Iceland & Lofoten Islands to Tromso: North Atlantic Arctic 12-day Expedition Cruise

Your cruise ends in Reykjavík. Make sure there is sufficient time before you begin your journey home to explore this diminutive but dramatic capital city. Despite its small size, you won’t be short of things to see and do. To get your bearings, take the elevator to the top of Hallgrímskirkja. This church, designed by famed Icelandic architect Gudjón Samuelsson is one of the most distinctive buildings in town. When you return to earth, visit the city’s other renowned building Harpa Concert Hall, located at the heart of Reykjavík's regenerated harbour – also the home of the Maritime Museum. Speaking of cultural spaces, tour the National Museum to learn the story of Iceland from past to present. The Reykjavík Art Museum houses an impressive contemporary collection including eye-catching pieces by Erró. And, of course, just 50 kilometres outside the city lies Thingvellir National Park, the site of Iceland’s original Viking parliament.

The dramatic 400-metre high Látrabjarg cliffs stretch 14 km along Iceland's and Europe's westernmost edge. As the largest seabird cliff in Europe, Látrabjarg is home to thousands of breeding birds: Atlantic puffins, gannets, guillemots, fulmar and kittiwakes as well as 40% of the world's population of razorbills belonging to the auk family.

Considered one of Iceland’s most impressive, this thunderous waterfall in the Westfjords region gives the impression of a bridal veil as it spreads its tumbling waters down a series of ever- growing cascades. Dynjandi is one of the most photographed sights in Iceland. Walking up to it takes 15 minutes passing five smaller waterfalls. Nearby, Hrafnseyri is the birthplace of Jón Sigurdsson, 19th-century leader of the Icelandic Independence movement. The museum includes an Icelandic turf house.

Walk to Dynjandi Waterfall With Swan Hellenic Expedition Team

Included

01 h 30 m

Your onboard expedition team, experts in all things Icelandic, will guide you along the path to this hidden treasure.
Awaken your spirit of adventure as you witness nature's raw power firsthand
Discover the secrets of Dynjandi and providing a deeper understanding of its geological significance and cultural importance.

Surrounded by fjords in the Westfjords region, Ísafjördur is a bustling fishing town in northwest Iceland with colourful wooden 18th- and 19th-century houses in the old town of Neskaupstadur. Ísafjördur was one of the largest fisheries in Iceland, but tourism has now taken over. Nearby is Sudavik, home to the Arctic Fox Centre. Iceland’s only mammal, the arctic fox lives on the lush tundra of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve - the northernmost peninsula in the Westfjords with two of Europe’s largest bird cliffs.

Calm Fjord Kayaking

Optional

02 h 00 m

See for yourself why the Westfjords are a haven for nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike with its calm waters and soaring mountains
This journey provides an intimate connection with the environment, allowing you to observe the delicate ecosystems and appreciate the intricate balance of nature
Be on the lookout for curious seabirds soaring above you and active marine life swimming beneath you

Westfjords Life and Culture

Included

03 h 00 m

Discover the time-honoured local methods of salting fishing
Go back in time as you enter the turf-and-stone fishing shacks, greeted by a local dressed in a traditional sheepskin fisherman's outfit
Visit the Maritime Museum, housed in some of Iceland's oldest buildings, to delve into the history of the fishing industry that has sustained the area for centuries

ATV Tour (2 persons/ATV)

Optional

02 h 00 m

Feel the exhilaration of travelling through the mountainous terrain of the Westfjords on your choice of a ATV
When you first arrive, get geared up with all the essentials to venture out on this one of a kind Icelandic experience
Take in the panoramic vistas of deep blue waters and snowy mountains that surround you as you ascend to their peaks

Island of Vigur is a real pearl of the Western Fjords. The second-largest island in the fjord, measuring two kilometres by 400 metres, it’s a significant seabird colony, which is home to arctic terns, puffins, black guillemots and eider ducks. As one of only two inhabited islands in the fjord, Vigur is also the site of a single farm, which has been in the same family for generations. During your time on the island, you might see Iceland’s only windmill, the country’s smallest post office and oldest boat, which was built more than 200 years ago and in regular use until relatively recently.

Grímsey is a remote island located 40km off Iceland’s north coast. Many people travel here for the purpose of setting foot in the Arctic Circle, the only place in Iceland where you can do so. The island is also home to fewer than 100 people, but over one million seabirds. Birdlife thrives here thanks to the lack of egg predation (there are no rats or mice on the island) and the rich, well-stocked surrounding seas. Grímsey has one of Iceland’s largest tern nesting sites and largest puffin colonies.

Life in Arctic Circle

Included

02 h 30 m

Visit the church that was built from driftwood in the 19th century, demonstrating the resourcefulness and resilience of those who have shaped the island's story
Be prepared for an exhilarating physical challenge that will take you across approx. 7.5km of invigorating nature walk with some inclines towards the Arctic circle
In addition to active birds flying above, you might also get to encounter the abundant marine life of the area

Hrisey Island is a small island in the Eyjafjordur fjord in northern Iceland. It is home to various wildlife, including puffins, seals, and whales. Hriseyjarfjall Mountain is the highest point and offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

Húsavík, overlooking Skjálfandi Bay, is famed for whale watching, especially sighting the endangered blue whale, though humpback, minke and dolphins are more common. Húsavík features the Whale and Exploration Museums focussing on Viking history and Apollo astronaut training nearby. The town also marks Iceland's first house from 860 AD. Húsavík is also on the Arctic Coast Way and start of the Diamond Circle route. Nearby, Kaldbakur pond is a popular geothermal swimming spot oddly populated with goldfish.

The village of Bakkagerði in Iceland's Eastfjords offers encounters with puffins during summer breeding season. With just around 100 residents, Bakkagerði is the largest settlement in the Borgarfjörður Eystri fjord and known as a hiking hub. A popular trail leads to the Giant Boulders at Stórurð. The local church features a renowned 1914 altarpiece depicting Christ on Álfaborg rock, aka the City of Elves, with the Dyrfjöll Mountains behind. Nearby Hafnarhólmi rock is a sanctuary for kittiwakes and other seabirds.

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

Bodø, named the 2024 European Capital of Culture and the northernmost city to bear this distinction, will highlight its Sami heritage and connect the arts to its Arctic setting. Rebuilt after the 1940 bombing in modernist "reconstruction" style, Bodø's architectural commitment endures with the 2014-built Stormen concert hall and Molobyen, a new waterfront cultural hub. Surrounded by stunning natural landscapes, Bodø lies near the world-famous maelstrom of Saltstraumen, a powerful whirlpool on the Saltsfjorden strongest when the tides change daily.

Glomfjord is a village in the municipality of Meløy in Nordland county, Norway. The industrial community is located along Norwegian County Road 17 at the head of the Glomfjorden, just north of the Arctic Circle. The 1.14-square-kilometre village has a population of 1,077 and a population density of 945 inhabitants per square kilometre. Although located north of the Arctic Circle and not far from Norway's second largest glacier Svartisen, the climate is well suited for living due to the Gulf Stream, albeit rather wet. The temperature is seldom below −10 °C (14 °F) during winter time. During summer time the sun does not set. The midnight sun also makes the plants grow faster.

With red fishermen's cabins nestled on the shores of Reinefjord amid dramatic granite peaks, Reine is celebrated as one of the world's most beautiful places. The village serves as a starting point for hikes like the Reinebringen trail, offering panoramic views of the vertical granite Lofoten Islands rising from the Arctic Sea. Nearby, the fishing village of Å houses the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum.

Explore the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago just above the Arctic Circle. Leknes, the islands’ main town, on Vestvågøya, sits on bay-like Buksnesfjorden. The scenery is otherworldly, little red-painted houses against a backdrop of craggy, mountainous isles. In the height of summer the white sand beaches look almost like the South Seas – and this is the Land of the Midnight Sun for almost two months each year. Tours take in the mountainous interior while there are also whale watching excursions.

Svolvær is a classic Norwegian fishing port, tucked away on Austvågøya in the Lofoten Islands. Surrounded by peaks and beaches, bays and craggy inlets, it’s an age-old picture, a jumble of white and red clapboard houses, the clear water filled with little, bobbing boats. Popular with mountain climbers, the town’s mountain Fløya commands a spectacular viewpoint across the harbour and Vestfjord. Trollfjorden doesn’t come more startling than this – a 100 m-wide entrance to a narrow fjord with near-vertical mountainous sides up to 1,100 m high. The passage slices through Austvågøya, on the edge of the Lofoten Islands, and there’s no way in, other than by boat or a dizzying hike. Appreciate the silence while you cruise gently onward as white-tailed eagles soar overhead - and marvel as the ship slowly spins around to leave.

Svolvaer Panorama Tour

Included

02 h 00 m

Take in the stunning views of the surrounding mountains and fjords at Svolvær
Visit Lofoten’s beautiful 12th century cathedral
Explore Henningsvær’s craft shops and impressive art gallery

Trollfjorden is unbelievable – a 100 m-wide entrance to a narrow fjord with near-vertical mountainous sides up to 1,100 m high. The passage slices through Austvågøya, on the edge of the Lofoten Islands, and there’s no way in, other than by boat or a dizzying hike. Appreciate the silence while you cruise gently onward as white-tailed eagles soar overhead - and marvel as the ship slowly spins around to leave.

Known as the Arctic gateway, Tromso is a remote Norwegian city at 69° north, 250 miles above the Arctic Circle, where you can take in the soft glow of the midnight sun. Learn more about early polar explorations at the Polar Museum. Famed for the Northern Lights on winter nights, you can find out more about this natural spectacle at the Science Centre.

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North Atlantic Odyssey

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