Reykjavik Old Harbour

The Reykjavik Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin) is a working harbour at the foot of the old town, reached along Geirsgata in Reykjavik, Iceland. It covers the Grandi and Old Harbour area, where fishing boats, research vessels and tour boats share the quays. Over recent years the former fish-processing buildings have been turned into restaurants, cafés, design shops and museums, giving the waterfront a mix of industrial character and visitor facilities while it still serves the fishing fleet.

The harbour is the main departure point for whale watching and puffin tours. Operators run boat trips into Faxaflói bay, where minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises are among the species commonly reported, and puffin cruises visit nearby islands in the breeding season. Tour departures are concentrated between about 09:00 and 17:00 in summer, and the quayside ticket offices and booking kiosks are clustered along the water. Prices are set by each operator, so they vary.

On shore there is plenty to see on foot. Seafood restaurants line the harbour edge, and the Reykjavik Maritime Museum and the Whales of Iceland exhibition are a short walk west in Grandi. Visitors can follow the waterfront promenade east toward Harpa and the Sun Voyager sculpture, which creates an easy half-day route. The harbour is free to walk at all hours, and a visit usually lasts one to three hours depending on whether a boat trip or meal is included.

Summer mornings are the best time for boat tours because seas are calmer and daylight is long, though departures run in other seasons with different schedules. The harbour is busiest around midday, when cruise passengers and tour groups arrive, and calmer in the early morning and late evening. For photography, the colourful boats against the backdrop of Mount Esja are the classic view, and the low light of early evening gives the water a warm tone.