12-Day Summer In Iceland & The Faroe Islands Cruise

Day 1 - Reykjavik, Iceland

Arrive: Wed 12 July 2028 / Depart: Wed 12 July 2028 at 17:00

Warmed by the Gulf Stream as well as by highly active thermal hot springs and volcanoes, Iceland is somewhat misnamed. While it is a stark and barren country with three huge areas of glaciers, one theory is that early Norsemen sought to mislead other potential settlers by giving a pleasant name to fierce, inhospitable Greenland, and a forbidding name to the imminently habitable Iceland. Irish monks and hermits established themselves here in the 8th century, but left a century later when the pagan Norsemen arrived. Europe's first Parliament of General Assembly, the Althing, was established in the year 930 and still functions as the legislative body, although it was suspended by the Danes at the end of the 18th century and not reconvened until 1843. Reykjavik was the site picked by the island's first permanent resident, Ingolfur Arnarson in 874, and is home to more than half of the island's total population. The world's northernmost capital, Reykjavik is proud of its virtual lack of air pollution. Both electrical power and home heating are derived from the geothermal activity on the island. The city's large swimming pools are always warm, and in the countryside exotic fruits such as grapes and bananas are cultivated in greenhouses made cozy with the help of underground hot springs.

Day 2 - Flatey Island, Iceland

Arrive: Thu 13 July 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 13 July 2028 at 14:00

Day 3 - Siglufjordur

Arrive: Fri 14 July 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 14 July 2028 at 18:00

Siglufjörður is the northernmost town on the Icelandic mainland, a small fishing village of some 1,200 people. Founded in 1918, it was in the past the capital of the North Atlantic herring fishing industry. The Síldarminjasafnið Herring Era Museum, one of Iceland's largest seafaring and industrial museums, houses three different areas where one can learn about both the traditional and the modern herring industry. A collection of many historic fishing vessels and artifacts is proudly displayed by the people of Siglufjörður, detailing how herring was salted, processed and collected. The small harbor with its colorful fishing boats and the red-roofed steeple of the Lutheran church dominate the village-scape. The natural beauty of the area includes high mountains that rim the fjord, freshwater lakes, the Hólsá river, black sand beaches, and a wealth of birdlife all around. This northernmost region of Iceland is renowned for some of the largest and most dramatic waterfalls in the country.

Day 4 - Husavik

Arrive: Sat 15 July 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 15 July 2028 at 18:00

Day 5 - Grimsey Island

Arrive: Sun 16 July 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 16 July 2028 at 18:00

Day 6 - Seydhisfjordur

Arrive: Mon 17 July 2028 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 17 July 2028 at 18:00

The remote town of Seydisfjördur is perched at the end of a narrow twisting fjord in East Iceland. A very picturesque village of 700 people, it is known for its thriving arts scene and large number of resident artists. Tourism is on the rise as well, as its natural setting of mountains and waterfalls is simply breathtaking. Surrounded by impressive 1,085 meter (3,560’) tall snow-capped mountains, Seydisfjördur is home to the Technical Museum of Iceland and hosts populations of both eider ducks and Atlantic puffins. It was settled by Norwegian fishermen in 1848 and quickly became an important trading center between Iceland and Europe. It is known throughout Iceland for its colorful Norwegian-style wooden houses. The first telegraph cable connecting Iceland to Europe made landfall here in 1906. A large dam was constructed here in 1913, which produced power for the country’s first high voltage AC power plant, a revolutionary achievement for its time.

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Thorshaven

Arrive: Wed 19 July 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Wed 19 July 2028 at 17:00

A distant outpost of Denmark, the Faroe Islands suddenly appear out of the misty North Atlantic, nearly 200 miles from the nearest landfall. Of the twenty-two islands in the group, seventeen are inhabited, with a population of 17,000 residing in the capital city of Torshavn. Irish monks discovered the islands in the 8th century and became the first settlers, only to be driven out by Viking explorers a century later. The traditions and legends of their Viking forefathers are kept alive in a language so close to old Norse that Faroe Islanders can still read the ancient texts inscribed centuries ago. The name Faroe comes from faereyjar, the Old Norse word meaning "Sheep Islands." With thousands of sheep dotting the hillsides, the name remains apt today. While sheep are important to the economy, the real wealth of the islands comes from the fishing industry. A fleet of over 300 trawlers and line-fishing boats bring in an average annual haul of 245,000 tons of cod and herring. Ultra-modern processing and freezing plants do the job of getting the product to market in the most efficient manner.

Day 9 - Klaksvik

Arrive: Thu 20 July 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 20 July 2028 at 17:00

Day 10 - Tvoroyri, Faroe Islands

Day 11 - At Sea

Day 12 - Exploring The Outer Islands of Heimaey

Day 12 - Heimaey

Arrive: Sun 23 July 2028 at 12:00 / Depart: Sun 23 July 2028 at 19:00

Day 13 - Reykjavik, Iceland

Arrive: Mon 24 July 2028 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 24 July 2028

Warmed by the Gulf Stream as well as by highly active thermal hot springs and volcanoes, Iceland is somewhat misnamed. While it is a stark and barren country with three huge areas of glaciers, one theory is that early Norsemen sought to mislead other potential settlers by giving a pleasant name to fierce, inhospitable Greenland, and a forbidding name to the imminently habitable Iceland. Irish monks and hermits established themselves here in the 8th century, but left a century later when the pagan Norsemen arrived. Europe's first Parliament of General Assembly, the Althing, was established in the year 930 and still functions as the legislative body, although it was suspended by the Danes at the end of the 18th century and not reconvened until 1843. Reykjavik was the site picked by the island's first permanent resident, Ingolfur Arnarson in 874, and is home to more than half of the island's total population. The world's northernmost capital, Reykjavik is proud of its virtual lack of air pollution. Both electrical power and home heating are derived from the geothermal activity on the island. The city's large swimming pools are always warm, and in the countryside exotic fruits such as grapes and bananas are cultivated in greenhouses made cozy with the help of underground hot springs.