2020 Wilderness Travel Catalog of Adventures

Iceland: Off the Beaten Path HIKING ADVENTURES IN THE UNCROWDED NORTH

MIKEL BILBAO

The north of Iceland has amazing volcanic landscapes, whale watching, lush microclimates, and Europe’s most powerful waterfall—and we’ll get you off the beaten path. PHOTO: THORSTEN HENN

HIGHLIGHTS • Escape the crowds and experience Iceland’s surreal beauty • Hike across a pristine landscape of waterfalls, lava fields, volcanic craters, and magnificent coasts • Go whale watching on a wooden ship with an electric engine—no noise or fumes • Stay in welcoming hotels, savor fresh seafood, enjoy extraordinary cuisine at Hotel Búdir DETAILS • 8-day trip begins in Reykjavík and ends in Akureyri • 7 nights hotels • All meals included except 1 dinner

The north of Iceland holds the country’s best secrets, from Snæfellsjökull, the glacier- capped volcano that inspired Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth , to brilliant blue Lake Myvatn, surrounded by a geothermal wonderland. With our Icelandic Trip Leaders, we’ll head far from the tourist circuit for spectacular hikes. Our trails take us to the Peninsula of the Trolls, along the black-sand beaches and bird cliffs of Snæfellsnes, and through Ásbyrgi Canyon, home to huldufólk (hidden people—Iceland’s elves and trolls). We’ll finish with whale watching in charming Húsavík, on the lookout for humpback, minke, and blue whales. ´ Days 1-2 Reykjavík, Iceland / Snæfellsnes Peninsula / Búdir On the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, dramatic mountains plunge into the sea. We hike around the perfect crater rim of Eldborg volcano and along a magnificent coastal route with Snæfellsjökull Volcano as a backdrop. Overnights are in Búdir in a welcoming inn renowned for its cuisine. Days 3-4 Eiríksstadir / Akureyri / Tröllaskagi Peninsula En route to Akureyri, we visit Eiríksstadir, where Erik the Red and his son Leif Eiríksson had their longhouse, for fascinating insights into the Viking era. From the coastal

RICHARD TAYLOR

village of Dalvík, we hike in the surreal mountains of the Tröllaskagi Peninsula (“Peninsula of the Trolls”), with its legends of mythical creatures. Days 5-6 Lake Mývatn / Krafla Volcano After visiting the thundering cascade of Godafoss, we hike amid Dimmuborgir’s volcanic arches and along the colorful lava flows at Krafla. We’ll enjoy a thermal soak at Mývatn baths, a remote and much more local version of Reykjavík’s “Blue Lagoon.” Days 7-8 Vatnajökull National Park / Dettifoss / Húsavík / Whale Watching In Vatnajökull National Park, we see the enormous Dettifoss waterfall and hike past columnar basalt formations into Ásbyrgi Canyon, known in Icelandic legend as the “shelter of the gods.” Our journey ends at Húsavík with whale watching aboard a ship with an electric engine—no noise or fumes! Depart on Day 8 via Akureyri.

DATES Jun 29-Jul 6, 2020 Jul 13-20

TRIP COST $6795 (11-14 members) $7195 (8-10 members) $7495 (4-7 members) Single supplement: $1030

TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 + 4 5 6 6 hiking days on moderate to strenuous trails, some steep sections, 4-8 hours a day, van support

ON OUR WEBSITE ICELAND EXPEDITION

Hike Iceland’s mystical realms, including the glacier kingdom of Skaftafell. Jun 22-29, 2020, Jul 6-13, Aug 17-24. From $6595.

FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR EUROPEAN TRIPS, VISIT WWW.WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM/TRIPS/EUROPE 80