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Here is a day by day itinerary:
Monday
Travelers from North America leave for Iceland on an overnight flight with an early morning arrival at Keflavik Airport in Iceland.
Tuesday, Day 1
Welcome to Iceland!
After an early arrival in Iceland, you’ll hop on the Flybus shuttle that will take you from the airport to your hotel in Reykjavik. Then you’ll have the day to rest and explore Reykjavik, the world’s most northerly capital. We’ll provide lots of ideas for what to see and places to eat-meals are on your own today.
Wednesday, Day 2:
Keflavik – Snaefellsnes Peninsula - Grundarfjordur
You’ll be picked up at your hotel.
Words cannot express the mystery, wonder and almost surreal energy of the Snaefellsnes peninsula! The major landmark is the Snaefellsjokull glacier which is renowned for its mystical powers and has captured the imagination of people all over the world, ever since Jules Verne wrote “The Journey to the Centre of the Earth” in 1871. Snaefellsnes Peninsula is without a doubt one of the best places in Iceland for Nature and Wildlife watching during the summer. On this tour you can expect to see a great variety of bird species, seals and possibly a few cetaceans. These will include birds such as Harlequin Duck, Atlantic Puffin, Brünnich’s Guillemot, White-tailed Eagle, Arctic Skua, Arctic Tern, Northern Gannet and many more. In recent years there have been sightings of both Grey Seals and Harbour Seals and the cetaceans seen from land include such species as Orcas, Minke whales and White-beaked Dolphins. After traveling around the Peninsula you’ll be taken to your hotel on the north shore of the peninsula.
Thursday, Day 3:
Grundarfjordur – Breidafjordur - Flatey Island
The second day starts by traveling to the town of Stykkisholmur. From here you will go on a boat trip in Breidafjordur bay. Breidafjordur is located between the Westfjords in the north and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in the south. The bay has both landscape and seascape of a different kind. It consists of small fjords and bays and is literally dotted with around 3,000 islands, islets and skerries. The area supports millions of breeding seabirds with species such as Atlantic Puffin, Black Guillemot, Northern Fulmar and abundant European Shag. The area also holds most of Iceland’s White-tailed Eagle population. Also, both Harbour Seal and Grey Seal can be found in the bay.
After making a tour among the islands you’ll go on land at Flatey Island, were you stay for the night. Flatey is a small inhabited island, almost in the middle of Breidafjordur. The birds on the island are used to living close to humans, resulting in hundreds of extremely tame individuals. It is even possible for the eiderdown farmers to pick up some of the female Eider Ducks, collect part of their down and put them comfortably back on their nests. Other tame bird species such as nesting Black Guillemot, Redshank, Red-necked Phalarope and Snow Bunting can also be observed at extremely close range.
Friday, Day 4
Flatey Island – Reykjavik
The morning on day three will be dedicated to wildlife on Flatey Island. For those who are interested in photography or behavioral study, this morning may be one of the best opportunities of the whole tour since the possibilities are endless. Whether you like to watch Atlantic Puffins dive for eels, see Black Guillemots return to their nests with Butterfish in their beak, have Fulmars glide right by you, listen to the Black-legged Kittiwakes tell their stories in the cliffs, watch Red-necked Phalaropes spinning on water, or even look for the rare Red Phalaropes, it’s totally up to you.
After lunch you’ll travel back to the town of Stykkisholmur and drive back to Reykjavik where you will have the late afternoon/evening for yourself.
Saturday, Day 5:
Reykjavik – Blue Lagoon – Keflavik airport
You’ll be taken to the airport. Depending on when your departure is you might have some free time in the morning to look around the capital before heading to the airport. You’ll leave the hotel shortly after lunch and visit the Blue Lagoon before reaching Keflavik airport at around 2:00pm.
We often extend travelers' stays and arrange other tours and activities after or before their primary tour - You don't have to go home!
Price for May departure is $3348 per person, double occupancy. With single accommodations the price is $3457
Price for June, July & August departure is $3258 per person, double occupancy. With single accommodations the price is $3557
Travel Days: Leave US Monday, return to US Saturday. Tour starts on Wednesday and runs from May 12-August 11.
Price includes round trip airfare, including fuel surcharge and US departure taxes from Boston, New York, or Minneapolis. Add $110 per person from Seattle (Ask for prices from Toronto, Halifax and Europe.) The price also includes all airport transfers,and transportation, a night before the tour in a Reykjavik hotel with breakfast and all other accommodations. During the 4 days of the birding tour accommodations, all meals except dinners when in Reykjavik, all transportation and expert guiding are included.
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