Thinking of going on a cruise to Iceland this summer? This is a great way to see Iceland and then return to your luxury cruise ship in the evening, without having to figure out your own accommodation and road trip.
Just book tour a shore excursion from the cruise ship or before you board online (you can book your own independent tour, just be back on time). Then just sit back and relax as the ship sails to each port.
All the logistics are sorted out on your behalf all you have to do is meet at the meeting point at the correct time and go and enjoy your tour.
There are different cruises that go to Iceland, some start in the UK and some on the east coast of the US. So you will see some more ports as well as the Icelandic ports.
The cruise we went on around Iceland was in August/September and it was fantastic as we had lovely weather.
The ports we went to were; Seydisfjordur, Akureyri, Grundarfjordur and Reykjavik. We also went to Lerwick in the Shetlands Islands in Scotland, Thurso in Scotland and Bergin in Norway.
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Seydisfjordur
Seydisfjordur is on the east of Iceland and is surrounded by fjords. It is a charming small Icelandic village with a church, a few small shops and cafe/bars.
The day I was there it was a beautiful sunny day, so you saw the reflection of the buildings and fjords in the water.
When we were there we just enjoyed a walk around and took it easy as we knew we were going to go on tours for the next few days.
Akureyri
Akureyri was the second Iceland port and is in central northern Iceland. When we were there we went to visit Godafoss Waterfall, Namaskard Pass, Dimmuborgir and Lake Myvatn.
My favourite part of the day was visiting Godafoss Waterfall and Namaskard Pass. Godafoss waterfall was amazing to see and means ‘Water to the Gods’.
It is one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls, that is rushing with glacial water of the Skjalfandafljot River.
Namaskard Pass is one of the most volcanic areas in Iceland and there are boiling hot mud pools with dense vapours of sulphur, after a while though the sulphur gets to you.
We also visited Dimmuborgir where lava formations were left and are in lots of different shapes and we saw Lake Myvatn where large craters are. We had a lovely traditional Icelandic lunch of cauliflower soup, followed by trout and veggies.
Grundarfjordur
Grundarfjordur was our next port that is on the north shore of Snaefellsnes Peninsula on the west coast of Iceland.
We visited the black pebble beach and saw the lifting stones that the local sailors tested their strength by lifting. These stones ranged from a 23 kg stone to a 154 kg stone.
To be eligible to become oarsman they had to be able to lift the 54 kg stone. After visiting, the beach we went for a walk around the peninsula that was a stunning rocky shoreline. For lunch, we ate fish soup, followed by cod and veggies.
Reykjavik
Reykjavik is in the south-west of Iceland and is a large city by the sea. We had two days there so we got to see a lot.
On the first day, we went to Blue Lagoon which is a fabulous outdoor geothermal spa surrounded by volcanic rock.
The water is full of minerals and you can put the white silica on your face as a face mask. There is a bar that is in the water so you can swim up and get a drink or two!
Also, there is a sauna and steam room. They offer massages on the water which is at an extra cost.
That evening we went to my favourite lobster restaurant ‘Lobster & Stuff’. We had lobster soup, followed by a lobster roll, delicious!
On the second day, I went to visit the Golden Circle, which is Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall and Strokkur. Also on the tour, we saw a Geothermal Power Plant and The Pearl.
I was very excited to see Strokkur for the geyser, it had that smelly sulphur smell again like the boiling muds pits.
But seeing the geyser spurt with water was quite something and you never know in which direction the water will go! I was filming and the water came in our direction, that was funny watching it back!
Thingvellir National Park was very interesting as the rift valley shows the Reykjanes Ridge that divides the North American and Eurasian plates of the mid-Atlantic Ridge, quite something to see.
Gullfoss Waterfall was breath-taking and it was amazing how close you can get to it compared to visiting the Godafoss Waterfall in Akureyri.
I recommend visiting Iceland as it is a fascinating place, very different to the rest of Europe due to its climate and not having many trees.
The Vikings cut most of them down years ago to build boats and they never grew back. The Icelandic people are now replanting but it takes time.
You can visit Iceland all year round, but if you would like to see Iceland in daylight visit in the summer months, as in the winter months there are only 6 hours of light a day. Cruise ships only go in the summer months.
Essential Info
- Weather in summer months: 4*C – 14*C.
- Language: Icelandic, but most people also speak English.
- Currency: Icelandic Krona.
- It is cold even in summer so wear layers and bring a hat, scarf and gloves.
- I recommend wearing trainers or hiking shoes to enjoy seeing the sights.
- Bring an umbrella or rain jacket as when it rains it pours!
- Bring your camera or phone as the scenery is amazing.
Travel Essentials
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Have you been on a cruise around Iceland? What would you recommend doing?
Happy Travels!
Nice pics Lucy and very well written. Very good 😊
Author
Thank you! Means so much to me. Have a great day 😀
Welcome
Those are some cool destinations covered while on a cruise. I have read of road trips for Iceland. The cruise angle is new to me and is worth considering.
Author
It is a fantastic cruise and really good way to see a lot of Iceland 🇮🇸
No I haven’t been on a cruise to Iceland or on a cruise. I’ve always wanted to go there because of the beauty.
Author
Iceland is gorgeous, I hope you get there one day.
We have done a road trip around Iceland but cruise sounds exciting too.
❥ tanvii.com
Author
It was really fun, highly recommend it!
Iceland is on my list of places to travel to but I never thought about taking a cruise to Iceland. Love all your vacation pictures and definitely keeping this all in mind whenever we decide to visit Iceland.
xo, Laura
http://www.have-need-want.com
Author
It is a great way to see Iceland and then have time to relax after the crazy tour days.
I’ve never been on a cruise to Iceland but I would love to. It’s such a beautiful place.
Author
Highly recommend it, great way to see Iceland and fun!
Great pics! I would LOVE to visit Iceland one day! Seems really beautiful and unique in its landscape. The food looks pretty good too. I LOVE seafood! 🙂
Author
I highly recommend Iceland it is a beautiful country to visit and the food is fantastic! Especially the lobster soup!
I love your photos! It seems to be such a preserved nature.
Author
Thank you very much! Iceland is gorgeous.
Wao! Iceland looks absolutely fantastic, loved all your pictures, now it’s on my bucket list!
xoxo, Pilar
http://thelifestylehunter.com
Author
Highly recommend visiting it is a beautiful country.
I’ve been wanting to go to Iceland forever! I didn’t even THINK of a cruise.
Author
A cruise is a great way to see the country and the northern lights.
That’s a brilliant idea and it never struck me before that you can also cover Iceland on a cruise! I love cruises, the only thing I find is that you have hardly 6-7 hours on each port before you’ve to board the cruise again for sailing and some places need a lot more time to explore than that. I have been thinking of doing a roadtrip around Iceland in 2018 but you’ve given me quite a good idea here, to consider a cruise!
Author
We spent 12 hours in each port and 2 days in Reykjavik and we saw a lot! At night you could the northern lights. I recommend a cruise as it is an easier way to get around and I enjoyed a few days at sea to recover after the intense tours!
Iceland has been in my bucket list for ever but I somehow always find an excuse not to go. This guide is very informative and useful. I’ve pinned this post for later. Thanks for sharing
Author
Your welcome! I hope you get to Iceland in the future as it a great country to visit. Thank you for pinning!
We loved Iceland so much we went twice last year, Feb to Reykjavik and the south coast and August to Akureyri and the north. In Akureyri we were chatting to some people off a cruise ship who had a great time and were heading back to the US. One tip is that credit/debit cards are accepted nearly everywhere, we spent 14 days in total, without using any cash.
Author
Wow! So please you enjoyed Iceland. It is nice to see different parts of the country as they differ so much. Yes, the credit card system there is fantastic, I was using my card there as it was a lot easier than changing money over.
Stay on the cruise during night and wander in the cities by the day – looks like a great idea. Cruise ship can be your moving hotel that takes you to various places. Iceland is so cold even in summers – good to know that help.
Author
I enjoyed my Icelandic cruise a lot. It is cold there in the summer, so pack some warm layers!
Given that I’m a huge fan of waterfalls, I would definitely want to visit Gullfoss Waterfall. However, there is so much to see in amazing Iceland that a cruise might be the best way to explore the country. Lovely photos!
Author
Thank you! I recommend a cruise as you see so much of the country all at once and then you get time to relax!
What a cruise! It is a good idea to combine cruise with shore excursions. 2-in-1 really speaking. It is a complete Iceland experience. Reykjavik spa experience sounds fantastic too. Soaking in the warm water after a day’s outing is my kind of vacation. 🙂 🙂
Author
Highly recommend cruising around Iceland. We had a fantastic time exploring so much of Iceland and onboard.
A cruise is a great way to see the island, and something I should have thought of. I visited with my Mum and neither of us can drive so we just stayed in Reykjavik. I wish we had taken a boat around to see more of the island. It sounds like had a wonderful time, the waterfalls alone are pretty epic 🙂
Author
Maybe you can in the future, cruising around Iceland was a lovely experience.
Wow! This cruise should really be added on my bucketlist, so many beautiful place to see and to enjoy by just taking this cruise. Blue Lagoon geothermal spa sounds great! So relaxing!
Author
The Blue Lagoon was fun, but so was everything else! Such a good cruise!
Iceland and its stunning and diverse landscapes are the stuff that dreams are made of. Iceland is a wonderland and there is so much more to see than the Northern Lights. A cruise in Iceland is like the icing on the cake. Cruising through the lovely regions of Iceland must count as one of the best experiences in the world. Hope to do this someday.
Author
I highly recommend cruising around Iceland as it was a wonderful experience. I will remember it forever.
I did a self drive tour around the country which was incredible but a cruise sounds just as much fun. I would love to get back to Akureyri so it is good to know you can catch it on a cruise. The long summer days would make for stunning views from the cruise ship nearly 24 hours a day.
Author
The cruise around Iceland was fantastic and we saw so much. I would highly recommend it in the future.
Going with my friends to Iceland in summer not with a cruise but on a road trip. I will make good use of your recommended sites and of your packing list too! I think I really need to buy a good pair of trekking shoes like the ones you recommend! Great post, great pics! It makes me wanna go to Iceland even more!
Author
Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful time in Iceland. You need good footwear for your trip as there is a lot of walking!