ICELAND CIRCUMNAVIGATION

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

Seabourn Venture

Seabourn Venture was launched in July of 2022, designed and built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards. She includes a plethora of modern hardware and technology that will extend the ship’s global deployment and capabilities. This ship features an innovative design, created specifically for the ultra-luxury expedition traveller. She is also designed to carry a complement of double sea kayaks as well as 24 Zodiacs that can accommodate all onboard guests at once, which will allow for a truly immersive experience. Venture features 132 all veranda, all ocean-front suites.

Day 1 Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavík, established by Viking settler Ingólfur Arnarson around 870 C.E, is the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland. The census of 1703 recorded that Reykjavík had 69 residents and consisted of a farm and a church. The impressive statue of Leif Erikson, in the center of town, reminds all of Iceland’s Viking heritage. Its name translates to ‘smoky bay’, due to the geothermal nature of the surrounding area.

Today about 200.000 people live in the Icelandic capital, roughly 60% of the country’s population. It has evolved into a sophisticated city. The northernmost national capital in the world is also one of the cleanest, greenest, and safest on Earth.  Walking Reykjavik streets one will find rich culture, history, music, shopping and in the late hours vibrant night-life. Colourful rooftops and the elegant spire of Hallgrímskirkja Church dominate Reykjavik’s skyline. Known for its arts, Reykjavik hosts a number of internationally recognised festivals, notably the Iceland Air music festival, Reykjavik Arts Festival and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.

Day 2 Grundarfjordur

The charming small fishing village of Grundarfjörður is located in the middle of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and thus provides easy access to Stykkishólmur, Snæfellsbær and the Snæfellsnes National Park. Its best-known landmark is undoubtedly the peak of Mt. Kirkjufell. Translated as ‘church mountain,’ Kirkjufell is the most easily recognizable peak, and one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland. During summer months a Viking Village is built in the center of town where Viking re-enactments occur quite regularly. During the Á góðri stund town festival in July, the town’s 900 residents decorate their houses in red, blue, yellow, and green, transforming the town into a spinning kaleidoscope of color.

The town first began trade in 1786, and around 1800, French merchants came to Iceland and settled in Grundarfjörður, where they constructed a church and a hospital. The town has prospered through the fishing industry for a long time. The surrounding sea is rich with birdlife & marine life throughout the year.

Day 3 Patreksfjordur and Dynjandi

The small village of Patreksfjörður serves as gateway to the Westfjords peninsula in northeastern Iceland and some of the country’s most spectacular attractions. Fishing is the main industry here, although tourism is quickly growing thanks to Patreksfjörður’s proximity to such natural wonders as Dynjandi waterfalls. Dynjandi — which translates as “thunderous” — rivals Gullfoss in sheer spectacle, cascading more than 325 feet down a series of increasingly wider steps; the rocky footpath to the top passes seven smaller falls. Látrabjarg, a rocky promontory that marks the westernmost point of Europe (not counting the Azores), is recognised as one of the best birdwatching spots on the planet. Látrabjarg’s four rugged, wind-battered cliffs — stretching for nearly nine miles and reaching close to 1,500 feet in height — are home to more than 1 million birds, including massive colonies of colourful puffins and around 40 percent of the world’s nesting razorbills. The red sands of Rauðasandur beach are a stark contrast to most of the country’s black volcanic beaches, while the wreck of Gardar BA 64, Iceland’s oldest steel whaling ship, lies in rusting ruins along Patreksfjörður’s shore.

Day 4 Saudarkrokur

The old town of Saudarkrokur lies on the South-West shore of Skagafjordur, featuring museums, interactive exhibitions, restaurants and a number of shops. It is one of the most important communities out of Reykjavik due to thriving fishing operations.

Day 5 Siglufjorour

Siglufjorour 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 harbour with its colourful 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 6 Grimsey

The small Icelandic island of Grimsey is the most northerly inhabited part of Iceland, sitting right under the Arctic Circle. There is a monument where the Arctic Circle was a few years, and due to Earth’s oscillations, the Polar Circle now lies further north.

The quaint Icelandic island of Grimsey stands as the northernmost inhabited part of Iceland. A few years ago, the Arctic Circle was marked by a monument on the island, but due to Earth’s oscillations, it now lies further north. This small island is home to a close-knit community and hosts bustling colonies of seabirds.

Day 7 Husavik

Husavik curls around the semi-circular Skjalfardi Bay on Iceland’s northern coast. It was the first Norse settlement on Iceland founded in 870 A.D. The name means ‘bay of houses,’ no doubt referring to the first farmstead on the island. The town’s skyline is dominated by the tall steeple of its picturesque, gingerbread-style church, built in 1907.  Tourism has become increasingly important, and the bay has a well-deserved reputation for terrific whale-watching as several species frequent its waters. The Whale Museum capitalizes on that aspect. Other museums tout the history, including some ancient boats, and the history of human exploration, including a monument to astronauts.  Nearby natural features include the horseshoe-shaped canyon Asbyrgi and several waterfalls.

Day 8 Borgarfjordur

Borgarfjordur’s biggest town is Borgarnes, famous for its incredible Viking, English and Danish history. The area is also known for its geothermal baths and hot springs, and the waterfalls Hraunfossar and Barnafoss.

Day 9 Eskifjordur

In the deeply serrated Eastern Fjords of Iceland’s east coast, the fishing village of Eskifjordur is scattered along the shore under a looming peak. Founded as a trading post in 1789, it thrives today on the fishing industry. The townsfolk proudly claim the striated peak of Hólmatindur as their personal landmark., although the town takes its name from the other peak Mt. Eskja. The Maritime Museum, housed in a building dating from 1816, traces the history of the town and its linkage to the sea, as does the moving statue to lost mariners on the main road.  Helgustadaman was once renowned for the crystalline spar mineral mined there, and a couple in the town have spent a lifetime collecting and cutting beautiful minerals and crystals from all over Iceland. Their display of over a thousand specimens is in their home but open to visitors. The town’s church also has displays of art.

Day 10 Papey Island

Papey, Celtic for ‘Friar’s’ Island, is situated 5 kilometres off of the eastern coast of Iceland. Although the largest island in Eastern Iceland, it is only 2 square kilometres in area. Its windswept, grassy slopes rise to 58 metres culminating in a rock formation called the Castle. Rocky sea cliffs surround much of the island, providing excellent habitat for nesting sea birds. Guillemots occupy Papey until mid-summer while Atlantic puffins abound until mid-September. Seals and eider ducks can be found here during breeding season.

Although there is evidence of early Norse settlement, the island takes its name from Irish monks known as ‘papar’ who presumably occupied the island. The medieval Icelandic ‘Book of Settlements’ mentions this as a place inhabited by these ‘Vestmen’ (men of the west).

Today, a lighthouse, a dwelling and a church are on the island. The small church, with its white picket fence and red roof is the oldest wooden church in Iceland, built in 1902.

Day 11 Heimaey, Westman Islands

Heimaey Island is the largest in the Westman Islands located four miles off the south-west coast of Iceland. One of the most visually impressive islands in Iceland, it is ringed by tall, vertical sea cliffs many hundreds of feet high.  Heimaey is also the home to over eight million Atlantic puffins, more nesting puffins than anywhere else on earth. A local story tells that puffin chicks, taking their first flights at night, often become stranded in the village streets, where the local children rescue them and set them free the next day.

In January of 1973 the island received the nickname, ‘Pompeii of the North’ when a volcanic eruption and lava flow destroyed half the town. This caused a crisis when the town’s only harbor was nearly blocked by advancing lava. Nowadays it is a lively place with a vibrant culture and over four thousand residents. Archaeological excavations suggest that people lived on Heimaey as early as the 10th Century.

Day 12 Reykjavik

Farewell your fellow expeditioners and disembark in Reykjavik.