Expedition to Iceland – Hamburg to Reykjavík via North Atlantic Islands

Your adventure begins

Your journey starts in Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany and one of the greenest urban areas in Europe.

There's much to see and do in Hamburg. If you have time, you'll find many attractions in the old town district of Altstadt, including the St Nikolai Memorial and the historic street of Deichstraße. Hamburg is also home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Chilehaus and the world's largest historic warehouse complex in Speicherstadt. Art lovers should head to Kunsthalle, the nation's foremost art museum.

Once you embark MS Fridtjof Nansen, you'll have time to meet the crew and Expedition Team and settle in as we set sail.

Relax at sea

As we sail from Hamburg towards Norway's Lysefjord, your expert Expedition Team will introduce what lies ahead with lectures in the Science Center on the wildlife, geology, and culture we'll encounter along the way.

A day at sea gives you plenty of time to get acquainted with the ship and simply relax. Watch the scenery unfold from the deck, settle into the Explorer Lounge & Bar, or unwind in the panoramic sauna or hot tub.

Witness the drama of these famous fjords

With a backdrop of cloud-shrouded mountains and tumbling waterfalls, of small farms and jade-green waters, we'll explore one of the world's most breathtaking fjords. Wind, rain, or shine, head to the deck to take it all in: glide past narrow passages and soak in dramatic scenery that reveals itself from every angle. In autumn, drifting mist and shifting light create an especially memorable atmosphere.

If conditions allow, you may also have the chance to hike to Preikestolen, ’The Pulpit Rock’, one of Norway's most iconic natural landmarks. Rising high above the fjord below, it's worth every step of the climb.

Explore Scotland's northernmost town

Welcome to the Shetland Islands. Lerwick, the capital, is a friendly, Victorian-influenced fishing town set in beautiful scenery. Navigate its narrow lanes on foot to discover little shops selling local whiskies, woollen sweaters, and fudge, then head to the old waterfront for the Shetland Museum, home to Pictish carvings and intricate lace shawls. Nearby, Fort Charlotte and the regal town hall are worth a look.

Keep your binoculars handy: grey and common seals bask along Lerwick's beaches, and red-throated divers, redshanks, and curlews are often spotted from the shore.

A visit to Streymoy in the Faroe Islands

Founded by Norsemen in the 10th century, Tórshavn, Thor's Harbour, is one of Northern Europe's oldest capitals, set on Streymoy, the largest of the Faroe Islands.

Wander through cobbled alleyways lined with colourful turf-roofed houses, or visit the local museums to learn about the city's origins and the islands' flora, fauna, and geology. A short walk out of town brings you to Svartafoss, where a waterfall tumbles over mossy rocks. Along the seafront, look out for eider ducks and the distinctive Faroese starling with its beige-tipped wings.

The Faroese way of life

Hidden in a narrow fjord on the island of Eysturoy, Oyndarfjørður is a small village far from the Faroe Islands' well-trodden paths. A handful of families live here among turf-topped hills and weathered boathouses, and visitors are welcomed into the quiet rhythms of everyday Faroese life.

Walk alongside the streams that cut through the settlement, meet locals whose families have been here for generations, and learn how traditions have been shaped by centuries of isolation, fishing, and life at sea. It's one of the most genuine encounters with the Faroes you can have.

Heading to the ‘Land of Ice and Fire’

With Iceland on the horizon, make the most of this time at sea to enjoy at your leisure. Watch for seabirds and whales from the observation deck, unwind in the panoramic sauna, or settle in with a drink as the anticipation builds.

In the Science Centre, the Expedition Team will share what to expect from the days ahead, with lectures on the landscapes, wildlife, and culture we'll encounter. Photography enthusiasts can also pick up tips on capturing wildlife and dramatic scenery from our onboard expert.

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 '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.

Iceland's best whale watching spot

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.

Explore one of Iceland’s wildest islands

A serene sail through the Westfjords brings us to Vigur, a tiny island isolated beneath vast skies and surrounded by seabirds. Life here follows a slower rhythm, shaped by the sea, the seasons, and generations of tradition.

Wander between historic buildings, watch puffins and eider ducks at close range, and learn how the island's small community still practises the centuries-old craft of eiderdown collection. Keep watch on the water too: whales are often spotted in the surrounding fjords.

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.

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 Reykjavík, 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.