Optional tours are available from most ports for an additional charge.
Itinerary
Day Arrive Reykjavik, Iceland Arrive at the Reykjavik airport to be met by an English-speaking guide and a driver with luggage service. Spend the evening at your leisure and overnight at The Grand Hotel, a 4-star eco-friendly luxury hotel in the heart of the city.
Day Borgarfjordur & Husafell, Iceland Start with breakfast at the hotel and head to a morning in Borgarfjordur, 56 miles from Reykjavik. A full day guided tour highlights Barnafoss and Hraunfossar Waterfalls. Among the most popular tourist attractions, Barnafoss is a protected Natural Monument of short fierce rapids. Hraunfossar is a series of waterfalls formed by little rivulets streaming over a distance of 984 yards from the lava field known as Hallmundarhraun. Lunch will be served at the charming Bruaras Restaurant in Borgarfjordur. Visit the Langjokull Ice Tunnels by riding in a specially modified now truck out on the glacier and then an experienced guide will lead you into the cave to see the startling blue ice inside. Travel to the Hotel Hagar for an included 3-course dinner and overnight.
Day Pingvellir National Park Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before your full day tour of Pingvellir National Park, a remarkable geological phenomena, UNESCO site, and the most important historical site in Iceland, as it is the site of the worldââ¬â¢s oldest democratic parliament founded in 930. Continue to Geysir Hot Springs to see the famous geyser ââ¬ÅStrokkurââ¬Â that spouts every few minutes sending a geyser of piping hot water up to 60 feet (20 m) into the air. Buffet lunch is included at Hotel Geysir and then on to Gullfoss Waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Europe. Thousands of tons of icy water thunder majestically down in a double fall into a deep gorge. Travel to the small village of Fludir, home to the Secret Lagoon natural hot springs, where the pools natural surroundings and steam rising into the air gives the area a magical feel. There are several geothermal spots and a little geyser that erupts every 5 minutes. In the village of Stokkseyri enjoy a dinner of local dishes at Fjorubordid, the Seashore Restaurant. Then itââ¬â¢s back to Reykajavik to overnight at the Grand Hotel.
Day Reykjavik to the Ship Blue Lagoon / Reykjavik, IcelandDeparts 05:00 PM Breakfast is included at the hotel. A sightseeing tour of Reykjavik takes you to see The Open-Air Museum at Arbaer, 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.
The world's most northerly capital enjoys almost 24-hour sunlight in summer, all the better to show off the cityââ¬â¢s eclectic architecture and dazzling natural wonders. Soak in the milky Blue Lagoon, visit Guilfoss Waterfall, find Pingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site , or explore the surprisingly vibrant local museum and art scene.
Day Surtsey Island / Heimaey IslandArrives 12:00 AM Departs 12:00 AM / Arrives 10:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM Surtsey Island is a volcanic island off the southern coast of Iceland. Named after the Norse fire god Surtur, Surtsey (Surtur's island) is one of the world's newest islands.
At just four miles in length, Heimaey Island is the largest of all the 16 islands and 30 tiny islets that comprise the Westman Islands archipelago. The islands' inhabitants are rugged and independent, traits passed down from generations of isolation, natural disasters and brutal living conditions. Today Heimaey is the largest fishing center in all of Iceland, and the islanders prosper from extensive fish processing.
Day Seydisfjordur, IcelandArrives 06:00 PM Iceland's eastern coast was the first area to be settled, and the very ancient site of Thorrarinstadr is the earliest community yet discovered. Your Ventures team archaeologist will escort an optional tour to the site. The pretty, multicolored houses of Seydusfjordur are gathered on a narrow alluvial shelf at the base of a jaw-dropping mountain wall beside the fjord that gives it its name. Today it is a magnet for artists, musicians and other creative types inspired by the Icelandic grandeur. The Blue Church is a local icon, an early wooden structure that has been moved three times in its checkered history. There are a number of old wooden buildings dating from the immigration of Norwegian fishermen who settled here in 1848 to exploit the vast seasonal populations of herring.
Day Seydisfjordur, IcelandDeparts 01:30 PM Iceland's eastern coast was the first area to be settled, and the very ancient site of Thorrarinstadr is the earliest community yet discovered. Your Ventures team archaeologist will escort an optional tour to the site. The pretty, multicolored houses of Seydusfjordur are gathered on a narrow alluvial shelf at the base of a jaw-dropping mountain wall beside the fjord that gives it its name. Today it is a magnet for artists, musicians and other creative types inspired by the Icelandic grandeur. The Blue Church is a local icon, an early wooden structure that has been moved three times in its checkered history. There are a number of old wooden buildings dating from the immigration of Norwegian fishermen who settled here in 1848 to exploit the vast seasonal populations of herring.
Day Isafjordur, IcelandArrives 12:00 PM Departs 08:30 PM "Although it is the largest town in and the capital of the Westfjords region of Iceland, Ãsafjörður has a mere 2,600 inhabitants and is only connected to the mainland by a narrow nine-meter-wide (30-foot-wide) isthmus. Local lore has it that the isthmus, and the town itself, were formed by a group of trolls who wanted to live apart from humans. Despite its small population, Ãsafjörður has earned a reputation as a cultured and urbane town thanks to its excellent choral and theatrical groups, a nationally known theater festival called Act Alone and the popular music festival Aldrei Fór Ãg Suður (âI Never Went Southâ) held each Easter.
Ãsafjörður and its outlying regions stretch over 2,300 square kilometers (900 square miles) from the stunning waterfall of Dynjandi in the south to the vast Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in the north where, on the cliff of Hornbjarg, visitors can see the largest colony of seabirds in the North Atlantic. Along Iceland's spectacular coastline, glacier-carved green mountains stand in contrast against the deep blue sea."
Day Grundarfjordur, IcelandArrives 09:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM The Icelandic port of Grundarfjorour is characterized by a unique climate and unusually beautiful surroundings, and it's no surprise that this area has long attracted visitors who enjoy the beauty of the fjord in peaceful surroundings. Around 1800, French merchants came to Iceland and many settled in Grundarfjorour. Over time, the town became rich through the fishing industry, and this wealth shows in the style of the original, luxurious houses that were built, many of which are still visible today. Nearby, there is a large lava field called Berserkjahraun that is naturally warm year-round. The townspeople are proud to say that Grundarfjorour is probably the only city in the world where the building authorities have provided allotments for the "hidden people" or elves.