Puffin Watching & Gufufoss Waterfall Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore the stunning Gufufoss Waterfall
- Observe puffins in their natural habitat
- Enjoy picturesque coastal landscapes
- Learn about local wildlife from expert guides
- Experience the charm of Seydisfjordur village
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Guided tour to Gufufoss Waterfall
- Puffin watching excursion
- Round-trip transportation from Seydisfjordur
- Meals and beverages
Itinerary
Hafnarhólmi is a small islet by the harbour of the small fishing village, Borgarfjordur-Eystri. This rocky outcrop is home to one of the world´d biggest Altantic Puffin colonies. Every summer, nesting couple return here to raise their pufflings. Hafnarhólmi, is very accessible, allowing everyone to get an up close glimpse of this wondeful species.
While visiting the quaint village of Bakkagerði in Borgarfjordur-Eystri, you can find this pristine example of the classic Icelandic turf house. The thick turf walls, and grass lined roof provided essential insulation against the elements in times past. Many Icelanders continued to live in house like this into the early 20th century.
For those that wish to do an easy hike while in the village of Bakkagerði could hike Alfaborg, or elf rock, which is a monument on a hill overlooking Borgarfjordur-Eystri. This stop was held to be the home of the elf-queen of Iceland. Learn more about Icelandic folklore and beliefs. Even if you don´t hold much stock with folkloric tales, one can´t help but admire the dramatic views oen can enjoy from this hillside viewing point.
Gufufoss is a small waterfall which cascades gently down a rugged cliffside. Due to it´s appearance, it is sometimes compared to its larger cousin in the south, Skógafoss. The falls throws off a gentle mist, which accounts for its name - Gufu means steams in Icelandic.
Meeting point
Start Location
Unknown location
Important information
Know before you book
- Tour operates in all weather conditions; dress appropriately.
- Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Pets are not permitted on the tour.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes suitable for uneven terrain.
- Bring a waterproof jacket to stay dry near the waterfall.
- Don't forget your camera to capture the stunning scenery.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Good to know
- The tour duration of 5 hours includes driving time
Traveler reviews
Excursion from Seydisfjordur port
This tour should be longer. I was disappointed at the puffin stop because there were too many people there and they were noisy and the puffins stayed out in the ocean and didn’t come to shore. If we had more time there, it would have allowed time for the people from other buses to leave and we could see more puffins up close. Annalise was a great guide. She was friendly and very informative. We could have skipped stopping for lunch because time was not allotted for that and we were expecting to return to the ship for lunch.
Puffins up close
This is definitely the best tour to see Puffins up close because there’s a wooden staircase along the cliff so you can stand right near them.
Not worth it
There was very little information from the guide. We stayed at the puffin site too long. Iceland is beautiful but I wouldn't advise taking this tour
Guide didn’t talk about...
Guide didn’t talk about puffin behaviors. Dropped us off at the steps and left us to fend for ourselves Steps were crowded and dangerous and couldn’t get to the rail to see the puffins
Fun to see the puffins
Seeing the puffins was the highlight of the tour. It is a long drive to/from the puffins. Went in August and there were only a few puffins still around but was fun to see the few we did. There are a lot of stairs to climb and recommend using the elevator in the main building by the parking lot to save having to climb some stairs. Wished our tour guide would have advised the group of the elevator as we saw people with mobility issues struggling with the stairs. Also if one is prone to motion sickness, recommend having some sort of medication as one passenger got bus sick on the drive with the winding roads. Also stopped at a turf house which was nice as well as seeing the waterfall.