Iceland | Exploring Landscapes, Nature, and Culture in Western Iceland

Depart the US. Most participants will fly from Minneapolis this evening.

Upon arrival at Keflavík International Airport, you will be met by your guide. After breakfast and an orientation in the café at the Viking World museum, explore the exhibition with your guide to learn about Viking sagas and myths. Your next stop will be at the Blue Lagoon for a relaxing dip in the mineral-rich water. Geothermal baths in Iceland are believed to have healing powers. This afternoon explore a bit of Reykjavik with a stop at Hallgrimskirkja for a peek inside Reykjavík's most famous landmark and at Harpa Concert Hall. *hotel check in time starts at 3pm.

Depart early for a visit to Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Station to learn how geothermal energy is converted into clean electricity. Continue on for an adventurous glacier walk on the Sólheimajökull Glacier with professional guides to discuss the glacial ice and peer into a world not often seen. (All gear is provided.) During this easy to moderate glacier walk, you will explore the wonderland of ice sculptures, water cauldrons, ridges, and deep crevasses. Next visit the Dyrhólaey Reserve for a hike where we may see Atlantic Puffin, though it is late in the season. Enjoy views of the black sand beaches, basalt needles, and hexagonal basalt columns. If weather permits, continue down to Reynisfjara Beach for a closer look. Your next stop is at Skógafoss Waterfall, one of the country's largest waterfalls.

This morning visit Lava Centre for an informational visit. Next, explore what is known as the Golden Circle, starting with a visit to Gullfoss. Gullfoss, whose name means Golden Waterfall, is considered one of the most impressive waterfalls in Europe, with thousands of tons of icy water thundering majestically into a deep canyon below. Continue on to Geysir, the most famous spouting hot spring in the world and the origin of the international word "geyser." Geysir's bowl stretches 59 feet across, and when it erupted regularly would spout to heights of nearly 200 feet. Today it does not erupt without human intervention, but a nearby hot spring, Strokkur, spouts about every 10 minutes. Enjoy lunch at Friðheimar greenhouse before stopping at Þingvellir, the site of the world's oldest democratic parliament and the dividing fault line between two of the earth's tectonic plates.

After breakfast, travel toward the Snæfellsness Peninsula. En route, visit the Hraunfossar waterfall before arriving at Víðgelmir lava tube cave. The cave was formed around 1100 years ago as a result of a volcanic eruption; when the surface lava hardened, the molten rock beneath it continued to flow, creating a hollow subterranean chamber. Journey into the lava tube to observe a variety of rock formations as your guide shares some of the folktales the cave has inspired. Continue to the Snæfellsness Peninsula. Walk around the Stykkisholmur harbor this evening, fishing is a key industry and the source of many Icelanders' livelihoods. During your walk, your guide will explain how Iceland has avoided the effects of overfishing along their coast with the implementation of the fishing quota system.

After an early breakfast enjoy a short stop at Ytri-Tunga, a beach known for its seal colony. Afterwards visit Arnarstapi to walk along the cliffs and do some bird watching. We'll have good chances to see Northern Fulmar, Arctic Tern, Black-legged Kittiwake, Parasitic Jaeger, to name a few. Then travel through Snæfellsness National Park. Located at the extreme western point of the Snæfellsness Peninsula, the park is named after the Snæfellsjökull volcano, which author Jules Verne described as the entrance to the underground world in his novel "A Journey to the Center of the Earth." Take a walk on Djúpalónssandur, one of Iceland's famous black beaches. This is a beautiful location steeped in the history of sailors and fishing; there are even remains of an old ship. On a clear day, there are magnificent views of the volcano from the beach. Next, head to the fishing town of Grundarfjörður and board a boat for a whale-watching excursion with the non-profit IceWhale, the Icelandic Association of Whale Watchers, whose mission is to promote the conservation of whales and educate visitors about the importance of whales through whale-watching tours. During your tour, your hosts will discuss the history of whaling, how this ties into Icelandic culture, and how that culture is shifting toward conservation of whale species.

This morning, continue your exploration of marine species with a visit to the Shark Museum in Bjarnarhöfn before heading to the airport in time for your afternoon flight back to the U.S. *hotel check out time is noon.