Iceland: Land of Fire & Ice

8 DAYS • 13 MEALS STARTING AT £2,399 Pricing is per person, land only, double occupancy, and varies by departure date.

HIGHLIGHTS Reykjavík • Golden Circle • Thingvellir National Park • Gullfoss • Geysir • Snæfellsnes Peninsula • Breiðafjördur Bay Cruise • Lava Exhibition Center • Vík • Skógar Museum • Skógafoss • Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon • Vatnajökull National Park & Glacier • Seljalandsfoss

CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

• Learn about the 400-year-old tradition of catching and preserving the Greenland shark. • Explore Icelandic life at the Skógar

Museum. • Glide past icebergs on a cruise of the ice-strewn Jökulsárlón Glacial

Lagoon.

IT’S YOUR CHOICE!

Be sure to choose your option before departure. • Day 3 — Embark on a lava cave adventure -OR- take an explorative coastline walk. • Day 7 — Float in the Blue Lagoon -OR- visit the Perlan Center with its interactive exhibits.

CULINARY INCLUSIONS

7 Breakfasts (B) • 6 Dinners (D)

• Savour Icelandic cuisine at a popular local restaurant. • Try cured hákarl, an Icelandic delicacy. • Relish Iceland’s local cheeses during a visit to a family-owned dairy farm.

ACCOMMODATION

Days 1-2 Centerhotel Plaza, Centerhotel Midgardur, Centerhotel Laugavegur or Centerhotel Grandi, Reykjavík Day 3 Fosshotel, Stykkishólmur Days 4–6 Hotel Katla by Keahotels or Hotel Dyrholaey, Vík Day 7 Centerhotel Plaza, Centerhotel Midgardur, Centerhotel Laugavegur or Centerhotel Grandi, Reykjavík On some dates alternate hotels may be used.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

An island of dramatic contrasts, uncover Iceland’s natural beauty through a land forged by ice and fire.

Day 1: Reykjavík, Iceland - Tour Begins Set out on a journey full of dramatic contrasts. Come to know Iceland; a place where steaming lava fields reflect a volcanic nature and massive glaciers sculpt mountains and valleys, leaving behind thundering waterfalls and plunging fjords. Begin in the capital city of Reykjavík. Join a local expert for a walking tour of the city’s old section featuring Hallgrimskirkja church, city hall, the harbour and Reykjavík’s oldest building, home of the Kraum Icelandic design centre. Tonight, get to know your fellow travellers during a grand Icelandic dinner at a popular local restaurant. (D) Day 2: Reykjavík - Golden Circle - Reykjavík Travel the Golden Circle and experience renowned natural wonders, including the double-cascade Gullfoss waterfall, the explosive Geysir thermal area, and the famous Thingvellir National Park, where you’ll stand upon the crest of the MidAtlantic Ridge. Along the way, stop at a family-run dairy farm to enjoy various cheeses and their famous ice cream. Your day ends with a visit to Friðheimar greenhouse cultivation centre to discover how pesticide-free produce is grown with the aid of geothermal energy. Learn about the tradition of breeding Icelandic show horses. (B)

Day 3: Reykjavík - Snæfellsnes - Breiðafjördur Cruise - Stykkishólmur  Explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and take in black sand beaches, volcanic craters and the Snæfellsjökull glacier. Here, it’s your choice! Experience total darkness in Vatnshellir Cave, descending 100 feet to an 8,000-year-old lava tube -OR- walk over the lava field’s dramatic landscape. Connect with the local culture and visit a family that practices a 400-yearold tradition of catching and preserving the Greenland shark; you’ll also taste hákarl – cured shark meat. End your day on a Sea Tours nature cruise of Breiðafjördur Bay and sample fresh scallops and sea urchin roe straight from the ocean. You might spot puffins, cormorants, and the white-tailed eagle soaring along the shoreline. (B, D)

Day 4: Stykkishólmur - Lava Exhibition Centre - Vík Learn about geothermal renewable energy on a visit to Hellisheiðavirkjun, the largest power

This tour requires you to walk and for long periods of time, navigate uneven ground, and climb into various modes of transportation.

station in Iceland, and the second largest geothermal power station in the world. Visit the Lava Exhibition Centre and delve into Iceland’s past and present volcanic eruptions. Arrive in Vík, Iceland’s southernmost village, and one of the most visited spots in Iceland. (B, D) Day 5: Vík - Skógar Museum - Vík Drive along the scenic south shore to the Skógar Museum. Discover its turfbuilt houses and its collection of farm and domestic artefacts. Nearby is the impressive Skógafoss waterfall, one of the tallest in Iceland. View Reynisfjara, a black volcanic sand beach scattered with caves and surrounded by basalt columns and cliffs. The beach is rich with bird life, such as the fulmar, black guillemot, razorbill, and gannet. You might also spot some nesting puffins along the unique natural rock formations at Dyrhólaey, a volcanic peninsula towering over the ocean. (B, D) Day 6: Vík - Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon - Skaftafel - Vík Set sail along the huge icebergs of the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon. Keep your eyes peeled for possible seal sightings

Golden Circle

MAKE MORE OF YOUR TOUR

Choose to add more time to your trip:

1-2 NIGHTS

PRE OR POST NIGHT REYKJAVIK CALL FOR DETAILS

EVEN MORE TIME? Combine Iceland: Land of Fire & Ice with another tour for one seamless, non-stop travel experience. CALL FOR DETAILS

Blue Lagoon

and get to taste the 1,000-year-old ice that surrounds you. Later, stop at Skaftafell, gateway to Vatnajökull National Park, the largest national park in Europe. Marvel at the vistas of Iceland’s highest mountains, as well as the Vatnajökull glacier, Europe’s largest. (B, D)

Day 7: Vík - Seljalandsfoss - Blue Lagoon or Perlan Centre - Reykjavík  Make a picture stop at Seljalandsfoss, where you’ll walk behind a waterfall for views from the inside-out. In the afternoon, it’s your choice! Visit the Blue Lagoon and soak in the warm, mineral-rich waters located in the heart of a dramatic lava field -OR- visit the Perlan Centre to explore the wonder of Iceland through interactive exhibits such as the Ice Cave, the Planetarium, the virtual aquarium and more. Gather with your fellow travellers for a local dining experience and share stories of your days in Iceland. (B, D)

Day 8: Reykjavík - Tour Ends Depart for home with memories of your Icelandic adventure. (B)

DOUBLE Starting at £2,399 Pricing is per person, land only,

SOLO Starting at £2,849 and varies by departure date. Prices based on 16 September 2021 departure.

April 2021

(different itinerary – see note*) 8 April *Itinerary featured is for May 2021 – May 2022 tour departures. Departures prior to this date will vary. Please confirm at time of reservation.

May 2021 – May 2022

(featured itinerary) 6, 10, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31 May 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 June 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29 July 2, 9, 12, 16, 23, 26 August 2, 6, 9, 13, 16 September 20, 23, 27, 30 September 4, 7, 21, 28 April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May

Please note: This trip requires a passport. Our air passengers will arrive into and depart from Reykjavik. Airport transfers are available for purchase. Due to tour scheduling, arrival flights should arrive prior to 10:00 a.m. Puffin can usually be viewed mid-May through mid-August. During the months of April and October, the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon cruise may not operate due to seasonality. This is reflected in the land price for these time periods. The Vatnshellir Cave tour is not recommended for guests who are claustrophobic or have back or knee problems. Guests should be in good physical condition.

“This was my first experience with group travel and I absolutely loved it. It was so well organised and efficient, [and] our tour guide was wonderful.” – Collette Traveller