Iceland & Greenland (9 or 11 day) - May 26 – June 3 (5), 2013 | By-Air Tours

Date: May 26 – June 3 (5), 2013
Trip duration: 9 or 11 days
PROMOTIONAL PRICE: $2185 CAD plus $425 CAD tax
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Island of fire and ice, elves, trolls and the valiant descendants of the Vikings

Choose Iceland! - Veljum Íslenskt!

Iceland is one of the most mysterious, astonishing, and fascinating countries in the world. Inhabited by the descendants of fierce Vikings, elves, trolls, and dwarfs, the island of ice and fire has been considered the gates of the hellish abyss for many centuries. To this day, Icelanders believe in the existence of småfolk, little people who live among the bucolic hills and picturesque rocks. The importance of those legendary creatures in the Icelandic culture can be noticed even by the way the road from Reykjavik to Selfloss was planned. At one point, the road takes an unexpected detour just to avoid cutting through the elves’ hills. The stories of little people accompany Icelandic children from the cradle. Every other grandma tells a bedtime story about a lost sheep “borrowed” by an elf girl. Icelandic landscape is so austere, so bizarre, and so magical that it is indeed hard to doubt the palpable presence of all those hidden, uncanny beings.

A vast, volcanic plateau extends across the interior of the island, reaching an elevation of 1000 m above the sea level. Lowlands dominate only the southwestern part of the country. One-tenth of the island is covered by glaciers, which equals 12,000 of square kilometers. Grímsvötn, a still active and powerful volcano, slumbers under the ice cap, erupting every 4-10 years. The whole island is seismically alive, with countless geysers, mud lakes, and volcanoes. The number of Icelandic volcanoes adds up to 140, 26 of which are active. Hekla, which crater is as wide as 10 m in diameter, and Eyjafjallajökull, which eruption recently paralyzed air traffic over Europe, are the two most famous ones. However, volcanoes do much more than just spit lava and scare tourists. Thanks to the abundance of geothermal waters, people of Reykjavik can heat their homes in the greenest way possible.

The icon and the national pride of Iceland is Björk, an artist creating the music as peculiar and as beautiful as her home island. What’s interesting, Iceland is also very proud of its National Orchestra and continues to appreciate the involvment of Polish professional musicians. Similarlyly appreciated is the Polish-made candy bar, Prince Polo, which remains one of the favorite Icelandic treats. In March 1999, during his diplomatic visit to Poland, the president of Iceland, Ólaf Ragnar Grimsson, admitted that the entire generations of Icelanders grew up on American Coca-Cola and... Polish Prince Polo bar. Shopping is not an easy deal in Iceland; local people are not used to patiently waiting in a line, but rather choose to force their way to a cash register. On the other hand, with a little luck, you can raise a beer with Borka with a Pointy Grey Beard, with Warrior, Son of Bear (Einar Björnsson) or with Stone, Son of Wolf (Steinn Ulfsson); even today, old names from the ancient sagas are prevalent. The tradition will probably last forever because Icelanders take great pride in being the only Viking country that holds on to the old naming customs. When the first name of the father is used as the last name of the son, the unusal naming pattern is created where mother, father, daughter, and son have different last names. What is even harder to grasp are grammatical and semantic intricacies of Icelandic language.

Here are few examples for the daring ones:

Good morning! - Góđan dag!

Good evening! - Gott kvöld!

Good nigt! - Góđa nótt!

Cheers! - Skál!

Oh damn! - Helvítis!

A beer please - Einn bjór.

Where is the train station? - Hvar er járnbrautarstöđin?

You have a beautiful eyes - Ţú ert međ mjög falleg augu.

Where can I buy a pair of white socks? - Hvar get ég keypt tíu pör af hvítum sokkum?

I'm calling the police! Ég hringi á lögregluna.

I demand a lawyer. - Ég vil fá lögfrćđing.

I think your president is pretty awesome - Mér finnst ţiđ eiga sćtan forseta.

I don’t want any more fish - Nei, ekki meiri fisk.

Where can I find a local vendor? - Hvar finn ég sölumenn dauđans?

I’m a foreigner, but that’s a long story - Ég er útlendingur, en ţađ er löng saga.

I have plenty of money - Ég á sand af seđlum.

Would you spend the night with me? - Lćturđu ríđa?

Choose Iceland! (a popular patriotic slogan) - Veljum Íslenskt!

Do you accept VISA cards? - Takiđ ţiđ VISA-kort?

VELJUM ÍSLENSKT!

Day 1: TORONTO – REYKJAVIK

Departure and flight to Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Relaxing stroll in the city center, night in Reykjavik.

Day 2: THINGVELLIR - STROKKUR - GULLFOSS - AKUREYRI

Heading for the trip around Iceland. First stop is the Thingvellir National Park, a place crucial in the chronicles of the island as a site of the first meeting of the Icelandic parliament, Althing, in 930 CE. Althing is one of the oldest parliamentary institutions in the history of human politics. Moreover, the unusual and very interesting geological structure of that area adds to the attractiveness of the park. Drive to the Strokkur geyser which erupts water to the level of 20 meters. In close vicinity of Strokkur, there is the most famous but frequently dormant Great Geysir of Iceland. Our next attraction, The Gullfoss Waterfall (which means Golden Falls), is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland and in Europe. Drive through the mid-country plateau surrounded by glaciers and displaying breathtaking views of the austere and desolated landscape. Visit to one of many geothermal areas on the island. Drive to Akureyri, the capital of northern Iceland. Overnight stay in the area.

Day 3: GUNAFOSS - HUSAVIK - THE CRUISE

Drive to the site of another waterfall, Gudafoss. Walk by one of the most beautiful lakes in Iceland, lake Mývatn. The landscape is spotted with mud volcanoes, pseudo craters, and lava pillars, creating rare and bewildering shapes that gained such names as „devil’s kitchen” or „dark castles”. In the afternoon, drive to Húsavík, a picturesque fishing village. After accommodation at the hotel, late afternoon boat trip in search for whales which are frequent guests in the waters of the northern Iceland. Night in Húsavík.

Day 4: JOKULSARGLJUFUR - DETTIFOSS - JOKULDALSHEIDI

Visit to another national park, Jökulsárgljúfur, which is now a part of the larger and famous Vatnajökull National Park. Stop at Ásbyrgi canyon, a huge natural amphitheatre surrounded by intimidating basalt rocks. Walk around the most impressive and powerful waterfalls in Europe, Dettifoss. 100 meters wide, the falls flow down from 44 meters, carrying 200 m3 of water per second. Scenic drive through the Jokuldalsheidi Plateau to the little town of Egilsstaðir in the eastern part of the island. Overnight stay in the area.

Day 5: SEYDISFJOTDUR - VATNAJOKULL - HOFN

Visit at the one of the kind Icelandic Phallological Museum displaying the vast collection of penises, with the largest specimen coming from a whale. Drive to Seyðisfjörður, a charming harbor and a main destination for many ferries from Europe. Short stroll in one of the adjoining valleys. Drive through the stunning eastern province, boasting amazing views of the numerous fjords and offering a rare chance to spot eared seals basking on the rocks. Finally, passing by the largest European glacier, Vatnajökull, and reaching the fishing village of Hofn for the overnight stay.

Day 6: JOKULSARLON - SKAFTAFELL - SVARTIFOSS - VIK

Trip to Jökulsárlón, the largest glacier lagoon on the island, a place where gigantic blocks of ice fall off the glacier and into the lake, giving the landscape a polar feel. Boat trip on the lake dotted with icebergs. Entering Skaftafell park, now also a part of the Vatnajökull National Park. Hike around the beautiful landscapes of the park and to the Svartifoss waterfall flowing down from the dark basalt rocks (hence its name „Black Fall”). Next stop by the breathtaking, steep cliffs, in an attempt to watch Atlantic Puffins, the beautiful birds of Iceland. Overnight stay near Vik, a little town in the southern part of the country.

Day 7: MYRDALSJOKULL - EYJAFJALLAJOKULL - REYKJAVIK

Early morning jeep ride through the Mýrdalsjökull glacier to Eyjafjallajökull volcano. This is the volcano which eruption on April 15th 2010 shut down European airspace for weeks. Drive towards Reykjavik with, if the weather allows, the view of the volcano Hekla, the medieval gates of hell. Sightseeing of the capital and overnight stay in Reykjavik.

Day 8: BLUE LAGOON

All-day exhilarating relaxation at the Blue Lagoon spa, located on the lava field and tempting with the number of little lakes filled with hot, geothermal water. Night in Reykjavik.

Day 9: TORONTO or GREENLAND

Flight back to Toronto. For those continuing the tour, morning flight to Kulusuk located on the eastern coast of Greenland. Kulusuk is inhabited by the Inuit people (the Eskimo) who live in modern houses but still spend most of their time fishing and seal hunting. Stroll in the settlement and among the surrounding hills. Night in Kulusuk.

Day 10: GREENLAND - REYKJAVIK

A chance for stunning views during a boat trip along beautiful coves and fjords with the snowy peaks in the background. A touch of local indigenous culture during the display of Inuit traditional dances. Afternoon flight back to Reykjavik and overnight stay.