Iceland Discovery

September 2018

Iceland Discovery

Visit Iceland and see glaciers, geysers and geothermal hot springs. Travel to Iceland and delve into the ancient land of Vikings and volcanoes on this 10-day Icelandic adventure. Marvel at geothermal hot springs, witness the steamy eruptions of a giant geyser, touch the tongue of Europe’s biggest glacier, see lava that’s still warm after 20 years and scale giant waterfalls. Travel through Iceland’s desolate lands, so mysterious and ethereal that they have inspired artists, poets and musicians for centuries. The ancient, untamed beauty of Iceland will stay with you forever.
Intrepid Travel Trip Notes

I have just returned from a wonderful Journey to the Arctic, including this amazing trip around Iceland. I will post photos and stories over the next few weeks and look forward to sharing this experience with you.

Iceland is a land of fire, ice and water; in some ways seemingly very similar to New Zealand with its volcanoes, thermal pools, geysers, rivers, fjords, glaciers and black sand beaches but in reality it is very very different. It has contrasts of modern architecture and sculpture and ancient Viking history dating back to 930, craft and culture in the towns and stark natural beauty. Volcanoes beneath vast glaciers, giant icebergs floating in a lake, ice sparkling like diamonds on a black sand beach, and soooo many waterfalls.

Iceland is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic, with a population of approx 350,000 and an area of 103,000 sq km, the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík. Over two-thirds of the population live in the south-west of the country which is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, allowing crops and farming. One Icelandic island sits on the Arctic circle so the country as a whole can be considered to be an Arctic country even though the main island is not in the Arctic. However its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, with most of the archipelago having a tundra climate.

There is unseasonal snow fall while we are there, blanketing much of the country in more snow than they usually get in winter, giving us a different view than we had expected (and sometimes stopping us getting much of a view at all). We were very grateful to have our expedition parkas from our Arctic Express: Northern Lights trip to Greenland, you will see a lot more of these yellow jackets in the photos. Myths and legends abound, with folklore around many sites where elves and trolls have been said to be found for thousands of years. The weather on our trip added to the mystical feel of many places.

Please join me over the next several posts as I take you on our Journey to the Arctic (and more).

The Joy of Business Class

Copenhagen Stopover Day 1
Copenhagen Stopover Day 2

Arctic Express: Northern Lights
Day 1: Copenhagen to Reykjavik
Day 2: Reykjavik to Constable Point, Greenland
Day 3: Scoresby Sund: Frederiksdal & Flyvefjord
Day 4: Scoresby Sund: Nordvestfjord & Ingmikortilaq
Day 5: Scoresby Sund: Eskimobugt & Immikkeerikajik
Day 6: Scoresby Sund: Danmark Island & Vikingsbugt
Day 7: Scoresby Sund: Cap Hope & Ittoqqortoormiit
Day 8: Scoresby Sund: Steward Island & Constable Point
Day 9: Constable Point back to Reykjavik

Iceland Discovery
Day 1: Reykjavik: Blue Lagoon
Day 2: Golden Circle
Day 3: South Coast
Day 4: Jokulsarlon
Day 5: Eastern Fjords & Moorudalur Valley
Day 6: Moorudalur Valley & Lake Myvatn
Day 7: Akureyri & Trollaskagi Peninsular
Day 8: Grabrok Volcano & Snaefellsnes Peninsular
Day 9: Snaefellsness to Reykjavik

Toronto, Canada
Day 1: Reykjavik to Toronto
Day 2: Toronto to Port Perry
Day 3: Lake Muskoka
Day 4: Millbrook
Day 5: Back to Toronto
Day 6: Toronto
Day 7: Niagara Falls

 

 

 

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For this and other similar tours see:

Explore Europe with Intrepid Travel (a range of different travel styles – see my post on travel styles)

Peregrine Adventures (Comfort tours)

Geckos Adventures (for 18 to 30s)

Note: After people telling me they had booked an Intrepid Tour on my recommendation, I now have affiliate links with the Intrepid Travel group of companies and may receive a commission if you book a tour online within a couple of months after clicking through to these sites.  So if you are enjoying my tips and stories and finding them useful in choosing your own travel, please click on these links and help me to bring you more .

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