Elemental Iceland – Circular Saga from Reykjavík

Embark in Reykjavík

Your expedition begins in Reykjavik, a city that rewards a longer look. Stroll Laugavegur for independent shops and coffee, take in the striking Hallgrímskirkja church, or lose an afternoon in the city's galleries and museums.

If you can, we highly recommend booking our pre-voyage programme to explore the Blue Lagoon, Þingvellir

National Park, and the Langjökull glacier.

From here, it’s time to board MS Fridtjof Nansen and get ready for departure.

Visit Iceland in miniature

Snæfellsnes is a peninsula of dramatic coastlines, volcanic peaks, lava fields, black sand beaches and traditional fishing villages, all set beneath the glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano. It inspired Jules Verne's book, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and it's often called Iceland in miniature because almost every landscape the country is known for can be found here in one compact stretch of coast.

From our port in Grundarfjörður, overlooked by the iconic Kirkjufell mountain, you can join excursions around the peninsula or explore the surroundings on foot.

Into Iceland's untamed northwest

One of the most exciting aspects of any expedition is that you never know what you'll discover. Over these two expedition days, we'll explore the Westfjords and highlands of northwest Iceland, a landscape of sheer sea cliffs, narrow fjords, and vast tundra plateaus that feel like the edge of the world. Almost inaccessible by land, this region is only truly reachable by sea.

Your Expedition Team will read conditions each day and adapt the plan: expect Zodiac cruising beneath towering bird cliffs, hikes across wild headlands, and landings at isolated fjord-side settlements where fishing communities have held on for generations. Look out for Arctic foxes on shore and seabird colonies numbering in the thousands.

Cross the Arctic Circle, watch for whales, and explore Goddafoss

Today you'll discover Húsavík, a charming fishing town and one of the best places in the world to see whales. It looks out over Skjálfandi Bay, where humpback and minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises, and even the elusive blue whale are regularly spotted.

On shore, the Whale Museum brings you closer to these giants, while the Exploration Museum tells a more unexpected story: in the 1960s, NASA sent 32 Apollo astronauts to train in the lunar-like lava fields nearby, preparing them to collect rock samples on the Moon. For something more relaxing, soak in the geothermal waters at GeoSea overlooking the bay, or end the day with a beer at the local microbrewery.

We also have optional excursions to some of northern Iceland's most dramatic landscapes: the thundering Dettifoss waterfall, the horseshoe-shaped valley of Ásbyrgi, the picturesque Goðafoss, and the volcanic terrain around Lake Mývatn, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is visible up close.

Later, we'll sail past Grímsey island, crossing the Arctic Circle as we go, before continuing to our next destination.

Exploring the fjord-cut coastline

Iceland's east coast is cut by deep fjords, lined with tumbling waterfalls and bird-filled cliffs. Quiet villages dot the shoreline, including Bakkagerði, known as Iceland's puffin capital, where nearby platforms at Hafnarhólmi let you watch Atlantic puffins nesting in their thousands.

Beyond the birds, this is a landscape steeped in folklore and drama. We might visit Álfaborg, the legendary 'elf rock' said to house the queen of the queen of the 'hidden people' – huldufólk – and look up at the jagged Dyrfjöll peaks and colourful rhyolite mountains framing the fjord. Thanks to our Zodiacs, we can reach stretches of this coastline that are otherwise inaccessible, exploring Iceland in true expedition style.

Discover the town that defied a volcano

Our first stop is Heimaey, the only inhabited island in the Westman Islands, off Iceland's south coast. In 1973 an eruption nearly buried the town, and the island still carries the evidence.

Visit Eldheimar, a museum built around an excavated house frozen mid-disaster, then hike to Stórhöfði, where around eight million puffins nest each summer, or climb Mount Eldfell for views of the town from the volcano that almost destroyed it.

Disembark in Reykjavík

Your expedition ends in Reykjavik, a city that rewards a longer look. Stroll Laugavegur for independent shops and coffee, take in the striking Hallgrímskirkja church, or lose an afternoon in the city's galleries and museums. If you can, we highly recommend staying an extra night.

This marks the end of your time with us for now, but we hope it won't be the last.