An Exclusive Expedition Cruise Around Iceland (2026)

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Today you’ll fly from Germany across the North Atlantic to Iceland. On your drive from the airport to Reykjavik, you’ll pass black lava fields that have recently been the site of repeated fiery eruptions. Another planet—or is it still Europe? In stark contrast: Iceland’s vibrant capital, the country’s hub and heart. On the way to the hotel, you’ll see the city’s first highlights. After all, one in three Icelanders lives here. You’ll spend the next two nights at the Komfort Hotel.

Today your excursion begins into the mountainous interior, to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the year 930 (!), envoys from all over Iceland gathered here and convened the world’s first parliament. Take one last look at the massive rift where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are drifting apart centimeter by centimeter, and a double natural spectacle awaits you further inland: the mighty golden waterfall Gullfoss plunges down several tiers into a gorge, often with a rainbow arching over it. Right next door is not only the geyser that gave its name to all geysers, but also its smaller, active sibling, Strokkur, which shoots water fountains up to 35 m high into the sky every 10 minutes. In the afternoon, you’ll be back in Reykjavik and have free time to explore the city on your own. (B)

Today you’ll leave Reykjavik and drive north along the coastal road. Small fishing villages gradually give way to the ancient solitude of the Westfjords—one of Iceland’s most beautiful landscapes. There are hardly any people, but all the more birds. Puffins, long-tailed ducks, northern gannets, and common guillemots nest on secluded cliffs and along the fjords. The Dynjandi Waterfall offers a great opportunity to stretch your legs. Like a silver net, the glistening streams of water cascade 100 m down over black, grass-covered rock giants. If possible, take an afternoon stroll through the small harbor town of Ísafjörður on the fjord of the same name. Here, your comfortable expedition ship, the MS Quest, awaits you. After a warm welcome from the crew, make yourself comfortable in your outside cabin. But don’t miss the departure maneuver! Your great adventure—the ultimate circumnavigation of Iceland—begins as you sail out of the fjord. (FA)

When you wake up, you’ll look out over the vast Arctic Ocean. On the horizon, you can make out the outline of the remote island of Grimsey, home to just 100 people. The island is famous for its puffin colonies and for the fact that the Arctic Circle cuts right through it. If you’d like, you can hike to the landmark Orbis et Globus, a giant concrete sphere that is repositioned every year to indicate the shift of the Arctic Circle. At lunchtime, you’ll leave Grimsey and set course for the mainland. Your next stop is the small island of Flatey, which is now inhabited only in the summer. Against a backdrop of dark mountains, a snow-white little church in the middle of a flower-filled meadow defies the solitude. The island is ruled by seabirds. On a walk, you can observe 30 native species. In the afternoon, you’ll cross the vast Skjalfandi Bay, one of the best places in Europe to spot humpback whales, minke whales, blue whales, and orcas. (FMA)

After breakfast, you’ll disembark in Husavik. You’ll travel by bus inland to one of the island’s most active volcanic regions, around Lake Myvatn. The route takes you over the Námaskarð Pass, south of the Krafla volcano. Here, numerous hot springs, boiling mud pots, fumaroles, and solfataras bubble and gurgle. The bizarrely shaped stone towers in the Dimmuborgir lava labyrinth resemble crumbling castle ruins. According to Icelandic mythology, elves and trolls live here. Particularly impressive are the hike up the tuff crater Hverfjall (weather permitting), a detour to the pseudo-crater Skútustaðagígar, and a visit to a horse farm where the famous Icelandic horses are bred. To round off the day, a real sight to behold: the turquoise-shimmering waters of the Gódafoss “Waterfall of the Gods.” In the evening light, you’ll leave the small port town of Húsavík behind and sail around Iceland’s northeast coast overnight. (FMA)

The best way to explore the fantastic world of the East Fjords is aboard a small expedition ship like the MS Quest, which can even anchor in the rarely visited bay of Bakkagerði. According to folklore, one of the residences of the Elf King and his court—also known as the Huldufólk, or “hidden people”—lies beneath the Álfaborg rock. Let your imagination run wild on a short hike amid bright green hills and colorful rhyolite cliffs. Some of the villagers still live in thatched wooden houses, among which the turf-roofed Lindarbakki stands out in particular. From the small fishing harbor, a well-maintained path leads to a large colony of puffins, which you can approach to within just a few meters. If weather conditions permit, your ship will stop in the afternoon off the Borgarfjörður Eystri peninsula. The coastal cliffs are home to fulmars, three-toed gulls, eider ducks, and, of course, puffins. Later, you’ll cruise through the idyllic Norðfjörður, whose deep-blue waters glisten amid rugged mountains. (FMA)

Anchoring off Iceland’s south coast isn’t all that easy, as there are very few harbors. But it’s well worth the effort, because a majestic natural wonder awaits you here: the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon at the foot of the gigantic Vatnajökull glacier, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, beneath whose ice cap volcanoes rumble. On amphibious boats, you’ll get up close to icebergs—some as tall as 15 meters—that break off from the glacier’s tongue and drift across the lagoon. Right next door is Diamond Beach, a black lava sand beach—a magical place where icebergs from the lagoon slowly melt. The color palette ranges from blue to white to gray and black. Afterward, you’ll hike through Skaftafell National Park, against a backdrop of dark basalt “organ pipes,” through lush greenery to the Svartifoss waterfall. Depending on the weather, you can opt to take a flight over the magnificent world of glaciers and volcanoes to round out the day. Toward evening, you’ll set sail again and head west along the coast. (FMA)

You’ll spend today in the Westman Islands. You’ll go ashore on Heimaey, the only inhabited island. Lava fields and houses buried under volcanic ash still bear witness to the catastrophic volcanic eruption of 1973. For five months, the Eldfell volcano spewed molten lava, burying large parts of the main island under ash and pumice. On the edge of the lava field, the Eldheimar Museum vividly recounts the events before, during, and after the eruption that changed the island’s landscape forever. If you still have energy, climb Mount Eldfell—the volcano’s summit offers an incredible view of the harbor bay. As you circle the island by boat, you’ll pass the Stórhöfði Peninsula, where up to eight million puffins nest every summer. But it’s also worth taking in the view of the ocean, as orcas, dolphins, and porpoises are often spotted here. And the small basalt island of Surtsey, which was formed between 1963 and 1967 by the eruption of an underwater volcano, is accessible to only a few scientists and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (FMA)

The small fishing village of Grundarfjörður is the starting point for exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Bizarrely shaped lava rocks, covered in bright green moss and colorful lichens, line the path to the black-sand beach of Djúpalónssandur. No less spectacular are the basalt rock spires that soar skyward from the cliffs of Lóndrangar. The descent into the Vatnshellir lava cave at the foot of the striking, ice-covered Snæfellsjökull volcano is particularly thrilling. This is where Jules Verne’s legendary journey to the center of the Earth began. A visit to the Bjarnahöfn Shark Museum is not for the faint of heart. Here you’ll learn all about the production of traditional fermented shark bites. The truly brave will sample this specialty and wash it down with some Icelandic Brennivín. In the evening, your ship will weigh anchor and set sail northward. (FMA)

In the morning light, you’ll cruise through the fascinating world of the Westfjords. In the harbor of Ísafjörður, you’ll say goodbye to your small expedition ship and its charming crew. On your final leg of the Iceland tour by bus, you’ll soon reach Eiríksstaðir, one of Iceland’s most significant archaeological sites. A Viking longhouse has been reconstructed here, believed to have been the home of Erik the Red. In 981, the Viking was banished from Iceland for a manslaughter committed in the heat of a dispute and fled to Greenland. Around the year 1000, his son Leif Eriksson sailed even further west from there and set foot on North American soil nearly 500 years before Columbus. After this exciting journey through time, you’ll be back in the here and now in Reykjavik. Over a farewell dinner, you’ll reflect once more on the fascinating adventures among glaciers, geysers, and volcanoes. (FA)

Very early in the morning, we head to Keflavik Airport, where we’ll board our flight back home. (F)