Husavik is a town in North Iceland on Route 85, about 55 km (35 mi) northeast of Akureyri and 40 km (25 mi) from Route 1.

When did whale watching start in Husavik?

Organized whale watching in Iceland began in Húsavík: the first tours sailed from here in 1994 (Húsavík Whale Museum).

How much does a whale watching tour in Husavik cost?

A traditional oak-boat tour costs from 12,490 ISK (about $105) per person, and a RIB tour combined with a puffin island visit from 21,990 ISK (about $185) per person (prices September 2026).

Can you fly to Husavik?

As of September 2026, there are no scheduled flights to Húsavík – the route ended after Eagle Air went bankrupt in October 2024. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Akureyri (AEY), about 75 km (45 mi) southwest by road. You can get to Husavik by car on Route 85 or 87, or by bus line 79 from Akureyri.

Husavik: Whale Watching Prices, GeoSea and Getting There

Húsavík is a town that was founded and developed thanks to whaling. Today it makes its living by protecting and showcasing these beautiful animals.

Husavik – the whale watching capital of Iceland

Húsavík is Iceland’s undisputed whale capital. That used to mean hunting whales and processing them for blubber, oil, leather and so on. Today, it’s mostly about showing these beautiful marine mammals to visitors from all over the world. Husavik is the best place in Iceland to see whales, especially the largest ones – blue whales often visit the bay north of town.

Húsavík is where organized whale watching in Iceland began: the first tours sailed from here in 1994 (Húsavík Whale Museum). Up to 23 species of cetaceans, including the blue whale, can be seen in and around the bay.

Unsurprisingly, there are many companies in town offering whale watching tours (strictly speaking, cetacean watching, since you may also see dolphins or orcas). Even in high season, you shouldn’t have trouble booking a spot on a boat.

The tour companies are based at the harbor, but you can also book online (prices September 2026):

Gentle Giants
– Big Whale Safari & Puffins – a RIB boat tour combined with a visit to a puffin island (from 21,990 ISK, about $185 per person)
– traditional whale watching on an oak boat (from 12,490 ISK, about $105 per person);
North Sailing
– Original Whale Watching on a traditional oak boat (from about 14,000 ISK, about $115 per person)
– Silent Whale Watching (Carbon-Neutral) (from 14,490 ISK, about $120 per person);
Husavik Adventures
– Big Whales & Puffins RIB tour (from 23,990 ISK, about $200 per person).

The most important thing to keep in mind before a tour is the weather – be prepared for it and flexible about changing your plans. You also need to decide between a traditional boat and a so-called RIB (I recommend RIBs). You can read more about whale watching tours in a separate article: Whale Watching in Iceland – All You Need to Know.

Husavik – charming port town

The heart of Husavik is, naturally, the harbor. Colorful and usually bustling, it’s full not only of fishing boats but also of tour boats.

The harbor is also home to a small Whale Museum with many exhibits about both whales and whalers. Its main attraction is certainly the skeletons of several whale species, including the complete skeleton of a blue whale that washed up on a beach. It’s by no means a stunning museum, but it’s a good way to spend some time if, for example, you’re waiting for your tour and have already done your shopping.

On the town’s main street stands a church built in 1907, which also appears on the town’s coat of arms. Another landmark is the Culture House (Safnahúsið), home to museum collections: a regional collection, district archives, a natural history collection, a maritime collection, and a photo and film archive.

Husavik’s tourist attractions

Besides whale watching, Húsavík offers visitors all the amenities they need and several other attractions. Here you’ll find a hotel, guesthouses, stores, restaurants, a campsite, gas stations, a park, museums, a swimming pool, geothermal springs, a golf course and many pleasant walking trails of varying difficulty. One of the most popular is the trail around Lake Botnsvatn, just outside town.

In the northern part of town, right on the bay, is a modern hot pool and spa complex: GeoSea. It’s relatively new and definitely on the intimate side, with just two medium-sized pools, one small pool and a wading pool, but everything (including the changing rooms and the adjacent restaurant) is elegant, and the pools offer beautiful views of the bay. Drinks and snacks are served right in the pool.

Book your GeoSea ticket here: Husavik: GeoSea Geothermal Baths Entrance Ticket (from 7,490 ISK, about $60 per person).

Video: GeoSea in Husavik

As in many other places in Iceland, you can also go horseback riding and sea kayaking near town. Here’s a short selection of tours:

Whales & Horses – 4+ hours of whale watching combined with horseback riding, from 22,990 ISK (about $190) per person;
Seaside horse riding – a 5-hour horseback tour, $195 per person;
Birdwatching half day tour: Húsavík & surroundings – a 4-hour tour, $180 per person.

Every year in mid-July, Húsavík hosts a festival called Mærudagar (Candy Days). Thousands of people from all over Iceland come to this tiny town to eat and drink amid loud music and colorful decorations.

Husavik Airport

South of town is a small airport (Húsavíkurflugvöllur) with a single runway. Scheduled flights used to connect it with Reykjavík, and the planes also carried courier parcels.

Húsavík Airport opened in 1957, and a new terminal was built in 1986. Over the years, it has been served by local airlines including Icelandair, Norlandair, Air Iceland, Mýflug Air and Eagle Air. The only scheduled route was to Reykjavík: 293 km (182 mi) long, with a flight time of about 55 minutes and a one-way fare of about $120. Flights to Husavik Airport (HZK) departed from Reykjavik City Airport (RKV), not from Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik International Airport (KEF).

As of September 2026, there are no scheduled flights to Húsavík: after Eagle Air went bankrupt in October 2024 the route was flown for a few months by state-subsidized Norlandair, and since 2025 no one has flown it – Isavia’s departure schedule for the airport is empty. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Akureyri (AEY), about 75 km (45 mi) southwest by road.

Transfers between the airport and town were run by Fjallasýn and Skutlþjónustan Húsavík, and two car rental companies operated in the terminal.

If scheduled flights resume, flying to Husavik is a sensible option for a very short visit to Iceland: you can explore the Myvatn area and go on a whale watching tour without driving all the way around the island. Just keep in mind that flights (especially in winter) can be disrupted by the weather, so plan this for the beginning rather than the end of your trip.

How to get to Husavik

Husavik lies on Route 85, about 55 km (35 mi) northeast of the regional capital, Akureyri, and 40 km (25 mi) from Route 1. It’s a good base not only for whale watching but also for trips to the Myvatn region, Asbyrgi canyon and Dettifoss waterfall.

North of town, 20 km (12 mi) away at the tip of the peninsula, lies the rather interesting North 66.12 campsite. It has good restrooms, beautiful ocean views, very friendly owners and even a small open-air museum (Mánárbakki Museum).

The most natural way to get to Husavik is, of course, to turn off onto Route 85 or Route 87 while driving the Ring Road (Route 1) around Iceland. You can also take bus line 79 from Akureyri; the trip takes just over an hour.

And when scheduled flights are running, you can also fly here fairly quickly and inexpensively straight from the airport in downtown Reykjavik (see above).