Around Iceland

The world's most northerly capital enjoys almost 24-hour sunlight in summer, all the better to show off the city’s eclectic architecture and dazzling natural wonders. Your English-speaking guide and driver meet you at the airport and take you to The Grand Hotel near the city centre. You can walk to the nearby Saga Museum to brush up on Icelandic history, or catch a peek of historic Hofdi House, site of the 1986 summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev that effectively ended the Cold War. Get a good night’s sleep, because tomorrow will be a busy one. (Includes overnight at The Grand Hotel and airport transfer).

After breakfast, head to Borgarfjordur, 56 miles from Reykjavik. This region was the setting for most of the Icelandic sagas and you’ll learn some folk tales as you view the short, fierce rapids of Barnafoss Waterfall and the series of rivulets that form Hraunfossar Waterfall. After lunch, step into the dazzling, blue-hued Langjokull Ice Tunnels and marvel at the natural beauty of one of the most striking glacier caves in Iceland. Enjoy the evening at your leisure. (Includes overnight at The Grand Hotel, breakfast, and lunch).

Explore remarkable Pingvellir National Park after breakfast. This UNESCO World Heritage site is where the world’s oldest democratic parliament was founded in 930, and is also where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Because of this unique geography, Iceland has magma close to the surface – one of the criteria required to produce geysers. See this in action at nearby Strokkur Geyser before lunch at Fridheimar Tomato Farm. Next up is Gullfoss Waterfall, where icy water thunders down a double fall into a deep gorge. Travel to the small village of Fludir, home to the Secret Lagoon natural hot springs, then to the village of Stokkseyri for a dinner of local dishes before heading back to Reykajavik and the Grand Hotel. (Includes overnight at The Grand Hotel breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

Breakfast is included at the hotel. A sightseeing tour of Reykjavik takes you to see Perlan the Pearl with an impressive panoramic view of Reykjavik, The Hallgrimskirkja, the church with an imposing tower that dominates the skyline. Bathe in the famous Blue Lagoon for a healthy mineral soak before heading to your waiting ship. (Includes breakfast and transfer to yacht).

Today you get onboard and the ship will depart at approximately 1700.

Take a boat tour to view Surtsey Island, which only rose from the sea in the 1960s and has been a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site since its birth. The other big attraction here is seabirds. Zodiac tours provide close up views of seabird populated sea cliffs including the largest colony of Atlantic puffins.

Heimaey, where a volcanic eruption created a modern-day Pompeii in 1973. 

Seydisfjord is 11 miles of long, narrow, beautiful waterway surrounded by high mountains that ends at the town of Seydisfjordur, known for its old multi-colored wooden buildings and cascading waterfalls even in the town.  This is home of the Skalanes Nature Reserve with its wide variety of wildlife including more than 45 bird species.  The first high-voltage electricity in Iceland was opened here in 1913 and is still in operation today. A popular hiking path starts at the town center, following the east bank of the Fjardara River that flows through the center of town. 

Akureyri is an important port and fisheries center especially because of its ice-free harbor so close to the Arctic Circle.  It lies at the end of Iceland’s longest fjord, which is 37 miles long, at sits at the base of snowcapped peaks that offer some of Iceland’s best skiing during the winter.  Must-sees in Akureyri include the Listagil (art canyon) which is home to many arts and crafts galleries and shops, the beautiful church in the center of town, the botanical garden, and Hafnarstraeti, the main shopping street.This is also the perfect place to ride an Icelandic horse or soak in the sky-blue Myvatn Nature Baths.

Small and easily walkable Isafjordur has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. But the sever decline of the fishing industry has caused Isafjordur to look elsewhere for work. Despite its small size, this town has a school of music and has become a center for alternative music and they host a yearly festival that provides a platform for local musicians, band from around Iceland and the world to perform.

Beautiful Grundarfjordur is located between a mountain range and the sea.  The road nearby crosses a lava field that is partially warm so snow does not always stick there. The main attraction of the area is Snæfellsjokull National Park full of regal glaciers, lava fields, waterfalls, caves, calderas, and basalt cliffs. The peninsula there received the EARTHCHECK Sustainable Community Award in 2010, the first area in Iceland to win such an award.

Back to Reyjavik and saying goodbye to the ship and the friends you have made.