Day 1 Reykjavik, Iceland | Embark
Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center, and government seat is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.
Day 2 Vestmannaeyjar | Surtsey, Iceland
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The name Vestmannaeyjar refers to both a town and an archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. The largest Vestmannaeyjar island is called Heimaey. It is the only inhabited island in the group and is home to over 4000 people. The eruption of the Eldfell Volcano put Vestmannaeyjar into the international limelight in 1973. The volcano’s eruption destroyed many buildings and forced an evacuation of the residents to mainland Iceland.
On 14 November 1963, a trawler passing the southernmost point of Iceland spotted a column of smoke rising from the sea. Expecting to find a burning boat they were surprised to find instead, explosive volcanic eruptions. They were witnessing the birth of a new island. Columns of ash reached heights of almost 30,000 feet in the sky and could be seen on clear days as far away as Reykjavík.
Day 3 Djupivogur, Iceland
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Situated in the southeastern part of Iceland, the little town of Djupivogur is one of the easiest spots in Iceland to reach from northern Europe. Evidence of this is apparent in the presence of a trading post built here as early as the 16th century. In the modern era, fishing is still important, but tourism is increasing more and more. Nearby Bulandsnes has a renowned bird sanctuary, and Papey Island just slightly to the east is home to large colonies of Atlantic Puffins. Djupivogur is also not too far from Vatnajökull National Park.
Day 4 Husavik
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
There's simply nowhere better than Husavilk - the European capital of whale watching - for getting up close and personal with the majestic giants of the ocean. Feel the awe as whales breach the waves around you, before gulping in air and plunging away with almighty tale flicks. Pretty Husavik is framed by the majestic Húsavíkurfjall mountain, which swells up behind, creating a stunning backdrop for the town's tiny wooden warehouses, cherry red houses and undulating fishing ships. The little wooden church has been a beacon of light, guiding tired fishermen back to the shores of Iceland's oldest settlement, since 1907. Let the wind rip through your hair and the sea speckle your face, as you ride waves out among the region's almighty marine creatures, who throw their weight around so spectacularly. Sail among gentle giants in Shaky Bay, spotting humpbacks, minke whales and the world's biggest – blue whales.
Day 5 Ittoqqortoormiit
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
In the 1920s the sparsely settled coast of East Greenland had too many families living in Ammassalik (today’s Tasiilaq) for the hunting grounds available and in 1925 Scoresbysund was chosen to start a new settlement with some 70 Inuit from Ammassalik and four families from West Greenland. Less than 10 kilometers from the entrance to the Scoresbysund system, Ittoqqortoormiit (“Big House Dwellers”) lies on the southern tip of Liverpool Land, a low and rounded area compared to the steeper mountains further south or into the fjord system. Some 460 inhabitants call Ittoqqortoormiit, one of Greenland’s most isolated settlements, their home. Not counting the military and civilian researchers at Daneborg, Northeast Greenland, their closest neighbors live in Iceland.
Day 6-7 Scoresby Sund
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Scoresby Sund is the largest and longest fjord system in the world and exhibits all the natural wonders Greenland has to offer. This labyrinth of islands, fjords and ice boggles the mind at every turn. Named in honor of William Scoresby, the English explorer who mapped the area in 1822, Scoresby Sund today hosts only the small town of Ittoqqortoormiit, although it has been inhabited by many Paleo-Eskimo cultures in the past. The area is incredibly rich in Arctic wildlife, hosting musk oxen, arctic foxes and a wealth of marine life including whales, belugas, narwhals, walrus and seals, as well as several species of sea birds, including King Eiders, Atlantic Puffins and several species of geese which migrate to the area during the fleeting Arctic Summer. It is also one of the best places in the world to see polar bears in their natural habitat, an experience that can never be forgotten. But the scenery is the true highlight of Scoresby Sund.
Day 8 Vigur Island
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Vigur Island is the second-largest island in the Isafjardardjup Fjord, measuring 2 kilometers in length by 400 meters in width. It is home to a single sheep farming family, which ferries the sheep in summer across to the mainland so that the Eider Ducks nesting on the island will not be disturbed. One of the export articles from this small island was eider down and one can still see where the Eider Ducks nest and how the down is collected and cleaned. The small settlement of a few houses is on the southern side, next to a small rocky beach, a concrete wall and a floating pier. On approach, grey seals can often be seen on the otherwise seaweed-covered boulders. Apart from the grey of the basalt and green of the grass, lichens add a splash of color.
Day 9 Klakkeyjar Islands | Stykkisholmur
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
The Klakkeyar Islands are a group of small low-lying remote islands in Breidha Fjord, in the western region of Iceland (Vesturland). The West part of a country has a magnetic charm discovered while navigating the ins and outs of the various fjords, peninsulas and islands groups like the Klakkeyar group in the chilly North Atlantic.
Stykkishólmur, located in western Iceland at the northern end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, is the commerce center for the area. Its natural harbor allowed this town to become an important trading center early in Iceland’s history. The first trading post was established in the 1550s, and still today fishing is the major industry. The town center boasts beautiful and well-preserved old houses from earlier times. Stykkisholmur is very environmentally conscious – it was the first community in Europe to get the EarthCheck environmental certification, was the first municipality in Iceland to start fully sorting its waste and was the first town in Iceland to receive the prestigious Blue flag eco-label for its harbor. It has also been a European Destination of Excellence (EDEN), since 2011.
Day 10 Reykjavik | Disembark
After breakfast aboard the ship, disembark at Reykjavik.
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