Elves, Sagas and Volcanoes of Iceland

Your Icelandic cruise will begin in the capital city of Reykjavik where your expedition vessel will be waiting for you. You may wish to arrive a day or 2 early to spend some time exploring this charming and vibrant modern city which offers top restaurants, interesting museums and quirky narrow streets. Embarkation will begin in the afternoon and as you settle in to your cabin and explore your new surroundings we will set sail for our adventure.

Welcome to West Iceland, otherwise known as “The Sagaland”, where we will find a spectacularly diverse landscape of lava and rock formations, glaciers, volcanic activity and hot and cold springs. We will spend a day exploring here including the town of Stykkishólmur where you can enjoy a gentle stroll through the town or join an optional excursion to explore more of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. On these excursions you can expect to see the Snæfellsjökull glacier as well as the area’s volcanic craters, black sandy beaches, bird cliffs and spectacular mountains.

Today’s adventures will see us discover more of Iceland’s enchanting west coast as we reach the small and charming settlement of Patreksfjördur where we hope to enjoy some excellent hiking opportunities in the picturesque fjord. There are also a number of spectacular waterfalls nearby that are well worth a visit including the remarkable Dynjandi waterfall. The area is also close to the famous Látrabjarg cliffs. This is an excellent spot for birding with millions of birds of different species creating a hive of activity. We can expect to see razorbills, puffins, northern gannets and guillemots amongst much more.

Today will be spent at sea enjoying an exciting cruise through some of northwest Iceland’s most stunning fjord systems. Your experienced captain will determine a route for optimum scenic experiences and conditions permitting we will hope to enjoy some landings and hiking opportunities. This will also be a great time for the kayakers amongst us to enjoy an exploration along the coastline.

Our next stop will offer a stark contrast to the sights we have seen so far as we visit the lively and vibrant town of Akureyri, Iceland’s second most populous community. Akureyri serves as the centre of trade, culture and services for the north of Iceland, and here there are many optional excursions available including a visit to the Myvatn nature baths or to the impressive Goðafoss waterfall.

Today offers the chance to cross the Arctic Circle from North to South as we hop into our small boats to land at the green and grassy island of Grímsey. The Arctic Circle cuts across the island and we will take a walk across the landscape to step over the invisible circle line.

Today we arrive in the “the land of elves” as we visit beautiful Bakkagerdi, the main settlement in Borgarfjörður. This peaceful area is one of Iceland’s hidden gems and is home to delightful views, tranquil walks and excellent birding opportunities with large puffin colonies abounding in the scenic fjord. Here there may also be an optional excursion to the natural forest of Hallormsstaður offered.

Spectacular Heimaey is the largest of the Westman Islands and will be the last stop on our exciting Iceland expedition. Our historian experts will accompany us here as we explore this island which is known as “Iceland’s Pompeii” due to an unexpected volcanic eruption in 1973 which forced the entire population of the island to evacuate and set sail to mainland Iceland. The eruption caused substantial damage, with a large number of buildings being buried underneath the ash and lava, and many being completely destroyed. A number of buildings have since been unearthed and restored and there is now a fascinating museum, Eldheimar, which has been built around the remains of one of the homes.

Located off the south coast of Iceland, the Westman Islands are dominated by magnificent cliffs which form the natural habitats for many different seabirds, including puffins and kittiwakes, and are also a great place for whale watching. We will hope to explore by small boat through the surrounding waters in search of wildlife sightings.

Arrival into Reykjavik will sadly signal the end of our thoroughly enjoyable cruise, and after breakfast it will be time to disembark and bid a fond farewell to our expedition team. There are numerous optional post-voyage excursions available in this unique city, an early Viking settlement that today has become the modern capital of Iceland. These include an exciting Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon excursion, and please feel free to ask for more details on these.