Despite its small size, you won’t be short of things to see and do in this diminutive but dramatic city. To get your bearings, take the elevator to the top of Hallgrímskirkja. This church, designed by famed Icelandic architect Gudjón Samuelsson is one of the most distinctive buildings in town. When you return to earth, visit the city’s other renowned building Harpa Concert Hall, located at the heart of Reykjavík’s regenerated harbour – also the home of the Maritime Museum. Speaking of cultural spaces, tour the National Museum to learn the story of Iceland from past to present. The Reykjavík Art Museum houses an impressive contemporary collection including eye-catching pieces by Erró. And, of course, just 50 kilometres outside the city lies Thingvellir National Park, the site of Iceland’s original Viking parliament.
The dramatic 400-metre high Látrabjarg cliffs stretch 14 km along Iceland’s and Europe’s westernmost edge. As the largest seabird cliff in Europe, Látrabjarg is home to thousands of breeding birds: Atlantic puffins, gannets, guillemots, fulmar and kittiwakes as well as 40 percent of the world’s population of razorbills belonging to the auk family.
Considered one of Iceland’s most impressive falls, the thunderous Dynjandi waterfall in the Westfjords region gives the impression of a bridal veil as it spreads down ever-growing cascades. The walk takes 15 minutes passing five smaller waterfalls. Nearby, Hrafnseyri is the birthplace of Jón Sigurðsson, 19th-century leader of the Icelandic Independence movement. The museum includes an Icelandic turf house.
Surrounded by fjords in the Westfjords region, Ísafjördur is a bustling fishing town in northwest Iceland with colourful wooden 18th- and 19th-century houses in its old town, Neskaupstadur. Nearby, Sudavik is home to the Arctic Fox Centre. Iceland’s only mammal, the arctic fox, lives on the lush tundra of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, the northernmost peninsula in the Westfjords with two of Europe’s largest bird cliffs.
Grímsey is a remote island located 40 km off Iceland’s north coast. Many people travel here for the purpose of setting foot in the Arctic Circle, the only place in Iceland where you can. The island is also home to fewer than 100 people, but over one million seabirds. Birdlife thrives here thanks to the lack of egg predation and the well-stocked surrounding seas. Grímsey has one of Iceland’s largest tern nesting sites and largest puffin colonies.
Hrisey Island is a small island in the Eyjafjordur fjord in northern Iceland. It is home to various wildlife, including puffins, seals, and whales. Hriseyjarfjall Mountain is the highest point and offers views of the surrounding landscape and the vast expanse of Eyjafjörður fjord. Despite its size, Hrisey Island possesses a rich cultural heritage. Traditional Icelandic crafts, such as hand-knitting and woodworking, preserve the island’s identity.
Húsavík, overlooking Skjálfandi Bay, is famed for whale watching, especially the endangered blue whale. The town’s Whale and Exploration Museums focusses on Viking history and Apollo astronaut training, taking place nearby. The town also marks Iceland’s first house from 860 AD. Húsavík is on the Arctic Coast Way and the start of the Diamond Circle route. Nearby, Kaldbakur pond is a popular geothermal swimming spot oddly populated with goldfish.
Known for puffin encounters, hiking trails and scenic beauty. Bakkagerði is the largest settlement in the Borgarfjörður Eystri fjord and a base for exploring the rugged wilderness. A popular trail leads to the Giant Boulders at Stórurð. The local church features a 1914 altarpiece depicting Christ on Álfaborg rock, aka the City of Elves, with the Dyrfjöll Mountains behind. Nearby Hafnarhólmi rock is a sanctuary for kittiwakes and other seabirds.
Days at sea are the perfect chance to relax, unwind and do whatever takes your fancy. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, trying to spot a whale from the deck, reading a chapter or two, or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to the green days spent exploring on land.
Bodø highlights its Sami heritage and connects the arts to its Arctic setting. Rebuilt after the 1940 bombing in modernist “reconstruction” style, Bodø’s architectural commitment endures with the 2014-built Stormen concert hall and Molobyen, a new waterfront cultural hub. Surrounded by natural landscapes, Bodø lies near the world-famous maelstrom of Saltstraumen, a powerful whirlpool on the Saltsfjorden strongest when the tides change daily.
The mighty Svartisen glacier, Norway’s second biggest, pours down the mountain almost to Svartisvatnet lake. The glacier visitor centre is a fascinating place with access to hikes along the edge of the ice flow, up to 200 m thick. Glorious Holandsfjord is just the other end of a short channel from the lake and the ship has stirring views. The little village of Holandsvika sits across the fjord, with an 18-km lakeside path and boat trips.
With red fishermen’s cabins nestled on the shores of Reinefjord amid dramatic granite peaks, Reine is celebrated as one of the world’s most beautiful places. The village serves as a starting point for hikes like the Reinebringen trail, offering panoramic views of the vertical granite Lofoten Islands rising from the Arctic Sea. Nearby, the fishing village of Å houses the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum.
In The Lofoten Islands, Leknes, the main town on Vestvågøya island above the Arctic Circle, is nestled on the bay-like Buksnesfjorden. The surreal landscape features red-painted houses against craggy, mountainous isles. In summer, the white sand beaches resemble the South Seas, while the region experiences almost two months of the Midnight Sun. Tours explore the mountainous interior, while whale watching excursions venture out to sea.
Svolvær is a classic Norwegian fishing port, tucked away on Austvågøya in the Lofoten Islands. Surrounded by peaks and beaches, bays and craggy inlets, it’s an age-old picture, a jumble of white and red clapboard houses, the clear water filled with little, bobbing boats. Popular with mountain climbers, the town’s mountain Fløya commands a spectacular viewpoint across the harbour and Vestfjord.
Trollfjorden is unbelievable. A 100 m-wide entrance to a narrow fjord with near-vertical mountainous sides up to 1,100 m high, the passage slices through Austvågøya, on the edge of the Lofoten Islands. As the ship enters the fjord, the silence is only broken by the gentle sound of the ship’s engines and the occasional cry of a white-tailed eagle soaring overhead. At the end of the fjord, the ship slowly spins, offering a final captivating view.
Known as the Arctic gateway, Tromso is a remote Norwegian city at 69° north, 250 miles above the Arctic Circle, where you can take in the soft glow of the midnight sun. Make time to attend a midnight concert at Tromso’s distinctive Arctic Cathedral or learn more about early polar explorations at the Polar Museum. Famed for the Northern Lights on winter nights, you can find out more about this natural spectacle at the Science Centre.
This expedition includes:
This expedition excludes: