Skogarfoss Waterfall, Iceland

Skogarfoss flows down from Iceland’s southernmost glacier, Myrdalsjokull. Our hikes reveal geologic wonders from bubbling hot springs to geysers as we explore from Thingveller National Park to Skaftafell National Park and discover Iceland’s ancient culture.

Photo by John Lawrence / Fototeca 9x12

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Iceland Expedition

Land of Glaciers, Viking Sagas, and the Midnight Sun

Iceland is the land of fire and ice, a wondrous landscape of spouting geysers, blue lagoons, and multicolored valleys stretching to the sea. We head out for hikes in the glacier kingdom of Skaftafell National Park, with its deep canyons and towering cascades, and in fantastic Thingvellir National Park, where a dramatic rift reveals how the continental plates are slowly pulling Iceland apart. We also hike in the brooding heaths of ancient “saga” country where the rich history of Viking clan warfare played out. Along the way, we enjoy long hours of sunlight in the northern sky, hear the legends of a pantheon of Norse gods and kings, and savor the surreal scenery of a magical country unlike any other on earth.

Highlights

  • Hike in an unearthly landscape of fjords, iceberg-filled lagoons, and geysers
  • Soak in Reykjavik’s famous Blue Lagoon
  • Hear the legends of Viking saga country, visit the 10th century Althing, the world’s oldest parliament
  • Skaftafell National Park’s glaciers and waterfalls

Details

  • 9-day trip begins and ends in Reykjavik
  • 8 nights in hotels
  • All meals included
  • 8 hiking days on moderate to strenuous trails, some steep sections, 3-8 hours a day, van support

Tour Costs

$4995 (11-15 members)
$5295 (8-10 members)

Single supplement: $750

Prices are for 2010 dates

Departures & Leaders

Jun 4-12, 2010  Gunnar Bjorgvinsson
Jul 9-17, 2010  Gunnar Bjorgvinsson
Aug 13-21, 2010  Gunnar Bjorgvinsson

Suggested Reading

Reading list, click here.

Itinerary at a Glance
Iceland Expedition route-map

Days 1-3
Reykjavik / Hofn / Vatnajokull / Jokulsarlon

The icecap of Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest glacier, provides a superb backdrop for the coastal town of Hofn. From Hofn, we hike alongside fascinating geologic formations to the base of Ketillaugarfjall, a peak covered in a thick blanket of luxuriant mosses, and along Jokulsarlon Lagoon, a spectacular body of water filled with huge powder-blue bergs calved from the Breidamerkurjokull Glacier. With a soft light lasting late into the night, the midnight sun adds a mystic glow to the evening landscape.

Days 4-6
Skaftafell National Park

In Skaftafell, we are surrounded by one of the most spectacular settings in Iceland, with an incredible geological heritage in full view. We hike among upland heaths and multi-colored rhyolite valleys stretching to the sea, cross rocky terrain high atop Skaftafellsheidi Heath, then pass the beautiful Svartifoss waterfall and skirt above the massive tongue of Skaftafellsjokull Glacier.

Days 7-9
Thingvellir National Park / Blue Lagoon

We visit the Great Geysir, one of the world’s most impressive examples of the geyser phenomena, and hike across the fantastic rift valley of Thingvellir National Park, a World Heritage Site and the meeting point between the North American and European continental plates. After a visit to Althing, site of the world’s oldest parliament, our last hike takes us to Whale Fjord for grand coastal panoramas, with an overnight in Reykjavik, Iceland’s vibrant capital. We enjoy a soak in the famous natural springs of the Blue Lagoon before we depart on Day 9.

This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure