Greenland and Iceland Expedition

8 night Premium Iceland (Circle Island Tour)

Velkominn! Welcome to Iceland. Your adventure begins in Reykjavik, where you’ll be picked up from the airport by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. You’ll then have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, why not stroll around the world's northernmost capital and visit the National Museum to see the permanent exhibition on the history of Iceland. After your meeting, head out with your leader and small group to get to know Reykjavik’s food scene. Have dinner at one of the city’s fantastic local restaurants and learn about Icelandic produce and cuisine.
 Accommodation

• Hotel Reykjavik Centrum or similar (1 night)

 Meals

• Dinner

 Included activities

• Reykjavik - Welcome Dinner
• Complimentary Arrival Transfer

Special information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Today, you’ll board a private vehicle and drive to Thingvellir National Park (Parliament Plains) – your leader will explain how this spot is both the original location of Iceland’s first parliament from AD 930 and a geological phenomenon. From here, enter the Borgarfjordur area and visit the spectacular waterfalls of Hraunfossar (Lava waterfalls) and Barnafossar (Children’s waterfalls). Continue to Deildartunguhver – Europe’s hottest water spring. In the afternoon, head to your overnight stay in the southern part of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. When you’re settled, meet up with your group for dinner.

 Accommodation

• Hotel Snaefellsnes or similar (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast
• Dinner

 Included activities

• Borgarfjordur - Deildartunguhver Hot Spring
• Golden Circle - Thingvellir National Park (Parliament Plains)
• Borgarfjordur - Hraunfossar & Barnafoss Waterfalls

Today you’ll continue around the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and its glacier Snaefellsjokull – an icecap covering a dormant volcano. Visit the small town of Budir, followed by a stop at the basaltic pebble beaches framed by lava. Then, visit Arnarstapi, where a short stroll along the coastal cliffs gives you access to the rich birdlife of the area. Continue to Grundarfjordur, where you’ll stop and meet a local artist named Liston, who will show you his workshop. Admire his stone carvings and find out about the life of a local artisan. You’ll also have a guided tour of the Glaumbaer Farm and Museum. The farmhouse is built of turf, stones and timber and dates back to the Age of the Settlements (AD 900). After, drive to Saudarkrokur in Iceland's north, located on Skagafjordur Fjord. Your home for the night is the family-run Hotel Tindastoll, Iceland’s oldest hotel. Experience a part of Iceland’s history as soon as you step through the door – the hotel’s past is everywhere, from the antique furniture to the original architecture. The hotel also features a courtyard with a thermal hot tub and some pretty incredible surroundings.

 Accommodation

• Hotel Tindastoll Saudarkrokur (Feature Stay) or similar (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast
• Dinner

 Included activities

• Snaefellsnes Peninsula - Snaefellsjokull, Arnarstapi & Stykkisholmur
• Snaefellsnes Peninsula - Liston's Stone Carving Workshop
• Glaumbaer - Turf Houses visit and guided tour

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.

Drive around the Trollaskagi Peninsula and visit the small fishing town of Siglufjordur. Explore the town centre, dwarfed by towering mountains on three sides with the fjord on its north. Further along the coast you’ll have the opportunity to dip your toes in the Arctic Ocean before an Icelandic schnapps tasting, accompanied by some local delicacies – think shark, lamb’s head, liver sausage and dried fish. Continue to Hauganes, where you’ll get to know the gentle giants of Iceland’s waters on board a carbon neutral whale watching tour. Minke and humpback whales are commonly spotted in these parts, and the boat keeps a respectful distance from the whales, allowing you to observe them in their natural environment without disturbing or distressing them. You’ll be joined on board by an expert whale watching guide who will help to spot these beautiful creatures while providing insight on their lives and habitats in Arctic waters. Continue to the town of Akureyri and head out for a leader-led orientation walk when you arrive. Next, drive to the mighty waterfall of Godafoss, also known as The Waterfall of the Gods, before continuing to your hotel in Husavik.

 Accommodation

• Fosshotel Husavik or similar (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Included activities

• Trollaskagi Peninsula - Siglufjordur
• Trollaskagi Peninsula - Icelandic Specialties Tasting
• Myvatn - Godafoss Waterfall
• Hauganes - Whale Watching Excursion

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Start the day with a journey to Lake Myvatn – one of the most interesting geological areas of the northern hemisphere. Visit several geological anomalies lining the lake’s shoreline, including the lava labyrinth of Dimmuborgir, the pseudo-crater group at Skutustadir and the boiling mud pots and sulphuric vents of Namaskard. Your leader will be on hand to explain how these natural wonders came to be. Drive via the highlands to your overnight stop at Egilsstadir.

 Accommodation

• Hotel 1001 Nott or similar (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Included activities

• Myvatn - Lake Myvatn
• Myvatn - Namaskard Boiling Mud Pools, Dimmuborgir & Skutustadir Crater Group

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

This morning after breakfast, continue along the beautiful coastal region of Iceland's East Fjords, taking in the views of varied landscapes as mountains give way to deep fjords. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a seal or two! Drive to the famous Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon for a boat tour on the milky blue waters. Get up close and personal with huge floating icebergs, originating from Vatnajokull – Europe’s largest ice cap. Make stops along the way at small towns like Djupivogur, which became a member of the cittaslow movement in 2013 and is aiming to be the Happiest Town in Iceland. Later, discover the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon – your Feature Stay for this evening. This modern and contemporary hotel carefully considers its surroundings as spacious rooms with huge windows show off views of the mountains and sea, while the interiors reflect the colours of the world outside.

 Accommodation

• Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon or similar (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast
• Dinner

 Included activities

• Jokulsarlon - Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride (seasonal)
• East Fjords - Scenic Drive

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours.

Visit Vatnajokull National Park today and walk to the tongue of the glacier of the same name. Drive over the black sands and lava formations caused by the Laki eruption of 1782 to 1783 – an event that has shaped Iceland's history and culture. Visit the waterfalls of Seljarlandsfoss and Skogafoss, then continue to your base for the evening near Hella.

 Accommodation

• Landhotel Hella or similar (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast
• Dinner

 Included activities

• South Coast - Laki Lava Fields
• South Coast - Seljalandsfoss & Skogafoss Waterfalls

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours.

From Hella, drive to the geyser geothermal area for the spouting hot springs of Geysir (after which all other geysers were named) and Strokkur – the most reliable of the geysers, erupting every ten minutes on average. Then, it’s on to Gullfoss (the Golden Waterfall) where on a sunny day, you can see rainbows shimmer in the spray above the waterfall. Visit the Sky Lagoon – a geothermal spa overlooking the ocean. Sit back and relax in the warming waters as you breathe in the ocean air and soak in the views. Drive back to Reykjavik for a short tour with your leader to get to know the main sights of this eclectic city. The evening is free for you to explore the streets of Iceland’s capital – you may like to join your group for a final dinner together to round off your adventure.

 Accommodation

• Hotel Reykjavik Centrum or similar (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Included activities

• Reykjavik - Leader-led walking tour
• Golden Circle - Strokkur Geyser & Gullfoss Waterfalll
• Reykjavik - Sky Lagoon

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

With no activities planned, your adventure comes to an end after breakfast today. Overnight hotel stay in Reykjavik, Iceland

Overnight hotel stay in Reykjavik, Iceland

Overnight hotel stay in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Wake up to breakfast. Fly from Reykjavik to Nuuk. 

 Ship departs 10:00PM

Today we’ll reach Disko Bay – a haven for whales and other wildlife. The waters here are scattered with icebergs in many shapes and sizes, and they all come from one place – the Ilulissat Icefjord. This spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site regularly tops the list of things to see and do in Greenland, and today you'll find out why. Enjoy the scenery as you walk along the wooden path to the breathtaking ice fjord.  

Marvel at giant icebergs floating placidly in the deep blue waters as they take on different hues of white, grey and blue. All photographers, regardless of skill, will return to the ship with the most enviable images. Back in pretty Ilulissat, visit the Icefjord Centre to learn more about the ice in this fascinating area and take a hike to Sermermiut to take in the incredible views. 

Greenland’s Far North begins beyond the Nuussuaq Peninsula. Here, life moves at the rhythm of the Arctic –unhurried and guided by the elements. 

This rugged, beautiful land has drawn people for over 4,000 years. Early settlers navigated its coastline and carved out a life in conditions few could endure. Today, archaeological sites stand as quiet markers of their resilience, including the famous Qilakitsoq mummies discovered in this very region. 

Potential landings may include visits to small, remote communities like Uummannaq, watched over by its striking heart-shaped mountain, or Ukkusissat. Weather and ice permitting, we’ll explore the Qilakitsoq site, cruise into secluded fjords, or step ashore to take in Greenland’s raw Arctic landscapes – always ready to adapt, as nature allows.

Grandeur in the key word here. Disko Bay is one of those places that people dream about. And with good reason – the deep blue waters here are scattered with icebergs in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are truly immense, weighing up to seven million tonnes, and the ice fjord pumps out more water in the form of glacial ice in a day than New York City uses in a year.  

Traditional communities, massive glaciers, and seemingly endless stretches of wilderness await us during our exploration of the region. Over the next days, we aim to show you the wonders of the bay, including Vaigat Sound, Disko Island, and the eastern fjords. Of course, Mother Nature has the upper hand, so we’ll always be ready to adjust our plans to the local weather and ice conditions, 

Get ready for nature landings in our expedition boats, cruising in between ice floes and icebergs, whale spotting from deck and more talks by the Expedition Team. On landings, keep your eyes open and maybe you’ll catch sight of a reindeer herd, a fast-moving Arctic fox, or a powerfully built gyrfalcon.  

Ship arrives 06:00 AM

Today, as we arrive at Nuuk, you will say a fond farewell to MS Fridtjof Nansen, her crew, the Expedition Team and the new friends you will have made. The lively capital of Greenland is a metropolis compared to all other towns in the country you have visited over the last couple of weeks. If you have time before flying back home, it is a fascinating window onto modern Greenland.  

From here, you'll catch a flight back to Reykjavík, taking with you a wealth of fantastic memories that will no doubt endure.

Overnight hotel stay in Reykjavik

Fly from Reykjavik back to Australia