The land of Fire and Ice is one of the most fascinating places on planet Earth. The awe-inspiring landscapes, the pristine forces of nature, the infinite and always-surprising combinations of fire, water, earth and air are everywhere to be found.
Iceland - The Land of Fire and Ice
Nature lovers are mesmerized by Iceland’s spell. There are just not many places on our planet where you can admire black sand beaches, erupting volcanoes, lumbering glaciers and thunderous waterfalls while at the same time swimming in hot springs, betting on when geysers will erupt, and hiking across barren rocky deserts. It’s no wonder the country’s nature has been the inspiration for countless Icelandic sagas and songs.
Today, Iceland boasts one of the world’s highest standards of living thanks mainly to its natural resources such as fish, thermal energy and hydropower. Notwithstanding the modernity, its inhabitants have never relinquished their cultural roots and harmonic existence with nature.
Our Iceland Circumnavigation introduces you to many facets of the island, a journey that showcases the country and its people, wildlife as varied as wild horses and whales, culture and cuisine, stories and legends. Most cities and towns are located along the coast and can easily be reached by boat. However, our numerous shore excursions give you the opportunity to explore the interior of Iceland as well.
The land of fire and ice is attracting more and more visitors from all over the world. We are proud to show our guests this vibrant destination in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Iceland deserves its German Cruise Award 2016 as Destination of the Year.
Iceland - Home of Elves and Trolls
Did you know, for example, that from time to time you can see tiny houses all over Iceland that are meant to be homes for elves, even in many private gardens? Furthermore, it is not allowed to build houses on some hills on the island, as elves might live under them, and they should not be disturbed. In case it happens, the mostly invisible creatures might play dirty tricks on you.
If you are interested in more legends like this, you should plan a tour from Akureyri to Dimmuborgir by rental car or a day tour by bus, on your trip around the island. The name of the lava field near Lake Mývatn can be translated as "dark city". The many bizarre stone formations you can find here are said to be trolls, who celebrated until dawn. However, as soon as the first rays of sun broke through the clouds, the trolls turned to stone.
In addition, Dimmuborgir is also home to the famous Icelandic Yule Lads. While they rest during summer and stay away from people, you can spot them here especially at Christmas time. The mysterious and exciting area was developed about 2,000 years ago. It has also been used as a filming location for the famous TV series Game of Thrones.
Most towns and villages are located on the coast and easily accessible by boat. Our numerous shore excursions also give you other opportunities to explore the interior of the country. For example, you can go on a whale watching tour from Húsavik.
Húsavik, in the north of Iceland, is considered the center of whale watching, and sighting is very likely. The chance to see one or even several whales is about 99%. With a lot of luck, you can not only see minke or humpback whales, but even orca or blue whales. More ideas for shore excursions can be found here.
Iceland is one of Europe’s the last adventures – let us guide you there!
Customer Feedback
"I would like to thank you both for your help and support in making our Iceland cruise so enjoyable. Everything on the travel side went exactly to plan and we enjoyed staying at the Borg. We found no fault with the ship, the crew and the expedition team – they were all very welcoming and instructive. The food was excellent – the fish of course and the Icelandic lamb. It was certainly tiring and we can now rest up a little having done so much."
David K. from the UK, July 2023
"I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the captain, his officers, his crew and the excursion specialists on the ocean diamond for a wonderful and MEMORABLE cruise around Iceland. I booked this trip over a year ago and worried anxiously through a difficult year on whether this trip would even sail, going through the ups and downs of the various restrictions and covid requirements. at one point, our original trip was canceled, but we were able to rebook to another date. I can't tell you enough how enjoyable our adventure with the ocean diamond was. This trip will DEFIANTLY be remembered as one of our best holidays. Everyone on the ship went out of their way to make us feel welcome, seeing to it that we had a great experience, whether on the ship or during our shore excursions. Everyone was friendly and professional. Not to mention how beautiful Iceland is. We really felt that we saw the entire country.
A special thanks to all of you at Iceland procruises for putting together this incredible trip, especially during these difficult times. I am so GRATEFUL that our cruise was able to sail, so thank you for simply making that happen. everyone at procruises kept us informed all along the way to the various changes and requirements that we needed to overcome to make this happen. Thank you so much. I wish you nothing but the best on future cruises and operations. sale safely!!"
Wesley F., August 2021
"We want to offer our compliments to Iceland ProCruises and particularly to the crew and staff of OCEAND DIAMOND.