Where to See the Northern Lights: the 7 Best Whale Watching Tours Worldwide

1.Whale Watching & Northern Lights Combo Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 127 reviews · 6 hours · from $205Our pick

Review of Reykjavik’s whale watching and Northern Lights combo cruise, with practical advice on timing, value, weather, sightings, and comfort.

“We were very lucky today and saw some playful and friendly dolphins as well as two humpback whales! Our guide Rebekka made this whole tour unforgettable. She is very passionate and was just as excited as we were to see the dolphins and whales. Unfortunately, the Northern Lights Tour had to be cancelled due to bad weather but you can either request a refund oder reschedule for another night.”

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2.24hr Northern Lights & Whale Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 114 reviews · 22 hours to 1 day (approx.) · from $1,214Top rated

Review of Tromsø’s 24-hour Northern Lights and whale watching cruise, with cabins, meals, timing, wildlife, price, and booking advice.

“The crew and tour guides are lovely, couldn’t do more for you to ensure upmost comfort. Knowledgeable about the whales and northern lights with several talks across the 2 days. We learnt lots of new things. Cabins are comfy and warm and there’s several food choices at each meal. All you of what we had was lovely. Whilst we didn’t get to see the northern lights due to cloud cover the polar twilight gave impressive scenery and beautiful colours in the sky. We did see loads of humpback whales including several breaches and several pods of killer whales some getting pretty close. An amazing trip and one to remember for…”

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3.Whales and Northern Lights Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 55 reviews · 7 hours · from $212

Review of Reykjavik’s whale watching and Northern Lights boat tour, with practical details on timing, comfort, value, guides, and weather limits.

“Our guide Rebekka was fantastic, she was able to flag as every position of the whale a she knew a lot about the ocean’s life. The captain was awesome, he was very reactive to the movement. The boat was really good, too. Well maintained. We love the Whale watching.”

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4.24hr Northern Lights & Whale Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 46 reviews · 1 day · from $1,179

Spend 24 hours aboard MV Quest from Tromsø, watching whales, seeking the Northern Lights, and enjoying meals, cabins, and Arctic scenery.

“Ein ganz tolle Reise mit super Eindrücken in die Natur. Essen war auch hervorragend! Beste Option um Nordlichter und Wale zu sehen. Kein langweiliges sitzen auf einem Boot ohne wirklich was zu sehen, wie bei den Tagestouren!”

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5.Whale Watching and Northern Lights Half-Day Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $176Best value

Review of Reykjavik’s whale watching and Northern Lights combo, with practical timing, boat comfort, wildlife odds, price, and booking advice.

“A great trip and very well organised the people were very nice and gave a great commentary about the whole trip. Excellent. We were very lucky to see a whale breach of which the person told us had not happened since summer.”

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6.Iceland Super Saver: Northern Lights Cruise plus Whale-Watching Tour from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $186

Review of Reykjavik’s Northern Lights cruise and whale-watching combo, with honest advice on value, timing, weather, boats, guides, and booking.

“I travelled with my mum on what was truly a bucket list trip for us both, and it exceeded every expectation! We had the wonderful Kristoph as our guide — an absolute professional (the man can drive!). The Icelandic weather can be unpredictable, but Kristoph handled every challenge with confidence, making us all feel completely safe. His knowledge and stories added so much to the magic of Iceland — as if it needed more magic! The tour covered so many iconic locations, each one breathtaking. Our group was fantastic and punctual, which even allowed us to make a couple of bonus stops along the way. The glacier hike with Ivo…”

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7.Winter Whale Watching and Northern Lights Cruise from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $198

Pair whale watching with a Northern Lights cruise from Reykjavik, including warm overalls, live English commentary, and a free return guarantee.

“We did the combo whale watching and northern lights cruise. Both were amazing. They provide warm coveralls so that you’re comfortable throughout the entirety of the trip. We saw one green streak of the northern lights, and even though we did have a sighting, they still offered a free return. As for the whale tour, we saw humpbacks and minke whales. Well worth the time to go on a tour.”

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