Day 1 – Departing Hamburg

Your adventure begins

Your journey starts in Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany and one of the greenest urban areas in Europe.

There’s much to see and do in Hamburg. If you have time, you’ll find many attractions in the old town district of Altstadt, including the St Nikolai Memorial and the historic street of Deichstraße. Hamburg is also home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Chilehaus and the world’s largest historic warehouse complex in Speicherstadt. Art lovers should head to Kunsthalle, the nation’s foremost art museum.

Once you embark MS Fridtjof Nansen, you’ll have time to meet the crew and Expedition Team and settle in as we set sail.

Day 2 – At Sea

Relax at sea

As we sail from Hamburg towards Norway’s Lysefjord, your expert Expedition Team will introduce what lies ahead with lectures in the Science Center on the wildlife, geology, and culture we’ll encounter along the way.

A day at sea gives you plenty of time to get acquainted with the ship and simply relax. Watch the scenery unfold from the deck, settle into the Explorer Lounge & Bar, or unwind in the panoramic sauna or hot tub.

Day 3 – Sailing Lysefjord

Witness the drama of these famous fjords

With a backdrop of cloud-shrouded mountains and tumbling waterfalls, of small farms and jade-green waters, we’ll explore one of the world’s most breathtaking fjords. Wind, rain, or shine, head to the deck to take it all in: glide past narrow passages and soak in dramatic scenery that reveals itself from every angle. In autumn, drifting mist and shifting light create an especially memorable atmosphere.

If conditions allow, you may also have the chance to hike to Preikestolen, ’The Pulpit Rock’, one of Norway’s most iconic natural landmarks. Rising high above the fjord below, it’s worth every step of the climb.

Day 4 – The Shetland Islands

Explore Scotland’s northernmost town

Welcome to the Shetland Islands. Lerwick, the capital, is a friendly, Victorian-influenced fishing town set in beautiful scenery. Navigate its narrow lanes on foot to discover little shops selling local whiskies, woollen sweaters, and fudge, then head to the old waterfront for the Shetland Museum, home to Pictish carvings and intricate lace shawls. Nearby, Fort Charlotte and the regal town hall are worth a look.

Keep your binoculars handy: grey and common seals bask along Lerwick’s beaches, and red-throated divers, redshanks, and curlews are often spotted from the shore.

Day 5 – 10th century Tórshavn

A visit to Streymoy in the Faroe Islands

Founded by Norsemen in the 10th century, Tórshavn, Thor’s Harbour, is one of Northern Europe’s oldest capitals, set on Streymoy, the largest of the Faroe Islands.

Wander through cobbled alleyways lined with colourful turf-roofed houses, or visit the local museums to learn about the city’s origins and the islands’ flora, fauna, and geology. A short walk out of town brings you to Svartafoss, where a waterfall tumbles over mossy rocks. Along the seafront, look out for eider ducks and the distinctive Faroese starling with its beige-tipped wings.

Day 6 – Seyðisfjörður’s rainbow

Waterfalls and wildlife in special Seyðisfjörður

At the end of a deep fjord with picturesque mountains and waterfalls lies the quirky village of Seyðisfjörður. Colourful wooden houses line the streets, while the aptly-named Rainbow Road offers a vibrant photo opportunity.

Walk to an unusual sound sculpture, Tvisongur, or take a longer hike in the hills above the town. Or you can choose to join a visit to Skalanes, a private nature reserve home to reindeer, Arctic fox and mink. Here, scan the skies for Black-tailed Godwits, Golden-Plovers and Gyrfalcons, Europe’s largest falcon.

Day 7 – Grímsey Island’s puffins

Cross the Arctic Circle and see Atlantic Puffins

A remote, windswept island of breathtaking beauty, Grímsey is rich in wildlife and steeped in myth and legend. Weather permitting, we’ll land to visit the Atlantic Puffin colonies.

As Grímsey is the only part of Iceland crossed by the Arctic Circle, you’ll also have the chance to step across the imaginary line of latitude, hopping between the Arctic and back!

By 2050, Grímsey will lie outside the Arctic as the Arctic Circle creeps northwards at a rate of about 48 ft. a year.

Day 8 – Akureyri and Goðafos

See dramatic moonscapes and waterfalls

Gaze at snow-capped peaks as we sail Eyjafjörður, Iceland’s longest fjord. It’s one of the best places in Europe to spot humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises. Also look out for orcas, blue and fin whales.

Iceland’s ‘Northern Capital’, Akureyri, sits at the fjord base. Enjoy the peaceful oasis of the botanical gardens, and enjoy a selection of top-notch eateries and museums.

Farther afield you can visit iconic Goðafoss waterfall, where turquoise waters pound against black rocks. You can also seek out Eider and Harlequin Ducks at Lake Mývatn, one of Iceland’s more active volcanic areas.

Day 9 – The Northwestern Region

Exploring Northwest Iceland, expedition-style

One of the best things about expedition cruising is the feeling of freedom. We plan to spend the day in Iceland’s Northwestern Region, but as conditions can vary, there’s no preset plan. Rest assured, your Captain and Expedition Team will find the best opportunities for adventure on the day.

We may go cruising in our small expedition boats or take you ashore for a hike, swim, or beach clean-up. Or perhaps we’ll launch our kayaks. If we spot a pod of whales as we sail, we may stop to enjoy the sight. Be ready for anything!

Don’t forget, you can also join onboard lectures, visit the Science Center, get tips from our professional photographer, or take a sauna.

Day 10 – Patreksfjörður and its surroundings

A stunning beach, waterfalls and superb birdwatching

In Patreksfjörður you’ll learn all about the fishing traditions in Europe’s westernmost village. From here, it’s convenient to travel to some of the stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife that make this remote corner of Iceland truly unique.

Explore the surrounding area on a hike through the fjords or visit Rauðasandur beach and see seals. You can also join a tour to Dynjandi waterfalls – six falls combined that together make the largest and most spectacular in the Westfjords. Birdwatchers shouldn’t miss a visit to Látrabjarg, where puffins, Northern Gannets, guillemots and razorbills cling to Europe’s largest bird cliff. ching

Day 11 – Snæfellsnes peninsula

Visit Iceland in miniature

Snæfellsnes is a peninsula of dramatic coastlines, volcanic peaks, lava fields, black sand beaches, and traditional fishing villages, all set beneath the glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano. It inspired Jules Verne’s book, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and it’s often called Iceland in miniature because almost every landscape the country is known for can be found here in one compact stretch of coast.

From our port in Grundarfjörður, overlooked by the iconic Kirkjufell mountain, you can join excursions around the peninsula or explore the surroundings on foot.

Day 12 – Heimaey’s explosive past

Discover the town that defied a volcano

Our first stop is Heimaey, the only inhabited island in the Westman Islands, off Iceland’s south coast. In 1973 an eruption nearly buried the town, and the island still carries the evidence.

Visit Eldheimar, a museum built around an excavated house frozen mid-disaster, then hike to Stórhöfði, where around eight million puffins nest each summer, or climb Mount Eldfell for views of the town from the volcano that almost destroyed it.

Day 13 – Reykjavík and beyond

Disembark in Reykjavík

Your expedition ends in Reykjavík, a city that rewards a longer look. Stroll Laugavegur for independent shops and coffee, take in the striking Hallgrímskirkja church, or lose an afternoon in the city’s galleries and museums. If you can, we highly recommend staying an extra night.

This marks the end of your time with us for now, but we hope it won’t be the last.