Day 1 – Reykjavik, Iceland

Departs 11:00 pm.

Iceland is a land of volcanoes and glaciers, lava fields and green pastures, boiling thermal springs and ice-cold rivers teeming with salmon. This unspoiled demi-paradise is also home to a very old and sophisticated culture. The northernmost capital in the world, Reykjavik was founded in 874 when Ingolfur Arnarson threw wood pillars into the sea, vowing to settle where the pillars washed ashore. Today, Iceland is an international center of commerce and home to one of the most technologically sophisticated societies in the world.Reykjavik is the gateway to Iceland’s natural wonders, which range from ice fields to thermal pools. The island is in a continual process of transformation much like its society, which blends Nordic tradition with sophisticated technology.

Day 2 – Grundarfjordur, Iceland

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 3 – Heimaey, Westman Islands, Iceland

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 4 – At Sea

Day 5 – Runavik, Faroe Islands

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

Day 6 – Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Scotland

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

Just north of Scotland lay the Orkney Islands. Washed by the furthest reach of the Gulf Stream, this chain of over 70 islands offers dramatic landscapes that range from sea cliffs rearing 1,000 feet above the waves to sweeping white sand beaches. Bird watchers flock to the Orkney Islands, drawn by the multitudes of sea birds. Divers explore the wrecks lying in the clear waters of Scapa Flow, the Royal Navy’s fleet anchorage in two world wars. And most fascinating of all, the Orkney Islands boast the greatest concentration of prehistoric sites in all Europe, including the mysterious Ring of Brodgar and 5,000-year-old Skara Brae.Vikings – Norsemen – ruled the Orkney Islands from the 9th to 13th centuries, leaving in their wake such monuments as St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. This hint of Scandinavian influence can be heard in the lilting accent with which Orcadians speak.

Day 7 – At Sea

Day 8 – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Arrives 07:00 am.

Mention Holland and most people think of tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes. In reality, Amsterdam has been a vital European cultural center since the Middle Ages.The Dutch boast that God may have made the world, but they made the Netherlands. Dams, sea gates, and the 19-mile dyke walling out the Zuider Zee have allowed the Dutch to reclaim their low-lying country from the North Sea. The marsh that originally surrounded Amsterdam steadily disappeared beneath the expanding city. Vibrant, fascinating and always alive, Amsterdam is imbued with the quality the Dutch call “gezelligheid.” Explore the city’s 700-year-old streets and marvel at its stepped-gable houses. Cruise down its bustling canals and browse the colorful flower markets. Did we mention that you can shop for everything from cheese and chocolates to diamonds and Delftware?