Norway Cruise & Iceland Tour with Flights

Depart Australia as you board the flights to Copenhagen.

Arrive Copenhagen, Denmark.  Please catch the airport train or a taxi to the city for you overnight hotel stays for 2 nights in downtown Copenhagen.

Visit all the top attractions.  Discover the city's marvellous sights and get a feel of its many charming and unique areas! Some of the most important sights are: The Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace, Rosenborg Palace, Nyhavn, Gammel Strand, Tivoli, and Christiansborg Palace. Enjoy the ride and hop off when you feel like strolling along the canals, eating ice cream or enjoying a lunch.

Please catch a taxi to the Copenhagen cruise port as your board MSC Grandiosa for your Norwegian Fjords cruise for the next seven nights. Departure is scheduled for 6pm.

Your cruise arrives back in Copenhagen.  Please catch a taxi to the airport for your flight to Iceland.  On arrival in Reykjavik you will clear customs and transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore Reykjavik at leisure.

Reykjavik, on the coast of Iceland, is the country's capital and largest city. It's home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history. The striking concrete Hallgrimskirkja church and rotating Perlan glass dome offer sweeping views of the sea and nearby hills. Exemplifying the island’s volcanic activity is the geothermal Blue Lagoon spa, near the village of Grindavik.

Overview of the Iceland 5-day Escorted tour.

On the first day you will tackle to the famous Golden Circle route to witness the active geothermal area Geysir, the golden waterfall Gullfoss and Thingvellir – a UNESCO World Heritage site where the old Icelandic parliament was gathering inside the rift between Eurasian and American tectonic plates. Just before heading to your cozy accommodation on the South Coast you will stop at the colorful Kerid Volcanic Crater.

For the next two days your adventure continues along the South Coast, where you will discover stunning waterfalls, lava fields, black sand beaches and famous Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. During these days there are two very exiting activities planned – a Blue Ice Glacier Walk on Solheimajokull Glacier and an amphibian boat tour among icebergs at the Jokulsarlon glacier Lagoon. Remember to keep your head up for the seals swimming around you and resting on the ice. You will also visit the river canyon at Fjadrargljufur – an astonishing place, a winding green gorge about a hundred meters deep and nearly two kilometers long. Then you will go back to Reykjavik for one night.

The final two days of the tour take place in the West of Iceland and on the Snaefellsnes peninsula. The Snaefellsnes peninsula, listed on Lonely Planet TOP 10 Regions in World 2015, is a fairy-tale land full of beautiful cliffs, charming fishing villages, fjords, wildlife, volcanic landscapes and craters combined with stunning waterfalls and mountains. The Borgarfjordur area is in the opinion of many Icelanders the most beautiful countryside in Iceland. Among the highlights during these days are a caving expedition inside Vidgelmir, the biggest known lava tunnel in Iceland.

After a complimentary pick up service in Reykjavík your journey begins with the classic Golden Circle – the most famous sightseeing route in Southern Part of Iceland. First stop is at Thingvellir National Park – a unique place where nature meets with the history. While walking between the American and Eurasian tectonic plates, it is hard not to think about the history of this place. Thingvellir (“the field of parliament”) became home to the Icelandic general assembly from around the year 930 and continued until 1798. At the end of the path between cliffs you will notice Oxararfoss waterfall. It is rather small one — around 13 meters high, but well worth seeing.

Next on the agenda is a visit at Gullfoss – the Golden waterfall. The waters of the mighty Hvíta (white) river are swept into a 70 meters deep canyon giving visitors one of the most spectacular views in Iceland. Powerful and beautiful waterfall rushes down from two tiers into an ancient valley.

Third stop is at Haukadalur Geothermal Area, better known as Geysir – home to many bubbling hot springs and geysers — one of them is the very active Strokkur that throws up boiling water up to a height of 40 meters every 5-10 minutes.

These three famous sights are the classic ones that form the Golden Circle but to add even more to this experience, your last stop of the day is at unique Kerid Volcanic Crater. The crater made of a characteristic red volcanic rock is 270 m wide and more than 55 m deep. There is a lake in the bottom of the crater which is a little bit of magic.

The day begins with two great waterfalls of the south coast, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, as well as visiting lesser known, more secret waterfall Glufrabui.

Seljalandsfoss is single cascade fall from 60 meters tall cliff located beneath the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. It is one of the most intriguing waterfalls in Iceland and definitely one of the most famous ones, as it can be fully encircled by foot. Just remember to put your waterproof clothing and hiking shoes on before starting hike!

As we continue, we will drive under the great Eyjafjallajökull glacier volcano and the Mýrdalsjökull glacier cap, where we take a Glacier Hike for about 1,5 hours and have a closer look at the Solheimajokull glacier. Our certified glacier guides know the best hiking trails on the glaciers in Iceland, so following them guarantees spending a really nice time there.

Before we reach the accommodation for well-deserved rest, we will stop at the “must see” Black Beach of Reynisfjara, where the sea crashes upon black sands and hexagonal basalt columns and rock stacks tower over the surroundings. Last stop on the second day will be at lovely village of Vik.

Today, you will take a close look at majestic glaciers, ice lagoons and majestic Fjadrargljufur Canyon.

The day starts with visit at the amazing Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon where you will enjoy a boat tour, sailing on the glacier lagoon. The lagoon is full of huge chunks of ice which crack off Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and float slowly out to sea.

Some icebergs wash on shore, lying on the vivid black sand like diamonds on satin, giving the Diamond Beach its name. There is a good possibility of seeing seals swimming around the huge icebergs.

After this visual feast we will make a short stop at Hofskirkja, which was the last church of this type to be built in Iceland, dating back to the 19th century. Deep layers of turf make up the roof of the church here, which is also surrounded by moss-covered burial mounds.

Next on the agenda is a visit to the river canyon at Fjadrargljufur. It is an astonishing place, a winding green gorge about a hundred meters deep and nearly two kilometres long. It’s an extraordinary natural environment, deeply carpeted with fragile mosses. The canyon was formed a few thousand years ago during a glacial period, leaving a snaking river behind when the ice sheet retreated. We will stay at this marvellous place for an hour.

After enjoying this wonderful experience, you head back in the afternoon towards Reykjavik where we estimate to arrive around 21:30 (09:30 pm). There you will get some rest before heading to the Western Iceland for another two days of adventure.

Today we’ll take you to Borgarfjordur, thought to be the location for many of the famous Icelandic Sagas.
Deep in the heart of the wild landscapes here, you’ll see Deildartunguhver – the most powerful hot springs in Europe, which pumps out more than 180 litres of boiling water every second.

Awe-inspiring waterfalls at Hraunfossar are next on the itinerary. Magnificent stretch of waterfalls that runs for nearly a kilometre over a rugged lava field. There is another waterfall nearby, known as Barnafoss, or the “waterfall of the children”. Once there was a stone arch making a natural bridge over the Hvita river here. Many years ago, two children from a nearby farm were drowned when they tried to cross it. Their heartbroken mother had the bridge destroyed to save others from the same sad end.

Then you’ll explore an astonishing lava cave system at Vidgelmir that was created over a thousand years ago, filled with stalactites, stalagmites and fascinating ice formations. The Vidgelmir Lava Cave is an incredibly colourful underworld, measuring 1585 meters long, nearly 16 meters high, and 16 meters wide. That means it’s easily the largest lava tunnel in the country.

For lunch you will stop at Husafell. Set between two glaciers, Husafell is an entrancing place filled with Viking history, with traditional turf houses and little elf huts to amuse the children too. This is a charming spot, with thick birch tree forests and pretty waterfalls, and it has been an inspiration for local artists. As well as that, the “Husafell Stone” can be found here, a legendary “lifting stone”, once used to test the strength of the locals and still used in strongman competitions today.

Last stop will be at Reykholt, which is an historic site in Iceland’s folklore, featured in the writings of Snorri Sturluson, a famous poet and local chieftain. Snorralaug (Snorri’s Pool) is an old-time hot spring, where locals have bathed for hundreds of years. Snorralaug is now a protected archaeological treasure, and there is also a traditional timber church here to look at too.

You’ll stay overnight in Borgarnes, which was one of the original settlement sites for the first Icelanders a thousand years ago. You can learn more about the story of those pioneers with an optional visit to the excellent Settlement Center, which features interactive displays and intriguing stories from the Icelandic Sagas.

Borgarnes is situated in a stunning location on a beautiful peninsula with amazing views of nearby Hafnarfjall (the Harbour mountain) and Skessuhorn mountain, which appeared in Game of Thrones as “Bulls Horn”. This is also an ideal place to look out for the Northern Lights when they are active.

Day 5 begins with a scenic drive towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula – by many called “Iceland in miniature”. There are not some many places here in Iceland where you can see so many kinds of geology packed into such a small area.

There are very good reasons why Snaefellsnes was on the Lonely Planet TOP 10 Regions in World 2015 list. While driving along shores of the peninsula you will pass by lovely and charming fishing villages, biggest strato-volcano in Iceland called Snaefellsjokull, walk on top of the cliffs and have an opportunity to spot wild seals resting at the Ytri-Tunga Beach. Djúpalónssandur is another gorgeous black sand beach, where the air is filled with the sounds of birds circling the cliffs and the ocean waves hitting the sand. The most recognizable spot on the peninsula is Kirkjufell (Church) mountain accompanied by a small, but iconic falls. Make sure to have your camera ready to take a picture for your collection!

On the way to Reykjavík you will pass by the Whale Fiord (Hvalfjordur) and the tunnel laying 165 meters below it.  Overnight Reykjavik for 3 nights.

Our Reykjavik Viking Tour is your introduction to Iceland. This tour is designed to help you get your bearings in our capital city and make the most of your stay in Iceland. We recommend this as your first stop in Reykjavik! For more specialist adventures, head over to our Reykjavik Walking Tours to explore further.

We will visit all the highlights of the Reykjavik city centre and also share hidden spots with you, like a visit to a genuine Elf home and other local gems – things easily missed if you didn’t know where to look.

Highlights:

• The first Viking house
• Reykjavik Harbor
• Harpa Concert Hall
• Hallgrímskirkja church
• Reykjavik pond
• The Parliament building

Please enjoy one last free day in Reykjavik prior to departure to Australia.

Please catch the Reykjavik airport bus to the airport for your flights back to Australia. This is where the journey ends, but the memories are just beginning!