Iceland

We depart on our overnight flight to Reykjavik.

We arrive in Reykjavik, which means “Smoky Bay” due to the wisps of steam rising from its geothermal springs. After arrival we transfer to the Viking World Museum for a buffet breakfast and time to visit the exhibition. Afterwards, we enjoy a city tour of the capital where we will see the old town centre, the Parliament, the Cathedral, the harbour and the National Museum. The rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight is our welcome dinner.

Today we head west, stopping en route to visit the spectacular Hraunfossar Waterfall—hundreds of metres wide, this is one of Iceland’s most beautiful sights. We’ll also visit Barnafoss, or the “Children’s Falls,” named after a local legend.

We begin our “ring tour” with a stop at the 3,000-year-old Grábrók Volcano. Grábrók is the biggest crater of three along this volcanic crack. Next we visit an Icelandic Horse farm to learn about this small and sturdy breed of horse that has remained unchanged since its introduction by the Vikings over 1100 years ago. Tonight we stay in Akureyri, the “Capital of the North”.

This morning we will have time to explore the town of Akureyri before we head to Godafoss “Waterfalls of the Gods”—one of the most spectacular in Iceland. We then visit Grenjaðarstaður Turf house to see the best preserved turf houses and discover the way of life of Icelanders before the 1900s. We will then proceed to our hotel in Lake Mývatn for a 2-night stay.

Today we explore the remarkable natural attractions of this area including Dimmuborgir (Dark Castles—towering lava formations), and the bubbling sulfur mudpots of Viti Crater and Krafla, which mark the continental divide between the North American and Eurasian Tectonic Plates. This afternoon we have time to soak in the soothing mineral waters at the Mývatn Nature Baths.

We continue east on the ring road to Dettifoss—the largest waterfall in Europe. Next is Möðrudalur—the most isolated farm in Iceland, from where we will enjoy a spectacular view of Herdubreid, fondly referred to as the “Queen of all Mountains in Iceland”. Before arriving at our hotel we will visit the Wilderness Centre in Egilsstadir for insights into how truly harsh life was in Iceland in previous centuries.

We travel along the east coast, with its towering mountains and sheer rock faces plunging into the sea to form Iceland’s spectacular East Fjords. We will stop at Auðunn’s Stone Collection. This unusual assortment of thousands of stones is located in a private home and spread out over a large garden. After our visit we drive to the heights of Almannaskarð Pass past Lonsöræfi, a mountainous wilderness ringed by extinct volcanoes. At Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon we embark on a boat cruise to see up close where huge icebergs have broken off the ever-shifting mass of Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier.

At Skaftafell National Park we take a walk to get up close to the glacier itself. After travelling through Eldhraun—the largest mass of lava ever to flow on earth— we cross the volcanic sand desert of Mýrdalssandur until we reach Vik for our overnight.

This morning we visit the Lava Centre—Iceland’s newest attraction and one of the world’s best exhibitions of seismic and volcanic activity. We will make a stop at Gullfoss (“Golden Waterfall”) before continuing to the geothermal region of Haukadalur to see the Strokkur Geyser which erupts spectacularly (and very entertainingly) every 7 minutes. Our last visit is Pingvellir National Park, where the ancient parliament of the country was established in 930 AD, before we arrive in Reykjavik. Tonight we enjoy our farewell dinner.

We visit the famous Blue Lagoon for an opportunity to bathe in the mineral-rich geothermal pools, before proceeding to the airport for our flight back to Canada.