Compare The Vinland Saga Adventure by Hurtigruten vs Iceland In-Depth featuring the Northern Lights by Tours of Distinction
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| Trip |
3.5 | Average
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 15 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 8,207 | $ 3,699 |
| Price Per Day | $ 547 | $ 462 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small ship cruise | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Luxury |
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| Countries Visited | ||
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
6 Breakfasts | 3 Lunches | 5 Dinners |
| Description |
Sail in the wake of the Norse settlers. See the untouched wilderness they inhabited and the fascinating remains from this period. Between 800 and 1000 A.D., the feared and fabled Vikings carried out a number of expeditions to explore the North Atlantic Ocean. It is thought that they set out to colonise new lands as a result of population pressures and political unrest in their homeland. The Vikings were able to explore so extensively thanks to their remarkable longships, which allowed them to travel long distances across rough oceans and through stormy weather. They were also exceptional navigators, relying only on simple maps and using the position of the sun and stars when in open water |
Iceland is one of the world’s ultimate islands of contrasts… fire and ice; long nights with colorful northern lights and daylight for 20 hours; glaciers and steaming hot geysers, waterfalls galore, pretty puffins, and magical elves. It is a fierce landscape of volcanoes, plains of mossy, craggy cliffs, and black sand beaches. It is an island still being formed by water, ice, and fire and closer than you believe. |
Day 1: Reykjavik, Iceland
The Vikings were the first people to permanently settle in Iceland. According to 'The Book of Settlements (Landnámabók)', Ingólfur Arnason was the first to settle here around 870 A.D. He named the settlement Reykjarvík (bay of smoke), after the steam from the hot springs in the area:. Today, Iceland's modern capital is the starting point of this expedition.
Day 2: Snæfellsjökull National Park
The Snæfellsjökull National Park has many famous sites, and the magnificent Snæfellsjökull glacier is one of the highlights. Other attractions include basalt cliffs and the many fascinating lava formations. At Djupalonssandur, you can also test your 'Viking strength' on the four 'lifting stones': Amlodi (Useless), Halfdraettingur (Weakling), Halfsterkur (Half Strength) and Fullsterkur (Full Strength).
Day 3: At sea
Rather than rowing a longship across the Denmark Strait to reach Greenland, we'll sail in the modern and very comfortable MS Spitsbergen. Join our Expedition Team’s fascinating on board lectures to learn about Norse Greenland before our arrival.
Day 4: At sea
Greenland’s southern shores contain some of the most culturally and scenically diverse regions of this massive island. Conditions permitting, we will try to sail through the narrow, 70-mile-long channel Prins Christian Sund, which crosses the southernmost point of Greenland, to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. If the channel is blocked with ice, we will instead sail around Nunap Isua (Kap Farvel).
Day 5: South Greenland
Qassiarsuk is the site where Erik the Red built his Brattahlíð estate in 982 A.D. He had been exiled from Iceland and escaped to the land he called Greenland. He chose to settle in Qassiarsuk believing it to be the richest and best site in on the island. Join the settlement walk to explore the reconstruction of Erik the Red's longhouse and the church that his wife Tjodhildur made him build.
Day 6: South Greenland
Igaliku is home to the well-known ruins of Garðar, once the religious heart of Norse Greenland. In Hvalsey, you'll find some of the best-preserved ruins from the Norse period in the former town of Austurbygd. Erik the Red's relatives established the farmstead in the late 10th century. In 1408, 500 years after the town was established, all the inhabitants suddenly left. Amongst the ruins, you'll find the remains of the church where the last known Viking wedding took place.
Day 7: At sea
As we cross the ocean again, you will have plenty of time to imagine how it must have felt to cross an ocean more than 1,000 years ago. According to The Saga of the Greenlanders, Leif Erikson (son of Erik the Red) set out in the year 1002 or 1003 A.D and the first land he found to the west was covered with flat rocks, so he called it Helluland, the land of flat stones (From Old Norse: hella).
Day 8: 'Markland'/Labrador, Canada
After Helluland, Leif Erikson arrived at a land that was flat and wooded, with white sandy beaches, which he called Markland (“Forest Land”). Today, this area is known as Labrador.
Day 9: 'Markland'/Labrador
'Markland'/LabradorWe will explore Labrador, making several explorer-style landings to discover more of the area's astonishing nature and wildlife.
Day 10: 'Markland'/Labrador
While we are here, outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking along the trails and the countless miles of wilderness to explore, whilst others will appreciate learning more about the history, cultures and traditions of the area at the numerous historic sites we will visit.
Day 11: At sea
Enjoy a day at sea. There will be lectures on various topics or you can spend some time on deck enjoying the wildlife we'll see on our journey.
Day 12: L'anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland
In L'Anse aux Meadows, you'll see the first known evidence of the Vikings settling in America. This is probably where Thorfinn Karlsefni and several others settled in 1010. In 1960, two Norwegian archaeologists started excavating in this area and discovered the fascinating remains of the Viking camp. In 1979, L´Anse aux Meadows became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the recreated camp, you can see original artefacts from this internationally renowned archaeological find.
Day 13: 'Vinland'/Newfoundland
According to the sagas, the Viking settlement Hóp was considered to be the 'land of grapes and wheat'. When Leif Erikson discovered it, he called the place Vinland (wineland). This is where the Norse settlers first encountered 'Skrælings', the indigenous people. They started trading with the Skrælings, but after a brutal attack, the frightened Norse abandoned this lush land to go back north. We can promise, however, that the welcome we will receive while visiting the small settlements in this area will be anything but hostile!
Day 14: 'Vinland'/Newfoundland
With its tiny seaside communities, encompassing forests, freshwater fjords, bogs, barren lowlands, and striking cliffs and shorelines, this area is world-renowned for its complex geology. The wildlife is amazing with large seabird colonies, huge moose and caribou populations, and a rich marine life including several species of whales. With some 10,000 humpback whales visiting the area every year, don’t be surprised if you inadvertently capture a whale in a photograph you take on deck!
Day 15: St. Johns, Newfoundland
St. John's is the oldest and most easterly city in North America, and is where our Vinland Saga Adventure ends. We recommend that you explore this historic town, with its striking twin clock towers of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist and its excellent shopping before you fly home.
Day 1 - Depart for Reykjavik, Iceland
Transfer to the airport and check-in for your overnight flight to Reykjavik.
Day 2 - Reykjavik
Arrive in Reyjakvik and head toward the famous Blue Lagoon. The lagoon is a geothermal wonder of nature, with pleasantly warm mineral rich geothermal seawater in the middle of a lava field. The high natural levels of silica, minerals and algae give the Lagoon its rich blue colour – hence the name Blue Lagoon. Later, a city tour will show us the highlights of the capital.
Welcome dinner and overnight at your Reykjavík hotel.
Day 3 - Iceland Countryside
After breakfast, we drive north out of Reykjavik and through the tunnel under Hvalfjordur, one of the country’s longest fjords. We make a visit at the Settlement Center museum in Borgarnes. We continue through the pretty lake-dotted valleys of the Borgarfjördur district where the ice-age glacier covered the area about 10,000 years ago. We will then make a brief stop at Deidartunguhver, Europe’s largest hot spring, where around 200 liters of 97C hot water flows from the earth every second. Enjoy our short stop at the beautiful waterfalls of Hraunfossar and Barnafossar in the river Hvítá before returning to Borgarnes.
Lunch and dinner and overnight in Borgarnes.
Day 4 - Iceland Countryside
The first highlight of the day is Thingvellir, the great lava arena in a rift valley, where the divide between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates is clearly visible. Founded by the Norse settlers in 930 AD in Thingvellir, you will see the world’s oldest still-existing national parliament. Get ready to visit Gullfoss, which is often described as Iceland´s most beautiful waterfall, and the famous Geyser area, Strokkur, the world´s most active, is likely to spout several times. We make our final stop at Friðheimar, known for using geothermal heating for cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers – come and enjoy their famous tomato soup.
Light lunch in Frioheimar. Dinner and overnight in Selfoss.
Day 5 - Iceland Countryside
Today we will drive along the south coast and visit the magnificent waterfall of Seljalandsfoss. It is a narrow and high waterfall which plunges over the mountains of West Eyjafjöll. From there we head to Vík, a village east of Mt. Reynisfjall in Myrdal. In Vík and the neighboring coastline, there is a wealth of contrasts and landscapes renowned for their natural beauty. Mt. Reynisfjall and its cliffs have few rivals in Iceland for richness of vegetation and bird life and the black sand beach Reynisfjara is a large breeding colony for the Arctic tern. According to local folklore, three rock stacks rise up to 66m from the sea: Skessudrangar, Landdrangar and Langhamrar and are said to be trolls turned to stone at sunrise. Then we continue towards Kirkjubæjarklaustur, which in the old days was known as „Kirkjubær“ (Church Farm) and was an important farming village.
Day 6 - Iceland Countryside
From Klaustur, we travel along the south coast to Skaftafell. Skaftafell National Park was designated as one of Iceland´s three National Parks in 1967. Towering mountains, imposing glaciers, gulches with clear brooks and beautiful waterfalls, birch woods, a wealth of wild flowers and lush vegetation give credence to its status. The most majestic of its several waterfalls is Svartifoss (“Black Falls”) that cascade over a wall of symmetrical columnar basalt that resembles an organ. En-route to our stop for the evening, we visit glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón and the museum Þórbergssetur in Höfn. The museum is dedicated to one of Iceland‘s most significant twentieth century author, Þórbergur Þórðarson.
Day 7 - Iceland Countryside - Reykjavik
Today, we start by making a stop at the breathtaking waterfall Skógarfoss, which is 60m high and one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. After, we experience the Folk Museum at Skógar before continuing to the power plant Hellisheiðarvirkjun for a Geothermal Exhibition about geothermal energy in Iceland.
Overnight at your Reykjavik hotel.
Day 8 - Depart Reykjavik
Say goodbye to Iceland this morning as we head to the airport for our flight. Upon arrival in the USA, transfer home.
