Iceland & Norway

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English, Geography, Science

Explore Iceland and Norway with Global Journeys and venture through lands full of icebergs, glacial lagoons, volcanoes, waterfalls, geyser hot springs, lava fields, black sand beaches, canyon ice caves and fjords.

Iceland, named by the Vikings after discovering icebergs, is a country with numerous significant historical and cultural sites, spectacular scenery and stunning geological features – making this country world renowned for its advanced green technology and its great contributions to solving environmental challenges.

Iceland is known for its state of the art facilities where 99% of its electricity is produced from renewable resources – thanks to the geothermal energy and enormous reserves of clean water. In a time of global warming and climate change concerns we have a lot to learn from this nation.

We will spend time hiking through harsh and isolated terrain, walking through ice caves, and swimming in rift valleys – all in a land where the summer nights are bright and the sun never fully sets during the period of July.

There is so much to experience – including soaking in a few of the geothermal pools as there are 170 spread across the country; and trekking through 3 incredible National Parks – Thingvellir – a rift valley between the North Atlantic and Eurasian plates, where cool and warm ocean currents meet and where we can snorkel; Snaefellsjokull – a park that extends amazingly from the seashore to the mountain tops with a glacier and a volcano; and Vatnajokull – the largest National Park in Europe – where a glacier exists that covers 8% of the country.

And of course we will visit various cities and towns built on natural lakes and along the coast by the first settlers who benefited from the natural hot springs, volcanic soil and intense natural beauty of the land.

One of these cities, the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, is the site of the world’s oldest parliament established in 930 AD – the Althing. Designated as a UNESCO city of literature, Reykjavik will give us the opportunity to examine a wealth of Icelandic literature based on the Sagas – intricate stories that have preserved the country’s vast history and details the Golden Age.

This program includes volunteering on conservation projects in protected areas of Iceland.

We will spend our last week in Norway to venture through forests, mountains, majestic fjords and colourful cities while travelling to Bergen and Oslo, exploring the land of the Vikings. We start in Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to visit the historic houses and famous fish market, along with traditional Norwegian cafes and shops. If you’re brave enough, we’ll try the local reindeer sausage!

You’ll have the option to hike or take the gondola up Mt. Ulriken, offering incredible views of Bergen. At the top there are hiking trails, zip lining and a range of outdoor activities for the adventurous student!

We head next to Oslo, the capital of Norway and the hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry, and shipping. We’ll visit the biggest public park in Norway, Frogner Park, with its incredible collection of sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. Not to be missed is the city centre of Oslo, with its diverse architecture and many museums. You’ll scream when we visit the Munch Museum, containing famous artworks by Edvard Munch, one of the most famous of Norwegian painters.

This expedition will transform your understanding of Europe’s Nordic countries!

Get ready to be awed by the spectacular landscapes of Iceland & Norway!