Arctic

Iceland's West Coast in Luxury

Iceland's West Coast in Luxury 8 days aboard Le Champlain

Discover the most beautiful landscapes on the Icelandic west coast during this 8-day cruise aboard Le Champlain. On the edge of the Arctic, between vast glaciers, vertiginous fjords, volcanoes and boiling geysers, Iceland offers a kaleidoscope of wild and romantic landscapes.

You will board the ship in Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital city. With its houses with colourful roofs and its lake that is home to countless ducks, the city offers a picture-postcard setting. It also boasts numerous cultural treasures, particularly in the field of contemporary art, with the Reykjavik Art Museum. The first port of call on your cruise: the bay of Grundarfjordur, right near Kirkjufell. This stunning cone-shaped mountain possesses a unique charm and this will be an opportunity to take some beautiful photos.

Le Champlain will then reach Grímsey, a small, hard-to-reach island where, in certain places, the volcanic rock forms magnificent basalt columns. Birds such as guillemots and puffins reign here. Finally, you will discover Heimaey. This is the only inhabited island in the Westman archipelago. It is an exceptional place composed of volcanoes and almost-desert landscapes, where fishing is the main food source.

Toni Hart

Namibia Birding and Photography Guide

An accomplished and experienced Namibia birding and photographic guide, Toni holds a Namibia Academy for Tourism and Hospitality Level 3 qualification (the highest level attainable in Namibia) and is widely renowned for her extensive knowledge of the cultures, ornithology, flora, astronomy and wildlife of the country. Read more >

Jenny Luxton

Falklands Expert & Guide

Born in Chartres in the West Falklands, Jenny grew up on the family farm where her love for animals was nurtured by the25,000 sheep, horses and cows that lived alongside her. Forever a nature, conservation and wildlife enthusiast Jenny has travelled extensively throughout the Falkland Islands, visiting each and every wildlife island at least once, and even travelling around some by yacht. Read more >

Highlights

Discover the 3 most emblematic sites in Iceland in ultimate luxury
Spot a splendid array of birdlife and wildlife including Arctic foxes, whales, gannets, Arctic terns, guillemots and puffins
Glaciers, lava fields, geysers, steam baths volcanoes and stunning landscapes

What's Included

Full board accommodation on board, including bar/beverage service
Transfers between airport and ship
Zodiac cruises and shore excursions
Entertainment and expert lecture programme
Loan of rubber boots
Expedition parka

7 nights 30/05/2019 - 06/06/2019

From Only £4,609pp

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Shortlist

Debbie
Arctic Specialist

Speak to someone who’s been to Arctic. Start planning your tailor-made trip by calling one of our friendly destination specialists on 0800 195 3385 or 44 1625 581143 for outside the UK.

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ITINERARY

7 ^Nights 8 ^Days

Itinerary Summary

Day 1 | Reykjavik
Day 2 | Grundarfjördur
Day 3 | Grimsey Island
Day 4 | Akureyri
Day 5 | Isafjördur
Day 6 | Heimaey
Days 7 - 8 | Reykjavik

1Day

Reykjavik

Embark between 4pm and 5pm for departure at 6pm.

This attractive harbour city is located just a few kilometres from the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik Arriving by sea, you'll see fishing boats moored in Hafnarfjörður's baysﾠ and volcanic rocks; ﾠHafnarfjörður is built on an ancient field of lava flow. In the town centre, basalt rocks point you in the direction of the historic houses of Sivertsen and Siggubær : their interiors and period furniture bring old Iceland back to life before your very eyes. Not far from here is a spectacular coastal walk and warm geothermal pools.

2Day

Grundarfjördur

This secret boreal hideaway is located at the foot of the Kirkjufell, on Snaefellsnes peninsula. Arriving by boat means you’ll get a closer view of the lava-stone rock standing like a sentinel at the entrance to the bay; Grundarfjörður lies sheltered behind this cone-shaped rock. A stone’s throw from the jetty, crystal clear waters, tundra and beaches give onto the cerulean waters of Breiðafjörður. Scattered with its emerald-coloured lawns, this town, with its buildings that merge into the surrounding countryside, will most certainly win your favour.

3Day

Grimsey Island

Grímsey is a small island located 40 km North of mainland Iceland. It was formed by volcanic rock that has generated majestic basalt pillars. The island has been inhabited since the Vikings came to Iceland and legend has it that it is named after the colonial sailor Grìmur, who sailed from the region of Sogn in Norway. This site is home to fabulous wildlife, with many bird colonies having chosen to nest along the jagged cliffs, such as the ‘‘clowns of the sea’’ known as the Atlantic Puffins. While many travellers come here in order to cross the invisible line into the Arctic Circle, the island is also famed as a place to observe the midnight sun.

From Grímseyjarhreppur, the island’s only town located on the west coast, then heading due south, you can take in the beauty of the hillsides, lushly carpeted with moss and grass. On the rest of the coastline, imposing basalt cliffs inhabited by sea birds stand proud.

4Day

Akureyri

The elegant city of Akureyri is located very close to the Arctic circle, tucked away in the Eyjafjörður fjord. It displays a stunning palette of colours: blue waters in the harbour, bronze mountain ash on the squares and brightly-coloured houses in the historical centre. As you walk along the cobbled streets, you’ll come across rows of terraces with wooden furniture, where you can sit and try some scrumptious cream donuts with a cup of coffee. A vast stairway cut into the hillside leads you up to the emblematic feature of the town, namely the Akureyrarkirkja church. You’ll be amazed by the very beautiful botanical garden made possible by a microclimate.

5Day

Isafjördur

Your ship will take you to the heart of the fjords of North-West Iceland, a wild land of lost valleys and steep cliffs, where man struggles to survive. In this very isolated region we find the Isafjörður fjord, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the country, mainly for its relief, forged by many very ancient basaltic flows. The town of Isafjörður, which nestles at the back of its fjord, between imposing mountains, is a delightful little town that lives exclusively from fishing. The capital of the Western fjords, its old wooden houses bear witness to its past as a major fishing port.

6Day

Heimaey

This land seated off the southern coast of Iceland is the largest of the Vestmann islands, and is the only inhabited island in the archipelago. The steep Edfell volcanoes and the green prairies of Herjólfsdalur offer rich contrast of nature. On the Stórhöfði road, look out over grey sand beaches and cliffs carved out by the Arctic ocean. From here, you can also see the bronze landscapes of the mountaintops. You could visit Eldheimar, an ultra-modern and interactive museum which traces the volcanic eruption has experienced Heimaey in 1973.

7 - 8Days

Reykjavik

Enjoy a final day of sailing past the remarkable Icelandic landscapes before disembarking on day in Reykjavik and transferring to the airport.

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Le Champlain

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What Our Customers
Say...

Ann Macleod, Scotland Sarah & David, Portsmouth James and Pamela Chapman, Halifax Geoff & Magda, Adelaide, Australia Ann & Paul, East Grinstead, Sussex Chris Janner, Manchester Gavin Burnett Stirling, United Kingdom Chris Pye, North Wales Chris Pye, North Wales Chris Conlan, Manchester, UK Boyan Todorov, Holland Karen Worton, Suffolk,UK Malcolm Green , UK Malcolm Green , UK Frances Hadfield, East Sussex, UK Mike Unwin, Brighton, UK Christine Matthews, London, UK Jan Broderick, Northumberland

Superlatives abound – a truly amazing experience...awesome. Thanks to all for making it such a memorable experience.

We have just returned from our Spitsbergen trip with Wildfoot and had to tell you what an amazing time we had! We saw 6 polar bears including a mother with 2 cubs as well as whales, walruses and lots of birds. The ship (Expedition) was really comfortable and the guides were so helpful and friendly. Thank you so much for making it all so easy.

I came to Wildfoot because a friend had booked with you when you were Antarctica Bound and they were right. Everything went perfectly, even when our flight was cancelled, you made sure we still made it to the ship with time to spare. L’Austral is a beautiful ship with first class service and food and the guides looked after us well. Very happy to recommend Wildfoot and L’Austral...

We had always wanted to see the Arctic and travelling all the way from Australia needed lots of information. After getting nowhere, we came across Wildfoot and found people who knew what they were talking about! Sara and John were so helpful and made the process easy, suggesting Iceland Greenland and Spitsbergen. This was perfect for us – amazing scenery and lots of wildlife, especially the polar bears in Spitsbergen. Thanks for everything. Ps, the ship was great too!

Just wanted to say thank you for suggesting a trip to Franz Josef Land as something different for the Arctic. We had a super trip and really enjoyed the Sea Spirit. Galapagos next!

Standing on the North Pole has been an ambition of mine since childhood and now I have done it! Thank you for making the process so easy - seeing polar bears and whales too was a real bonus.

The Sea Spirit expedition was excellent and the team organising it all were extremely good. 10 out of 10. Everything went very smoothly. The Iceland extension worked perfectly, all the organisation, connections etc. were excellent

The cruise was beyond my expectations. Got to see everything the captain wanted, even a polar bear mother with three cubs. Coal Miners Cabins were smashing. I did loads of birding and exploring over three days. All the people were great from the expedition leaders down to the passengers. So glad to have achieved my ambition of some 50 years standing and got amongst the ice of the Arctic, walked amongst it’s islands and witnessed the antics of its wonderful wildlife. What’s next??? I’ll need to speak with Sara again.

Thanks so much for enabling me to get to places I had always wanted to see from a very young age. “Ace” as my boys used to say!

Just wanted to send a quick note to say thank you very much for all your help in arranging our recent trip to Svalbard. Everything ran smoothly and the trip was a great success. Unfortunately I had to flew back a few days early and missed out on Isfjord Radio, which the rest of the team said was a brilliant place with amazing food, still the Basecamp Hotel and Nordenskiold Lodge were pretty amazing places, so I’m not complaining!

Writing back to tell you that the trip to the Arctic was all that it promised and more. It was a great wild-life sightseeing opportunity and the staff were really good.I had an excellent trip and have thousands of photos to go through.

I had an absolutely fabulous time won the Sergey Vavilov, it is an excellent ship. Sara was indeed right in her recommendation that they would be the most likely to push north into the ice to find the polar bears. We even circumnavigated Spitsbergen which was awesome and not o n the itinerary.It is such a wonderful way to take a trip when you are on your own – so if any of your potential single clients are unsure, definitely recommend it – I didn’t feel alone from the moment I stepped on board. I will be at the Birdfair next weekend and so will catch up with whoever is there – regarding this trip, and potentially my next!

Great cruise, staff and expedition team. Had a great trip.

We had a wonderful time, even though we didn't do all the places we were supposed to but we all felt were we went instead couldn't beaten. Saw animals I wanted to see. Bit worried what the food was like as some of the ships cooking leaves something to be desired, but food was very good. We thought all the guides were brilliant and informative, friendly and knowledgeable It was far better than we expected and even my husband thoroughly enjoyed it!

I wanted to let you know that I had a wonderful cruise in the Russian Far East. The landscape and destination were inspiring, we had some excellent wildlife sightings (sea otter, grey whale, Steller's sea eagle, snowy owl and Arctic fox were all firsts for me), and the Heritage team were superb. Rough seas forced a few changes to the itinerary but we also had some fabulous weather. All in all, a thrilling travel experience.Thanks once again for all your efforts

I thought you might like to know that this was an excellent holiday. Our guide, Brad, was absolutely wonderful, his enthusiasm and knowledge made the holiday even better. All in all the whole trip was excellent and we saw lots of bears, 24 on the first day. Fewer on the second and third days but still plenty, as well as arctic foxes,silver foxes and snowy owls. Even on the last day near the town we saw a bear on rocks by the beach.

What a great trip! Wildfoot built a great trip for us and every aspect was spot on. Our Iguazu guide was fun, interesting and helpful and all the transfers were timely and comfortable. The Antarctica Trip was superb - WIldfoot had given us the best advice and helped us choose the right ship and tour for what we wanted - A truly memorable Experience Thank You Wildfoot

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Debbie Grainger
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Iceland's West Coast in Luxury