Last Updated on March 27, 2026 by Adrienne
When I told people I saw puffins in Iceland, many were surprised. These little seabirds have a reputation as hard to spot, even in Iceland, which is home to more than half the world’s puffins. But if you’re visiting Iceland in the summer months (May through mid-August) you can see puffins quickly and easily from Reykjavik on a boat tour to Akurey, a tiny island just off the coast where puffins nest in the summer (not to be confused with Akureyri, a major town in northern Iceland).
I opted for the “Puffin Express” boat trip operated by Special Tours, which takes just an hour and leaves from central Reykjavik, so it can easily be combined with a full day of sight-seeing in the country’s capital. At less than $50 per person, it was also a very affordable outing for Iceland. The trip out to Akurey is only about 10-15 minutes and is pretty scenic, especially if it’s your first glimpse of the Icelandic coast.
Once you get to Akurey, the boat will pull up alongside the island very close to the birds hanging out on land. It will turn around a few times so everyone on the boat can get the best view. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of puffins when I visited in early July.
We got to see some puffins swimming and diving in the water, including a few who got quite close to our boat. We even saw some puffins that had just caught a fish.
You’ll have about 30 minutes to watch the puffins, which was plenty of time in my opinion. In addition to puffins (sightings of which are a near certainty during the months the tours operate), you may see other seabirds like Arctic terns, gannets and Eiders.
Although the boats get plenty close enough to the birds for you to see them with the naked eye, you’ll need a telephoto lens for photography. I had a 250 mm lens, which was just barely enough and I wish I’d rented a 400+ mm like I did for our Alaska trip.
This was a great way to see one of Iceland’s most iconic animals without spending a lot of time or money, and I highly recommend a puffin-watching tour from Reykjavik to anyone visiting Iceland in the summer.
More cute puffin photos below!
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