Marine expedition around Iceland: volcanoes, vikings and whales

ICELAND

August 9 - 18, 2024
Iceland

marine expedition to Antarctica cruise Drake strait Antarctida iceberg pinguin whale tour to Antarctica

With the group of like-minded people and recognized international experts, you will go on an incredible journey and visit the remote Arctic regions.
With the help of Zodiac expedition boats, you will land on the rugged shores of Iceland. Our experienced captain can adjust the course, sequence of ports and duration of stops in real time, guided by the weather forecast and the advice of the expedition leader, to show as much as possible of the wildlife.
Iceland is more than a picturesque land with a pristine natural landscape. Iceland is a land where horses have the longest manes, where postal addresses have not changed for 1000 years, where all the indigenous people are relatives in one generation or another, where the history of the country is known from the very beginning, from the 9th century to this day, and the language has hardly changed over the centuries. All this is a country that has received the name "ice".

A Russian expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev on the sloops "Vostok" and "Mirny" discovered Antarctica on January 28, 1820.

We invite you to repeat the feat of the sailors and write your name in the history of exploration of the most mysterious sixth continent of the planet.

While Elon Musk swashbuckles the space, we washbuckle the ocean and explore the Earth space – Antarctica.
A trip to Antarctica is the choice of a Real Man. An event, the memories of which will stay with you for a lifetime!

SCHEDULE AND COST:

Dates: August 9 - 18, 2024

Duration of cruise: 9 days / 8 nights

Cost per person* (based on TWIN accommodation):

- Cabin with window OM4 19 sq.m 10298$ 6735$
- Cabin with balcony BM5 28 sq.m - 11767$ 8235$
- Cabin with balcony BD6 28 sq.m - 12892$ 9135$
- Suit 44 sq.m - 14878$ 11010$
- Premiun Suite - 17216$ 12135$


* The price is indicated for 1 passenger with accomodation in the DBL cabin and may change. Availability of cabins please check with the manager.

Everything is included (except for flight and medical insurance).

Estimated cost of the flight to Rejkjavik : EUR 1 000 - 1 500.




TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO ANTARCTICA

Day 0. August 9, 2024. Departure to Reykjavik

Your expedition begins with a meeting at the airport of the northernmost capital of the world - Reykjavik. You will be met by a Swan Hellenic representative. The transfer will take you to the hotel. The next morning after breakfast, all members of the expedition will be taken to the port in an organized manner for registration on board the ship and departure for the expedition cruise.

Meals Included: No
Hotel accommodation


Day 1. August 10, 2024. Reykjavik

Reykjavík, despite its small size, is the capital of Iceland. At the top of the town stands the distinctive Hallgrímskirkja church, designed by renowned Icelandic architect Guðjón Samúelsson. The revitalised harbour area features the futuristic Harpa Concert Hall and the Maritime Museum, showcasing the city's cultural heritage A trip to Reykjavík would be incomplete without a visit to the Blue Lagoon, famous for its therapeutic geothermal waters.

Meals: all inclusive
Accommodation: in cabins on the yacht



Day 2. August 11, 2024 Dynyandi Waterfall

Considered one of Iceland's most impressive falls, the thunderous Dynjandi waterfall in the Westfjords region gives the impression of a bridal veil as it spreads down ever-growing cascades. The walk takes 15 minutes passing five smaller waterfalls. Nearby, Hrafnseyri is the birthplace of Jón Sigurðsson, 19th-century leader of the Icelandic Independence movement. The museum includes an Icelandic turf house.

Meals: all inclusive
Accommodation: in cabins on the yacht


Day 3. August 12, 2024 Isafjordur and Vigur Island

Surrounded by fjords in the Westfjords region, Ísafjördur is a bustling fishing town in northwest Iceland with colourful wooden 18th- and 19th-century houses in its old town, Neskaupstadur. Nearby, Sudavik is home to the Arctic Fox Centre. Iceland's only mammal, the arctic fox, lives on the lush tundra of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, the northernmost peninsula in the Westfjords with two of Europe's largest bird cliffs.
A jewel of the Westfjords, Vigur is the fjord's second-largest island and a thriving seabird sanctuary. Flocks of arctic terns, puffins, guillemots and eider ducks nest atop rocky cliffs. As one of only two inhabited islands, Vigur supports a family farm continuing the centuries-old eiderdown harvest across 3,500 nests. This remote pillar also houses Iceland's sole windmill, its tiniest post office and a 200-year-old, still-seaworthy rowing boat.

Meals: all inclusive
Accommodation: in cabins on the yacht


Day 4. August 13, 2024 Grimsey and Hrisey Islands.

Grímsey is a remote island located 40 km off Iceland's north coast. Many people travel here for the purpose of setting foot in the Arctic Circle, the only place in Iceland where you can. The island is also home to fewer than 100 people, but over one million seabirds. Birdlife thrives here thanks to the lack of egg predation and the well-stocked surrounding seas. Grímsey has one of Iceland's largest tern nesting sites and largest puffin colonies.
Hrisey Island is a small island in the Eyjafjordur fjord in northern Iceland. It is home to various wildlife, including puffins, seals, and whales. Hriseyjarfjall Mountain is the highest point and offers views of the surrounding landscape and the vast expanse of Eyjafjörður fjord. Despite its size, Hrisey Island possesses a rich cultural heritage. Traditional Icelandic crafts, such as hand-knitting and woodworking, preserve the island's identity.

Meals: all inclusive
Accommodation: in cabins on the yacht


Day 5. August 14, 2024 Akureyri

Iceland's second largest city, also referred to as its northern capital, is actually hardly a city, with only about 20,000 people. Akureyri is the gateway to Iceland's most beautiful natural attractions. Located at the mouth of the Eyjafjordur fjord, the city is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Thanks to them, Akureyri is protected from arctic winds. In the summer, Eyjafjordur is especially beautiful! In Akureyri itself, you can see the colorful old town, houses with peat roofs, well-preserved examples of ancient Icelandic dwellings, the Arctic Botanical Garden, the main church of Akureyri, which has become a symbol of the city, towering over the very center. Winters in Iceland are harsh, so Icelanders deal with seasonal depression in their own way: the traffic lights of this northern Icelandic city glow with red hearts. Ocean waters in the vicinity of Akureyri and Eyjafjordur abound with marine animals, especially whales, dolphins and porpoises. Not far from Akureyri is Lake Myvatn, the main attraction of northern Iceland. Huge lava fields, volcano craters, hot water cave, broken plates, giant frozen figures from lava, pseudocraters are found on the shores and in the vicinity of this lake. Nearby are the Game of Thrones filming locations and one of Iceland's most famous waterfalls, Godafoss. The vertical basalt walls of these cliffs smoothly turn into slopes overgrown with lupins. From here you can see the picturesque mountains of Iceland, located in the south, and the Arctic Ocean stretching to the very horizon, behind which the North Pole is hidden. Other attractions on the island include the Grimsey Church, built in 1867 from driftwood nailed to the shore, a lighthouse from 1937, a windmill, and a monument to American chess player Daniel Fiske, who became the island's patron after learning that chess was an important part of the life of the local population.

Meals: all inclusive
Accommodation: in cabins on the yacht



Day 6. August 15, 2024 Seydisfjordur

Brightly painted wooden houses line Seyðisfjörður's port, regarded as east Island's cultural hub with a lively arts scene disproportionate to its size. Seyðisfjörður has attracted writers and artists and hosts a summer arts festival. Surrounded by incredible nature, the nearby Skálanes nature reserve is known for its diverse wildlife with over 47 bird species, as well as 150 plant species. Reindeer, seals and porpoises often populate the area.

Meals: all inclusive
Accommodation: in cabins on the yacht


Day 7. August 16, 2024. Djupivogur

With Viking-era origins, Djupivogur, a tranquil fishing village with fewer than 500 residents, is renowned for its unhurried pace of life and the art installation 'The Eggs at Merry Bay,' featuring 34 granite eggs representing local bird species. Nearby, Vatnajökull National Park, covering 14 percent of Iceland, offers a wild expanse with Europe's largest ice cap, Vatnajökull Glacier, thundering glacial rivers and active volcanoes.

Meals: all inclusive
Accommodation: in cabins on the yacht



Day 8. August 17, 2024 Heimaey

Ten million Atlantic puffins make Heimaey, a 13-km square island in the Westman Islands off southern Iceland, the largest puffin colony in the world. Despite a population of 4,000 people, puffins have even been spotted in the town of Vestmannaeyjar. The fascinating Eldheimar museum charts the story of the town's devastation by lava from Eldfell volcano in 1973. Nearby, Vestmannaeyjar Bird Cliff is home to puffins, guillemots and razorbills.

Meals: all inclusive
Accommodation: in cabins on the yacht


Day 9. August 18, 2024. Reykjavik. Flight home

The cruise ends, the ship arrives in Reykjavik. After breakfast you will say goodbye
with crew and crew and go ashore. Depending on future plans for
Expedition members will be transferred to a hotel or Reykjavik airport.
Make sure there is sufficient time to explore this diminutive but dramatic capital city. Despite its small size, you won't be short of things to see and do. To get your bearings, take the elevator to the top of Hallgrímskirkja. This church, designed by famed Icelandic architect Gudjón Samuelsson is one of the most distinctive buildings in town. When you return to earth, visit the city's other renowned building Harpa Concert Hall, located at the heart of Reykjavík's regenerated harbour – also the home of the Maritime Museum.
Upon returning home, a pleasant surprise awaits you. By tradition, the Swan team
Hellenic will send each guest a link to download the film, which will include a photo essay and video report of the perfect expedition cruise for a long memory.

Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: no


* Please do not purchase tickets without prior approval from us.

** The program is subject to change due to weather conditions.


Expedition vessel SH Vega
Put into operation in 2022.
The SH Vega was conceived and designed specifically for expeditions. You will be able to visit remote corners of the planet without giving up the usual level of comfort and service.
SH Vega is a modern sophisticated design and elegant interiors in Scandinavian chic style. The ship has well-thought-out infrastructure and spacious common areas.
There are: an equipped observation deck, an expeditionary laboratory and a thematic library, a stage, screens and equipment for lectures.
This vessel is built with the latest environmental standards and requirements in mind.
Available in all cabins:
  • Interactive TV
  • Mini bar
  • Safe
  • Air conditioning system
  • Pillow Menu
  • Hair dryer Babyliss
  • Bathrobes and slippers
  • Coffee machine
  • Service 24/7
  • 24-hour self-service laundry on deck
      • Cabin with window
        Area 19 sq.m. Maximum capacity 2 people
        5 cabins with a window are additionally equipped with a sofa and have a max. capacity 4 people.

      • Cabin with balcony
        Area 28 sq.m., including a panoramic balcony of 6 sq.m. Maximum capacity 2 people
      • Suite
        The area is 44 sq.m., including a panoramic balcony of 12 sq.m. Maximum capacity 4 people.
        Up to 5 people are allowed upon request.
        The suite can be combined with a cabin with a balcony, while the total area of the two combined cabins will be 72 m2.
        The bedroom is fitted with a Superking bed.
      Cost includes:

      • All transfers: from the airport to the hotel the day before boarding the ship, from the hotel to the port, on the day of landing, from the port to the airport at the end of the cruise (groups);
      • Accommodation in a 4-5 * hotel before the cruise (1 night with breakfast), as well as on board in a cabin selected category during the cruise;
      • Meals on board and room service 24 hours a day;
      • Coffee, tea, soft drinks and some alcoholic drinks 24 hours a day;
      • The Swan Hellenic Expedition Signature Parka and drop-off waterproof backpack will delivered to the cabin on the first day of the cruise;
      • Rubber boots are provided for disembarkation;
      • Lecture programs of expeditionary experts and invited speakers;
      • All Zodiac landings and excursion/expeditionary activities at each port of call on an itinerary of Swan Hellenic's choice;
      • Basic WIFI package;
      • Tipping on board and port fees.



      Cost excludes (additionally paid):

      • International flight to the port of boarding the ship and the start of the cruise;
      • Travel insurance;
      • Alcoholic beverages of premium brands,
      • Spa and beauty treatments, laundry services, shopping in retail stores on board.




      Take with you:

      • Shoes and clothing for the cities where your cruise starts and ends;
      • Waterproof trousers;
      • Wool sweater or fleece jacket;
      • Vest or sweatshirt;
      • Thermal underwear (2 sets);
      • Turtleneck and shirt;
      • Several T-shirts;
      • Jeans or other comfortable trousers;
      • Sportswear for sports on board;
      • Swimwear for visiting the SPA and the pool on board;
      • Mittens, waterproof gloves and glove liners (2 pairs);
      • Warm windproof hat;
      • Warm shirt or scarf;
      • Balaclava;
      • Warm socks (several pairs);
      • Comfortable waterproof boots with ribbed soles (trekking boots);
      • Optional tourist foam-hoba for comfortable riding on the Zodiac;
      • Sneakers or comfortable boots in which you will be comfortable on board;
      • Sunglasses with UV protection;
      • Sunscreen for face and lips, hand cream;
      • Camera, additional memory cards and flash drives, interchangeable batteries and lenses;
      • Laptop or tablet for taking notes and uploading photos;
      • Chargers for equipment, adapters, power bank;
      • Waterproof sealed case for the camera and other equipment;
      • An extra pair of eyeglasses or an extra set of contact lenses;
      • Medicines prescribed by a doctor with a margin for a few extra days;
      • Documentation
        KEY FEATURES:
        Tour to
        ICELAND


        Best season: June - September


        The best invited experts in the field of geology, glaciology,
        ornithology, marine biology and history will accompany the cruise with lectures, presentations, scientific facts and amazing stories. Marine biologist Alberto Martinez is among them.

        Incomparable Arctic landscapes and unique wildlife await you: humpback whale, fin whale, killer whale, dolphin, arctic fox, thousands of birds in their natural habitat... and all this surrounded by giant glaciers, active volcanoes and ice fjords;

        Visit Heimaey Island, the world capital of watching Atlantic puffins, often referred to as "parrots of the sea" because of their bright beak;
        Listen to the thunderous roar of waterfalls and appreciate the grandeur and beauty

        numerous Icelandic fjords;

        You will be able to observe killer whales and humpback whales in the waters of the North Atlantic;

        Get acquainted with the history and learn many legends of this mysterious country;

        Capture stunning volcanic landscapes on camera - from
        thermal pools and geysers in the west to lava flows and seething mud pools in the east.

        Possible activities depend on weather conditions, their availability and safety is determined by the captain of the yacht, based on the actual situation.
          Why with MZUNGU EXPEDITIONS?
          • 1
            UNIQUENESS
            We find the most astonishing places on Earth and speed up to reach them. Our motto is to go ahead of road roller, touch the unique and unknown, before it disappears.
          • 2
            ADVENTURISM
            Wherever we go, we look for challenging activities and adventures, filling the journey with absolutely different spirit and emotions. That is why people join us over and over again.
          • 3
            SAFETY
            In our trips we pay special attention to safety. All our travels are based on personal experience, equipped with the best gear, involving proved providers and experienced local guides who perfectly know local features.
          • 4
            EXPERIENCE
            We have a unique experience of the most offbeat expeditions and ascents, deep knowledge of countries and peoples, and are ready to share it with you.
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