Tour Description
This 5-day, 4-night tour was designed specifically with high school and university students in mind. Iceland is an ideal international destination for student travel for several reasons. It is one of the cleanest and safest countries in the world. You can get a wonderful taste of the country with relatively few days, and its proximity to North America is an advantage. In fact, from North America there are direct flights (convenient when traveling with students) to Iceland from Vancouver, Seattle, Edmonton, Denver, Minneapolis, Toronto, Washington D.C., Orlando, New York, Boston and Halifax. And if your student group has a bit more time and wants to combine Iceland with another Northern European destination (such as London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo or Stockholm), Iceland makes for a logical, convenient and one-in-a-lifetime stopover!
Now if you're wondering "what is there to see in Iceland on vacation?" we promise your students will be delighted and enthusiastic about their educational experience abroad. As an educational, European vacation destination, Iceland is incredibly rich in geology, nature, wildlife, culture and history. It is a place where your students can learn about volcanos, geothermal energy, marine wildlife and the history of the Vikings!
The following itinerary is excellent to consider for student groups traveling to Iceland. As Iceland's capital city works extremely well as a base, all four nights are based in Reykjavik, so your students won't have to haul suitcases and change hotels. The budget can also be adapted based on the hotel preference, number of included meals and sightseeing activities. Lastly, this itinerary includes the top sights to see in Iceland in five days. That being said, should your student group want to extend and stay longer in Iceland, we are more than happy to recommend additional activities including horseback riding, hiking, cave exploring, whale watching, river rafting, glacier-walking on the South Shore, or taking a daytrip by ferry to visit the Westman Islands.
Highlights
- Learn about waterfalls, geysers and lava fields!
- Guided sightseeing tour of Reykjavik, the world's most northern capital city
- Swim in the naturally-heated Laugardalslaug Pool
- Visit the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station
- Explore Pingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Soak in the mineral-rich, bright blue waters of Iceland's famed Blue Lagoon
Reykjavik - 4 nights
Day 1: Arrive Reykjavik
Upon arrival to Keflavik International Airport, your group will transfer by private coach along the beautiful Faxafloi Bay to the shining, cheery city of Reykjavik, your base for the next four nights. Depending on your group's flight schedule, should it arrive before the hotel's official check-in time (generally around 3:00 pm), you are more than welcome to store baggage with the hotel staff and begin exploring this one-of-a-kind capital city. This evening your group will dine in a local restaurant.
Day 2:
After breakfast in the hotel, your group is in for a real treat: an exciting, educational journey through Iceland's geology, ecology, history and geography! Iceland is globally known for its cutting-edge, geothermal technology, so today's first visit will be to the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station for an introduction on Iceland's geothermal energy. Afterwards your group will continue to Pingvellir National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is almost always included on an itinerary to Iceland for several reasons. It is home to the beautiful Pingvellir Lake, the largest natural lake in the country. It is also the site of the incredible Almannagja fault, and visitors can actually walk along the Mid-Atlantic ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet! Lastly Pingvellir National Park is home to the Althing (the Icelandic Parliament), which having been founded in 930 AD is one of the oldest national legislative assemblies in the world. Other inclusions on today's tour include the impressive Gullfoss waterfall, the Strokkur geyser (which spouts 98 feet every 10 minutes!), Kerio volcanic crater lake, the Hellisheidi lava plateau, and the Hverageroi greenhouse village. After returning to Reykjavik, you will have free time to freshen up before a group dinner in the hotel.
Day 3:
After breakfast in the hotel, your group will set out on another exciting tour. Today's destination is the southwestern tip of Iceland on the picturesque Reykjanes Peninsula, an area famed for its hot springs, lava fields and geothermal activity. You will begin your sightseeing by exploring the town of Alftanes, which is home to the historic Bessastaoir, the official residence of the President of Iceland. You will then continue through the town of Hafnarfjorour and over the vast lava fields of the Reykjanes Peninsula to the scenic lighthouse located at its very tip.
Today's tour will also take your group further south along the coast to one of Iceland's best tourist attractions: the Blue Lagoon. The lagoon's striking, blue color results from the area's high levels of silica and minerals. Your group will spend some time in the lagoon, soaking in its warm, mineral-rich geothermal waters. (Please note that facilities include modern changing rooms, showers, an indoor geothermal pool, a winter garden and dining facilities). After returning to Reykjavik, you will have free time to freshen up before a group dinner in a local restaurant. (Note: Private coach and guide included.)
Day 4:
TAfter breakfast in the hotel, your group will set out on a morning sightseeing tour of Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city and Earth's most northern capital. Over one third of Iceland's citizens reside in Reykjavik, an impeccably clean, safe and green city (in the winter, even its sidewalks are heated by geothermal energy).
Your guided tour (by private coach) will feature Reykjavik's best sightseeing attractions; a fantastic blend of modern and historic; including the Old Town, Parliament, Reykjavik's harbor front, the Cathedral, the National Museum, the futuristic Perlan, the iconic Hallgrimskirkja Church, and the Hofoi House, where the summit meeting was held in 1986 for talks between President Reagan and the Soviet Union's Mikhail Gorbachev. As part of the tour, your group also will pass by the Arbaejarsafn Outdoor Folk Museum and the Asmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum, both of which merit a visit if you choose to go back during free time.
After a break for lunch on your own, this afternoon your group is headed to Reykjavik's largest outdoor swimming pool! The Icelandic are renowned for making the most of their fabulous thermal springs, and swimming is a major pastime in Iceland. Today your group will join in on this fun, relaxing element of Icelandic culture by paying a visit to the naturally-heated Laugardalslaug Pool, whose massive outdoor area includes hot tubs, whirlpools and even a large waterslide. (Fun fact: In Iceland students cannot graduate from school without passing a mandatory swimming test). After returning to the hotel, you will have free time to freshen up before tonight's group dinner. Enjoy your last evening in Iceland.
Day 5:
After breakfast in the hotel, your group will travel by private coach to Keflavik International Airport for its return flight to the USA or Canada.
Inclusions
- Accommodations: : Reykjavik 4 nights
- Continental breakfast daily. Lunch and dinner as noted in itinerary
- Ground transportation via air conditioned luxury coach
- English speaking assistants and guides
- Admission tickets as outlined in itinerary
Download the Educational Travel: Iceland for School Groups! pdf file.