Iceland Excursions advice

[kahuna21]

Sailing “Iceland’s Natural Beauty” this July. Can anyone with knowledge of Viking’s excursions comment on their excursions in Isafjordur, Seydisfjordur, Djupivogur, Heimaey? Thanks!

[kkapaldo]

We are on that cruise in July also.  I thought I read that we cross the arctic circle on the cruise. Does anyone know this and is there any ceremony ?

[Peregrina651]

IMHO. Plenty of birds and the awesome beauty of the rugged landscape.

 

Isafjordur: Vigur Island

Seydisfjordur: Skalanes Nature Center

Djupivogur: Fjallaron Glacier boat ride

Heimaey: don't do a boat trip in the rain

Akureyri: either of the full day tours that cover a selection of natural wonders

 

Sailing in and out of Akureyri, you cross the Arctic Circle.  You will receive a certificate in your cabin.  However, no seadays on this itinerary hence no ceremony.

[FoggyEthan]

Everyone who came back from Vigur Island on Isafjordur seemed very excited by it, so I add to the recommendation. There is a strict limit on the number of visitors, so book it as fast as you can.

 

I used arcticshorex.com in Seydisfjordur to book an excursion driving to the fjord lake above the town, which I enjoyed. Also there's a hot springs spa that people enjoyed.

 

In Djupivogur, if you enjoy light hiking, you can walk straight from the port to some very beautiful trails east and south. The ground is a little uneven but mostly flat and never super steep. But really pretty. You can find a trail map online. But if you don't want to hike then the glacier boat ride was popular, but be prepared because it's a decent long drive.

 

 

[janetcbl]

6 hours ago, FoggyEthan said:

Everyone who came back from Vigur Island on Isafjordur seemed very excited by it, so I add to the recommendation. There is a strict limit on the number of visitors, so book it as fast as you can.

 

I used arcticshorex.com in Seydisfjordur to book an excursion driving to the fjord lake above the town, which I enjoyed. Also there's a hot springs spa that people enjoyed.

 

In Djupivogur, if you enjoy light hiking, you can walk straight from the port to some very beautiful trails east and south. The ground is a little uneven but mostly flat and never super steep. But really pretty. You can find a trail map online. But if you don't want to hike then the glacier boat ride was popular, but be prepared because it's a decent long drive.

 

 

Just noted on our upcoming trip Vigur is not included as a possibility. That was the excursion I was most excited about (I had been there many years ago and remember it vividly. 😢

Edited January 18 by janetcbl

[TayanaLorna]

We enjoyed the Golden Circle when in Reykjavik.  Isafjordur we did the hike up the several levels of a waterfall although Vigor Island was most popular.  Akurerei we loved Northern Treasures.  Isafjordur we did the trip to hot spring baths at the edge of a huge lake in the morning.  Can't remember the facilities name but it was amazing.  In the PM we did Skalanes Nature Center and then walked the town on our own.  Djupivogur we loved the zodiac iceberg trip and the scenery to/from was gorgeous.  Missed Heimey as too choppy to tender.  

[dburns1231]

Don't miss Vigur Island! The lady who lives there (Felicity Aston) gave us the tour. She's the first woman to ski solo across Antarctica. She wrote a book about it. Do the walking tour in Seydisfjordour so you can see the blue church with the rainbow road. If you are lucky enough to be able to stop in  Heimaey (the ship before us and after us didn't due to bad weather), take the RIB boat ride. Fantastic! Best excursion of the whole trip! Also, when you cross the Artic Circle, you have to request a certificate from guest services. There is no fanfare and they don't automatically hand them out. 

[FoggyEthan]

4 hours ago, janetcbl said:

Just noted on our upcoming trip Vigur is not included as a possibility. That was the excursion I was most excited about (I had been there many years ago and remember it vividly. 😢

Maybe there's a reason it's not available, but they do have public bookings for when Viking doesn't buy them out. Might be worth checking. Maybe you have another ship in port that stole all the day's excursions.

[LindaS272]

5 hours ago, janetcbl said:

Just noted on our upcoming trip Vigur is not included as a possibility.

Which trip are you on?

[LindaS272]

11 hours ago, FoggyEthan said:

But if you don't want to hike then the glacier boat ride was popular, but be prepared because it's a decent long drive.

With some of the most spectacular scenery in Iceland.

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, janetcbl said:

Just noted on our upcoming trip Vigur is not included as a possibility. That was the excursion I was most excited about (I had been there many years ago and remember it vividly. 😢

 

 

Maybe you can suss out more information on the owners' website: https://www.vigurisland.com/

[BluebonnetTexan]

We were on the last sailing of the Iconic Greenland, Iceland, and Canada in 2023. It was too late in the season for any excursions with the puffins (e.g. Vigur Island). This cruise hits the same ports as Iceland's Beauty. We did the following: 

Akureryi - Lake Myvatn with Imagine Iceland (less expensive and smaller group than Viking's similar)

ĺsafjördur - Dynjandi Waterfall with Arctic Shore Ex (ditto price and and group-size)

Seydisfjördur - booked Skalanes Nature Center with Viking, but had a snow day - no one could get through the pass. We enjoyed our cold walk around the cute little town though. 

Djúpivogur - FJALLSÁRLÓN ICE LAGOON BY ZODIAC with Viking - it is a long bus ride, but beautiful scenery and amazing experience. Highly recommend. 

Heimaey - Heimaey on Foot (Viking included tour) - we had an excellent guide. It was one of our favorite tours of the entire trip. 

 

I blogged about our trip at: http://notesbynancy.com 

 

Whatever you chose - the scenery in all of Iceland is amazing! Enjoy the planning and the journey! 

Nancy

[janetcbl]

2 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Which trip are you on?

“Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Beyond”, May 25, 2024-June 22, 2024. Going from Bergen to NYC. There are a number of strange things about this trip, for example no excursions listed for Reykjavik. It will be interesting to see what happens……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BluebonnetTexan]

28 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

“Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Beyond”, May 25, 2024-June 22, 2024. Going from Bergen to NYC. There are a number of strange things about this trip, for example no excursions listed for Reykjavik. It will be interesting to see what happens……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Reykjavik excursions because that is the changeover port for the B2B you are actually on. My understanding is that Viking will provide some options for those continuing to NYC during the cruise for Reykjavik. You might check the rolls calls from last year for timing. If I were you, I’d book a third party small tour Golden Circle or South Coast tour depending on time in port and not wait on Viking to book. We did the NYC to Reykjavik leg last year and stayed extra days in Reykjavik after disembarking. 

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, janetcbl said:

“Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Beyond”, May 25, 2024-June 22, 2024. Going from Bergen to NYC. There are a number of strange things about this trip, for example no excursions listed for Reykjavik. It will be interesting to see what happens……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/multi-region/greenland-iceland-norway-and-beyond/index.html#itineraryday/14
I see Vigur Island on day 14 on the Viking website for this cruise. Are your excursions already posted in MVJ? I’d contact tellus@vikingcruises.com as well as the Vigur folks at West Tours info@westtours.is

 

Although I note on the West Tours booking site they are not running tours for the day you’ll be there. Find out why! Good luck—it was a great excursion. We took it last July on the Bergen to Reykjavik cruise.

 

 

[miami mama]

Just looked at that website for Vigur (as we are going this summer also) and they only run the excursion from 1 to 4. Since the ship leaves the port at 5, is it possible to take this private option? Does anyone know if their dock is located close to where a cruise ship would dock?

[miami mama]

dburns was the rib boat ride at Heimaey really pounding or is the boat large enough where it is not too bad?

[LindaS272]

24 minutes ago, miami mama said:

Just looked at that website for Vigur (as we are going this summer also) and they only run the excursion from 1 to 4. Since the ship leaves the port at 5, is it possible to take this private option? Does anyone know if their dock is located close to where a cruise ship would dock?

Where we were docked this past summer the Vigur boat was a short walk from the Saturn.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, miami mama said:

Just looked at that website for Vigur (as we are going this summer also) and they only run the excursion from 1 to 4. Since the ship leaves the port at 5, is it possible to take this private option? Does anyone know if their dock is located close to where a cruise ship would dock?

 

My husband would be nuts. Only 30 minutes leeway for the what-ifs??? 

 

Back-on-board time is 4:30 and the walk was 10 minutes at my pace. You now have 20 minutes leeway for what-ifs -- breakdowns, stragglers, bad weather. How many times have you been held up on a bus tour because of some straggler?

 

A lot to consider.

 

 

[ReaderGirl57]

We did the Vigur Island tour in Isafjordur and the Skalanes Nature Center in Seydisfjordur - both were excellent especially if you want to see puffins in the wild.  The boat for Vigur is right near where the ship docks. In Akureryi, we did a small group tour (maybe 12 people?) with Saga Travel. We saw the Godafoss waterfall, Lake Mývatn, lava fields, geothermal pools, and the rift between the Eurasian and American continents. Our guide was an Icelandic actor who has appeared in Trapped on Netflix and the sights were amazing. Enjoy your trip!

[dburns1231]

2 hours ago, miami mama said:

dburns was the rib boat ride at Heimaey really pounding or is the boat large enough where it is not too bad?

RIB is a Rigid Inflatable Boat. It was fantastic! Bumpy and wild! You were secure in your seat and they provide you all the clothing and gear to keep you warm and dry but they do bounce over the waves. Loud music to go with the ride. The absolute best excursion ever! We were 66 and 69 respectively and loved it! But we are also active sports people and we do adventurous excursions so nothing bothers us. 

[FoggyEthan]

3 hours ago, dburns1231 said:

RIB is a Rigid Inflatable Boat. It was fantastic! Bumpy and wild! You were secure in your seat and they provide you all the clothing and gear to keep you warm and dry but they do bounce over the waves. Loud music to go with the ride. The absolute best excursion ever! We were 66 and 69 respectively and loved it! But we are also active sports people and we do adventurous excursions so nothing bothers us. 

Is "bouncing over the waves" as high-risk-for-nausea as it sounds?

[dburns1231]

6 hours ago, FoggyEthan said:

Is "bouncing over the waves" as high-risk-for-nausea as it sounds?

Not in my opinion. But I don't suffer from motion sickness either. If in doubt, skip it.

[Mich3554]

We did a private excursion on an ATV. In Isafjordur when we went.  The first time we did Viking’s excursion, and the guide was excellent.  He took us to the top of the mountain, where there was supposed to be a spectacular view (or there was when he went up 2 hours earlier).  In May, we hit rain, slept and snow on the way to the top, and it was totally socked in with fog.  

The private excursion, he took us waaay off the beaten track.  Our 4 hour excursion was twice the time and half the cost, same guide.  We had utterly spectacular weather.  

[Capt_BJ]

I thought I read that we cross the arctic circle on the cruise. Does anyone know this and is there any ceremony ?

 

You probably do/might cross the circle at this point (orange)

 

all of Iceland is south of the circle but at this point it is less than a mile so it depends on how they 'cut the corner'.

 

We've twice crossed the circle on VO cruises (last time went Bergen to Longyearbyen ... that's WAY further north) ... passing this marker 

 

'on the circle'

 

on these cruises they did a Bluenose ceremony where you dip into COLD water and are rewarded with some blue frosting on the nose and some Aquavit to warm up and a certificate ... the ceremony is 'voluntary' ... they fill a hot tup with cold water and a LOT of ice .... and replenish the ice as 'needed' . here's Mrs taking her dip .... having patrolled the Bering Sea for a while in my USCG time ... already a member .. 

 

 

editorial comments:

1) each time the ceremony was on a sea day after the crossing .... it consumed several hours

2) I've know people to cross the circle on other lines and nothing was done in recognition . . . 

 

Edited January 19 by Capt_BJ