Sea Fishing Boat Tour & BBQ with the Day's Catch

Departure and the Ride Out

Check in at the Special Tours ticket office on Geirsgata 11 at the Old Harbour. If you have booked the optional paid hotel transfer, the pickup starts 60 minutes before departure, so be ready in your room well before that. The boat sails at 17:00 daily from May through 15 September.

The ride to the first fishing ground takes about 30 minutes, as one reviewer describes it, then roughly 15 minutes more to move to a second spot if the crew wants to try somewhere else. On the way out you see the Reykjavik waterfront from the water, and guests often spot puffins on their puffin island. There is a bathroom on board, which matters with children.

The whole trip is 2.5 to 3 hours, so you are back in town by around eight, still early enough for anything else you had planned.

Fishing With Rods and Overalls

Everything you need is on the boat. Rods, tackle and protective clothing are supplied, so you do not need to own or pack a single piece of fishing gear. No licence is required either, because rod fishing at sea for your own consumption needs no permit in Iceland, see sea fishing in Iceland.

The crew teaches the basics, and reviewers describe them as patient and supportive with complete beginners. The listed catch is cod, haddock, pollock and rockfish. One family of four reported 16 fish between them and more than 40 for the whole boat on a good evening.

If an Atlantic halibut turns up, it is endangered and should go back. Difficulty is rated easy, and the minimum age is not stated, so ask the operator directly if you are bringing very young children.

The Grill on Deck

The payoff of this trip is the meal. Whatever you catch that is edible gets grilled right on the boat and served with potatoes, which the listing includes as part of the fare. The first mate fillets the fish on board, and one reviewer says his family ate theirs on the way back to shore.

Reviews score the guide 4.9 out of 5 and consistently name the fresh fish as the highlight. Karen from the United States called it the best fish dinner she had in Iceland and booked it as a surprise birthday dinner for her husband, who had to catch it himself. If you would rather keep your fish, most tours let you do that, but on this one the grill is the point.

It is a dinner and an activity in one, which is why families return to it.

Families and First-Timers

This is the classic family evening. The difficulty is rated easy, the crew helps beginners learn the ropes, and reviewers with teenage children report everyone catching fish. The boat has a bathroom, the trip ends by around eight, and the meal is built in, so it solves dinner on the same ticket.

One reviewer described it as a perfect evening activity for the whole family and returned for a second visit to Iceland. Steven from the United States called it a favourite activity for everyone in his family, with two teenagers reeling in cod and haddock. Max from Canada praised the crew for being patient and supportive with people new to fishing.

What Reviewers Praise and What They Ask For

The verified review summary from 41 reviews over the past year is consistent. Travellers praise the helpful crew and active fishing, and many enjoy eating the fresh catch grilled on board. The same summary asks for clearer information on low-catch outcomes and rebooking options, and that is the honest caveat on any sea trip.

Jerry from Sweden fished it twice. The first time the weather was bad and there were not many fish. The second time the weather was better and the fishing was fantastic, with very good food afterwards.

His practical lesson: book the trip early in your Iceland stay, so a calm evening is still available if your first sail meets rough sea. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure makes that easy.

Season and Timing

The boat sails daily at 17:00 from May to 15 September. That is the Reykjavik sea angling season in general, since operators here run May through September while some northern operators fish on request all year. The 17:00 slot means you fish in evening light in high summer.

In late August and September the evening cools fast, and the protective clothing supplied earns its place. The operator notes that the puffin island is often in sight on the way out. If you want fishing plus a longer day on the water and do not mind meeting at a different pier, compare Elding's Sea Angling Gourmet tour, which runs a 3 to 3.5 hour session from Hlésgata through 20 September.

Side by Side

All of them are shared-boat saltwater trips from the Reykjavik waterfront that feed you the catch. The differences are group size, pickup and what arrives with the meal. This Special Tours trip is the cheapest of the group and has by far the most reviews, which makes its 4.7 rating the most reliable number here.

Tour figures below come from the operator listings.

Book Something Else If

You want a small boat and door-to-door ease: book Traditional Sea Fishing with BBQ Feast, capped at 12 passengers with hotel pickup and drop-off included, though it is not recommended for children under 4. You want the longest session and a wider species list: Elding's Sea Angling Gourmet Experience runs 3 to 3.5 hours and lists mackerel and Atlantic wolffish alongside cod and haddock. You want drinks and blankets on a cold evening: Finest Catch Sea Angling sails on the Jóhanna with an indoor cabin and a restroom, includes coffee, sparkling water and warm blankets, and teaches the basics at the grounds.

You are in North Iceland: the Hauganes whale watching and sea angling tour pairs whales with a fjord angling stop for $100. This page is one entry in our catalogue of Iceland fishing tours.

What to Wear

Protective clothing is supplied, so you do not need waterproofs of your own, but what goes underneath matters. The operator advises warm clothes and sunscreen in summer, because an evening on an open deck in Faxaflói runs colder than the street. Wear layers, add a hat and gloves outside high summer, and choose non-slip footwear, because decks are wet.

Sunglasses and sunscreen earn their place on clear evenings. Keep a spare pair of dry socks in your bag for afterwards. Everything else, rods, tackle and the protective outer layer, is on the boat waiting for you.

Weather, Catches and Rebooking

Sea tours can be cancelled or moved for wind and swell, and calm weather is not guaranteed even in July. Reviewers are clear that some evenings produce few fish. The AI review summary itself asks for clearer information on low-catch outcomes and rebooking options, so do not expect the boat to solve a slow evening for you on the spot.

The practical answer is in your own hands: book the trip for the first or second evening of your stay rather than the last, and keep another evening free. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, so moving your booking costs nothing. Reserve now and pay later is offered, which keeps your plans flexible while you watch the forecast.

Meeting Point, Payment and Rules

Check in at the Special Tours ticket office on Geirsgata 11, 101 Reykjavik, at the Old Harbour. The optional hotel pickup carries a small extra fee and is only available for registered hotels and guesthouses in Reykjavik, and it starts 60 minutes before sailing. The fare of $162 per person includes all taxes and fees, the guide, fishing equipment, protective clothing and the grilled catch with potatoes. Drinks are not stated as included, so bring water. The minimum age is not stated, and the trip needs no fishing licence because rod fishing at sea for your own consumption requires no permit. The meal counts as lunch or dinner included on the booking. Wheelchair access is not stated, ask the operator before booking if that matters.

Source: island.is recreational fishing rules, Special Tours sea angling.

Photo ID, Parking and the Two-Passenger Rule

Bring valid photo ID. Special Tours asks for it at check-in at the Geirsgata 11 office. There is no parking at the harbour itself. The operator points to paid street spots and a parking garage nearby, so allow a few extra minutes if you arrive by car, or walk down from the centre. If you book the optional hotel pickup, it starts 60 minutes before departure.

Smoking, alcohol and drugs are not allowed on board.

The trip also needs at least two passengers booked. If only one person has booked, Special Tours reschedules the sailing or refunds it. That is rare on a listing with this many reviews, but it is one more reason to book early in your stay and keep a spare evening free.

Source: Special Tours sea angling.

If You Get Seasick

Faxaflói Bay is open water, and the swell can be noticeable even on a bright evening. One Iceland sea-fishing guide advises taking motion sickness medication 30 to 60 minutes before departure, rather than waiting until you feel unwell. Ask your pharmacist which tablet suits you and whether it causes drowsiness, because you will be handling a rod and a hook. Eat something light beforehand, keep your eyes on the horizon while the boat is moving, and stand near the middle of the deck where the motion is smallest. Fishing itself is a good distraction, since the boat is mostly slow or stopped once the lines are down.

Source: Atlas Iceland sea fishing guide.