Board an overnight, direct flight to Iceland on Iceland Air.
Depart Toronto on Icelandair FI602 at 7:45pm, arriving in Keflavik at 6:05am the following day.
Landing at Keflavik international airport immediately shows the extremes of Iceland’s environment. Already while preparing for landing, we can spot the white plumes of geothermal pools in the lava fields of this geologically young island. Soon after landing, we see how a thick carpet of moss is the only vegetation capable of surviving on these wind beaten lava fields that drain any water extremely quickly. After landing, the group will enjoy a luxuriating swim at the Blue Lagoon.
Afterwards, transfer to Reykjavik. Two thirds of the Icelandic population lives in Reykjavik while the rest of them are dotted around the coastline in tiny hamlets. The otherworldly interior is as good as deserted. While walking around downtown Reykjavik, we see how even the sprawling urban heart of the nation lives in close interaction with the Atlantic ocean and its weather patterns. After dropping off our bags, we’ll head out for a refreshing late afternoon walk along the waterfront and through the city centre. Our guide will provide insight into Reykjavik’s fascinating history and unique Nordic vibe, with a few fun facts along the way. Overnight Reykjavik.
Refreshed after an uninterrupted night of sleep, we’ll dive right into Iceland’s hidden treasures. The day begins with a visit to Perlan (“the Pearl”) – a nature exploratorium complete with an artificial ice cave and a brand-new interactive exhibit on Iceland’s volcanos, glaciers and more. A finishing walk on the 360° viewing platform gives us a bird’s eye view over the city and a glimpse at the mountain passes we’ll be crossing tomorrow. No lush fields, orchards or pastures with animals on the horizon. The arctic wilderness starts right at the edge of the city! In the afternoon we head back to the old harbor in downtown Reykjavik. Perlan showed us the island’s character, now it’s time to learn about the characters that first settled this rock in the North Atlantic. At the Saga museum, we’ll meet life-sized representations of the early settlers and hear their deeply personal stories. Are you ready to look them in the eye? Dinner and overnight Reykjavik.
Today, we’ll leave the comforts of the capital behind. Venturing into the interior, we’ll explore a wilderness that could be mistaken for another planet, characterized by steaming volcanos, spectacular waterfalls, and the surreal sounds of nature. We’ll make our way along the south coast, dotted with tiny rural communities, to experience these wild wonders firsthand. While passing over the Hellisheidi mountain pass, we see huge clouds of steam coming out of the modern pumping stations and learn about how they supply Reykjavik’s hot water. There’s a reason people settled there and literally called it “smokey bay”. While the first Icelanders used it to wash their clothes, they now have their whole capital running on sustainable green energy.
We descend into the town of Hveraverdi, known for the geothermal energy bubbling up from below its foundations. From here, we’ll hike up Reykjadalur – “the smoky valley” – to see and smell the sulfuric steam rising out of the ground.
We will continue onto Friðheimar to see how Iceland produces vegetables with the help of geothermal, clean energy. Students will enjoy the fruits of the Geothermal Bakery and eat Tomato Soup and fresh bread for lunch (at own expense). Time permitting: stop at Geysir, (depending on the last entry time at the Lava Tunnel). Late this afternoon, descend into one of the many lava tubes hidden under Iceland’s surface. A trained guide will take us down into the darkness where we’ll see unique lava formations and learn about the cave’s origins. Lava caves are helping us better understand the landscape of other planets – in fact, they are key to preparing us for the exploration of Mars! After an afternoon of unparalleled adventure, we’ll head into one of the larger south coast communities where we’ll spend the night at a local hotel on the banks of the Olfusa river. Overnight at Hotel Selfoss or Hótel Hvolsvöllur.
In the morning, we’ll continue our journey east, stopping to visit the brand-new Lava Center at Hvolsvöllir. Here, we’ll be treated to a cinematic interpretation of Iceland’s many recent volcanic eruptions. We’ll learn more about the island’s explosive geography at an interactive exhibit about active and dormant volcanos.
In the afternoon we’ll see icebergs float out to sea from the infamous Jokulsárlon glacier lagoon, and walk on Diamond Beach where we can touch man-sized chunks of glass-like glacial ice with our bare hands.
On the way we’ll pass through the lava fields created by the Laki eruptions, and cross the desert and wild glacial rivers over the Skeidarársandur – a natural obstacle that prevented Iceland’s ring road from being completed until the 1970’s. Views of the massive glaciers are truly stunning, and too numerous to count.
It is time to experience a glacier up close! Specialist guides will gear us up with safety equipment before we hike one of the many outlet glaciers around Skaftafell National Park. Don’t worry – we’re in safe hands! Qualified glacier guides fit us with crampons, a harness, a helmet and an ice axe. We spend the morning exploring the wonders of the glacier, but we also talk about how climatic changes have caused the glaciers in Iceland to melt at alarming rates. Your guide will point out fresh signs of the glacier disappearing all around the landscape we’re in. Being a glacier close to the capital, this is also where most of short term visitors make a stop. We’ll talk about how Iceland is dealing with ever increasing numbers of visitors and the pressure they bring to the environment, infrastructure and local population.
After lunch at the visitor center, return back towards the city. We’ll make a stop in Vik to meet a local man who melts down basalt rocks into live lava using a high temperature smelter! With our safety goggles on, we’ll listen to his first-hand account of what it’s like to live through a volcanic eruption.
Time permitting, we’ll make a stop at Reynisfjara - “the black sand beach” to take a close look at the hexagonal basalt Columns. In Iceland you don’t just see nature in action, you also understand how the island’s residents are inspired by their environment. On the way back, we’ll get a look at the famous Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls.
Dinner will be served in a hotel known for its spectacular views of the Northern Lights. Overnight at Hotel Ork.
On our morning transfer the airport our guide will lead a discussion about the fine line between preserving and using such powerful natural environments to support human habitation in such extreme environments. The electricity produced could be used for more than just powering Icelandic homes. International conglomerates ship enormous quantities of bauxite to Iceland to use its vast supplies of water and cheap electricity to create aluminium. Think about that for a moment… bauxite is not found in Iceland, but the glaciers have helped aluminium become one of the countries top 3 industries.
We will enjoy an easy hike at the Gunnuhver Geothermal Area prior to boarding our flight home to Toronto on Iceland air.
Depart Keflavik on FI603 at 5:05pm, arriving in Toronto at 7:10pm.
