Lunar-like lava fields, immense glaciers, black sand beaches, thundering waterfalls, explosive geysers and beguiling fjords; few countries on Earth boast such a dense concentration of sublime natural wonders as Iceland. At times, when exploring its endlessly dramatic landscapes, you really do feel as though you’ve arrived on another planet. For this reason, it’s one of those countries that keeps me coming back for more, yearning to discover its shifting splendour throughout the seasons. My previous Icelandic adventures, however, have taken place on land – so when the opportunity arose to join HX Hurtigruten Expeditions on a full circumnavigation of the island, I needed no second invitation.
Having never previously embarked on a cruise, this was a unique chance to experience Iceland from a totally different perspective. And so, earlier this month, it was with an open mind and a great deal of curiosity that I boarded MS Fridtjof Nansen for a seven-night clockwise voyage which, it’s fair to say, far exceeded all expectations.
Iceland circumnavigation with HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
DAY ONE – SETTING SAIL FROM REYKJAVIK
Reykjavik, as seen from the pool deck on MS Fridtjof Nansen
After a smooth two-and-a-half-hour flight from London Heathrow to Keflavik, we were greeted by HX staff for a coach transfer to the Old Harbour in Reykjavik, where our expedition ship MS Fridtjof Nansen awaited us. Built in 2020, it’s the newest ship in the HX fleet, equipped with energy-saving hybrid-powered technology and capable of carrying around 500 passengers. I was immediately struck by its sleek, contemporary design; distinctly Nordic and minimalist in style, with a sense of refined elegance throughout the communal spaces. We then settled into our cabin on deck four (featuring a private en-suite bathroom, a mini bar, a TV and a sea-facing window) before exploring the rest of the ship.
Sunset from the Explorer Lounge
It’s an ideal basecamp for exploring some of the world’s most remote destinations, with a plethora of superb amenities including a pair of outdoor hot tubs, a heated pool, a sauna with sea-facing windows, a small gym, a running track and a spa. There’s also a science centre that hosts various lectures, workshops and wildlife-viewing sessions alongside the expedition team, while the Explorer Lounge (which doubles up as a bar) is a prime spot to unwind at any time of the day. It was here that we gathered for a ‘sail away’ cocktail, marking the beginning of our voyage, followed by a delicious first dinner at Restaurant Aune – the main one of three dining venues on board, serving an extensive buffet alongside a selection of à la carte dishes.
Sailing northwest, the city lights of Reykjavik faded behind us as the sky gradually dimmed, the sun eventually setting at around 10.30pm, bathing the horizon in a warm, tangerine glow. It doesn’t get dark in Iceland at this time of year – only a brief window of twilight before the sun rises again just a few hours later.
DAY TWO – SNÆFELLSNES PENINSULA: HIKING AROUND KIRKJUFELL
Approaching the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The soaring peaks of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula set the scene for the first full day of our expedition. Often described as ‘Iceland in miniature’, this 90-kilometre-long peninsula jutting out from the west coast is packed with captivating landscapes at every turn, including the ancient, glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano and the emblematic, pyramid-shaped Kirkjufell mountain. It was the latter that formed the focus of our explorations, as we disembarked at the fishing village of Grundarfjörður to take a short shuttle bus to what is, almost certainly, Iceland’s most photographed mountain – and with good reason.
Kirkjufell: Iceland's most iconic mountain
From the south side, with a cluster of small waterfalls in the foreground, it’s easy to see why Kirkjufell finds itself on the front cover of many an Iceland travel guide. After soaking up this iconic view, we set off on a hike around the base of the mountain, enabling us to appreciate its grooves and ridges from a much closer vantage point. With six-and-a-half kilometres in our legs, it was time to return to the ship for lunch at Restaurant Fredheim (a casual dining spot) and a relaxing afternoon sauna session.
Continuing north, the next stretch of ocean brought the roughest waves of the voyage, which, for those (like myself) unaccustomed to being on a ship in such choppy waters, wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences. Thankfully, the conditions soon mellowed, allowing for a smooth and restful overnight sailing.
DAY THREE – THE WESTFJORDS: ÍSAFJÖRÐUR & DYNJANDI WATERFALL
Colourful houses of Ísafjörður, the capital of the Westfjords
In the morning, we awoke to bright blue skies and flat-topped, snow-dusted mountains looming over the town of Ísafjörður – a view that reminded me a little of Longyearbyen in Svalbard. This was the section of our voyage that I’d been most eagerly anticipating, having never made it as far as the Westfjords on my previous visits to Iceland. Owing to its remote location in the far northwest of the country, and the fact that it can be cut off from the mainland due to heavy snowfall, it’s the region of Iceland most overlooked by international visitors. As such, it has a wilder, more stripped-back feel about it, with only a smattering of small settlements dotted along otherwise empty fjords.
Dynjandi waterfall
Ísafjörður, the region’s cultural hub and administrative centre, is a town full of character, home to some of the oldest timber houses in Iceland, dating back to the 18th century. We spent a good hour or two strolling among its colourful streets, making a brief pit stop at the local brewery (Dokkan Brugghús) before returning to the ship. It was soon time to board a bus for an included excursion, traversing the mountain passes and tunnels that connect the Westfjords en route to Dynjandi – a multi-tiered waterfall that cascades down a cliffside for a total of 100 metres. There’s no shortage of competition, and it’s certainly not the largest or the most powerful, but it might just be the most majestic waterfall I’ve seen in Iceland. You can hike quite far up alongside it, too, allowing for an endless stream of unmissable photo opportunities.
Sailing through the wild and remote Westfjords
Camera rolls suitably filled, we returned to Ísafjörður in time for a late afternoon departure, basking in the remarkably warm sunshine (a sign of things to come) on the ship’s outdoor pool deck while gazing in awe at the magnificently rugged scenery of the Westfjords passing by. A memorable day was capped off with dinner at Lindstrøm, the ship’s fine dining venue, followed by another glorious sunset as we skimmed along the edge of the Arctic Circle.
DAY FOUR – AKUREYRI & THE FOREST LAGOON
Kaupvangsstræti (Art Street), Akureyri
Our next port of call was Akureyri, the ‘Capital of the North’. Home to around 20,000 people, it’s Iceland’s largest town outside of the Reykjavik metropolitan area, surrounded by mountains and spread along the shore of Eyjafjörður (the country’s longest fjord). There was the option to join a guided tour of the Lake Myvatn region, but having both visited the area recently, my colleague Ian and I instead opted to spend the day getting a proper feel for Akureyri itself.
Akureyri Church
For a relatively small place, it’s got a huge amount going for it: a thriving cultural scene, an impressive hilltop Lutheran church, a handful of excellent bars and restaurants, and Iceland’s premier ski resort on its doorstep – not to mention year round whale watching and superb chances of seeing the Northern Lights if you visit between late August and mid-April. Having enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the town, including a visit to one of the northernmost botanical gardens in the world, we then made our way over to the opposite side of the fjord to spend a couple of hours soaking in geothermal waters at the Forest Lagoon.
Forest Lagoon
Tucked away on a wooded hillside around a five-minute drive (or a 45-minute walk) from Akureyri, it opened in 2022 and has since earned a reputation as one of Iceland’s finest geothermal spas. It features two pools (one heated to 37°C, the other 40°C), as well as a cold plunge pool, a sauna and a swim-up bar. The whole look and feel of it is idyllic, and it was noticeable that many of the visitors were locals – in contrast to some of the busier, more renowned lagoons in the south of the country. It all comes down to personal taste, but having visited the likes of the Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon and Myvatn Nature Baths previously, the Forest Lagoon is, for me, the best value and the one I’d be most inclined to return to.
DAY FIVE – GRÍMSEY, HÚSAVÍK & GEOSEA
Grímsey: the only part of Iceland that crosses the Arctic Circle
It was an early start this morning to watch us sail around Grímsey – a small island around 40 kilometres north of the mainland and the only part of Iceland that lies inside the Arctic Circle. We didn’t dock here, but nonetheless it was well worth waking in time to mark this significant moment in the voyage with terrific views of Grímsey's towering cliffs, teeming with birdlife. The jagged peaks of the mainland came back into view as we turned south towards Húsavík, renowned as the oldest settlement in Iceland and the best place in the country to go whale watching, with an abundance of species frequenting the nutrient-rich waters of Skjálfandi Bay.
GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths
Eager to explore, we set off on a group hike that led us into the backcountry, winding along a hilly, forested footpath that eventually brought us to a beautiful lake, Botnsvatn, which glistened brightly in the searing midday sunshine. Temperatures had climbed to around 20°C by this point, comfortably warm enough to be wearing shorts and t-shirts – almost unheard of for this time of year in Iceland. Wandering back through town, we made a quick stop at the picturesque Húsavík Church before seeking out another of North Iceland’s standout geothermal lagoons: GeoSea.
Húsavík, the oldest town in Iceland
Carved into a cliffside directly overlooking the bay, the curved, infinity-edge pools here are filled with geothermally heated seawater, setting it aside from most other Icelandic geothermal lagoons. The real sell here is the setting – particularly on a perfectly sunny day such as this – and the fact that, with a little luck, you can see whales swimming by in the waters down below. Just keep an eye out for where the whale watching boats are, and before long you may well notice a protruding fin or a spout of water breaking the ocean’s surface. It’s a totally different vibe to the Forest Lagoon, so if you have the time, I’d definitely recommend visiting both while you’re in the area.
DAY SIX – PUFFIN WATCHING IN BAKKAGERÐI
Puffins of Bakkagerði
The tiny village of Bakkagerði on the east coast was by far the smallest place we’d docked at, and the only one without a port large enough to accommodate MS Fridtjof Nansen. As such, the ship stayed a few hundred metres from shore, using GPS technology rather than an anchor to maintain a steady position, while Zodiac boats were used to transport us to shore. The grassy outcrop just next to the marina here is known as one of the best places in Iceland to see puffins, with a series of wooden boardwalks that provide the perfect vantage point to marvel at these distinctive, colourful-beaked birds up close. I’m no birdwatcher, but this was a truly special experience, and for many people it turned out to be one of the unexpected highlights of the trip.
Traditional turf house in Bakkagerði
Bakkagerði itself was also something of a surprise package, with a beautifully preserved turf-roofed house, a photogenic church, a geothermal spa, a distillery-brewery complex and some vibrant mural art. That’s a consistent theme with Icelandic villages, even in the most remote areas; they almost always seem to pack in far more points of interest than you’d expect for their size and isolated setting. After an hour or so wandering through Bakkagerði, we hopped back on the Zodiacs to reboard the ship for an early afternoon departure ahead of the longest leg of the voyage, setting sail for the south coast.
DAY SEVEN – VOLCANO HIKING IN THE WESTMAN ISLANDS
Hiking through the clouds to the summit of Eldfell volcano
After several consecutive days of perfectly blue skies and almost miraculously warm temperatures, our approach to the Westman Islands was shrouded in a thick blanket of fog – the kind of moody, atmospheric scene you’d perhaps more commonly associate with Iceland. This archipelago off the south coast of Iceland was formed by a series of underwater volcanic eruptions, forming a total of 15 islands, of which the youngest, Surtsey, emerged in 1963. The largest and oldest of the Westman Islands, Heimaey, is the only one with a permanent population, and it was here that we were able to disembark and explore.
Heimaey, Westman Islands
First, we made the steep hike to the summit of Eldfell, a 200-metre-high volcano that formed during the most recent major eruption in 1973. Ascending through the clouds, the rust-red landscape around us looked like something from Mars; unfortunately, the lack of visibility restricted our views of the island, but we did at least discover some rather impressive volcanic rock formations at the top. Back down in town, we made our way to the local brewery (The Brothers Brewery) for a couple of well-earned beers before returning to the ship in time for the last leg of our voyage to Reykjavik.
Dinner was a special one as the chefs prepared an Indian feast which was extremely well received – without doubt a strong contender for the best meal of the trip, especially for a curry enthusiast like myself. We then made ourselves comfortable in the Explorer Lounge for one last time, enjoying a farewell drink alongside the staff whose efforts throughout the week ensured everything ran as smoothly as possible. A brilliant presentation then followed, showcasing the highlights of our voyage through a showreel put together by the professional onboard photographer – the perfect way to round off our final evening and celebrate an extraordinary journey, made even better by such wonderful company.
DAY EIGHT – DISEMBARKING IN REYKJAVIK
Finally, we arrived back in Reykjavik in time for one last breakfast before our morning disembarkation, completing an epic voyage aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen. While the rest of the group returned to Keflavik Airport to fly home the same day, Ian and I were fortunate enough to spend a couple of extra days taking in the sights of Reykjavik, the Golden Circle and the South Coast after our expedition cruise. That’s something I’d absolutely recommend to anyone travelling on an expedition cruise of this nature, affording you some time to readjust to being back on land while not having to rush your journey home. And, if you’re already in such an incredible part of the world, why not make the most of the opportunity to explore a little further?
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
MS Fridtjof Nansen
My overriding feeling, both during the trip and when reflecting on it afterwards, was a hugely positive one. Without any prior cruise experience and therefore no basis for comparison, I wasn’t entirely sure how it would all play out, but the whole experience was even better than I’d imagined. That was helped, no doubt, by the freakishly good weather we were blessed with, but underpinning it all was the quality of the voyage itself.
You could really tell just how much care and consideration went into ensuring a seamless all-round experience from start to finish – striking a fine balance between feeling high-end and luxurious, but simultaneously unpretentious and relaxed. At the core of that was the friendliness, expertise and attention to detail of the staff who made the whole operation tick. While this was my first step into the world of expedition cruising, I’m now pretty confident it won’t be my last…
USEFUL TO KNOW
- As part of the HX Hurtigruten Expeditions experience, all guests receive a branded HX jacket, a reusable water bottle and professional photographs from the voyage.
- While five activities were included as standard on this voyage, plenty more optional excursions (e.g. whale watching, RIB safaris, kayaking) were available for an additional supplement.
- The daily programme of events, alongside menus for each of the onboard restaurants, is published on the HX app, which guests can access when connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi.
- There is no conventional onboard 'entertainment' as such, but there are regular lectures and presentations hosted by the expedition team which are open for anyone to attend.
- The vast majority of sailing between ports takes place overnight, in order to maximise the amount of time spent on land in each destination.
- Although there is a planned expedition itinerary, this is dependent on the weather conditions during the voyage and may be adjusted along the way.
- There is no obligation to join any organised activities. You simply scan your ship pass before disembarking at each port and you are free to spend your time each day however you wish. Just ensure you are back onboard in time for departure!
- HX Hurtigruten Expeditions also offer expedition cruises to the likes of Svalbard, Greenland, Alaska and Antarctica. In comparison to these, Iceland is at the ‘softer’ edge of expedition cruising, and because it’s less remote and less extreme, it’s an ideal entry point for those looking to embark on an expedition cruise for the first time.
Interested in experiencing HX Hurtigruten Expeditions' Iceland circumnavigation for yourself? Explore the full itinerary here, and speak to one of our experts for further details, including possible pre-cruise and post-cruise extension options.
