Iceland Circumnavigation

Say Skál and Explore

Enjoy a day of independent exploration in Reykjavík—submerge in the healing waters of the famed Blue Lagoon, try the iconic Icelandic hot dogs or visit Yoko Ono’s white stone Imagine Peace Tower on nearby Viðey Island. Considered one of the cleanest, greenest cities on the planet, the groovy cosmo capital of Iceland is the perfect launching pad. 

Laugavegur is the main, buzzy street to see and be seen. There are endless cafes, museums, galleries and vintage and vinyl shops to poke around in. Try the best Icelandic cod and a shot of Iceland’s signature liquor, Brennivín. It’s a brand of schnapps made from fermented potato mash and caraway seed. Raise a glass and say skál.

We have an evening departure from the geothermal wonderland. Get ready to circumnavigate this volcanic island of black sand beaches, glacier lagoons, fjords and endless ribbons of waterfalls.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

A Natural Wonderland

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula’s mesmerizing coastline is adored for its ever changing landscape. Referred to as “Iceland in Miniature,” the natural wonders shift from black sand beaches to volcanoes, glacier tongues, hardened lava fields, daunting mountains, otherworldly basalt columns, pounding waterfalls, to dripping caves and gaping craters. This peninsula encapsulates all of these in one incredibly condensed region of 56 miles (90 km). 

Seabirds abound for listers—be on the lookout for kittiwakes, Arctic terns and Iceland gulls. Near shore, sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, purple sandpipers, ringed plovers, red shanks populate the coast. Red-throated loons and horned grebes often delight birders too!

Orcas, minke whales and porpoises are common around Snæfellsnes Peninsula, but larger species of whales keep to deeper waters farther from the coast.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Puffins, Guillemots, and Coastal Charms

The multi-hued beaches and jagged cliffs of the Westfjords are a bonanza for birders. Three of the largest bird cliffs in Iceland are in this region, and estimates indicate that as many as two million pairs of Brünnich’s guillemots and common guillemots nest there. As we venture into the Westfjords, keep an eye out for fulmars, auks, northern gannets, large colonies of Atlantic puffins and glaucous gulls.

The beauty of the remote coastal fjords is arresting and an area that few travelers are privy to witnessing. By land, the Westfjords are really only accessible for a few months in the summer from May to September due to the heavy snowfall that buries the region. The Westfjords sometimes get cut off from the rest of the country during winter.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour 

Cross the Arctic Circle

Today we travel 25 miles (40 km) north to the isle of Grímsey, which sits (barely!) on the Arctic Circle at 66° 33’ North, earning Iceland its title as one of the world’s eight Arctic nations.

We cruise by Zodiac around the island to observe the racket and antics of millions of seabirds. Puffins, guillemots and gulls far outnumber its tiny human population of 100!

In Siglufjörður, the former hotbed of the herring fishing industry, we enjoy a re-enactment of the bygone days at the Herring Era Museum and tour the restored herring oil production facility. Iceland is known for its peculiar museums that are dedicated to sorcery and witchcraft, ghosts, stones, sharks, sea monsters and all things phallological. This one is Iceland’s largest maritime museum.

We have time to explore Iceland’s northernmost historic fishing village. Pop into the bakery for a kaffe and kleina (coffee and Icelandic donut)!

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Urban Discovery

Immerse yourself in the metro charms of Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest urban area! 

We have time to poke around the city’s shops and cafés. For museum buffs, there are TEN to choose from. Sverrir Hermannsson’s Sundry Collection is a quirky favorite (think matchbooks, used nails, razors, hand tools, antique sewing machines), but there are also museums dedicated to farmhouses, aviation and  motorcycles. Or visit the White Plague Center, a former tuberculosis sanatorium. Note: You may need to take a taxi to reach some of these museums. Inside the Lutheran church there’s a large 3,200 pipe organ and an impressive model ship suspended from the ceiling.

Akuyeri’s botanical gardens are among the northernmost in the world and house an impressive collection of more than 7,000 plant species. Established in 1957 within a city park that had been created by local women in 1912, the gardens are free to walk around.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Quirky Collections

Húsavík’s Skjálfandi Bay is known as the whale capital of Iceland. There are 15 different whale species that frequent the area, as well as dolphins and dozens of reeling bird species. The town’s wooden church, Húsavíkurkirkja, was designed and built in 1907 by Rognvaldur Olafsson. Built in the form of a cross, it was constructed with wood imported from Norway.

We have time to take advantage of Húsavík’s diverse and curious museum offerings, including the Whale Museum, the Húsavík Museum and the Exploration Museum, which houses artifacts from the Apollo astronaut training in the area.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Finding Harmony

Today we explore Seyðisfjörður, a tiny town of 700 that dots the tip of its namesake fjord. Known for its vibrant art scene, cobbled rainbow road and artisan handicrafts, it’s easy to lose hours exploring.

We can opt to take a hike or walk to the Tvísöngur sound sculpture on a nearby hill. Each of the five interconnected domes has its own resonance that corresponds to a tone in the Icelandic musical tradition of five-tone harmony. 

At the family-owned Skálanes Nature Reserve, we learn about the center’s research, sustainable tourism model and interpretation of Iceland’s environment and cultural history. 

There’s an optional excursion to Vallanes Organic Farm, where Eymundur Magnússon and Eygló Björk Ólafsdóttir have been organic farming since 1985. Explore their inspiring premises on a guided tour that digs deep into their focus on developing Icelandic grains, herbs and vegetables. Bonus: sample their hyper local products during a tasting!

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Chasing Waterfalls and Glaciers

South Iceland is home to some of the country’s most stunning natural attractions born of the collision of geothermal and glacial cold. There are volcanoes, lagoons, glaciers, steamy hot springs, spouting geysers and enormous waterfalls to see—either ashore on foot or by Zodiac cruise. Europe’s biggest glacier, Vatnajökull, is found in the namesake national park. 

Meditate and reflect in this remarkable, inspiring region of natural phenomena—it’s as wild as it gets! The landscape doubles as an ultimate group photo backdrop too!

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour

Hot Stuff

Today, we unravel the dynamic history of this volcanic hotspot, from the birth of Surtsey in 1963 to the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption that stunned and stalled part of the world. Of Iceland’s 32 active volcanoes, Katla takes the spotlight, as it’s hiding under thick glacial ice and any eruption would lead to devastating flooding. 

We take a super scenic Zodiac cruise in search of seabirds, including the “clowns of the sea.” Puffins nest in the nooks of the steep rock faces along the sheer ocean cliffs here and their animated antics are a pure joy to observe.

Included Meals

All on-board meals 

Accommodations

Your cabin on the Ocean Endeavour 

Arriving Full Circle

Our circumnavigation of Iceland closes with our return to Reykjavík, where we’ll disembark in the morning. Give your fellow Wild Women crew a big polar bear hug, and start plotting your next life-changing adventure together!

You may wish to extend your stay to absorb more of this cool city and all that it offers, from the best-ever fish and chips to outdoor gear shops like the legendary 66°North. There’s also Aurora Reykjavík, Iceland’s first and only Northern Lights Center. Take a walk through history and learn about mythology rooted in the Arctic Circle and sky above. 

And don’t forget to stop at Baejarins Beztu Pylsur for a classic hot dog made out of pork, beef and lamb. It’s an Iceland pre-requisite.

Included Meals

All on-board meals