Here is a sample itinerary for my "Sagas & Vikings" tour to Iceland.
My Sagas & Vikings tour to West Iceland is the perfect trip for lovers of the Icelandic sagas, elf-lore, Norse mythology, or the Viking Age. Traveling by van and on foot, we explore glaciers, hotsprings, volcanoes, lavafields, bird cliffs, waterfalls, farmsteads, forests, and beaches in the part of Iceland once ruled by saga-master Snorri Sturluson, author of the Edda, Heimskringla, and Egil's Saga. We visit museums and saga sites, including a reconstructed Viking house, the birthplace of Gudrid the Far-Traveler, Snorri Sturluson's hot tub, the home of Viking poet Egil Skallagrimsson, and a famous elf rock, and bathe at a nearby hotspring spa. Our pace is relaxed, with an emphasis on being out in nature. Each day's excursion is set in context through excerpts from my books.
Sagas & Vikings is offered one week per year, usually in early June, and is limited to 12 guests. Below is a sample itinerary. To book your spot for 2025, send a message to Gudmar and Christina at info@hestaland.net. For more information, or to be put on a mailing list for future tours, contact me directly at nancymariebrown@gmail.com.
Arrival Day
9:30: MEET at pick-up point in Reykjavík
10-11: 871+/-2 Settlement Museum
noon: LUNCH at a cafe
2 PM: hike at Thingvellir National Park
7 PM: DINNER at Hestaland
Days 2-5
8-10: BREAKFAST at Hestaland
9-noon: reading/writing time, horseback riding, or short nature walks on the farm
noon: LUNCH at Hestaland
1-7 PM: excursions by foot and van to museums, saga sites, farms, and natural wonders in West Iceland (such as the Borgarnes Settlement Center, Eldborg Nature Reserve, Reykholt's Snorri Sturluson Museum, Háafell Goat Farm, Surtshellir Cave, Eiriksstaðir Viking House, Vinlandssetur Museum, Erpstaðir Dairy Farm, Grábrók Crater, Hraunfossar Waterfalls, and Krauma Spa). Each day includes a museum or farm visit, plus a 1- to 2-hour hike, often through rough and rugged terrain.
7 PM: DINNER at Hestaland
Day 6
8-10: BREAKFAST at Hestaland; pack a picnic lunch
10-7: All day tour of Snaefellsnes Peninsula, including beaches, bird cliffs, waterfalls, elf rocks, and the birthplace of Gudrid the Far-Traveler.
7 PM: DINNER at Hestaland
Departure Day
8-10: BREAKFAST at Hestaland
9-11: pack for home
1 PM: drop offs in Reykjavík in time for 5 PM flights to the US