Incredible Iceland

              

Incredible Iceland ~ Fire and Ice
May 30 – June 9, 2010

  »Hot Springs and Snowfields!
     »Volcanoes and Glaciers!
            »Geysers and Icebergs!
                  »Vikings and Hidden People!
 		 
  Join us as we visit this fascinating and strikingly beautiful country of contrasts.
Explore the rich heritage of the last European country to be settled.
Revel in the plugged in, powered up and prosperous present of Iceland.
Discover why Iceland was named the best place in the world to live.

  
  Your Executive Worldwide Travel Tour Itinerary
 
 

May 30 – Depart Ottawa via Toronto for Reykjavik on an early evening Air Canada flight.

May 31: Early morning arrival in Iceland.
You will be met by your coach and private guide at the ariport and head towards Reykjavik, the capital and largest city of Iceland.

Reykjavík, meaning ‘Smoky Bay,’ is believed to be the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland. It was so named because of the steam which the Vikings found rising from the hot springs. According to tradition recorded in Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island.

Early morning check in to the contemporary Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Hotel, a five-minute walk from the outdoor park, Laugardalur, and a complimentary shuttle bus journey from the city center.

This afternoon, visit the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Enjoy bathing and relaxing in natural geothermal seawater, known for its positive effects on the skin. A visit to the spa is said to promote harmony between body, mind and spirit, enabling one to soak away the stresses of modern life.

Welcome Dinner at Vox Restaurant in the hotel. D







 
 

June 1: Culture day in Reykjavik

After breakfast at the hotel, visit museums, artist ateliers, workshops, the downtown architecture and just generally explore this lovely modern city, ranked first on Grist Magazine's "15 Greenest Cities" list. B

       		 
 



 
 
June 2: Breakfast at the hotel before heading toward the mythical Snaefellsnes peninsula, named after the majestic Snaefell Glacier at the extremity of the peninsula, and renowned for its natural beauty and remarkable wildlife. Explore its southern end today.

The peninsula has been called Iceland in Miniature, as many national sights can be found in the area, including the Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland. With its height of 1446 m, it is the highest mountain on the peninsula and has a glacier at its peak.

The volcano can be seen on clear days from Reykjavík, a distance of about 120 km away. The mountain is also known as the setting of the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by the French author Jules Verne.

One of the reasons why Icelander’s love the Snaefellsnes Peninsula so much (aside from its enchanting landscape brimming with lava caves, waterfalls, and mineral hot springs) is that it is a veritable heartland of history. Some of the best and most important sagas took place here, and it is said that Christopher Columbus once spent a winter in Ingjaldsholl, where he heard stories of lands to the west.

Overnight at the excellent boutique Budir Hotel. Dinner included. BD





 
 


June 3: Breakfast at the hotel before we explore the western and northern part of the peninsula. For centuries, Stykkisholmur has been a centre for trade, service and transportation for the Breiðafjörður area. The village features picturesque old houses, the oldest of which is the Norwegian House, a folk museum, where exhibitions are frequently held.

Local handcraft can be admired and bought in Gallery Lára, as well as the shop Setta in Egilshús.

The new church at the Borg is a striking landmark from the sea as well as the land. It is open to tourists and, besides normal church services, is a venue for concerts at least fortnightly over the summer.

Dinner and overnight again at Budir Hotel. BD

     



 



June 4: After breakfast at the hotel, we leave the peninsula and head north towards Akureyri, with some very nice stops along the way. Enjoy a horse show demonstrating the unique qualities of the Icelandic horse while we have lunch.

With its sheltered natural harbour within Eyjafjordur fjord and dramatic mountain backdrop to the south, Akureyri is well known for some of the best summer weather in Iceland, although situated only 100 km from the Arctic Circle.

Akureyri has been a major trading post for centuries and has grown to become lceland's largest regional town and the administrative, commercial and cultural centre of the north. One of its most unusual features is the northernmost 18-hole golf course in the world, the venue for the annual international Arctic Open, where golfers tee off at midnight on midsummer's day - in daylight, of course.

Akureyri’s botanical gardens, the most northerly gardens in the world, include examples of the entire Icelandic flora along with other subarctic species, and the area contains some of the finest woodlands in north Iceland.

Overnight in Akureyri at the 4-star KEA Hotel, located in the heart of Akureyri. BL 		 


 
June 5: Following breakfast at the hotel, transfer east to Lake Myvatn, a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism, and then head toward Dettifoss waterfall, the greatest and most majestic of Iceland’s waterfalls and one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe.

At 44 m high, with a volume of 212 tons per second, the ground shakes with the force of it.

Continue to Ásbyrgia a horse-shoe shaped canyon of stunning beauty. About 3.5 km long, the canyon is surrounded by cliffs up to 90 m high with a huge crag (2 km by 250 m) called Eyjan (“The island”) in the open end of the U.

Its origin is uncertain. It might have been formed by subsidence, or it could have been formed by floods in the river Jökulsá. There are also signs of sea-water having flowed into it.

The legendary explanation is that it is a hoofprint made by Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse belonging to Óðinn, father of the gods, the crag Eyjan having been formed by the frog of his hoof. There is a small lake at the inner end.

Late lunch and a possible whale watching tour in the small seaside village of Husavik.

Return to Akureyri for overnight. BL



 

 




June 6: Breakfast at the hotel. From Akureyri drive west again and then turn south across the highland interior of Iceland via the Kjölur highland road, passing through some of Iceland´s most beautiful landscapes. The Kjölur is the second longest of the roads through the Highlands of Iceland, beginning in the south of Iceland near Haukadalur and behind the Gullfoss waterfall, and ending in the north near Blönduós. The road traverses the interior between two glaciers, Langjökull and Hofsjökull.

Like Sprengisandur highland road, the track was probably known since the first times of Icelandic settlement and is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas.

The Highlands of Iceland cover most of the interior of Iceland. They are situated above 400-500 metres and are mostly uninhabitable, because the water precipitating as rain or snow infiltrates so quickly into the ground that it is unavailable for plant growth, which results largely in a desert surface of grey, black or brown earth, lava and volcanic ashes.

Continue toward the southern coast of Iceland to overnight at the wonderful Rangá Hotel, a luxury countryside hotel and the only 4-star resort in South Iceland. Just off the main road right in middle of South Iceland’s panoramic scenery, it provides stunning picturesque surroundings, such as the famous volcano Mt. Hekla, several glaciers and the Westman Islands.

Boxes Lunch and Dinner included. BLD

 

 


June 7: After breakfast at the hotel, explore the southern coast of Iceland with all its waterfalls, black sand beaches and glaciers, including a visit to the Skogar museum for a taste of
local history and culture in days gone by.

Situated next to the stunning Skógafoss waterfall in extraordinarily beautiful natural surroundings, the Skógar Folk Museum preserves the cultural heritage of southern Iceland through its collection of tools and equipment, handicrafts, old buildings, books, manuscripts, and documents. A key part of the Museum’s work has been the reconstruction of several old farmhouses, o visitors can see how Icelanders lived in the past.

Return to Rangá for overnight. Dinner included. BD

  



 




June 8: Breakfast at the hotel.

Today we´ll tour the famous Golden Circle, visting the Gullfoss waterfall (the Golden Waterfall), the Geysir hot spring area and finally Thingvellir National Park, one of Iceland´s most important historical as well as geological sites.

Thingvellir is a natural shrine of outstanding natural beauty. Many of the most momentous events of Icelandic history took place at Thingvellir, where Althingi was founded in 930 and continued to assemble every summer until 1798.

It was at Thingvellir that the Icelandic nation agreed to adopt Christianity in 1000 and the modern republic was founded in 1944.

In 1928 Thingvellir was made Iceland’s first national park. In 2004 Thingvellir was officially added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Return to Reykjavik for overnight.

Farewell dinner at Restaurant Einar Ben, located in an old 18th century house right by the main square in the heart of Reykjavik. BD

June 9: Breakfast at the hotel.

Free time for last minute shopping and strolling around in the downtown area.

Late afternoon flight home. B



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