Westman Islands Puffins, Volcano & Elephant Rock Tour

About 2.5 hoursGroup: Larger group, by coachEasyPick-up at your cruise shipAll ages from 2April to September

Heimaey town seen from the red slopes of Eldfell

Heimaey harbour below steep green cliffs

The black wooden stave church at Skansinn

A short tour of Heimaey, the only inhabited island in the Westman Islands, timed around your cruise ship's visit. In two and a half hours you see the rock shaped like an elephant, puffins at Stórhöfði, the volcano that nearly buried the town in 1973, and the old stave church by the harbour.

Elephant RockStórhöfði puffin colonyEldfell volcanoStave church at Skansinn

Elephant Rock
Stórhöfði puffin colony
Eldfell volcano
Stave church at Skansinn

Your day, stop by stop

Click a stop for photos and practical tips.

1Pick-up at your shipYour guide meets you at the main dock in Heimaey harbour.

Your guide meets you at the main dock in Heimaey harbour. The tour times follow your ship's time in port.

Read our Vestmannaeyjar guide →

Elephant Rock, a basalt cliff shaped like an elephant

Elephant RockOn the west side of the island stands Fíllinn, a basalt cliff worn by the sea into the shape of an elephant dipping its trunk into the water.

On the west side of the island stands Fíllinn, a basalt cliff worn by the sea into the shape of an elephant dipping its trunk into the water. It is one of the most photographed places on the island.

Read our Elephant Rock guide →

Stórhöfði puffin colonyStórhöfði is the southern tip of Heimaey and one of the largest puffin colonies in the world.

Stórhöfði is the southern tip of Heimaey and one of the largest puffin colonies in the world. From May to September you can watch puffins on the grassy cliffs or flying in from the sea with fish in their beaks.

Eldfell volcanoIn January 1973 a fissure opened on the edge of town and Eldfell grew out of it.

In January 1973 a fissure opened on the edge of town and Eldfell grew out of it. The eruption lasted five months, and about 400 houses were lost under lava and ash. From the viewpoints your guide tells you how the islanders were evacuated overnight and how they saved the harbour by pumping sea water onto the lava.

Stave church at SkansinnThe last stop is Skansinn by the harbour, with an old fort site and a black wooden stave church, a gift from Norway in 2000 to mark 1,000 years of Christianity in…

The last stop is Skansinn by the harbour, with an old fort site and a black wooden stave church, a gift from Norway in 2000 to mark 1,000 years of Christianity in Iceland. From here you return to your ship.

About the Westman Islands shore excursion

Heimaey is a small island with a lot of history. Its town was nearly lost to the 1973 eruption, its cliffs hold millions of seabirds in summer, and its harbour is one of the most important fishing ports in Iceland.

This shore excursion is made for cruise passengers. The guide picks you up at your ship, and the tour times are set around your ship's arrival. It is an easy tour with short walks from the coach at each stop.

Puffins nest on Heimaey from about May to September. Outside those months the tour still visits Stórhöfði for the views, but the birds are at sea.

Included

Pick-up and drop-off at your cruise ship
Professional guide

Not included

Food and drinks

What to bring

Warm, wind- and waterproof clothing
Comfortable shoes
Camera or binoculars for the puffins

Good to know

Duration: about 2.5 hours
Tour times follow your cruise ship's time in port
Child prices for ages 2 to 11, youth 12 to 15
Easy: short walks from the coach at each stop
Meeting point: Main dock in Heimaey harbour, at your cruise ship
Open the meeting point in Google Maps

Questions people ask

Can I join if I am not on a cruise ship?

This tour is planned around cruise ships and starts at the ship. If you are travelling on your own, see our Westman Islands day tour from Reykjavík.

When can I see puffins?

From about May to September, when they nest on the cliffs. Stórhöfði is one of the best places on the island to see them.

How much walking is there?

Very little. Each stop is a short walk from the coach.

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From14,990 ISKPer person