For detailed information about the offers, please click on the links above.

---

BIRD WATCHING IN ICELAND

9 days/8 nights

To inquire about customized pricing click here

Iceland is the western most country of Europe. It lies just south of the Arctic Circle and has an area of almost 40,000 square miles. Around 70 species of birds breed annually in every corner of Iceland (including year-round residents and those which migrate to Iceland each spring), while a total of over 300 different species have been seen in the country at one time or another. Iceland is one of the most important breeding grounds of northern seabirds, waterfowl and waders. Since the winters are relatively mild, large numbers of coastal and marine birds spend the winter in Icelandic waters. Several Arctic bird populations make a break in their migratory journey in Iceland, which provides a convenient refuelling stop halfway between Europe and the Arctic regions. Join us as we visit some of Iceland´s natural areas.

Package Includes:

• Bus and English speaking guide (bird specialist) according to the program
• 2 nights in Fosshotel Lind Reykjavik or similar
• 2 nights in Hotel Sykkisholmur or similar
• 2 nights in Hotel Flokalundur or similar
• 1 night in Sel-hotel Myvatn or similar
• 1 night in Sel-holtel Varmahlid or similar
• Welcome breakfast in Hotel Keflavik
• Blue Lagoon entrance fee & towel rental
• 1 lunch (day 5)
• 6 dinners (3 course + coffee/tea
• Ferry on Breidafjordur (Stykkisholmur to Brjanslaekur via Flatey)
• 1 free per 15 paying passengers

ITINERARY
Day 1: Welcome to Iceland
Morning arrival at Keflavik airport. Meet & Greet with your English speaking guide. Board a private coach for a 10 min drive to the village Keflavik where you stop for a Welcome breakfast before continuing to the magical Blue Lagoon. Relaxing in the warm, blue water with healing powers is a good way to get to know Iceland. The Blue Lagoon, an oasis in the lava, owes its existence to a nearby geothermal power plant, looming over the aquatinted waters. After this relaxing start, head to Reykjavik and check in to your hotel followed by a 2-hour Reykjavik orientation tour with a stop at the Natural History Museum. A possible evening stroll through the center of Reykjavík would give an opportunity to get to know the numerous birds in the city pond and the Icelanders around there.

Day 2: The Golden Circle
Today’s excursion includes little bird watching but many of the scenic natural wonders for which Iceland is justly renowned. You will explore the other worldly hot spring area of Geysir - multicoloured pools of water and mud. Strokkur, the Great Geysir’s little brother, is spouting to a height of about 25 metres and erupts at about 5-7 minute intervals. The mighty Gullfoss (the Golden Waterfall) is perhaps the most beautiful in the country. You walk around Gullfoss Falls, where the river Hvitá tumbles 32 meters in a double cascade. When the sun is shining, you’re likely to see a rainbow through the massive spray that forms. After lunch break you visit Thingvellir National Park where you stroll around the country’s most sacred site, home of the old Viking parliament Alþingi and major events in our history. Here one of the oldest democratic legislative assembly in Europe was founded in 930 AC. Thingvellir is a place of fascinating natural beauty, one of the most geologically spectacular, set on a vast plain flanked by large fissures, right on Lake Thingvallavatn. Different birds and ducks might be seen around the lake and National Park. Head for the coast and arrive in Mosfellsbær where you stop at an old traditional wool factory shop Álafoss for a little factory outlet shopping offering best Icelandic woollen products and different handicrafts of local artists. You continue the scenic road along the shores of the Hvalfjörður Fjord and overnight and dinner in hotel Stykkishólmur (a small cosy fishing community on the northern side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula).

Day 3: Around Snæfellsnes peninsula
Today you will go around the peninsula Snæfellsnes (the peninsula of the snowy mountain) with the glacier Snæfellsjökull, where according to Jules Verne´s book the entrance to the centre of the earth can be found. You drive along the south coast of the peninsula and start the visit at Búðir, where a summer hotel and a small black wooden church can be found. A short walk on the beach is the goal, to see one of the rare light coloured beaches in Iceland strongly contrasted with black basalt lava. You then continue to Arnastapi a tiny village with a tiny harbour and go for a short walk there to enjoy the rich bird life. Numerous kittiwakes and arctic terns will be among the noisemakers as we walk along the coast. You can spend the rest of the day here watching the numerous birds or you could also drive to a beach called Djúpárlónssandur where bizarre rock formations and nicely sea sculpted stones can be found. The stones have proven to have a magical power because of the energy from the glacier Snæfellsjökull. On you go along the coast with the glacier dominating on the other side, driving through two small villages, Hellissandur and Rif. Getting to the north of the peninsula you find one of the most active fishing villages on the peninsula called Ólafsvík. You soon leave the coast north of the peninsula heading back to Stykkisholmur.

Day 4: Breiðafjörður
You take the ferry from Stykkishólmur situated on the peninsula Snæfellsnes over the Breiðafjörður fjord to the fjords in the north west of Iceland. The islands in Breiðafjörður are said to be one of three things that can not be counted in Iceland but estimations place them around 2700. The only stop on the way over the fjord is at an island called Flatey (flat island). You will visit this island and enjoy its bird life until the afternoon ferry takes you the rest of the way. The island is uninhabited in winter but many families spend their summers there renovating the lovely old timber houses of their ancestors. The village is a good example of how the few villages in Iceland used to be like and has been used on more than one occasion as a film set for historical movies. Flatey was also the site of a monastery in the 12th century and remained a major cultural centre until the 1800s. At around 18:00 you board the ferry again and sail north to the Westfjords. Arriving at Brjánslækur you drive to hotel Flókalundur were you check in for 2 nights.

Day 5: The birds in Látrabjarg Cliffs
This beautiful part of the West Fjords is rugged, wonderfully scenic and sparsely populated. The beaches in this area are the finest in Iceland. The westernmost headlands are also dramatic, with stunning cliffs, abundant bird and marine life and fabulous for hiking. It’s also one of the best places to observe such rare species as the white-tailed sea eagle and the Icelandic gyrfalcon. Arriving at Breiðavík, which sits in a landscape of white sand, turquoise sea, crashing surf, green grass and dusky hills, you have a look at a small eider duck colony around Breiðavík. There used to be a big eider duck colony, which almost disappeared when the farmers moved away, and none attended it. Today however the new owners of Breiðavík have started attending them again and it has regrown to about 100 nests. After the eider ducks you will have an early lunch at the remote restaurant and guest house of Breiðavík. It is run by a family that lives there the whole year around and the lady of the house would be willing to tell you about their life their. The highlight of your tour are the Látrabjarg cliffs, which range from 40 to 511m high, extend 12 km around the western end of the West Fjords. On the cliffs are concentrated the densest population of bird life in Iceland. Among the species that make up the screeching nesting colonies are razorbills (a third of the world’s population), guillemots, cormorants, fulmars, ravens, gulls and kittiwakes. On calm days, you’ll normally also see seals barking, lazing and flopping playfully on the rocks and in the waves around the light house. The puffins, however, are the main attraction. Like tuxedo-clad glitterati, they pose calmly for photo shooting. Visitors can often approach within a metre without so much as a flinch from the trusting little creatures. Return to hotel Flókalundur.

Day 6: North Iceland
From Flókalundur you head to the North of Iceland, driving along the western fjords before arriving in the green and fertile valleys of the north. On the way you will stop for a short walk – couple of possibilities, depending on what the weather permits. In the afternoon you reach Skagafjörður, known as the valley of the horses and during a show you will be introduced to the Icelandic horse. Overnight and dinner at hotel Varmahlíð, a tiny village in Skagafjörður.

Day 7: Birds and Natural Wonders of Lake Myvatn
The Mývatn area is scenically one of the most rewarding places and one of the most volcanically active regions in the country. The lake and its surroundings is one of the richest bird-life areas in the world and the duck population numbers up to 150000 in summer, when we recommend to bring insect repellent along. You go to Dimmuborgir with its amazing and grotesque lava formations. There is a viewing platform over the expanse and a short walk through this labyrinth brings you through the eerie landscape, among its mysterious arches, gates and caves. The most famous formation is Kirkjan (the Church), which looks like the interior of a Gothic cathedral, and a 3-metre hole that provides an amusing opportunity to take a photograph. Near by is the looming crater of Hverfjall, formed in an eruption 2,500 years ago and these days likened to a giant football stadium. Along the lakeshore we see numerous perfectly shaped, picturesque pseudo-craters. En route is Grjótagjá, an underground hot spring made by a buckle in the earth. You spend plenty of time at different locations to watch birds. Mývatn is a unique natural phenomenon, a large lake, 37 sq. km in area, yet shallow - one to four metres deep. Underground hot streams also feed it from the adjacent active geothermal and volcanic area, which raise the temperature higher than one would expect. The lake never freezes completely, thanks to this input of warm water. Mývatn is a paradise for ducks, providing lavish feeding whether for divers or dabblers, and all of Iceland’s duck species save the eider (which prefers life on the ocean wave) are found breeding here. Most common is the tufted duck, the scaup, Barrow’s goldeneye. Other common species include the common scoter, red-breasted merganser, long-tailed duck, gadwall and teal, while the mallard and pintail are less common. The goosander, shoveller and pochard are rare. The harelquin, which invariably chooses fast-flowing waters, is found on the adjacent Laxá river. Many other bird species are also found in the Mývatn area, the slavonian grebe nests at Mývatn, and the short-eared owl on nearby marshes, along with snipe and red-necked phalarope. Both merlins and gyrfalcons nest in the nearby mountains.

Day 8: Waterfall of the Gods and Akureyri
You spend the morning visiting more of Lake Mývatn´s wonders as you cross Námaskarð to visit seething sulphur pits and boiling mud pools, perhaps one of Iceland’s most infernal and fascinating sight. Walkways run across the multi-coloured clay of the area, through dozens of bubbling pits, steaming vents and mud pots. You leave the lake Mývatn and your first stop is at Goðafoss, the waterfall of the Gods. You drive on to the capital of the north, Akureyri. After a short city tour in Akureyri the coach will leave you in the centre, where late 19th-century wooden houses impart a sense of history, the modern Lutheran church rising on a green hill near the waterfront providing a focal point. If interested a visit to the botanical garden is recommended. In the late afternoon you board a plane leaving the capital of the north to head for the one in the south, Reykjavík.

Day 9: Reykjavik and goodbye
Free morning for shopping or strolling around the city until early afternoon when you head for the airport for the flight back home (transfer without guide).

To go back to the top of the page, click here

---

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF COMPOSER JEAN SIBELIUS

5 days/4 nights

To inquire about customized pricing click here

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is without a doubt the most renowned and most well-known of Finnish composers. His works, seven symphonies and symphonic poems, describe the Finnish nature, its sounds and scents, leading the listener to the origins of the Finnish spirit. Admirers of Sibelius also know his as a composer of chamber music as well as a master of music and songs for the stage.

Sibelius spent his time in the Lahti region in the end of the 1890s and also composed some of his works here. From the terrace of the Sibelius Hall and from the passenger harbor, you are able to admire the scenery that in the past inspired the Finnish composer in his brilliant achievements. The same view over lake Vesijärvi has also inspired the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by Osmo Vänskä, the orchestra has interpreted most of Sibelius’ works. This internationally renowned orchestra pays homage to the works of the composer during the annual Sibelius Festival at the Sibelius Hall in Lahti.

Package Includes:

• 4 nights accommodation at Sokos Hotel Seurahuone or Hotel Salpaus
• Continental breakfast & dinner daily
• Transportation, Helsinki-Lahti-Helsinki
• 1 concert ticket to Sibelius Hall (only included in package A>
• 3 full day sightseeing tour as per the itinerary
• Services of a guide, transportation & lunch for the 3 tours included in the itinerary

Additional activities offered:
A guided tour of Sibelius Hall
A guided walking tour of the centre of Lahti
A tour of a Whiskey distillery in the heart of the city

ITINERARY
Day 1
Arrive in Helsinki from the U.S. Transfer from Helsinki to Lahti for check-in and overnight at Sokos Hotel Seurahuone or Hotel Salpaus.

Day 2
After breakfast enjoy a 5 hour tour to Vaania, the summer home of Sibelius. The Scenery of lake Vesijärvi’s great natural beauty appealed to Jean Sibelius who arrived in the Lahti region in 1895. He is told to have composed some of his works in Vaania where he and his family spent the summer. In Vaania, you will be able to explore the traditional Finnish country side as well as enjoy a delicious lunch and short concert at Vaania country restaurant, maintained in its authentic appearance, in a house where Sibelius himself visited in his time. Return to Lahti at 3:00p. In the evening enjoy a Symphony Concert at Sibelius Hall. Overnight at Sokos Hotel Seurahuone or Hotel Salpaus.

Day 3
After breakfast enjoy a 7 hour tour to Jean Sibelius’ birthplace. Jean Sibelius spent his childhood and school years in the town of Hämeenlinna. He was born in 1865 in a wooden house in the centre of the town, which is currently a museum. The collection of the museum includes objects and furniture owned by the family Sibelius. The museum offers an authentic setting for a Sibelius music. During the tour you will also visit Ahvenisto cemetery, where the Sibelius family grave is located. You will enjoy a lunch and a short concert at the picturesque manor Vanajanlinna. Return to Lahti at 5:00p. Overnight at Sokos Hotel Seurahuone or Hotel Salpaus.

Day 4
After breakfast enjoy a 7 hour tour to see Sibeliusä and other artist’s homes at Tuusula. Järvenpää is known as the home town of Sibelius. Jean Sibelius built his home, Villa Ainola, by lake Tuusulanjärvi “far enough from the temptations of Helsinki”. Sibelius and his family lived in Ainola for more than 50 years, and he and his wife were also buried in the garden of Ainola. You will visit Ainola’s unique home museum where you will be able to sense the spirit of Sibelius even today. A unique community of artists inhabited the area of lake Tuusulanjärvi during the turn of the 19yh and the 20th century. You will get to know places connected with life of the artist community with an expert guide. You will visit, for example, home and studio of painter Pekka Halonen in Halosenniemi. Lunch will be served at restaurant Kraphihovi, full of traditions. Return to Lahti at 5:00p. Overnight at Sokos Hotel Seurahuone or Hotel Salpaus.

Day 5
After breakfast transfer to Helsinki for your return flight to the U.S.

Ask us about additional overnights in Helsinki on the day of arrival and departure,
and about extra nights in Lahti.

To go back to the top of the page, click here

---