The Vikings in Iceland

The Vikings in Iceland

This tour is arranged by The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Colorado. In the 9th century A.D., Vikings from Norway settled this remote, uninhabited island in the North Atlantic. Here, in “the land of fire and ice,” volcanic eruptions have left a unique stratigraphy for archaeologists to uncover. Visit Viking sites and archaeological excavations in and around the capital of Reykjavik and the northern city of Akureyri. Tour world-class museums, marvel at geologic wonders, and learn how Vikings became Icelanders.

Duration: 6 Nights, Summer 2016

Price: From $5,495 per person

Send request

Highlights

  • Go underground at Reykjavik’s Settlement Exhibition, where a 10th-century Viking longhouse is preserved beneath the modern city streets.
  • At Þingvellir National Park, hike to the site of the Althing, or general assembly—the world’s oldest parliament still in existence.
  • Learn about the effects of climate change and resource use on settlement patterns—dynamics that are at play in Southwest archaeology, as well.

Explore Viking archaeology
with the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center

August 3–9, 2016: The Vikings in Iceland. 

Visit Reykjavik City Museum's settlement Exhibit, Stöng settlement, Gásir ruins and current excavations in North Iceland. Scholars: Tim Kohler, Ph.D. Professor of Anthropology, Washington State University, and Gísli Pálsson, Ph.D. candidate, Umea University.

Plan your trip!
Call your Crow Canyon enrollment
specialist at 800-422-8975, ext. 141.
See map and complete itinerary at
www.crowcanyon.org.

 

 

 

Package Map
Reykjavik overview pond.jpg

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3

Arrive at Keflavik International Airport (KEF). Meet your tour representative for transfer to hotel in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Enjoy some free time to explore this lively city. On a stroll through the compact city center, take in sights such as Harpa Concert Hall—a landmark of contemporary architecture—and the Hallgrímskirkja church tower, whose dramatic shape evokes Iceland’s volcanic rock. Meet the group for introductions, dinner, and program orientation. 
Overnight, Reykjavik.

Thjodmynjasafn.JPG

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4

This morning, go underground at Reykjavik’s Settlement Exhibition, where a 10th-century Viking longhouse is preserved beneath the modern city streets. A wall fragment at the site actually dates from around A.D. 871—about the time Iceland was settled, according to the sagas. This afternoon, our introduction to Viking archaeology continues on a tour of Þjóðminjasafn Íslands—the National Museum of Iceland. (By the way, the Icelandic language has changed little since the ninth century; it is close to the Old Norse the Vikings spoke.)
Overnight, Reykjavik.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 5

Visit Þingvellir National Park, on Iceland’s famous Golden Circle of geologic and historic landmarks. Hike through lava cliffs to the site of the Althing (general assembly), where Viking leaders in A.D. 930 established the world’s oldest parliament still in existence. This historic site is also remarkable for its geology: it is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Continue on to Þjórsárdalur, a valley shaped by the eruptions of Mount Hekla. Visit the site of a Viking farmstead that was buried under volcanic ash from the eruption of Hekla in 1104 and excavated by archaeologists in 1939. In Iceland, tephrochronology (dating layers of volcanic ash from eruptions) provides a way to date sites as specifically as dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) does in the Southwest. We also tour a reconstruction of the farmstead at nearby Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng.
Overnight, Reykjavik.

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6

A 45-minute flight takes us from the domestic airport in Reykjavik north to the town of Akureyri, just south of the Arctic Circle. This charming regional capital is situated on the shores of Eyjafjörður, a fjord where Vikings settled around A.D. 890. (In 2013, Akureyri was the site of a meeting between archaeologists and climate scientists specializing in the American Southwest and the North Atlantic—two very different parts of the world, with shared interests in the role of the environment in settlement and social change.) We explore the trading port of Gásir, about 7 miles from Akureyri; trade flourished here for centuries. We also enjoy a special opportunity to visit an excavation site where archaeologists are studying changes in land use at a Viking-age farm.
Overnight, Akureyri.

Myvatn.jpg

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7

On a day trip from Akureyri, explore the magical world of Mývatn, a volcanic lake and surrounding wetlands. This fantastic landscape is dotted with geysers, lava pillars, craters—and archaeological sites. We visit one or more excavations in this area. Lunch in the Dimmuborgir area east of the lake offers a chance to taste Icelandic specialties such as smoked trout and hverabrauð, a sweet, brown rye bread traditionally baked in geyser steam.
Overnight, Akureyri.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 8

On a morning cruise on Eyjafjörður, we experience the coastal waters the Vikings knew so well—and do some whale watching, too. Afternoon: 45-minute flight from Akureyri back to Reykjavik. Enjoy free time to explore the city before our farewell dinner.
Overnight, Reykjavik.

reykjavík skyline.jpg

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9

Transfers to Keflavik International Airport for flights home, or flights to Oslo for those continuing their exploration of the North Atlantic with Crow Canyon and “Icelandic Origins in Norway.”

Departure: August 3–9, 2016

Prices per person:
$5,495 (member*)
$5,695 (nonmember)
*Minimum $100 level member

Send request

Views from The Vikings in Iceland

  • Lake Myvatn - Nature Bath hot pot and lagoon.jpg
  • Myvatn.jpg
  • akureyri---boating-fun.jpg
  • Reykjavik overview pond.jpg
  • reykjavík skyline.jpg
  • North Sailing Whale Watching.jpg
  • reykjavikurtjorn-speglun_sumarnott-8.jpg
  • þingvellir copy.png
  • mývatn 10.jpg
  • thingvellir.jpg
  • the-tectonic-fissure-at-thingvellir.jpg
  • whale watching.jpg
  • Thjorsardalur Gjain.JPG

Highlights

  • Go underground at Reykjavik’s Settlement Exhibition, where a 10th-century Viking longhouse is preserved beneath the modern city streets.
  • At Þingvellir National Park, hike to the site of the Althing, or general assembly—the world’s oldest parliament still in existence.
  • Learn about the effects of climate change and resource use on settlement patterns—dynamics that are at play in Southwest archaeology, as well.

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