IcelandLand of Fire & Ice

Iceland is a country of extremes, where geysers and lava flows coexist with powerful waterfalls and calving glaciers. Located at the edge of the Arctic Circle, much of the island remains under ice, yet it is also one of the planet’s most volcanically active countries. This summer, travel to the Land of Fire and Ice and take advantage of long days and bright nights to explore the country’s impressive landscapes. Choose either the Photography or Climate & Geology On Assignment and delve into your focus area as you experience the wonders of Iceland up close.

Details

June 24–July 7, 2024
14 days
9–12
$ 9,190 + airfare
Departs from New York
18–21 students, 3 leaders

Highlights

  • Strap on crampons and trek atop a glacier with a professional guide
  • Hike across black-sand beaches and ride Icelandic horses along a fjord
  • Photograph towering waterfalls, spouting geysers, and bubbling mud pots
  • Witness geologic wonders and discuss the effects of climate change with Icelandic scientists

Meet the Experts

M Jackson, Geographer & Glaciologist

Geographer, glaciologist, National Geographic Emerging Explorer, and TED Fellow M Jackson can often be found exploring some of the world’s most remote Arctic environments. She has worked in Iceland for over a decade and completed three Fulbright grants studying how climate change is affecting communities near the fishing village of Höfn. Her first book, While Glaciers Slept: Being Human in a Time of Climate Change, blends her own personal history with climate science. M’s 2019 book, The Secret Lives of Glaciers, explores the complex impacts of glacier change for communities along the southeastern coast of Iceland. Her 2023 book, The Ice Sings Back, is her first novel. M is also the Climate & Energy host for Crash Course and she starred as the science expert in the Netflix series, Pirate Gold of Adak Island. 

Itinerary

This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.

  • Departure
  • Travel Day

Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to ReykjavĂ­k, Iceland.

  • ReykjavĂ­k & the Golden Circle
  • 3 days

Dive right into your program with a swim in Iceland’s most famous geothermal pool, the Blue Lagoon. Get to know your group and On Assignment team during an in-depth orientation in Reykjavík, gather essential background on the geology of this subarctic island nation, and learn about the impact of climate change on its landscapes. Immerse yourself in Viking heritage at some of Reykjavík’s cutting-edge historical museums and take time to explore this colorful and welcoming capital city. Join an expert guide to look into the inner workings of an ultramodern geothermal plant that provides much of Reykjavík’s energy and hear how Iceland is at the forefront of the sustainable power movement, with 85 percent of its energy derived from renewable sources. Head out to Geysir in the Golden Circle—home to the earliest geyser known to Europeans—where boiling water can rocket up to 210 feet in the air. Explore ancient lava flows to learn how volcanism continues to shape Iceland’s dynamic landscape and discover iconic Gullfoss, a thundering waterfall that appears to vanish into the earth.

  • VĂ­k
  • 1 day

Explore Iceland’s southern coast and remote glacial valleys en route from the Golden Circle to Vík. Stop to witness the impressive Seljalandsfoss waterfall, or visit the original landing place of Iceland’s first settlers, a headland of rugged cliffs dotted with puffins.

  • Höfn & the Vatnajökull Glacier
  • 3 days

Next, journey further east to Höfn, a remote gateway to the mighty Vatnajökull glacier, the world’s largest ice cap outside the Arctic and Antarctica. Photograph a glacial lagoon full of fantastically shaped icebergs. Participate in dynamic field-based seminars with experts on glaciology and climate science. Don crampons and ice axes to trek across Breiðamerkurjökull, one of Vatnajökull’s largest outlet glaciers, with professional guides. In Höfn, investigate changes in the composition of fish stocks and seabird populations caused by warming waters, and spend a day at a research center working on your On Assignment project alongside a National Geographic Explorer and your trip leaders.

  • Lake MĂ˝vatn & the Northern Coast
  • 4 days

Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge. This unique position makes it one of the most volcanically active countries in the world. Head north across the uninhabited interior to the wild volcanic area around Lake Mývatn. Explore bubbling mud pots, hissing steam vents, and the craters of dormant volcanoes. Alongside expert guides, wander through a spectacular ice cave, home to ice formations that are several hundred years old and which provide spectacular photographic opportunities. Hike on congealed lava flows from a series of massive eruptions that occurred in the late 1970s. Bathe in the blue mineral waters of a natural thermal pool surrounded by black lava beds, and visit Akureyri, a thriving city within a mountain-lined fjord. Ride colorful Icelandic horses on the slopes above the fjord, explore a village of turf farmhouses, and go whale watching in a traditional Icelandic oak boat on Eyjafjörður, whose waters are visited by many species of whales and other sea life. Present your On Assignment project in Akureyri on your final night in the North.

  • ReykjavĂ­k
  • 1 day

Return to ReykjavĂ­k for your final day in Iceland and enjoy a celebratory dinner with your group in the heart of the city, reflecting on your travels together.

  • Return
  • Travel Day

Fly from ReykjavĂ­k, Iceland, to New York with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination.

A Day in the Life: Mývatn

Due to the traveling nature of this student program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in Mývatn.

  •  Enjoy a delicious breakfast with our guesthouse hosts
  •  Explore on foot the hardened beds of lava rock surrounding our accommodations
  •  Have an early lunch with your group near Lake MĂ˝vatn
  •  Go on a guided exploration of Lofthellir, a permafrost ice cave inside a lava tunnel
  •  Journal, read, work on On Assignment projects, or relax
  • Have dinner with your group at our accommodations or a local restaurant
  • Head to the MĂ˝vatn Nature Baths to soak in the deep blue, mineral-rich water
  • Group meeting to download images, and to discuss the day and upcoming schedule

What to Expect

  • On Assignment Themes

Choose either the Photography or Climate & Geology On Assignment theme, and break into teams to delve further into your area of focus.

Photography: Develop a photo essay on Iceland’s dramatic geology. Focus your lens on the brilliant blue ice caves at Vatnajökull, capture a rainbow in the spray of Seljalandsfoss waterfall, or photograph the glistening ice chunks floating in Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Practice portrait photography on your peers from the light of the midnight sun or hone your skills as you shoot pictures of Icelandic sheep, horses, and puffins.

Climate & Geology: Delve into the science behind global climate change and geothermal energy. Initiate a GPS project to measure and map the recession of glacial tongues, build a model glacier, or measure your group’s carbon footprint. Alongside Icelandic glaciologists and expert mountain guides, head out onto the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier for a bird's eye view of this dynamic landscape.

  • Physical Activity

This is a physically active summer travel program that includes hiking and glacier trekking. Life in Iceland is best experienced outdoors, and you will be moving about often throughout the program—there’s so much to see! You do not need to have previous outdoor experience to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active outdoors, and that you are interested in trying all activities.

  • Lodging

We stay in comfortable family-run guesthouses, hostels, and small hotels throughout our time in Iceland. Leaders reside together with the students throughout the program.

  • Meals

The group mixes picnics with dining out in Icelandic restaurants, along with traditional family-style dinners taken at our accommodations.

Please call our office with any questions about the physical nature of this program or to discuss specific accessibility and accommodation questions.

Explore the Destination

Watch Program Webinar

Next Steps

If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!

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