On day 2, the open water becomes our classroom. Join the team for engaging lectures on geology, seabirds and marine mammals, then drop into the Science Center to handle maps, charts and fossils. Out on deck, guides help you spot gannets and fulmars arcing over the swells and trace the ship’s course across the North Sea toward Norway.

These hours at sea hone your eye and deepen context — from Viking routes to modern oceanography. Between sessions, wrap your hands around a warm mug and feel the breeze as you scan the horizon for white-beaked dolphins riding the bow and enjoy a free afternoon to explore the ship’s observation lounges.

On day 3, we cruise the Lysefjord, a 25-mile corridor cleaved by glacial ice. From the observation decks, gaze up at sheer granite walls rising nearly vertically from emerald water. Cameras come out as we pass the famed Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) and scan the heights for the legendary Kjeragbolten boulder wedged in a mountain cleft.

Your team interprets the landscape — U-shaped valleys, hanging waterfalls, and polished rock that tell a story of ice and time. Feel the stillness of the fjord, broken by the echo of seabirds and the ship’s quiet wake, and pause for photos and reflection as the light shifts across the cliffs.

On day 4, step ashore in Lerwick for a guided stroll through the lanes of this friendly harbor town. Browse independent shops, then by the waterfront visit the Shetland Museum to see Pictish carvings and the islanders’ famous lace. Continue to Fort Charlotte and Lerwick Town Hall to admire stained-glass scenes of Norse saga and seafaring heritage.

The Shetlands carry a strong Norse imprint, from place names to traditions. Keep binoculars ready to scan for grey and common seals on sandy fringes and for waders — redshanks and curlews — probing the tideline. With time to enjoy a free afternoon, linger on the quay and watch fishing boats ease in and out of Bressay Sound.

On day 5, wander Tórshavn’s storybook lanes of turf-roofed cottages and black-tarred timber, then follow your guide onto the rocky peninsula of Tinganes, where the Faroese parliament has convened for centuries. Between snug lanes and sea-spray, hear about Viking settlers and the islands’ weather-tempered way of life.

Pause for views across the harbor, and if time allows, stroll toward the cascades of Svartafoss outside town. Alongshore, look for eider ducks and the distinctive Faroese starling with its pale-edged wings. The walk sets an easy pace and leaves space to enjoy a free afternoon for cafés, galleries and local design.

On day 6, explore the colorful wooden houses of Seyðisfjorður and photograph the cheerful Rainbow Road leading to the pale-blue church. Then follow a hillside trail to Tvisongur, five concrete domes that transform mountain wind into resonant tones — an open-air instrument tuned to Icelandic folk harmonies.

Here at the end of a deep fjord, waterfalls thread down steep slopes and the air smells of birch and sea-spray. Your guide shares the village’s artistic streak and wartime stories, while the hike rewards you with mist-softened views over the fjord. Return with time to browse studios or savor a warm bowl of fish soup by the quay.

On day 7, weather permitting, we land on remote Grímsey Island to walk sea-clifftops alive with kittiwakes and guillemots, and to visit Atlantic puffin colonies burrowed into the grassy edge. With your guide, step across the Arctic Circle — an imaginary line that drifts roughly 48 feet north each year — and mark the moment with photos.

Grímsey’s windswept headlands and dark basalt ledges offer raw North Atlantic drama. Hear legends of monks and sailors, feel the updrafts tugging at your jacket, and pause for photos and reflection at the circle marker before returning to the ship amid wheeling seabirds.

On day 8, we glide along Eyjafjorður, Iceland’s longest fjord, flanked by snow-veined peaks. Guides help you spot humpback whales lunging through bait balls and white-beaked dolphins surfing the bow, with occasional sightings of minke or even blue and fin whales in deeper water.

As we approach Akureyri, note its tidy timber houses and the shelter of the fjord. If time permits ashore, stroll the serene Botanical Garden, where Arctic-hardy blooms thrive near the circle. The day balances excitement and quiet watching — the breath of whales hanging in cold air, the fjord’s surface riffled by wind and tide.

On day 9, refine your skills in a hands-on session with our photographer and learn techniques for capturing seabirds and dramatic coastlines. Then take your camera to the rails to practice panning on northern fulmars and kittiwakes following our wake.

Between deck time and talks, savor the ship’s gentle rhythm and enjoy a free afternoon to edit images or compare sightings with fellow travelers. Your guides share tips on exposure and composition so you return to shore with images that tell the story of wild seas and high latitudes.

On day 10, trace the Westfjords’ working rhythm with a harborfront walk in Patreksfjorður. Hear about rowboats, cod drying racks and modern trawlers, then continue on a gentle fjordside hike where waterfalls lace grassy slopes and seals often lounge on skerries at low tide.

The Westfjords feel far removed — steep-sided valleys, quiet hamlets, and a coast shaped by storms and centuries of fishing. Your guide connects today’s scenes to a maritime past of endurance and ingenuity, with time to pause for photos and reflection along a shoreline scented with seaweed and salt.

On day 11, explore the peninsula nicknamed “Little Iceland.” Walk the pebbles of Djúpalónssandur’s black-sand beach, see the sea stacks of Lóndrangar, and admire the sculpted cone of Kirkjufell rising above its mirror-bright lagoon near Grundarfjorður.

At the peninsula’s tip gleams the ice-capped Snæfellsjokull, the volcano that inspired Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. Guides unpack a terrain of lava flows, bird cliffs and fishing hamlets, with chances to pause for photos and reflection where surf booms against the basalt shore.

On day 12, come ashore on Heimaey, the lone inhabited isle of the Westman archipelago. Begin at Eldheimar, the “Pompeii of the North,” where an excavated home lies preserved beneath ash from the 1973 Eldfell eruption. Exhibits and eyewitness accounts reveal how residents fought lava with seawater to save the harbor.

Then follow a cinder path to Mount Eldfell’s summit for views over the clustered town and sea stacks of the offshore isles. Feel warm ground underfoot and the Atlantic wind on the ridge before descending to explore cafés and bakeries perfumed with cardamom and cinnamon.

On day 3, swap ship for small craft and glide beneath sheer granite walls on an expedition boat, nosing into coves where waterfalls veil the rock. Guides point out geology and birdlife, and with calm conditions you may paddle a sea kayak to feel the fjord’s quiet pulse at water level.

This optional adventure brings you closer to the elements — dripping moss, echoing cliffs, and ripples spreading from your bow. It is offered at additional cost and bookable on tour; participation depends on weather and safety assessments by the Expedition Team.

Venture south from Lerwick on day 4 for a countryside drive to Jarlshof, where layers of time lie side by side — Neolithic houses, Bronze Age smithies, a Norse longhouse and a laird’s 16th-century hall. Walk among low stone walls as your guide reveals life at the storm-edge of the North Atlantic.

Weather permitting, continue to Sumburgh for sea-cliff views and a chance to spot puffins in season. This optional excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour, ideal for travelers who want a deep dive into Shetland’s archaeology and wild headlands.

From Tórshavn on day 5, travel the short distance to Kirkjubøur, the medieval spiritual heart of the Faroes. Step inside the centuries-old Roykstovan farmhouse, see the roofless shell of Magnus Cathedral, and visit St. Ólav’s Church, still in use after 700 years.

Your guide traces tales of bishops, farmers and fishermen, with time to admire turf roofs beaded with dew and sheep grazing by stone walls. This cultural outing is optional, offered at additional cost and bookable on tour.

On day 6, journey from Seyðisfjorður to the private reserve at Skálanes, where fjord meets mountains and meadows run down to the sea. Walk with naturalists through heather and meadow-grass to scan for Black-tailed Godwits, Golden-Plovers and Gyrfalcons, and learn how fragile habitats are monitored here.

Tracks and signs of reindeer and Arctic fox hint at elusive residents, while the shoreline clinks with wave-worn stones and the air smells of salt and thyme. This is an optional excursion offered at additional cost and bookable on tour; exact walking distances vary with conditions and wildlife activity.

Depart Akureyri on day 8 for Goðafoss, where turquoise water thunders over black basalt. Hear how chieftain Þorgeir cast pagan idols into the falls around the year 1000, symbolizing Iceland’s conversion to Christianity. Continue to Lake Mývatn to walk amid pseudocraters and steaming vents.

Depending on conditions, stops may include the lava labyrinth of Dimmuborgir or the sulfurous solfatara fields at Námaskarð. Expect striking contrasts — delicate waterfowl on mirror-still ponds beside rumbling geothermal ground. This tour is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore the Westfjords on day 10 with a scenic drive to Dynjandi, a bridal-veil cascade of six tiers fanning across volcanic rock. Continue to Rauðasandur, a wide arc of red-gold sand where seals often bask and the sea shifts from jade to steel with the light.

Cap the day at Látrabjarg, Europe’s largest bird cliff, where puffins, guillemots and razorbills crowd ledges above the Atlantic. Guides share safe viewing tips so you can pause for photos and reflection at the cliff edge. This excursion is optional, offered at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Weather and logistics permitting on day 10, take a short boat ride to Vigur Island, a tiny green thread in Ísafjarðardjúp famed for puffins, eiders and Arctic terns. Walk gently along marked paths to watch birds at close range and hear about the island’s sustainable eiderdown tradition.

See one of Iceland’s oldest windmills and the simple farmstead that anchors life here against wind and tide. This experience is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour; wildlife sightings vary seasonally and are guided to protect sensitive nesting areas.

On day 11, board a snowcat for a guided climb onto the Snæfellsjokull ice cap, a stratovolcano layered with myth and science. As you rumble upward, the horizon opens to ocean, lava fields and distant peninsulas, and your guide explains crevasse safety and the glacier’s changing mass balance.

At the upper plateau, step out to feel the high-altitude chill and pause for photos and reflection above the North Atlantic. This adventure is optional, weather dependent, at additional cost and bookable on tour; warm, waterproof layers are essential.

Stretch your legs on day 11 along Snæfellsnes’ wave-washed coast before descending a spiral staircase into Vatnshellir, an 8,000-year-old lava tube. With helmets and lamps, follow a guide through frozen ripples and drip-formed stalactites of basalt, learning how eruptions sculpted this underground world.

Back in daylight, the hike traces cliffs where fulmars wheel and surf booms in sea-caves. Expect a mix of geology, birdlife and bracing Atlantic air. This outing is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour; good footwear and comfort with steps and uneven ground are required.

From Heimaey on day 12, travel to Stórhofði, one of Iceland’s windiest headlands and a renowned puffin-watching site in summer. Walk boardwalks above grassy slopes riddled with burrows while guides outline seabird seasons and respectful viewing practices.

Clifftop paths deliver sweeping views of sea stacks and the Westman archipelago, with chances to see fulmars banking along the updrafts. This experience is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour; warm layers and a windproof shell are recommended for the exposed headland.

On day 1, board your expedition vessel in Hamburg and meet your Expedition Team as you collect your expedition jacket and settle into your cabin. From the decks, watch the city’s maritime skyline slide past — the shimmering Elbphilharmonie, the UNESCO-listed Speicherstadt of brick warehouses, and historic church spires that mark the Altstadt.

As lines are cast, we sail along the Elbe River toward the North Sea. The route threads through one of Europe’s busiest waterways, long tied to Hanseatic trade. Feel the hum of departure and the ship steady beneath your feet — your North Atlantic adventure has begun, with a golden hour glow on the water and gulls sweeping low in our wake.