ICELAND: LAND OF ICE & FIRE TOUR Sept. 17 th 28 th 2018 (12 Days and 10 Nights)

Transcription

1 ICELAND: LAND OF ICE & FIRE TOUR Sept. 17 th 28 th 2018 (12 Days and 10 Nights) Day 1 Mon, Sep 17 DEPARTURE DAY HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 10:30 AM Meet at the Honolulu Airport, Hawaiian Airlines Interisland Terminal. Wait for tour escort and group check-in. 1:15 PM Depart for Seattle, Washington on Hawaiian Airlines flight HA 22. Dinner served on the flight. 10:00 PM Arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and pick up luggage. Transfer to our Seattle hotel. Crowne Plaza Seattle Airport or similar Day 2 Tue, Sep 18 SEATTLE AM reakfast at hotel. Check out of your room by 12:00 PM, the morning is free to enjoy relaxing or for a short trip into the city. 1:00 PM Depart hotel for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. 4:00 PM Depart for Reykjavik, Iceland on Icelandair flight FI 680. Food available for purchase on flight. Day 3 Wed, Sep 19 ARRIVAL DAY REYKJAVIK 6:15 AM Arrive at Keflavík International Airport and proceed through immigration procedures. Claim your baggage and go through customs inspections. Exit baggage claim area and wait for your Tour Guide. Drive to Reykjavík for an early arrival breakfast. Dress warm for our visit to the city of Reykjavik including a visit to the National Museum and Aurora Reykjavík s Northern Lights Center. After check-in at the hotel (available at 2:00 p.m.) we ll have the afternoon and evening at leisure, lunch and dinner on your own. If you would like to try exotic Icelandic foods (such as whale, horse, puffin or hakarl fermented greenland shark), our two nights in Reykavic will be your best opportunity. Hotel Klettur or similiar Revised: December 12, 2017 Page 1

2 Day 4 Thu, Sep 20 GOLDEN CIRCLE EXPRESS LUE LAGOON AM reakfast at hotel, lunch and dinner on your own. An easy first day begins with a visit to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the ancient site of the world's first parliament - a jewel of nature. Next we travel to Fontana s Geothermal akery to taste geothermal baked bread. Continue to the nearby Geysir geothermal area and witness boiling pools and hot springs. The most active geyser, Strokkur, shoots water high into the air every few minutes. Onwards to the beautiful Gullfoss Golden waterfalls, one of the most impressive in Iceland. Afterwards, we will go to the lue Lagoon where you can take a relaxing bath in the healing mineral waters (entrance and towel rental included). *Please bring a swimsuit for entrance into the bathing lagoon. Swim caps are recommended but not required and are available for purchase. Hotel Klettur or similiar Day 5 Fri, Sep 21 SOUTH COAST DAY, D Take a journey through the stunning landscape of Iceland s south coast. This is the land of Njál s Saga, a region of breathtaking scenery and legendary stories. During your guided tour you will encounter the wonderful variety of the south: from the wide plains formed by glacial rivers, to the sheer sea cliffs of Dyrhólaey and the spectacular waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. Along the way, you ll experience unforgettable views of the Hekla (called the "Gateway to Hell" during the Middle Ages) and Eyjafjallajökull (known for the 2010 eruptions that disrupted air travel throughout Europe) volcanoes. Included today is a visit to the brand new Lava Center. PM Check into hotel, dinner at hotel. Hotel Geirland or similar Day 6 Sat, Sep 22 GLACIAL LAGOON ICEERGS EGILSSTADIR, D The day starts with a drive through beautiful scenery towards the Vatnajökull, by far the largest glacier in Europe, and a filming location for the HO fantasy TV series Game of Thrones. We will take a boat tour among the icebergs in Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon (which was a setting for four Hollywood movies: A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and atman egins) where huge icebergs dance around in icy seawater. Afterwards we will drive from Hofn through the Almannaskard pass, stopping to admire the majestic coastline. Continue Revised: December 12, 2017 Page 2

3 to the towering mountains plunging vertically into the sea that form the magnificent East Fjords. Hotel Hallormsstadur or similar Day 7 Sun, Sep 23 EGILSSTADIR MÝVATN, D Explore the empty vastness of the highland desert plateau Modrudalsoraefi as you head towards the Lake Myvatn area. Continue onwards to Namaskard pass with its boiling mud pools and vibrant colours. Explore the natural beauty of the Lake Myvatn area, like the pseudo craters at Skutustadir and the Laxa Salmon River. One of the Myvatn area's claims to fame is that it is home to more species of ducks than any other place on Earth, with very diverse birdlife in general. Today we will also visit the Dimmuborgir rock formations in Mývatn. Hotel Laxa or similar Day 8 Mon, Sep 24 DETTIFOSS ÁSYRGI TJÖRNES PENINSULA, D AM reakfast at hotel, lunch on your own. We drive East today on dirt roads to see today s natural wonders. We stop at Ásbyrgi, the horse-shoe shaped canyon that was the inspiration for ancient stories about Sleipnir, Odin s 8- legged horse. We drive along the Tjörnes peninsula and through Húsavík village there you will be closest to the Arctic Circle at 66 north latitude or only a mere 50 kms south of it. We travel to Dettifoss (featured in the 2012 science-fiction film Prometheus), Europe s most powerful waterfall, located in the aweinspiring Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. Today we will also stop at the Námaskarð pseudo craters in Mývatn. Hotel Laxa or similar Day 9 Tue, Sep 25 MÝVATN NORTH ICELAND IFRÖST, D First stop of the day is at Godafoss waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. Our route continues to the Skagafjörður district, known as the traditional heart of horse breeding in Iceland and which boasts many historical sites from the classic Sagas. The journey continues through rolling farmlands and across Laxárdalsheiði heath and end our day close to the Snæfellsnes Revised: December 12, 2017 Page 3

4 peninsula in the West. Hotel Varmaland or similar Day 10 Wed, Sep 26 SNÆFELLSJÖKULL NATIONAL PARK PELE EACHES, D AM reakfast at hotel, lunch on your own. Today is spent exploring the amazing variety in natural landscapes of Snæfellsjökull National Park. Undoubtedly the crowning jewel is Snæfellsjökull glacier itself which covers a dormant volcano that last erupted in 250 AD (famous as the entrance of the passage to the center of the Earth in the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by the French author Jules Verne). We walk along the uniquely pebbled seascape of Djúpalónssandur beach. At the picturesque harbor village of Arnarstapi we observe magnificent basalt rock in stacked formations and take a unique walk along the hiking trail linking the settlements of Arnarstapi and Hellnar before returning to ifröst. In Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth, Arnarstapi is the last stop on the route the protagonists take before they climb Snæfellsjökull and enter the interior of the planet though a tunnel in the crater. Hotel Varmaland or similar Day 11 Thu, Sep 27 DEPARTURE DAY AM reakfast at hotel. ring luggage to lobby for hotel Departure towards Reykjavik via orgarnes and the tunnel of Hvalfjörður. Stop in Reykjavik to enjoy free time for lunch and shopping at the Kringlan Mall, Iceland's largest shopping center, before continuing to the Keflavik airport in plenty of time for your check-in. 5:00 PM Depart for Seattle, Washington on Icelandair flight FI 681. Food available for purchase on flight. 5:45 PM Arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. After immigration inspection pick-up your luggage and proceed to customs. Wait for your Tour Guide and then transfer to our Seattle hotel. Dinner on your own. Crowne Plaza Seattle Airport or similar Day 12 Fri, Sep 28 SEATTLE - HONOLULU AM reakfast at hotel. ring luggage to lobby for hotel 7:00 AM Transfer to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for our flight to Honolulu. 9:00 AM Depart for Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines flight HA :00 PM Arrive at Honolulu International Airport. WELCOME HOME! Meal Guide: = reakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner Revised: December 12, 2017 Page 4

5 HOTEL INFORMATION Crowne Plaza Seattle Airport eaia/hoteldetail International lvd Seattle, Washington September 17 th & 27 th Hotel Klettur Mjölnisholt Reykjavík September 19 th & 20 th Hotel Geirland Geirland 880 Kirkjubæjarklaustur September 21 s Hotel Hallormsstadur Hallormsstaður 701 Egilsstaðir September 22 nd Hotel Laxá Við Olnbogaás 660 Mývatn Hotel Varmaland Varmalandsvegur 720 Norðtunga September 23 rd & 24 th September 25 th & 26 th Revised: December 12, 2017 Page 5

6 Double Occupancy $6, Tax and Fuel surcharge included Per person based on double occupancy TOUR PRICE Single Occupancy $6, Tax and Fuel surcharge included Per person based on single occupancy Fuel surcharges and taxes are based on November 2017 airfare. Fluctuations in fuel surcharges and taxes may cause changes to price without notice. Travel protection is recommended see the travel protection information flier for information about our recommended travel protection plan. Pre-tour luncheon briefing included. Tips for local guide and driver included. International (Seattle Reykavik) baggage fees included (1 check-in bag) Domestic (Honolulu Seattle) baggage fees not-included Payment and Registration: ITINERARY AND PRICING ARE SUJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. Deadline to register for this tour: Friday, May 25 th 2018 Prices are based on a minimum of 20 full-tour participants. Maximum of 28 full-tour participants. $ per person deposit (cash or check only), fully refundable until January 31 st 2018, is required upon application to hold a reservation. Final Payment is due by June 8 th Final payment can be made by cash, check or major credit card. Space is limited FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. Call Naka s Travel Service at to make reservations. Travel Requirements: Passports are required for travel. Passports must be valid for 6 months beyond travel dates with at least one blank page for an entry stamp. Valid alien card required for non-us citizens. No visas required for USA or Japan passport holders. No immunizations are required for travel, but please consult with your physician concerning what is appropriate for your individual health conditions. Revised: December 12, 2017 Page 6