazing!! They have coveralls you can wear if it’s too cold. We saw 2 different types of whales and some porpoises. The boat was huge. I’m not sure if we just got lucky, but there were only about 15 people total on this huge boat for our tour, so it was extra special. Our guide (massimiliano) was amazing. They took amazing photos of the whales throughout the tour and sent them to us at the end. Could not recommend this tour more. Was definitely one of our favorite excursions during our trip.”

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5.From Seydisfjordur: Studlagil Canyon Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 247 reviews · 5 hours · from $213

See Stuðlagil Canyon and Gufufoss on a five-hour shore trip from Seydisfjordur, with scenic East Iceland roads and a well-timed return to port.

“Our guide was fantastic! He shared an incredible amount of knowledge and personal stories of growing up and living in Iceland. The canyon is spectacular but there are a LOT of stairs to go down/up to get to the viewing platform. Also, be aware that the canyon is about 90 min from the cruise port but the scenery is amazing and there are 2-3 waterfall stops along the way back. I’d highly recommend!”

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6.German-Speaking Golden Circle Small Group Tour from Reykjavík – Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 216 reviews · 8 hours · from $182Top rated

Review this German-speaking Golden Circle shore excursion from Reykjavík, with Gullfoss, geysers, Þingvellir, Kerið, and a small group.

“Tolles Programm für einen Tag Island. Tour in kleinen Gruppen. Petra ist ein toller Guide, weiß alles über Island und geht super auf die Gruppe ein, z.b wenn Kinder dabei sind.”

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7.From Reykjavik Port: Golden Circle Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews · 7 hours · from $200

Review of a seven-hour Golden Circle shore excursion from Reykjavik Port, with Gullfoss, Geysir, Thingvellir, local guides, and cruise-safe timing.

“AMAZING tour! Golden Circle tour with Jagoda Rogalska our guide, was fabulous! One of the best excursion ever, and we take dozens a year in our travels. She was enthusiastic, informative and got us in and out of the stops fast, all our group was on time at stops so she managed to get in 2 extra stops for all of us. We went to the “volcano bakery” where they bury the bread in steaming volcanic vents and also made a quick stop of the famous church in Keykjavik. She is a super guide and with the good weather we had an amazing day. Tour company is lucky to have…”

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8.Myvatn Nature Baths & Goðafoss Waterfall Akureyri Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $248

Review of Akureyri’s Myvatn Nature Baths and Godafoss excursion, with timing, transport, lunch, cruise-port tips, and honest value advice.

“Great tour! Needed another 45 min at Godafoss Waterfall but plenty of time at the Myvatn Baths. Niko was excellent and the chicken sandwich was delicious. Fun day.”

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9.Reykjavik Shore Excursion: Whale-Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 61 reviews · 3 hours 50 minutes (approx.) · from $108

Review of Reykjavik’s whale-watching cruise in Faxaflói Bay, with practical advice on wildlife, boats, weather, pickup, value, and sea conditions.

“The cruise itself was fine. A nice boat. Plenty of space to move around. On the down side, the boat was not really handicapped accessible. Many people were getting seasick along the way. And, oh yeah, there were no whales. We got an offer to go on another whale-watching cruise in the futurebut will we ever return to Iceland to take them up on the offer?”

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10.Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss Shared Shore Excursions

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 57 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $200

Review of the Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss tour from Akureyri, with volcanic sights, geothermal baths, cruise tips, value, and drawbacks.

“The whole experience was seamless. Our guide was easily found at the port (look for a bright yellow jacket). Since everyone arrived early we were able to even leave before 9:30! The tour itself was well planned and took us to beautiful spots. Ending at the baths was great. It also freed us up later on during our travels as we decided to skip Blue Lagoon for the smaller, but as beautiful lagoon at Lake Myvan. We would highly recommend this tour. Our guide was personable, knowledgeable, and wove in details about her personal life to explain Icelandic customs and culture. It was a great tour!”

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11.Reykjavik Shore Excursion: Puffin Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 56 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $63Best value

See puffins and Arctic terns near Reykjavik on a one-hour cruise with binoculars, expert guides, coffee, and port transfers.

“Your guide was funny and informative, lots of puffins to see, such an easy boat ride and not too crowded. Loved the experience!”

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