Compare A Circumnavigation of Iceland by Adventure Smith vs Iceland In-Depth featuring the Northern Lights by Tours of Distinction
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 11 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 9,820 | $ 3,699 |
| Price Per Day | $ 893 | $ 462 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small ship cruise | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Luxury |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
8 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches and 8 Dinners |
6 Breakfasts | 3 Lunches | 5 Dinners |
| Description |
A Circumnavigation of Iceland, an 11-day expedition aboard the National Geographic Explorer, explores Iceland’s geology in all its world-class manifestations: glaciers, thundering waterfalls, immense cliffs, geothermal springs, boiling mud pots and rock and lava-scapes of unearthly beauty. These features alone make a circumnavigation a very compelling idea. And when you add in the other itinerary components of Iceland’s people, their unique cultural heritage and contemporary character, the island’s geography and birdlife seeing it all in one expedition is irresistible. |
Iceland is one of the world’s ultimate islands of contrasts… fire and ice; long nights with colorful northern lights and daylight for 20 hours; glaciers and steaming hot geysers, waterfalls galore, pretty puffins, and magical elves. It is a fierce landscape of volcanoes, plains of mossy, craggy cliffs, and black sand beaches. It is an island still being formed by water, ice, and fire and closer than you believe. |
Day 1: U.S./Fly to Reykjavik, Iceland
Fly to Reykjavik, Iceland. Recommended group flights may be available.
Day 2: Embark Reykjavik
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: National Geographic Explorer
Arrive in Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital, which lies only a fraction below the Arctic Circle and receives just 4 hours of sunlight in winter and 22 in summer. Have a guided overview of the Old Town, including Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral with its 210-foot tower, and perhaps shed some light on Nordic culture at the National Museum, with its Viking treasures and artifacts, and unusual whalebone carvings on display. Embark National Geographic Explorer.
Day 3: Explore the West Coast of Iceland
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: National Geographic Explorer
National Geographic Explorer navigates Iceland’s wild western frontier, sailing past the immense Latrabjarg cliffs, the westernmost point of Iceland and home to a huge population of razorbills. The cliffs are an area once famous for egg collecting; the men were tied to ropes and lowered like spiders down onto the ledges. Continue to Flatey Island, a trading post for many centuries, for walks around the charming little hamlet that grew here, and take a Zodiac cruise along the coast.
Day 4: Ísafjördur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: National Geographic Explorer
Located in the Western Fjords, Ísafjördur is surrounded by water on three sides, sculpted by glaciers. Renowned for its traditional eider down production, it is a picture postcard of traditional Icelandic life and a great place for hiking, kayaking and for spotting eider ducks.
Day 5: Exploring Northwestern Iceland
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: National Geographic Explorer
Hornstandir is Iceland’s northernmost peninsula, situated in the Westfjords region. Stunningly beautiful and peaceful, this remote corner of Iceland is uninhabited and can only be accessed on foot or by boat. Summertime is magical with 24 hours of daylight and many species of seabirds, including puffins, guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes.
Day 6: Siglufjordur and Akureyri
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: National Geographic Explorer
Siglufjordur was the center of Iceland’s once-thriving herring industry. Visit the Herring Museum for a talk and a tasting. Continue to picturesque Akureyri, backed by snow-capped mountains. Explore the old town, with its beautifully maintained period houses, or visit the botanical garden
Day 7: Lake Mývatn and Húsavík
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: National Geographic Explorer
Drive to Mývatn, the most geologically active area in Iceland. This is world-class field geology! See the bizarre mud pools at Hverarönd that are so hot they actually bubble. At the Krafla geothermal area explore the explosion crater at Viti and continue to an unforgettable sight: Godafoss, the waterfall of the gods. Meet the ship in Húsavík, and watch for whales as the Explorer sails north to the land of the midnight sun. Take Zodiacs ashore to the tiny island of Grimsey, which lies exactly on the Arctic Circle. Here celebrate being officially in the Arctic, in the company of nesting arctic terns, fulmars and puffins in burrows, all bathing, courting and fishing.
Day 8: Exploring Northeast Iceland
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: National Geographic Explorer
With plenty of rarely visited coastline, this day is left open to explore Iceland’s rugged east coast. Join the ship's naturalists for a hike or a Zodiac cruise to get a better view of the beautiful stacks at the end of the peninsula. Or, conditions permitting, you may have your first chance to kayak today under the steep cliffs.
Day 9: Djúpivogur, Iceland
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: National Geographic Explorer
Dock in Djupivogur to explore the vast Vatnajokull ice cap. Explore by small boat to get up-close and personal with the deep blue icebergs of the large ice lagoon of Jökulsárlón. Photo lovers may set off with the National Geographic photographer.
Day 10: Islands of Heimaey & Surtsey, Westman Islands
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
The Westman Islands were formed by undersea volcanoes between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago and are among the youngest of the world’s archipelagos. In 1963, the world witnessed on film the birth of its newest island, Surtsey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which you see as you cruise past the coast. In 1973, Heimaey was threatened by lava flows that nearly closed off its harbor. Visit the crater, where the earth is still hot, and have amazing views of areas that had been engulfed by lava.
Day 11: Disembark Reykjavik
Today, complete your circumnavigation of Iceland, disembarking in Reykjavík. Stop by the famous Blue Lagoon thermal baths, prior to your flight home. Whether you choose to enjoy the surreal bath and spa facilities or just stroll around the fascinating environs, the Blue Lagoon is unforgettable!
Day 1 - Depart for Reykjavik, Iceland
Transfer to the airport and check-in for your overnight flight to Reykjavik.
Day 2 - Reykjavik
Arrive in Reyjakvik and head toward the famous Blue Lagoon. The lagoon is a geothermal wonder of nature, with pleasantly warm mineral rich geothermal seawater in the middle of a lava field. The high natural levels of silica, minerals and algae give the Lagoon its rich blue colour – hence the name Blue Lagoon. Later, a city tour will show us the highlights of the capital.
Welcome dinner and overnight at your Reykjavík hotel.
Day 3 - Iceland Countryside
After breakfast, we drive north out of Reykjavik and through the tunnel under Hvalfjordur, one of the country’s longest fjords. We make a visit at the Settlement Center museum in Borgarnes. We continue through the pretty lake-dotted valleys of the Borgarfjördur district where the ice-age glacier covered the area about 10,000 years ago. We will then make a brief stop at Deidartunguhver, Europe’s largest hot spring, where around 200 liters of 97C hot water flows from the earth every second. Enjoy our short stop at the beautiful waterfalls of Hraunfossar and Barnafossar in the river Hvítá before returning to Borgarnes.
Lunch and dinner and overnight in Borgarnes.
Day 4 - Iceland Countryside
The first highlight of the day is Thingvellir, the great lava arena in a rift valley, where the divide between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates is clearly visible. Founded by the Norse settlers in 930 AD in Thingvellir, you will see the world’s oldest still-existing national parliament. Get ready to visit Gullfoss, which is often described as Iceland´s most beautiful waterfall, and the famous Geyser area, Strokkur, the world´s most active, is likely to spout several times. We make our final stop at Friðheimar, known for using geothermal heating for cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers – come and enjoy their famous tomato soup.
Light lunch in Frioheimar. Dinner and overnight in Selfoss.
Day 5 - Iceland Countryside
Today we will drive along the south coast and visit the magnificent waterfall of Seljalandsfoss. It is a narrow and high waterfall which plunges over the mountains of West Eyjafjöll. From there we head to Vík, a village east of Mt. Reynisfjall in Myrdal. In Vík and the neighboring coastline, there is a wealth of contrasts and landscapes renowned for their natural beauty. Mt. Reynisfjall and its cliffs have few rivals in Iceland for richness of vegetation and bird life and the black sand beach Reynisfjara is a large breeding colony for the Arctic tern. According to local folklore, three rock stacks rise up to 66m from the sea: Skessudrangar, Landdrangar and Langhamrar and are said to be trolls turned to stone at sunrise. Then we continue towards Kirkjubæjarklaustur, which in the old days was known as „Kirkjubær“ (Church Farm) and was an important farming village.
Day 6 - Iceland Countryside
From Klaustur, we travel along the south coast to Skaftafell. Skaftafell National Park was designated as one of Iceland´s three National Parks in 1967. Towering mountains, imposing glaciers, gulches with clear brooks and beautiful waterfalls, birch woods, a wealth of wild flowers and lush vegetation give credence to its status. The most majestic of its several waterfalls is Svartifoss (“Black Falls”) that cascade over a wall of symmetrical columnar basalt that resembles an organ. En-route to our stop for the evening, we visit glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón and the museum Þórbergssetur in Höfn. The museum is dedicated to one of Iceland‘s most significant twentieth century author, Þórbergur Þórðarson.
Day 7 - Iceland Countryside - Reykjavik
Today, we start by making a stop at the breathtaking waterfall Skógarfoss, which is 60m high and one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. After, we experience the Folk Museum at Skógar before continuing to the power plant Hellisheiðarvirkjun for a Geothermal Exhibition about geothermal energy in Iceland.
Overnight at your Reykjavik hotel.
Day 8 - Depart Reykjavik
Say goodbye to Iceland this morning as we head to the airport for our flight. Upon arrival in the USA, transfer home.
