Traditional Sea Fishing with BBQ Feast in Reykjavik

The Boat and the Group

Happy Tours Iceland runs this as a small-boat trip with a hard cap of 12 passengers. That is the point of the booking. The operator promises plenty of space to relax for everyone on board.

The boat is a traditional fishing vessel, and the crew are local guides who speak English and Icelandic. One reviewer described a short safety talk before departure and a quick demonstration at the first fishing spot, with guides moving the boat between spots to keep the action going. If you fish alone, you will not be queuing for a rod.

If you fish with family, the crew help take fish off hooks for anyone squeamish. This is the trip for people who want personal service rather than a big-deck operation.

The Fishing

You fish for cod, haddock, pollock and rockfish in the bay and islands outside Reykjavik. All equipment is supplied, including quality Penn reels according to one reviewer, and the guide gives instruction and guidance throughout, so total beginners are fine. No sea fishing licence is needed in Iceland for rod fishing for your own consumption, so there is no paperwork between you and the first drop.

The captain works the trip. One reviewer said the captain put them on the fish from the first drop, and others mention the boat moving to several locations to keep everyone catching. Many reviewers report seeing whales and puffins on the way, though that is a bonus and never a promise.

The Meal

The meal is the payoff and the reason this trip carries BBQ in its name. Your catch comes back to the harbour and is cooked as pan-fried fish with potatoes and sauce, which the operator calls lunch made from the catch of the day. One reviewer described the day's catch gently poached with onions, served with cold salads and cookies for dessert.

The crew fillet the fish for you, so there is no work on your side beyond the catching. In practice the exact preparation depends on the day's fish, but reviewers consistently call it delicious, and one American family said the feast afterwards was as described in the booking. If your priority is eating what you catch rather than landing a trophy, this part of the trip does the job well, and it lands at a civilised hour back at the harbour with your afternoon still intact.

Book It If You Want Pickup and a Small Boat

This is the only Reykjavik trip we compare that includes hotel pickup and drop-off in the ticket price at this group size. The cheapest Reykjavik boat costs $162, so the convenience costs you $6 more, and you skip the job of walking to the harbour with warm clothes for three hours at sea. The 12-passenger cap also matters if you are travelling with children, since the crew have time for every angler, and lifejackets are provided and required for everyone aged 12 and under.

First-timers get fishing instruction included, and the crew fillet whatever you catch. If you have one free afternoon in Reykjavik and want a single booking that covers transport, gear, teaching and lunch, this is the trip built for that.

Think Twice If You Have Toddlers or Large Appetites

The operator does not recommend the trip for children under 4, and there is no minimum age flexibility stated beyond that. Three hours on a small open boat in the North Atlantic is a long stretch for a toddler, so families with very young children should look at the whale watching and angling option in Hauganes instead, which runs on sheltered water. Second, the meeting point causes regular confusion, which reviewers mention more than once.

None of these are dealbreakers, but they are the reasons this trip might not be the right fit, and they are worth a minute of thought before you book.

Finding the Meeting Point

The meeting point is Hlésgata, 101 Reykjavik, at the Old Harbour, and if you take the included hotel pickup you will never need to find it yourself. If you walk in, two reviewers independently reported the same problem. Becky from the United States had a little difficulty locating it and advises to walk through the Maritime Museum and down the dock.

Anna from Switzerland could not find it either because a board with a different company name confused them, and they only spotted the right boat when they saw people gathering. So the practical advice is simple. Head for the Maritime Museum at the Old Harbour, walk through it and down the dock, and look for the small fishing boat with the crowd.

Arrive early.

Reykjavik Boats Side by Side

This listing first, then the boats a reader would most likely weigh against it. Pickup column shows whether transport from your hotel is included in the ticket price.

Book Something Else If

If you want the cheapest Reykjavik seat and do not mind meeting the boat yourself, the Sea Fishing Boat Tour and BBQ from Special Tours costs $162 and runs a shorter 2.5 to 3 hours on a shared deck. If an indoor cabin and a restroom on board matter more than hotel pickup, Viggson Sailing's Finest Catch trip at $179 sails on the Jóhanna, a traditional Icelandic boat with both, plus coffee and home-made cookies on the way out. If you want the longest session on the water, Elding's Sea Angling Gourmet runs 3 to 3.5 hours for $188.

And if you are staying in North Iceland rather than Reykjavik, the whale watching and sea angling trip from Hauganes costs $100 and includes whales with your fishing, though you drive yourself and lunch is not included.

What to Wear

The operator strongly recommends warm clothes and dressing according to the weather. Waterproof clothing is supplied as part of the ticket, so you do not need to bring your own shell, but what goes underneath is on you. Think layers, because you will be standing still at a rail on open water for a couple of hours, and still bodies cool fast even on a sunny day.

One reviewer fished in sunshine at about 13°C (55°F) and was comfortable, which tells you the range you might get. Wear non-slip footwear with a grip, since decks are wet. In high summer bring sunscreen, since the low sun reflects off the water for hours.

A hat and gloves earn their place on any Iceland boat trip, whatever the season.

What Can Go Wrong

Sea tours can be cancelled or moved for wind and swell, so build a spare day into your plans rather than booking this for your last morning. The operator offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, so a change of plan on your side costs nothing if you decide in time. The two issues reviewers actually report are practical rather than dangerous.

First, the meeting point is hard to find, with two separate parties ending up confused, so arrive early and follow the walk through the Maritime Museum and down the dock. Second, fishing is fishing. Catch volume depends on the day, and reviewers who hit calm clear weather caught plenty, which means a rough day may produce less.

The crew mitigate this by moving the boat between spots.

Booking Details

The price is $168 per person with all taxes and fees included, booked through GetYourGuide. You can reserve now and pay later, which keeps your plans flexible, and you cancel free up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. The guide speaks English and Icelandic. Children are welcome from around age 4, and everyone aged 12 and under wears a provided lifejacket. No fishing licence is needed for this trip, since rod and hand-reel fishing at sea for your own consumption requires no permit in Iceland, and the catch cannot be sold. Difficulty is rated easy. The duration is approximately 3 hours, and the exact starting time appears when you check availability for your date.

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

Two Old Harbour Addresses

This page gives the meeting point as Hlésgata, where the boat ties up. Happy Tours Iceland also names its ticket office as Aegisgardur 5C, 101 Reykjavik, on the Old Harbour. That is the address on the operator's own sea angling page, which otherwise lists no time or policy. If you take the included hotel pickup you will not need either address. If you walk in, use Hlésgata for the boat and treat Aegisgardur 5C as the office to find if something goes wrong. Aegisgardur is also the street of the Elding office, so check the company name on the door before you wait in the wrong queue.

Source: Happy Tours sea angling, Elding sea angling.

Departure Time and Seasickness

The exact departure time appears when you check availability for your date, and that is the figure to trust. If you take the included hotel pickup, your confirmation gives the collection time.

If the sea makes you queasy, one Iceland sea-fishing guide advises taking motion sickness medication 30 to 60 minutes before departure. Ask a pharmacist about drowsiness before you sail.

Source: Atlas Iceland sea fishing guide.