This tour starts with a flight from Copenhagen to the small town of Ilulissat in West Greenland, famous for the amazing Icefjord where huge icebergs float by. From Greenland, travel to Iceland and vibrant Reykjavík city, for some great excursions that allow you to discover the unique natural surroundings and volcanic landscapes. Then continue to the Faroe Islands, where you can enjoy an unspoiled natural environment of green mountains and dramatic vertical sea cliffs, all while experiencing the special culture and traditions of the Faroese people. The tour then concludes with a flight from the Faroe Islands back to Copenhagen.
"We had the best time in Greenland, Iceland and the Faroes it was all spectacular" - John & Colleen V, Victoria, Australia 2018
Itinerary
Day 1 Copenhagen - Ilulissat, Greenland
Make your own way to Copenhagen airport for your flight to Ilulissat. On arrival in Ilulissat, transfer from the airport to your accommodation. After check-in, perhaps go for a walk around town and enjoy the atmosphere - the colourful houses are painted a rainbow of shades and the giant icebergs float by in Disko Bay, just outside of town. Ilulissat offers various restaurants and cafés where you can enjoy fabulous food – often with a spectacular view. This is a place where Arctic nature and Inuit culture can both be seen. Ilulissat, the town of the icebergs, has dramatic views of the World Heritage Site of Ilulissat Ice Fjord. 4 nights in Ilulissat.
Day 2 Ilulissat: Walk to the Icebergs of Sermermiut
Today enjoy a guided walk to the mouth of the Illulissat Icefjord, for one of the world's most beautiful views over the ice. Travel by bus as far as the road goes then enjoy a beautiful guided walk along the UNESCO designated Ilulissat Ice Fjord to Sermermiut, a fertile valley where you can enjoy the flowers as well as the fantastic icebergs. Here, traces from the 3 old Inuit cultures can still be seen. The different Inuit cultures have lived here for over 4,000 years, and today you can still find artifacts, and see the ruins and the kitchen midden. 2nd night in Ilulissat.
Day 3 Ilulissat: Icefjord Boat Tour
Your excursion today is a fantastic boat tour among the huge icebergs of the Ilulissat Icefjord. These large pieces of ice have broken off from the most productive glacier in the northen hemisphere. The glacier produces approximately 20 billion tonnes of ice every year. From the Icefjord, the icebergs float by the town of Ilulissat and continue north, before turning south and finally out into the Atlantic Ocean. 3rd night in Ilulissat.
Day 4 Ilulissat: Day at Leisure
Day to relax or perhaps enjoy an optional boat tour to Eqi Sermia Glacier, called the "calving glacier" because ice breaks off from it so frequently. This excursion gives you the opportunity to get very close to the ice and to see the calving phenomenon - at the glacier the boat stops approx 500m away from this majestic and awesome sight. Or join a two hour optional guided kayakying trip where you will paddle out along the coast towards the opening of the fjord. No prior kayaking experience is required. Or optional Meet the Sled Dogs excursion where you join the feeding of a dog team. See, feel, touch and hear the howling of up to 20 hungry dogs. The owner will demonstrate the sled and harness, and talk about life as sled dog in Greenland. 4th night in Ilulissat.
Day 5 Ilulissat - Reykjavik, Iceland
This morning transfer to the airport for your flight from Ilulissat to Reykjavik. On your arrival into Iceland, make your own way to your hotel. Reykjavík is both the capital of Iceland and the centre of Icelandic culture. The city centre is small but it has eclectic and colourful houses, good shopping, galleries, museums, great dining and many bars. Four nights in Reykjavik.
Day 6 Reykjavik: Day at leisure
Day at leisure in Reykjavik to explore on your own. The city also has wonderful museums including the National Museum, displaying artefacts from the first settlement to the modern age, for an excellent overview of Iceland's history and culture. The Reykjavik 871+2 Settlement Museum, an archaeological museum based around a 10th century Viking longhouse unearthed in 2001. You may also like the Reykjavik Art Museum and the National Gallery. Or perhaps take an optional excursion to the Blue Lagoon to enjoy a relaxing dip in the thermally warmed, aquamarine water, which is rich in minerals and has a healing effect. 2nd night in Reykjavik.
Day 7 Reykjavik: Golden Circle Tour
Pick up from your hotel for the fabulous guided Golden Circle Tour. Walk around the world-famous Geysir geothermal area, where hot springs are in abundance, geysers explode and pools of mud bubble. Then on to Gullfoss waterfall, the queen of Iceland's waterfalls. Finally, visit Þingvellir National Park, the original site of the oldest existing parliament in the world. The Great Atlantic rift is clearly visible, a rift that is slowly pulling Iceland apart along tectonic plates. 3rd night in Reykjavik.
Day 8 Reykjavik: Day at Leisure
Day at leisure or perhaps enjoy one of the many optional guided excursions offered. These include a whale watching safari - you can expect to see Minke Whales, Harbour Porpoises, White-beaked Dolphins and Humpback Whales; Killer Whales and Bone-Sharks are sometimes spotted as well. Or visit the South Coast and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, travelling along Iceland's south coast on the narrow strip of lush farmland that cuts between mountains, glaciers and the vast Atlantic Ocean. Pass charming villages and see Skaftafell National Park, Seljalandsfoss waterfall and Skógafoss waterfall and Iceland's biggest volcano, Öræfajökull glacier, with the island's highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur (2110m). On arrival at the lagoon enjoy a boat tour. Jökulsárlón formed in the early 1920s and its size increases every year. You will see many amazing blocks of ice that have broken off Europe's biggest glacier, Vatnajökull, as they sail slowly towards the ocean which is only a kilometre away. 4th night in Reykjavik
Day 9 Reykjavik - Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Make your own way to the airport for your flight to the Faroe Islands. On arrival, transfer from Vágar Airport to your accommodation in Torshavn. Go for a walk in Tórshavn through the old parts of town, Reyn and Tinganes, where you will find yourself in a charming tangle of lanes, narrow passages and tiny black-tarred houses with green turfed roofs. This area is unique not only in the Faroes but in the world. You will also find various restaurants and cafés where you can enjoy excellent food – remember to taste the Faroese salmon – the best in the world. Four nights in Torshavn.
Day 10 Tórshavn: Vágar Sightseeing
Today pick up at your accommodation for a guided excursion to Gásadalur and walk to Múlafossur waterfall. On route pass Sørvágsvatn, the lake above the ocean.
Day 11 Tórshavn: Vestmanna Bird Cliffs
Today pick up at your accommodation for a guided excursion to the Vestmanna Cliffs. Start with a drive via the mountain road to the village of Vestmanna, where the boat awaits. Then sail through narrow sounds, into deep grottoes carved by the surf through ages, and close to the 1,500 feet high cliffs, where seabirds nest. On the return to Tórshavn there is a stop at the Viking settlements in the village Kvívík. 2nd night in Torshavn.
Day 12 Tórshavn: Day at Leisure
Day at leisure - perhaps explore the old part of Tórshavn, Tinganes and Reyn, with narrow alleys, and charming houses with grass roofs, then relax one of the many cafés. In the afternoon, perhaps visit Østrom, down by the end of the harbour, where you can see and buy contemporary Faroese art and fine craft. Back on the main street, have a closer look at the exquisite Faroese designed woollen wares and the latest fashions, at some of the great boutiques including 'Sirri' and 'Guðrun and Guðrun". Wander past the cosy old bookstore and tourist office, and visit the art museum close to the park, where the permanent collection has a wide variety of Faroese art, showing how nature and landscape have been the dominant motifs throughout Faroese art history. You can also see the Nordic House, a Scandinavian culture centre, or the Art Museum and Gallery, with a wide range of more contemporary Faroese art. Or perhaps join an optional day tour to the island of Sandoy. Sandoy is the fifth biggest island and is one of the most unspoiled islands where you can still experience the traditional Faroese lifestyle. On Sandoy, you will have a church visit, see small villages and enjoy fantastic views of the bird cliffs. Then return to Torshavn and continue on to the historical and cultural centre of Kirkjubøur. 4th night in Torshavn.
Day 13 Torshavn - Copenhagen
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Copenhagen. Your tour arrangements conclude upon your arrival at Copenhagen airport.
2024 departures: every Thursday 13 June to 22 August
Notes:
The price is based upon a certain class of flights; if this class has sold out, the final price may increase, depending on the availability and cost of other classes at the time of booking.
Some Greenland flights may go via Nuuk or Kangerlussuaq.
