Title
Northwest Iceland Explorer - Into the pack ice
Start – End
Tripcode
HDS02-26
Language
English speaking voyage
Ship
Embarkation / Disembarkation
Keflavik - Akureyri
Nights / Days
7 nights
PLEASE NOTE: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per AECO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with AECO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed of our vessel is 10.5 knots.
Short description
Enter a world of Norse mythology, wild, dramatic coastlines, and seabirds in their thousands as you voyage from Iceland, crossing the Arctic Circle and encountering the fringes of the sea ice, with good possibilities of viewing seals, whales, and a lonely polar bear. Seabirds will be your constant companions as you visit islands, skerries, and fjords before landfall in Akureyri, Iceland.
Day 1: The start of an Arctic adventure
In the late afternoon, you will board m/v Hondius in the port of Keflavik, a short distance from the International Airport. With the port behind us, we sail north into the bay of Faxaflói and proceed to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula while looking for whales in this large bay.
Day 2 - 7: Ice caps and volcanoes
Ice caps and volcanoes
We land in Breidavik at Arnarstapi, with Snaefellsjökull, a glacier-capped volcano in the background. We will walk southward, along cliffs with seabirds, to Hellnar, where we embark the ship again. We may also proceed to Snaefellsjökull, where Jule Vernes: Journey to the center of the Earth began. In the evening, we will again look for whales northwest of the peninsula.
A land of islands, skerries and Norse legends
We sail in the broad and shallow bay of Breidafjordur, peppered with hundreds of islands and skerries, and may glimpse some white-tailed eagles. We will then land on Flatey and explore its traditional fishing village and the church with paintings by the Spanish-Icelandic artist Baltasar. Black guillemots and vast colonies of puffins breed along the shores, and red-necked phalaropes are common in ponds just inland.
We will pay a visit to Klofningur, a diminutive island featuring a lighthouse and extensive breeding colonies of shags, fulmars, and great black-backed gulls. In the evening, we will sail by the impressive Látrabjarg, featuring Iceland's biggest seabird colonies.
On the lookout for whales and eider ducks
Sailing into impressive Skutulsfjörður, home to the town of Isafjordur, we plan a visit to Aedey, where an Icelandic family keeps an eider duck farm where the many hundreds of birds can breed protected entirely and where, at the end of the breeding season, all eiderdown is collected for trade. At the shores of the island we also meet breeding puffins. In the afternoon, we may sail into Jökulfirdir or directly out of the fjord, looking again for whales, while we sail northwest and pass the Arctic Circle.
At the fringes of the sea ice
North of Iceland, in the fringes of the southward-moving sea ice, we sail northeast with our ice-rated vessel. We look two days for harp and hooded seals, which sometimes frequent the area in great numbers. The presence of a lonely polar bear can not be discounted, as they sometimes reach Iceland's shores. Near and along the sea ice, we will see whales and seabirds as they migrate and forage along the productive edge of the sea ice. You will be in an impressive sea-scape with, to the west, sea ice as far as you see. This is a wild Arctic environment, constantly in motion and always changing.
Crossing the Arctic Circle once more
We find ourselves sailing southward. In the early morning, we will pass Kolbeinsey, a tiny uninhabited islet rapidly being eroded by the fearsome surrounding ocean. Later, we will land on Grimsey, a small island that straddles the Arctic Circle. Grimsey features a small but friendly fishing village and is home to colonies of kittiwakes, razorbills, puffins, fulmars, and Arctic terns. In the evening, at the mouth of Eyafjordur, we may again see some whales.
Day 8: Journey ends in Akureyri
With our journey ending, you disembark in Akureyri, where, on request, you can transfer by chartered bus (a six-hour drive that you must book in advance) to the bus stop Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre at Austurbakki, Reykjavík. While your time in the Arctic may be over, your memories and experiences will stay with you forever!
Highlights you might experience
The cultured capital of north Iceland
These "saddlebacks" are historically known as true ice enthusiasts, visiting the land mainly for breeding and spending the bulk of their lives at sea
Also known as "great-winged newfoundlanders" for their wing-like flippers, these cetaceans earned their more contemporary name by the way they bow their backs before a dive
These horn-beaked auklets have nicknames both jocular and solemn: "sea clowns" for their facial hues, "little brothers of the north" for the monk-like tones of their plumage
m/v Hondius
Hondius is the world’s first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel and was built from the ground up for expedition cruising.
Full ship info »Cabins & Prices
Quadruple Porthole
- Cabin size between 15,3 m² and 16 m²
- 2 portholes
- 2 upper & lower berths
- Small sofa
- Private shower & toilet
- Flatscreen TV
- Desk & chair
- Telephone and WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Cabinet
- Safe deposit box
- Wardrobe
- This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin
Complete cabin
17800 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sharing berth
4450 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Triple Porthole
- Cabin size between 15,9 m² and 16 m²
- 2 portholes
- 1 upper berth & 2 lower berths
- Small sofa
- Private shower & toilet
- Flatscreen TV
- Desk & chair
- Telephone and WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Cabinet
- Safe deposit box
- Wardrobe
- This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin
Complete cabin
16650 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Sharing berth
5550 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Twin Porthole
- Cabin size between 13,3 m² and 16 m²
- 2 portholes
- 2 single beds
- Small sofa
- Private shower & toilet
- Flatscreen TV
- Desk & chair
- Telephone and WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Cabinet
- Safe deposit box
- Wardrobe
- Please note that all cabins will not necessarily have the same layout and surface area, nor will they be identical to the examples used in the photos
Complete cabin
12300 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
10455 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing berth
6150 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Twin Window
- Cabin size between 12,1 m² and 14,3 m²
- 1 window
- 2 single beds
- Small sofa
- Private shower & toilet
- Flatscreen TV
- Desk & chair
- Telephone and WiFi (supplemented)
- Hair dryer
- Cabinet
- Safe deposit box
- Wardrobe
- Please be aware that the view from some windows might be partially obstructed due to the design requirements of the ship
- Please note that all cabins will not necessarily have the same layout and surface area, nor will they be identical to the examples used in the photos
Complete cabin
13400 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
11390 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing berth
6700 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Twin Deluxe
- Cabin size between 19,4 m² and 21,3 m²
- 2 windows
- 2 single beds
- Sofa
- Private shower & toilet
- Flatscreen TV
- Desk & chair
- Telephone and WiFi (supplemented)
- Refrigerator
- Coffee & tea maker
- Bathrobe
- Hair dryer
- Cabinet
- Safe deposit box
- Wardrobe
Complete cabin
14200 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
12070 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Sharing berth
7100 USD
Share your cabin with others for the best price.
Superior
- Cabin size between 20,7 m² and 21,3 m²
- 2 windows
- 1 double bed
- Sofa
- Private shower & toilet
- Flatscreen TV
- Desk & chair
- Telephone and WiFi (supplemented)
- Refrigerator
- Coffee & tea maker
- Bathrobe
- Hair dryer
- Cabinet
- Safe deposit box
- Wardrobe
Complete cabin
16100 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
13685 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Junior Suite
- Cabin size between 19,2 m² and 20 m²
- 1 double window
- 1 double bed
- Private shower & toilet
- Flatscreen TV
- Desk & chair
- Telephone and WiFi (supplemented)
- Refrigerator
- Coffee & tea maker
- Bathrobe
- Hair dryer
- Cabinet
- Safe deposit box
- Wardrobe
Complete cabin
18400 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
15640 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).
Grand Suite with private balcony
- Cabin size 26,7 m²
- 1 double window
- 1 double bed
- Sofa
- Private balcony
- Private shower & toilet
- Flatscreen TV
- Desk & chair
- Telephone and WiFi (supplemented)
- Refrigerator
- Coffee & tea maker
- Bathrobe
- Hair dryer
- Cabinet
- Safe deposit box
- Wardrobe
Complete cabin
19900 USD
Price for the complete cabin, fully occupied.
Single cabin
16915 USD
Price for the complete cabin occupied by 1 person (1.7x the shared rate).