ARCTIC ADVENTURES ICELANDEXCURSIONS & SUPER JEEP SAFARISAn idealorientation tothe capitalincluding thelittle fishingvillage ofHafnarfjördur.Visit thecosmic lookingPerlan nestlingon a hill overlooking the city; continue toHafnarfjördur via the Presidential Residenceand the fish market; then to Hotoi, theLutheran Cathedral and Hallgrim’s Church.Hotel pick-up at 8.30 am for 2 1 ⁄2 hours.£35 per personAvailable all year round and an all-dayscenic extravaganza that bombards thesenses. First stop the landscapes south ofLake Þingvallavatn before the National ParkÞingvellir. From there continue to Gullfoss,the Golden Waterfall, with its foaming,thundering waters invariably over-archedwith a rainbow. Continue to the Geysir areawith its spouting water geysers andbubbling mud pots with time for lunch(payable locally). Return to Reykjavík via thecathedral at Skálholt, the extraordinarycrater Kerið and the greenhouse communityHveragerði. Hotel pick-up at 8.00 am for 8hours. £65 per personBLUE LAGOON, GULLFOSS& GEYSIRA full dayexcursionbeginning withthe Blue Lagoonwhose warm,turquoise bluewaters lieamongst theblack rocks of a lava field. From here youtravel to Þingvellir where the early Vikingsettlers decided to stop raping andpillaging and set up a parliament instead.And then on to Gullfoss, in winter a giantmass of frozen stalagmites and stalagtitesoverflowing with foaming water, beforearriving at the famous Geysir area. Returnto Reykjavik. Hotel pick-up at 8.30 for 10hours. Entrance to Blue Lagoon payablelocally. £85 per person34REYKJAVÍK SIGHTSEEINGGOLDEN CIRCLE CLASSIC<strong>Nordic</strong> <strong>Experience</strong>NORTHERN LIGHTSClimb aboard for an eveninghunt for the beautifulauroras known as theNorthern Lights. Sometimeswhite, wispy and elusive andat others rainbow coloured,swirling and dramatic. TheNorwegian, who first gavean explanation as to howthey came about was drivenmad (literally) by them: if you are luckyenough to catch a sighting your reactionmay be a touch more muted! Hotel pick-upat 19.30 for 3/5 hours. £45 per person.BY SUPER JEEP £75 per personBLUE LAGOON ANDKEFLAVÍK TRANSFERIf you wantsome time forlast minuteshopping this isa short form ofour other BlueLagoonexcursionleaving out theReykjanesPeninsula, soyou need notcheck out ofyour hotel untilmidmorning. An ideal way to make themost of your last few hours in Reykjavík.Hotel pick-up at 10.30 am leaving theLagoon at 2 pm for your flight back to theUK. Entrance to the Blue Lagoon payablelocally. £35 per personBLACK SAND BEACHES &MÝRDALSJÖKULL GLACIERIceland’s Southern shore is an exquisitecontrast between the hay meadows lyingback from the shoreline, the backdrop ofthe Hekla volcano and the Mýrdalsjökullglacier; black sand beaches fringed withwhite foaming sea and the plunge waterfallsSeljandfoss and Skogafoss. Your day takesin all these as well as the bird cliffsalongside Vik (trivia note: vik is old Norsefor bay, hence the etymology of Vikingpeopleof the bay) and a hardcore drive upon the Mýrdalsjökull glacier on which youcan snowmobile(optional and payablelocally). Return via Hveragerði, thegreenhouse village heated geothermally,back to Reykjavik. £169 per personEXCURSIONS LIKE NO OTHERSAs well as theexcursions showcasedhere we have othersranging from horseriding to glaciersnowmobiling; cavingamongst icy stalactitesto floating amongsticebergs. These are allfeatured on a special link on our websitewww.nordicexperience.co.uk.SUPER JEEP LOBSTER FESTIceland’s lavafields are sosurreal they seemfrom anotherworld but whenilluminated by theblues and greensof the NorthernLights, they takeyour breath away. Negotiating the trickymountain tracks from the comfort of aluxury SuperJeep (a specially convertedversion of the world’s largest SUV, completewith four-foot wheels and deflatable tyresfor gliding across the ice), is the way toexperience them in true style. LeaveReykjavik just as the sun begins to set, anddrive under the stars down to the fishingvillage of Fjorubordid and round off theevening with a platter of freshly caughtlobster in butter and garlic. Hotel pick-up at6.30/7.00. £199 per personGOLDEN CIRCLESUPER JEEP CLASSICThe white-knuckle ride of all time - a wholeday tour following the classic Golden Circle(see panel opposite) route of Gullfoss,Geysir, Þingvellir and the Kerið crater in aspecially equipped Icelandic Super Jeep.Your giant SUV reaches the parts othervehicles don’t - the ultimate boys toy dayout. Every view from one is that little bitmore special - every journey that little bitmore exciting. £159 per personÞÓRSMÖRK BY SUPER JEEPIceland’s Southern shore is an exquisitecontrast between the hay meadows lyingback from the shoreline, the backdrop ofthe Hekla volcano and the Mýrdalsjökullglacier; black sand beaches fringed withwhite foaming sea and the plunge waterfallsSeljandfoss and Skogafoss. The starattraction here is Þórsmörk where meltwaters converge in the Malkarflöt riverwhich empties black volcanic sand on thebeaches by Skogar. A protected naturereserve surrounded on 3 sides by glaciersand mountains, the torrenting streams makefor adventurous crossings amongst thecarpet of dwarf birch covering the ground.Hotel pick up at 08:30 for10 hrs. £165 per person
Celebrate New Year in a stylepeculiar to Icelanders thatattracts visitors from around theworld not least becauseunlimited fireworks can be hadby anyone which Icelanders takemaximum advantage of andgarland the city with displays.Start the evening with our‘Buffet on Ice’; blow out the OldYear on our bonfire tour; bring inthe New with champagne andfireworks and then dance thenight away.Over the next fewdays, snowmobileacross a glacier,search for theNorthern Lights orsimply chill out in theBlue Lagoon.Reykjavik is anunlikely city to warrant the description “aship and happening as it is possible to be”.The shops are stylish and according to A.A.Gill, the women “the most beautiful in theworld”. And the locals have developed alegendary and prodigious reputation forbeing able to enjoy themselves.This ultra-modernity and party townatmosphere dramatically contrasts with theisland interior with its geologically sculptedscenery; glacial ice fields, sand deserts, lavafields, volcanoes, waterfalls and geysers. Allof which you can see either by horseback,Super Jeep, snowmobile or, for thefainthearted, from the comfort of a recliningcoach seat.GRANDHOTELREYKJAVIKThe Grand is theperfect unionbetween quiet surroundings and proximity tothe city centre (about a 20-minute walk or 10minutes in a cab), especially for 30somethings. All 209 rooms in the new towerblock (where our room allocation is), areparticularly spacious with either twin, queen orking sized beds and private WC/bathtub/shower with heated tile floors, radio,telephone, satellite TV, hair dryer and mini-bar.• Quiet convenient location • A la carterestaurant • Bar • 24hr room service • Spa• Non smoking roomsReykjavikNew YearFire & IceFIRE AND ICE NEW YEAR29 DEC Scheduled Icelandair flight fromHeathrow, Gatwick or Manchester toReykjavik. Transfer on arrival to Grand Hotelfor 4 nights.30 DEC Optional excursions (see page 31)NEW YEAR’S EVE PROGRAMME5.30 Sparkling wine and strawberriesreception6.30 Buffet on Ice accompanied by Icelandicfolk entertainment9.00 Optional guided tour around the best ofthe city’s bonfires, blowing out the Old Yearin Reykjavik’s time honoured manner. Returnto hotel.10.15 Dessert and coffee11.45 Sparkling wine and canapés on thehotel’s 4th floor balcony with one of the city’sbest views for watching the fireworks displayand midnight countdown.12.30 Dancing and live music in the hotel’sGullteigur ballroom2.00 To bed or bar 31 DEC Optional excursions (see page 31)1 JAN Optional excursions (see page 31)2 JAN Morning at leisure before transfer, viathe Blue Lagoon for a relaxing bathe.Continue to Keflavik for return flight to UK.ARCTIC ADVENTURES ICELANDFIRE AND ICENEW YEARPRICES FROM £685ppWHAT’S INCLUDEDAA3501Price includes return scheduled Icelandair flight(s)from Heathrow or Manchester to Reykjavik • Pay onboard cabin service • All airport departure taxes andpassenger service charges • 4 nights accommodationin twin room(s) with private WC/shower • 4 breakfasts• NEW YEAR'S EVE PROGRAMME INCLUDINGGALA DINNER AS PER ITINERARY • Blue Lagoonexcursion • CENTRUM HOTEL SUPPLEMENT £70pp• OPTIONAL BONFIRE TOUR SUPPLEMENT £40pp<strong>Nordic</strong> <strong>Experience</strong>35
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