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Iceland

Circumnavigating Iceland: A Small Ship Expedition

Program No. 24370RJ
Circumnavigate Iceland’s unique natural wonders on an expedition voyage that will bring you up close with glaciers, fjords, whales, puffins and so much more.

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Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
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Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.

DATES & PRICES

Ship Inside Ship Outside
Accommodation Details

A cabin with no window, porthole or balcony.

Accommodation Details

A cabin with a window or porthole to view the outside.

Jul 1 - Jul 14, 2023
SOLD OUT
Ship Inside 9,199
Ship Outside 10,499
Special Offer

Enroll by May 20, 2023 for free air from select cities. Ask about other cities! No added cost for a single cabin in select categories!

DATES & PRICES

Ship Inside Ship Outside
Accommodation Details

A cabin with no window, porthole or balcony.

Accommodation Details

A cabin with a window or porthole to view the outside.

Jul 1 - Jul 14, 2023
SOLD OUT
Ship Inside 9,199
Ship Outside 10,499
Special Offer

Enroll by May 20, 2023 for free air from select cities. Ask about other cities! No added cost for a single cabin in select categories!

At a Glance

The most sparsely populated country in Europe, Iceland is filled with awe-inspiring natural beauty. Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime circumnavigation of Iceland on board the expedition ship, Ocean Endeavor. Explore dramatic fjords, medieval fishing villages and wildlife on land and sea. Via Zodiac, get up-close to dramatic fjords, hot springs and ice-filled lagoons as you search for seals, whales and puffins. Learn about volcanic activity and the unique and varied landscape from local experts. Along the way, enjoy a reenactment at the Herring Era Museum, take a field trip to the Akureyri Botanical Gardens and walk up to Tvisöngur Sound Sculpture.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles a day over uneven and hilly terrain; getting in and out of Zodiacs, going up and down ramps, walking up stairs unassisted, getting in and out of motor coaches.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Visit the Blue Lagoon, located in a lava field, to discover its rejuvenating, healing waters and geological history.
  • Experience remote Arctic hamlets with their colorful houses, cheerful people and Icelandic folk music, bakeries and breweries.
  • Get up close to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ilulissat Ice Fjord at the mouth of one of the world’s most active glaciers.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Independent People, An Epic
by Halldor Laxness
Rich in local color, this great mock-epic by the Icelandic Nobel Prize-winner features the indelible Bjartur of Summerhouses, a hard-headed, independent-minded sheep farmer.
The History of Iceland
by Gunnar Karlsson
Gunnar Karlsson, Icelands premier historian, chronicles the age of the Sagas, consulting them to describe an era without a monarch or central authority.
The World of the Vikings
by Richard Hall
This book explores Viking life and culture in detail: their appearances, warfare, targets, crafts, and weapons, as well as their stunning pattern-welded swords and helmets.
Insight Guide Iceland
by Insight Guides
This guide emphasizes culture and history, with wonderful photographs, maps and essays from experts.
Beyond the Northlands: Viking Voyages and the Old Norse Sagas
by Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough
Beyond the Northands explores this world through the stories that the Vikings told about themselves in their sagas.
North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland
by Evan Sung (Photographer), Jody Eddy, Gunnar Gislason
Catering to a rising interest in Nordic cuisine, this cookbook celebrates Iceland’s food alongside its haunting landscapes, portrayed in starkly beautiful, full-color photos.
Ring of Seasons, Iceland, Its Culture and History
by Terry G. Lacy
A longtime resident of Reykjavik, Lacy weaves tales of family life, anecdote, lore and history into this illuminating personal portrait of Iceland.
The Prose Edda: Tales from Norse Mythology
by Snorri Sturluson
Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, The Prose Edda is the source of most of what we know of Norse mythology.
The Sagas of Icelanders
by Jane Smiley (Editor), Robert Kellog (Introduction)
Nine sagas and six tales composed between the years 1000 and 1500, including an account of Leif Eriksson's voyage to North America, all newly translated.
The Blue Fox: A Novel
by Sjon
Winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize, Sjón is a celebrated Icelandic poet and novelist. Set in 1883 in Iceland, follow the priest, Skugga-Baldur, on his hunt for the enigmatic blue fox.
Song of the Vikings, Snorri and the Making of Norse Myths
by Nancy Marie Brown
Brown brings to life not just the great Norse tales of medieval Iceland but also the life and times of the worldly Icelandic chieftain, known as the "Homer of the North."
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings
by Peter Sawyer (Editor)
Twelve leading scholars draw on the latest research and archaeological evidence to provide the clearest picture yet of this fabled people. Painting a fascinating portrait of the influences that the "Northmen" had on foreign lands, the contributors trace Viking excursions to the British Islands, Russia, Iceland, Greenland, and the northern tip of Newfoundland, which the Vikings called "Vinlund."
Nordic Runes: Understanding, Casting, and Interpreting the Ancient Viking Oracle
by Paul Rhys Mountfort
A comprehensive and practical guide to the ancient oracle based on the runic alphabet of the Norse. Nordic runes are a potent and profoundly transformative magic system that gives contemporary readers access to the ancient wisdom tradition of Northern European cultures.
A Viking Voyage
by W. Hodding Carter
An unforgettable adventure story that will take you to the heart of some of the most magnificent, unspoiled territory on earth, and even deeper, to the heart of a journey like no other.
Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings
by John Haywood
The history of the Vikings told through a series of innovative maps and excellent photographs. This book traces the routes of the ninth-century Viking merchants and explorers throughout Europe and onto the New World.
A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland
by T.K Derry
Scandinavia from prehistory to the present with chapters on the Viking and Lutheran kingdoms, medieval times, monarchies, the World Wars and modern period, emphasizing the common cultural, political and social backgrounds.
Names for the Sea, Strangers in Iceland
by Sarah Moss
A stranger in a strange land, British novelist Sarah Moss captures the spirit of Iceland in this tale of a year in Reykjavik with her husband and two children.
Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Icelandic Stories
by Herman Palsson (Translator)
This collection of the most famous of Icelandic sagas includes stories with titles like Thorstein the Staff-Struck and Ale Hood. Dating from the 12th century, these tales vividly recreate the society of medieval Iceland.
Letters from Iceland
by W.H. Auden
Written with fellow poet Louis MacNiece, this quirky, under-appreciated masterpiece captures the spirit of Iceland, its people and landscapes.
Iceland: Land of the Sagas
by Jon Krakauer, David Roberts
Circumnavigating Iceland in summer and winter, Krakauer and Roberts encounter tales of monks and Vikings, outlaws and adventurers, trolls and witches. While touring and photographing, they discover the myths and legends of Iceland's stirring history.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.