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Itinerary
Around Iceland by Small Ship
9 days - May-Jun - From US $ 2,790
DISCLAIMER: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.
Day 1: You will arrive in Keflavík, Iceland after a morning flight. Late in the afternoon, you will board the Professor Multanovskiy in the port of Keflavík, a short distance from the International airport, to begin your circumnavigation of Iceland. The largest of the North Atlantic islands, Iceland's volcanoes, icecaps, rugged glaciated mountains, fjords, coastal cliffs and beaches together form one of the most inspiring landscapes on earth.
The ship will sail north to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, which is crowned by a beautiful snow-capped volcanic cone--1,442m (4,729.76 ft.) high Snaefellsjökull. In the mellow evening light (at this time of year it will be light all night), it will be worth staying on deck to watch for whales in this often productive location.
Day 2: You will arrive in the broad and shallow bay of Breidafjördur, which is peppered with thousands of islands and skerries. If you are lucky, you may see a white-tailed eagle among these historic islands where Erik the Red set sail to discover Greenland.
You will then land at Flatey, and explore its delightful fishing village, strolling among the many well preserved traditional timber buildings. You will also visit the church, with its paintings by the Spanish Icelandic artist Baltasar Samper, and restored library. Black guillemots, puffins, common eiders and red-necked phalaropes can be seen on and around Flatey.
Later, the ship will call at Klofningur, a basalt island with breeding shags, fulmars and great black-backed gulls. Sailing to the north side of the bay, zodiacs will be used to cruise the cliffs and sea caves of Látrabjarg, at the westernmost point of Iceland. This area is home to the world's largest razorbill colony, and Iceland's most extensive bird cliffs that are 14km (45.92 ft.) long and rise to over 400m (1,312 ft.) in height. The ship’s expedition naturalists will point out the other bird species that nest on the cliffs, and also the seals on the rocks.
Day 3: Today you will explore the Isafjördur Peninsula. It is, geologically, the oldest region in Iceland, and its imposing basalt mountains were scoured out by Ice Age glaciers. You will then sail to Aðalvík, in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. Once farmed, this beautiful, sheltered fjord has been deserted for 50 years. As sheep no longer graze here and the human impacts are minimal, fauna and flora thrive on a scale unknown in other parts of Iceland.
Your voyage will continue as you sail along the Hornstrandir Peninsula, where you can see the remains of other farmsteads along the coastline of golden sand beaches set between sheer basalt cliffs. Hopefull the ship will land at Hornvík, where you can follow an old path, used by fowlers, to reach the top of 300m (984 ft.) high Hornbjarg. From the dizzying heights of this cliff, you can marvel at one of the biggest seabird colonies in Iceland, with tens of thousands of Brünnich's guillemots and kittiwakes.
Day 4: If the East Greenland pack ice is less than 100 nautical miles north of Iceland and the weather is good, you will sail toward the edge and spend some time in and near the ice. During your 24 hours at sea, there will be plenty of time to watch for the spout of large whales, and to observe the northern migration of skuas and other Arctic birds. While sailing along the edge of the ice, you may also see harp seals.
If the pack ice is more than 100 nautical miles north of Iceland, you will land at the east side of the Isafjördur Peninsula, in Furufjördur, with a landscape full of bogs and lakes. From here, you will have a good, and close, view of the northern side of the Drangajökull glacier. Walkers can hike for a few hours from one fjord to the next on an old trail marked with cairns. At Reykjafjördur, there are hot pools, making it possible to take a dip. Harbor and grey seals are common in this fjord.
Day 5: In the early morning, if the weather allows, you will sail past Kolbeinsey, a tiny island formed from a submarine eruption. Later, you will land at Grimsey, an island in the north that is the only part of Iceland which lies within the Arctic Circle. The island is home to huge colonies of kittiwakes, razorbills, puffins, fulmars and Arctic terns--all of which far outnumber the 100 or so human inhabitants. A zodiac cruise along the western cliffs will give you the opportunity to admire the seabirds from the water. Later, you may sail along the bird cliffs of Rauðinúpur.
Day 6: Weather permitting, you will go ashore on the wild and windswept volcanic sands of Héraðssandur, formed from debris washed down by mighty glacier rivers. On the marshlands of its braided channels, whooper swans, greylag geese, and several species of ducks and skuas breed. The sea near the mouth of the river is teeming with harbor seals.
In the afternoon, you will call at Borgarfjördur, a small friendly village, where people work on jasper, a precious stone found only in this part of Iceland. You will also try to visit a farm with a common eider breeding colony, where the birds are protected for down collection at this time of the year. If there are adverse weather conditions at Heradssansur, you will continue beyond Borgarfjördur and land at Álftavík, in the natural harbor of Lotna, where people lived until 1904.
Day 7: Heading down Iceland's east coast, you will reach Skrúður, an island 160 m (524.8 ft.) high that has a colony of nesting gannets. You will then cruise around in zodiacs, entering a huge cave. Later, you will sail to Papey, where Irish monks made a living in the 9th century. This beautiful, now uninhabited, island is home to thousands of puffins and other seabirds.
Day 8: The ship will stop at Heimaey, an important fishing port, and the only permanent community on the Westman Islands. A short walk will allow you to see the results of the 1973 volcanic eruption which destroyed one third of the town, and almost sealed off its vital harbor. One of the highlights of your time ashore will be seeing the multitude of puffins that breed along the grassy cliff tops, and are still harvested annually by the locals.
After leaving Heimaey, you will use the zodiacs to cruise among the other Westman Islands. You will also circumnavigate the islands of Surtsey, born in 1964 from volcanic activity, Súlnasker, and Hellisey, which have large breeding populations of northern gannets.
Day 9: You will arrive and disembark at Keflavík for your return flight home.
Day 1: You will arrive in Keflavík, Iceland after a morning flight. Late in the afternoon, you will board the Professor Multanovskiy in the port of Keflavík, a short distance from the International airport, to begin your circumnavigation of Iceland. The largest of the North Atlantic islands, Iceland's volcanoes, icecaps, rugged glaciated mountains, fjords, coastal cliffs and beaches together form one of the most inspiring landscapes on earth.
The ship will sail north to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, which is crowned by a beautiful snow-capped volcanic cone--1,442m (4,729.76 ft.) high Snaefellsjökull. In the mellow evening light (at this time of year it will be light all night), it will be worth staying on deck to watch for whales in this often productive location.
Day 2: You will arrive in the broad and shallow bay of Breidafjördur, which is peppered with thousands of islands and skerries. If you are lucky, you may see a white-tailed eagle among these historic islands where Erik the Red set sail to discover Greenland.
You will then land at Flatey, and explore its delightful fishing village, strolling among the many well preserved traditional timber buildings. You will also visit the church, with its paintings by the Spanish Icelandic artist Baltasar Samper, and restored library. Black guillemots, puffins, common eiders and red-necked phalaropes can be seen on and around Flatey.
Later, the ship will call at Klofningur, a basalt island with breeding shags, fulmars and great black-backed gulls. Sailing to the north side of the bay, zodiacs will be used to cruise the cliffs and sea caves of Látrabjarg, at the westernmost point of Iceland. This area is home to the world's largest razorbill colony, and Iceland's most extensive bird cliffs that are 14km (45.92 ft.) long and rise to over 400m (1,312 ft.) in height. The ship’s expedition naturalists will point out the other bird species that nest on the cliffs, and also the seals on the rocks.
Day 3: Today you will explore the Isafjördur Peninsula. It is, geologically, the oldest region in Iceland, and its imposing basalt mountains were scoured out by Ice Age glaciers. You will then sail to Aðalvík, in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. Once farmed, this beautiful, sheltered fjord has been deserted for 50 years. As sheep no longer graze here and the human impacts are minimal, fauna and flora thrive on a scale unknown in other parts of Iceland.
Your voyage will continue as you sail along the Hornstrandir Peninsula, where you can see the remains of other farmsteads along the coastline of golden sand beaches set between sheer basalt cliffs. Hopefull the ship will land at Hornvík, where you can follow an old path, used by fowlers, to reach the top of 300m (984 ft.) high Hornbjarg. From the dizzying heights of this cliff, you can marvel at one of the biggest seabird colonies in Iceland, with tens of thousands of Brünnich's guillemots and kittiwakes.
Day 4: If the East Greenland pack ice is less than 100 nautical miles north of Iceland and the weather is good, you will sail toward the edge and spend some time in and near the ice. During your 24 hours at sea, there will be plenty of time to watch for the spout of large whales, and to observe the northern migration of skuas and other Arctic birds. While sailing along the edge of the ice, you may also see harp seals.
If the pack ice is more than 100 nautical miles north of Iceland, you will land at the east side of the Isafjördur Peninsula, in Furufjördur, with a landscape full of bogs and lakes. From here, you will have a good, and close, view of the northern side of the Drangajökull glacier. Walkers can hike for a few hours from one fjord to the next on an old trail marked with cairns. At Reykjafjördur, there are hot pools, making it possible to take a dip. Harbor and grey seals are common in this fjord.
Day 5: In the early morning, if the weather allows, you will sail past Kolbeinsey, a tiny island formed from a submarine eruption. Later, you will land at Grimsey, an island in the north that is the only part of Iceland which lies within the Arctic Circle. The island is home to huge colonies of kittiwakes, razorbills, puffins, fulmars and Arctic terns--all of which far outnumber the 100 or so human inhabitants. A zodiac cruise along the western cliffs will give you the opportunity to admire the seabirds from the water. Later, you may sail along the bird cliffs of Rauðinúpur.
Day 6: Weather permitting, you will go ashore on the wild and windswept volcanic sands of Héraðssandur, formed from debris washed down by mighty glacier rivers. On the marshlands of its braided channels, whooper swans, greylag geese, and several species of ducks and skuas breed. The sea near the mouth of the river is teeming with harbor seals.
In the afternoon, you will call at Borgarfjördur, a small friendly village, where people work on jasper, a precious stone found only in this part of Iceland. You will also try to visit a farm with a common eider breeding colony, where the birds are protected for down collection at this time of the year. If there are adverse weather conditions at Heradssansur, you will continue beyond Borgarfjördur and land at Álftavík, in the natural harbor of Lotna, where people lived until 1904.
Day 7: Heading down Iceland's east coast, you will reach Skrúður, an island 160 m (524.8 ft.) high that has a colony of nesting gannets. You will then cruise around in zodiacs, entering a huge cave. Later, you will sail to Papey, where Irish monks made a living in the 9th century. This beautiful, now uninhabited, island is home to thousands of puffins and other seabirds.
Day 8: The ship will stop at Heimaey, an important fishing port, and the only permanent community on the Westman Islands. A short walk will allow you to see the results of the 1973 volcanic eruption which destroyed one third of the town, and almost sealed off its vital harbor. One of the highlights of your time ashore will be seeing the multitude of puffins that breed along the grassy cliff tops, and are still harvested annually by the locals.
After leaving Heimaey, you will use the zodiacs to cruise among the other Westman Islands. You will also circumnavigate the islands of Surtsey, born in 1964 from volcanic activity, Súlnasker, and Hellisey, which have large breeding populations of northern gannets.
Day 9: You will arrive and disembark at Keflavík for your return flight home.
