Aurora Iceland Circumnavigation 11D10N

Once you arrive in Reykjavik, transfer to your hotel, Fosshotel Reykjavík. Upon check-in, the reception staff will provide you with our cabin tags. Clearly fill in the cabin tags with your name and cabin number to allow your luggage to be delivered ahead of your arrival.

Unwind at the Beer Garden with local Icelandic draught beer, enjoy select dining by some of Iceland’s finest in its Haust Restaurant and unwind in your stylishly well-appointed rooms and savour the spectacular views of the sea and city.

Come evening, enjoy a welcome drink at the voyage briefing as you gather and meet your fellow adventurers.

Enjoy a scenic tour of Reykjavik and explore the city’s beautiful architecture, vibrant culture, and busy markets. Afterward, you’ll be transferred to the pier for embarkation.

Ample time will be given to you to settle in your cabin before our important safety briefings.

Lie on your comfortable bed in your spacious cozy room with private ensuites. Enjoy the views of the ocean on your private balcony or through the porthole windows in your cabin.

In the evening, you’ll be invited to the Captain’s Welcome Dinner to meet your expert expedition team and crew.

Your adventure starts at Stykkisholmur to explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, the gateway to Snæfellsjökull National Park. Stykkisholmur is located by Breiðafjörður Bay on the north of Snæfellsnes peninsula and is close to many stunning natural sites such as Mount Kirkjufell and the National Park.

An area of vast landscapes, characterized by lava fields and glistening fjords and home to the bird-rich Breiðafjörður Bay. The 700,000-year-old glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano towers the entire area and has featured in novels such as Jules Verne's ‘A Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ and Halldor Laxness ‘Under the Glacier’

You will disembark the ship at approximately 8.30 am to start the 7 hours planned excursion for the day and visit the following locations:

Arnarstapi, a once important trading post. Enjoy the beach of Arnarstapi which holds Gatklettur, an eroded circular arch. A walk along the coastline is the perfect way to see birds such as kittiwakes and large colonies of the Arctic tern and also pass magnificent lava formations. A sculpture of Bardur Snaefellsnes by Ragnar Kjartansson also stands by the beach. All features which make this place popular amongst photographers.

Tour the famous Bjarnarhöfn Shark-Museum, peek into Icelandic history, and experience their culture.

Grundarfjörður, a small town on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in west Iceland. Nearby is the photogenic and majestic Mount Kirkjufell. Standing alone on the edge of the sea with its beautiful slopes and spire-like peak. Beside the mountain is Kirkjufellsfoss, a scenic three-pronged waterfall.

Be captivated as you sail past the massive Látrabjard cliffs, Iceland’s westernmost point and home to a large population of razorbills and puffins.

Explore the beautiful Westfjords and its vast landscape, unspoiled and unique nature. See the famous Dynjandi waterfall and the pink-sand beach, Rauðasandur. This region also features beautiful towns such as Isafjordur and spectacular fjords where you can kayak, hike, and birdwatch to your fill.

Visit the Hornstrandir peninsula, an amazing nature reserve. The lack of people living in the area has allowed its nature to bloom and flourish. Spot the numerous and curious Arctic Fox in Hornstrandir that are normally near-impossible to spot in most of Iceland. Enjoy the silence and the view of its nature that have been experienced by very few adventurers.

Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest city in Iceland, is often referred to as “Iceland’s Capital of the North”. Explore the beautiful town with its perfectly maintained historic houses and its awe-inspiring sights. Choose from two shore excursions:

Option One (up to 9 hours)

The Goðafoss waterfall is one of the most scenic waterfalls in Iceland, located in the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters. In the year 1,000 AD, the Lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. After his conversion, Þorgeir threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall earning the waterfall its name Goðafoss ‘waterfall of the gods’

Námaskarð, well known for its barrenness, its sulfurous mud springs, solfataras and steam springs, fumaroles. The location is still brimming with life with different colors such as red, yellow, orange, and green which are due to the elements which are brought up by the stream. Even though you won’t find any pure spring water in this wonderful geothermal site, the beauty of the colorful minerals and the gigantic mud craters are truly breathtaking.

Dettifoss is an absolutely gorgeous waterfall in northeast Iceland and is known to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The thunderous falls have an average water flow of 193 meters cubed per second / 6,186 cubic feet. It is 100 meters/330 feet wide and plummets 45 meters/150 feet down into Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.

Ásbyrgi is a forested horseshoe-shaped canyon in the northeast of Iceland. Ásbyrgi is a part of Jökulsárgljúfur, within the Vatnajökull National Park

Option two (up to 7-8 hours)

Akureyri Public Park and Botanical Garden. One Of the northernmost botanical gardens in the world. The Public Park was opened in 1912 but the section of the botanic gardens was opened in 1957. There are about 6,600 different species of plants grown in the garden, of which, 430 species are native to Iceland. A haven of color and a peaceful place.

The Goðafoss waterfall is one of the most scenic waterfalls in Iceland, located in the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters. In the year 1,000 AD, the Lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. After his conversion, Þorgeir threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall earning the waterfall its name Goðafoss ‘waterfall of the gods’

Dimmuborgir ‘The Black Fortress’ is an area filled with enormous lava rocks and cliffs. The formation of these extraordinary lava cliffs and pillars are the result of molten lava flowing over a pond in the eruption of Lúdentsborgir and Þrengslaborgir about 2,300 years ago. The most famous of these formations is "The Church”, a cave open at both ends and with a dome-like ceiling.

Námaskarð, well known for its barrenness, its sulfurous mud springs, solfataras and steam springs, fumaroles. The location is still brimming with life with different colors such as red, yellow, orange, and green which are due to the elements which are brought up by the stream. Even though you won’t find any pure spring water in this wonderful geothermal site, the beauty of the colorful minerals and the gigantic mud craters are truly breathtaking.

Mývatn Nature Baths, a set of geothermally heated pools and steam baths found in the Lake Mývatn area. The tastefully designed complex offers bathers a completely natural experience that begins with a relaxing dip amidst clouds of steam rising from a fissure deep in the Earth's surface, and ends with a luxurious swim in a pool of geothermal water drawn from depths of up to 2,500 meters / 8,200 feet.

Both options will end with a transfer to Húsavik, where you can explore the small delightful town at your own time before reboarding the ship to set sail for Grímsey Island.

Grímsey, an island off the north coast of Iceland, and the only part of Iceland truly in the Arctic where many people traveled to so they can boast they’ve crossed the imaginary line. It’s an amazing place for Zodiac cruising and kayaking with brilliant photograph opportunities for seabirds such as guillemots, gulls, and puffins.

As you leave Grímsey to return to the mainland, linger around the waters of Skjálfandi Bay around Húsavik, a town known as Iceland’s “whale watching capital.” Home to up to 24 different whale species, as well as dolphins and 30 variety of birds. Those fortunate souls may get a glimpse of the largest animal on Earth, the blue whale, as well as other unique creatures such as orcas, fin, and pilot whales.

Mjóifjördur “Narrow Fjord”, is an 18 km/11mi fjord on Iceland’s east coast. The mountains Nordfjördur and Seydisfjördur enclose this location and provide shelter and pleasant weather. This hidden gem is cherished by the locals and is an excellent place to kayak and zodiac cruise along its amazing waterfalls.

Mjóifjörður is a beautiful and serene location to explore. It also has the eericPrestagil “The Gorge of the Priests” that comes with mysterious Icelandic folklore and the Hofsárgljúfur Canyon with elegant rivers and waterfalls. The current population of Mjóifjörður is about 10, who would be completely isolated from the world if not for the weekly ferry that comes here.

At Asknes, are the remains of an old whaling station, which used to be the largest about a century ago with over 200 workers.

Today, on the way to the tiny village, Brekkuþorp, where only about 20 people live, a shipwreck on the shore acts as a haunting reminder of the town’s whaling past.

After a day of adventure, unwind back onboard and indulge in its many premium facilities.

Hofn is a town located in one of the few natural harbors of Iceland’s South Coast, with a population of about 2000 and it offers beautiful views of the magnificent Vatnajökull, our shore excursion for the day. We will also hike in Skaftafell National Park, a part of the larger Vatnajökull National Park, Europe’s second-largest after Yugyd Va in Russia. The park also boasts colorful mountains and deep valleys, rich birdlife, reindeers, and seals.

Inside the National Park, you can find glacier tongues resting on the green fields of the lowland, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Enjoy an amphibious boat excursion to photograph the icebergs.

The Westman Islands “Vestmannaeyjar”, Iceland’s best kept secret is located off Iceland’s south coast. Formed by volcanic eruptions around 10,000 years ago. Sail past Surtsey Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the youngest landmasses on earth. Westman Islands are surrounded by 15 other uninhabited islands and around 30 rocks and skerries that house a wide array of sea birds. Keep an eye out for the Atlantic puffins in the ocean as this island boasts the largest Atlantic puffin colony in the world, unique sea animals like whales and seals can also be seen.

Explore Heimaey, the main island in this archipelago with a population of around 4200. See the historic half-buried houses from the violent eruption of Eldfell volcano in 1973, which we can hike up to if you choose. A visit to the weather station offers bird watching opportunities and a panoramic view of the surrounding islands.

Eruptions are a big part of the history of the Westman Island, where there are two volcanoes, one that erupted about 6,000 years ago, and Mount Eldfell which erupted in 1973, forcing all of the island’s inhabitants to evacuate for the mainland. Luckily, due to bad weather the day before the eruption, all the fishing boats remained in the harbor and were able to help transport Heimaey’s inhabitants to the mainland. You can learn more about the story of the eruption and the aftermath at the fascinating Eldheimar museum, which includes a display of a house that was buried in ash during the eruption.

After a delicious breakfast, leaving inspired and in awe of this amazing adventure, bid a fond farewell to your fellow adventurers, expedition team, and crew as you disembark the ship in Reykjavik, and transfer downtown or to Keflavik airport to continue your journey onward.

**NOTE:** This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation.