Discover Iceland: What a Day is Like on Expedition

Breakfast: Feast Your Eyes on a Fjord

Iceland’s rocky coast is carved with more than 100 fjords, many of them found along the country’s remote western and eastern shores. After leaving Reykjavík, you’ll wake up in a new one nearly every day—and they make the perfect backdrop for a fresh breakfast of made-to-order eggs, fresh pastries and oatmeal and yogurt parfaits with all the fixings.

Photo: Alexandra Daley-Clark

*stand-in photo, waiting on actual photo from DM*

Downtime: Scenery at Sea

There’s plenty to see from the ship, and while you’re relaxing, you may hear your expedition leader call out notable landmarks over the loudspeaker. Among them are Surtsey—one of the world’s youngest islands—and the monument on Grímsey island that marks the border of the Arctic Circle. Whales are also plentiful in these parts, and your captain may stop the ship to watch a pod of orcas, humpbacks or fin whales.

Photo: Barbara Vasquez

*stand-in photo, waiting on picture from DM*

Chat With the Captain

Attend a naturalist talk in the lounge or take advantage of the ship’s amenities: read up on geology in the library, test out high-tech cameras from the complimentary OM System Photo Gear Locker or visit the open Bridge to chat with the captain about Arctic navigation. Young travelers in the National Geographic Expeditions Adventurers program are invited to join their certified field educator in using the ship microscopes to examine plankton gathered on the morning Zodiac cruise.

Photo: David Vargas

More to Explore: Get the Perfect Puffin Photo

Several landing sites harbor puffins,* and when you spend time at the edge of their nesting cliffs, keeping as still as possible, they get used to your presence and flutter about their business. Post up alongside your National Geographic photographer and they’ll show you how to adjust your shutter speed to get the perfect picture.

Photo: Andrew Peacock

*Puffins can be seen in Iceland between mid-April and mid-August.

Dinner and a Show

Nosh on Nordic cuisine at dinner, sampling a local fish sustainably caught and perfectly prepared by your ship’s chef. This evening’s entertainment features a local musician hand-selected by the fleet’s ethnomusicologist, Jacob Edgar, who curates unique performances that incorporate traditional elements of Icelandic culture.

Photo: David Vargas