We like cruises because they offer an opportunity to get a quick glimpse of someplace that you can go back to and visit more in-depth later.

Royal Caribbean's 12 Night Iceland and Ireland cruise provides that quick view of both Iceland and Ireland.

Stopping at Akureyri, in the north of Iceland, we'll have an opportunity to "discover Akureyri’s bounty of spectacular natural wonders - towering waterfalls, geothermal attractions, and volcanic landscapes". That sounds pretty good for us.

At Reykjavik, we plan on exploring Gullfoss, Geysir, and the Golden Circle. Glaciers, volcanos, waterfalls, and deep canyons are just what my camera is looking for!

In Ireland, I'm opting for the Gobbins Cliff Path and the Cork City and Irish Whiskey tour. Beyond that, I've not thought about much else. Whiskey tour....hmmmm.

Originaly planned for August, 2022, we had to cancel plans for this cruise due to COVID.

Iceland is the closest European country to North America, and maybe the most interesting. The research that we've done highlights the vast natural beauty and open space for exploring.

'Fire and Ice' is an apt description of this volcanic country. It sits at the juncture of the North American and European Tectonic Plates. Part of the island is moving slowly towards Europe while the other moves equally slow to the west.

Volcanos, geysers, crashing waterfalls, and evidence of the planet's shifting surface all sit in plain view. You can walk across fields of cooled lava and fissures from the shifting plates.

Everyone I've spoken with that's visited Iceland tells me that we 'must go'!

Taking the time to drive around the island on your own provides flexibility and freedom. There are packages offered of varying lengths, but I think we're looking at something in the range of 9-12 days. We want to circle the island and stop at all the popular spots.

Julie and I love nature and beautiful scenery, so the mix of 'fire and ice' sounds like it is right up our alley. Glaciers, volcanos, waterfalls, and deep canyons interspersed with broad vistas and rugged shorelines. You can bet that my camera will be very busy with all there is to see.

Self-drive tours allow you to move, to some degree, at your own pace. Our last self-drive tour was along the west coast of the South Island in New Zealand, and it was fantastic. We're sure Iceland would be the same.

If you've followed our travel blog you'd know that we're big fans of organized tours, especially with Globus. All planning is done, the accommodations are great, and you get a knowledgeable local resource to guide and provide in-depth information.

The Globus Iceland Adventure tour circles the island in 8 days. It sounds like it hits all the spots we're interested in and includes a boat trip to an island at the Arctic Circle.

Tour Map

Willing to spend a bit more, Classic Journeys has a shorter, but more focused package tour. The Land Rover Defender Experience tour is focused on the southwest quarter of the island but hits most of the iconic sites we're interested in.

Tour Map