I never had any burning desire to visit Iceland until after I had seen some movies filmed there. One in particular I recall was the 2013 version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The geology and geography of the country looked overwhelmingly beautiful, imposing, and mysterious. So Iceland was added to my Bucket List. My wife and I booked ourselves a week-long trip there this past August along with some of our good friends and traveling buddies. We opted for a Viking cruise on the ship Viking Mars; we had all enjoyed Viking ocean cruises before, and this allowed us to unpack/repack one time and be assured of some quality meals other than the local cuisine. Ours was an 8-day cruise that circled all of Iceland, stopping in 6 different locations along the way.

Scenes like these are all over Iceland. This photo was taken on the Golden Circle tour. (photo by P. Hyndman)

Planning - We decided to use “Viking Air” on this trip, since we didn’t know how difficult transfers might be. I had researched flights, and it seemed as if booking the flights myself wasn’t going to save much, and it left all transfers on our shoulders. Viking Air worked out very well, even though I would do it differently now (comments in Lessons Learned.)

A Rough Start - We live in Florida, so our airline booking took us from Florida to Newark where we would transfer to a flight to Reykjavik. We had received our details from Viking, and we were happy with what we got. A local departure airport, a good airline, plenty of time to transfer in Newark, and enough time to get an evening meal before our 9:25 pm departure. As we approached the northeast, the pilot advised us we would be placed in a holding pattern until some rough weather abated. About four hours later we landed at Baltimore-Washington International Airport for the night. We were running out of fuel, and Newark was still not receiving flights.

We decided against waiting in line to speak to an airline agent - there were a hundred or so fliers attempting to rebook and get a hotel voucher for the night. (We found out later that over 20 flights had been rerouted to BWI that day, and the airport staff was swamped.) We skipped the line for a hotel voucher, and called a local airport hotel directly. It was after midnight, the airport was chaotic, and we couldn’t face that long line. We contacted Viking Air to investigate other flight options, and they were able to rebook us the next day on a different airline direct from BWI to Reykjavik. We did get out the following day around 8PM, but as a result we missed two full days of our itinerary. Day 1 was arrival and settling into the ship, but Day 2 was an excursion day, so consequently we missed the tour of the Golden Circle. Our friends originated in Denver, and had no trouble with flights. So they did see the Golden Circle tour and provided us with some great photos and stories.

Itinerary - Day 1 fell on a Saturday, and this was the expected arrival date. No excursions took place on this day, but many passengers were able to explore the city of Reykjavik. There were frequent shuttles into town from the ship. Most of the passengers took the time to get organized in their cabins, walk around the ship, and marvel at the Scandinavian design.

Day 2 was also in Reykjavik with a full slate of excursions available. I mentioned the Golden Circle, but other options included the Blue Lagoon, Whale Watching, Iceland on Horseback, Sky Lagoon, and Heart of the Glacier.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the tectonic plates meet in Thingveillir. This geologic seam runs the length of the Atlantic Ocean. (photo by P. Hyndman)

Day 3 would be in Isafjordur (don’t hurt yourself trying to pronounce any of these names - they’re almost impossible). You can see from the map above it is located in the far northwest part of Iceland. That day we were advised by the crew to dress for cooler, wet weather. Our “Viking Daily” showed a temperature of 48 degrees F. We did have rain and cold winds for a good part of the day, although the sun eventually broke through when the rain stopped. (One of the locals told us that schoolchildren sometimes get a day off from school when the weather is especially warm and sunny.)

We signed up for an excursion named Vigur Island - advertised as a great spot to see puffins. Rough seas that day caused the trip to be cancelled, but we were able to take part in the included tour of Isafjordur and Bolungarvik.

Chilly and wet Iceland weather in Isafjordur

An old fisherman in a traditional fishing boat

Day 4 brought us to Akureyri which is just 62 miles from the Arctic Circle. Our excursion that day was the Mývatn Nature Baths which involved a bus ride and a midway stop at a spectacular waterfall. The bath site was smaller than the better-known Blue Lagoon, but reportedly it was much less commercial and less crowded. In any event we enjoyed the stop; the waters were hot sulfur springs with slightly different temperatures throughout. Although it was cloudy, the weather was calm and comfortable. They even had a beer stand adjacent to the baths. All of us felt great in the waters - very warm but not too much. It was a welcome change from previous stops we made.

The Myvatn Nature Baths. The beer stand is the small building to the far-left side.

The baths were a popular spot for tourists and locals alike.

Iceland seems to have an unlimited number of waterfalls, and the waters are extraordinarily clear and clean. On one of our stops in a small town, we were offered drinking water literally scooped out of the waterfall pool. We all had some and marveled at the cool, fresh taste. The locals proudly told us how healthy and free from bacteria, pesticides, etc. the water was. We had gotten a useful tip - don’t buy bottled water. It is expensive, and their tap water is the best. Filling your own water bottle is the way to go. Finally, the scenery was breathtaking. Getting out into the natural areas was a highlight of our time in Iceland.

Drinking water straight from the waterfall in Isafjorour

A short ride from Akureyri is the Godafoss Waterfall

Day 5 was a stop in Seydisfjordur, an important town in Iceland’s history. Seydisfjordur was the site of the first telegraph cable to link Iceland to Europe, and it was also the first site in the country to get electricity in 1913. The power came from a hydroelectric dam built there. We learned that most of Iceland’s power still comes from “water power”. Geothermal plays a part in heating, and the residents enjoy low-cost heating and electricity.

Our excursion that day was a visit to the Skalanes Nature & Heritage Center. This involved a bus ride out into the countryside to see a very interesting nature center run by several university professors and student assistants. On the way our bus had to ford a river (!), and we saw numerous small waterfalls. We also were given time to walk out to the ocean to observe the amazing geology there, and (hopefully) to see some puffins . The puffins certainly kept their distance from us, and even my telephoto lens had trouble getting a good photo. We still had some cloudy conditions, but the sun eventually came out and the temperature was warm.

Cliffs near the Skalanes Nature & Heritage Center, a favorite spot for puffins.

We were hoping for better shots than this.

Day 6 was in Djupivogur at the “3 o’clock'“ position in Iceland. It was another cool (50 degrees F) and cloudy day. We had signed up for the excursion “Nature of Djupivogur & Berufjorour Fjord” which was a pleasant coach ride out from the town. Our guide was excellent, a former mayor of the town who was clearly proud of his Djupivogur. We heard there (and at other Iceland stops) about the importance the residents put on sustainable living. They take it very seriously and practice what they preach.

We drove to the Berufjorour Fjord and stopped to admire the scenery there and get educated on the geologic history of the impressive land formations. From there we drove to the Nykurhylsfoss Waterfall and walked around this spectacular site. Our tour ended in town where we enjoyed a local beer. We tried several beers during our stops in Iceland, and they were all excellent. Many people told me to be sure to try their hot dogs. As it turned out I didn’t get one until my final trip to the Reykjavik Airport for departure. It was good, but it didn’t match the glowing reports.

Day 7, our final day of port calls, was in Heimaey, one of a group of the Westman Islands. At this point we had almost completed our circle of Iceland. That evening we would sail back to Reykjavik for disembarkation the following morning. The harbor of Heimaey required us to “tender” into the town on tender boats. They were very comfortable and could hold scores of passengers.

We had a beautiful clear day sailing to the Westman Islands

Our excursion was “Wildlife of Heimaey by Boat.” This was a great way to see the harbor, the entirety of the island, and various sea birds and ocean creatures. We were not lucky enough to spot any whales or dolpins, but apparently actually seeing them is common. We did see hundreds of puffins at several sites, but they were at such a distance good photos were hard to come by. We motored into a cave for a hundred yards or so, and it was supposed to have great acoustic properties.

While further out, we passed by a famous site called “Elephant Rock”. Sure enough, when we got close, everyone picked it out immediately. It did look like a large elephant’s head and trunk.

Our last full day was the very best day weather-wise. We had bright sun and clear skies, and that made for good boating conditions. When we returned to the town, we checked out a number of their attactions and stores, and of course we needed to try their local beer. Again, we were not disappointed. Our traveling buddies have a son who owns two breweries back home, so we had expert opinions with us to judge beer.

Day 8 was departure day from our ship in Reykjavik. As usual Viking had a staggered departure plan to get everyone off and to their destinations quickly and efficiently. Because we had used Viking Air, they had the responsibility to get us back to the airport, and our connection was smooth. This time our flights were on time and according to schedule. That was a welcome relief from our flights to Iceland.

A geyser on the Golden Circle tour. (photo by P. Hyndman)

Our traveling foursome really enjoyed the Iceland adventure. For me the best parts were the natural sights - mountains, waterfalls, rivers, geysers, and the birds and critters we saw along the way. The weather was generally cool and cloudy, but we were prepared for it. And living on the cruise ship was wonderful. The accommodations were first-class and the meals were fantastic.

Lessons Learned - I violated my own rule and got burned this trip - I did not plan extra time upfront for delays or unexpected events. I’ve always done that before, but when we chose Viking Air, I assumed everything would go smoothly. Well, I don’t blame Viking; they can’t control the weather. Next time I will be sure to stick to my rules! I strongly advise you to avoid my mistake.

We had all done some good research in advance, and that paid off. Bringing the right clothing was especially important. My wife and I were traveling from West Palm Beach, so packing ski jackets didn’t seem right. Thank Goodness we did. Between lower temperatures and rain the jackets were essential.

Prices in Iceland seemed high to us. We didn’t spend a lot onshore, but as we looked around we were surprised by the high prices. We bought some souvenirs for our grandkids, but nothing else of note except some food and drinks. The local wool sweaters looked amazing, but the prices were a shock.

Finally, I would recommend this way of exploring Iceland (by cruise ship). We saw much of the country and clearly a diverse collection of sights. On a cruise ship you return to the same bed each night, and you have a wide variety of food choices. For those who need an afternoon alone, there’s always a good book, a soak in the spa, or a nap.

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