‘Taste of Iceland’ info sessions
Taste of Iceland – 6 Days/5 Nights/10 Meals
Are you interested in touring Iceland in May 2019 with fellow Dragons and friends? Take a look at the trip itinerary below and join us for an informational session led by MSUM professor Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson.
Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson is a Vesturislendingur, or Western Icelander, meaning her ancestors emigrated from Iceland. Growing up, her grandfather would speak Icelandic to her and tell her stories of the hidden people. Kyja had the good fortune of living in Iceland twice. During college, Kyja studied at the University of Iceland (Háskóli Íslands) for a year, and then moved back several years later when she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship. She has made several short films in Iceland, and has traveled there extensively. Her film work has been presented at festivals in Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. K-Nelson has screened her films at venues such as Slamdance, the Walker Art Center, the D.C. National Museum for Women in the Arts, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, and the Wexner Center for the Arts. Her work has received awards, including the ICDOC Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography, Ann Arbor Film Festival’s Griot Editorial Best Editing Award, and the UFVA Award of Merit for Documentary Filmmaking. Her films explore issues including memory and landscape, and often navigates modes of image-making between experimental documentary or animated documentary practice. K-Nelson was a Fulbright Scholar to Iceland in 2005, and was a 2007 Bush Artist Fellow. K-Nelson was named the 2014 Minnesota CASE Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation. She is currently a Professor of Film at Minnesota State University Moorhead and Board President of Minnesota Film and Television.
For more information, please contact Tod Ganje at Tod@travel-incorporated.com or 218-236-8383.
Informational Sessions:
Monday, Sept. 23, 2019 from 4-6 p.m.
The Boulder Tap House
3333 US-10 Frontage Rd
Moorhead, MN 56560
Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 from 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Comstock
Memorial Union Room 208
MSUM Campus
615 14th St. S.
Moorhead, MN 56563
Trip Itinerary:
Day 1: Reykjavik City Tour
Meet your guide at 2:00 PM. Take an orientation tour and
discover Iceland’s capital city set on the southern shore of Faxa Bay. You’ll
discover Reykjavik’s settlement, history and the natural beauty that surrounds
it. You’ll be charmed by its architecture and the beautiful brightly-colored
rooftops. Stop for photos outside Hallgrímskirkja, the landmark Lutheran church
that looms over the city. One of the tallest structures in Iceland, its design
was influenced by the mountains and glaciers of the island’s landscape. Visit
the Perlan Observation Deck, which offers magnificent 360° views of Reykjavik
and its surroundings – mountain, glacier, and volcano vistas on the horizon
will be a taste of what is to come on your journey. Return to your
centrally-located hotel and enjoy a welcome drink with your group, followed by
dinner on your own.
Day 2: Golden Circle
Head out on the famed Golden Circle, starting with the
spectacular Thingvellir National Park, a meeting place of old Icelandic clans.
It is also where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet above
ground. Journey to the Secret Lagoon: smaller and more intimate than the Blue
Lagoon, it’s where savvy travelers go to enjoy the Icelandic spa experience.
Don’t forget your swimsuit! Enjoy a tasty lunch in the greenhouse of Fridheimar
Tomato Farm. Then it’s on to the Strokkur Geysir, which erupts every 10
minutes. Stop at Gullfoss Waterfall, one of the most popular tourist
attractions in all of Iceland with two separate drops and the largest falls in all
of Europe in terms of water volume. Move on to your beautifully situated hotel
below the Hekla volcano, where you’ll enjoy a first class dinner.
(B,
L, D)
Day 3: Seljalandsfoss
Waterfall & Skogar Folk Museum
Begin the day at the Lava Center to learn about Iceland’s
volcanoes, and how their eruptions and lava flows have shaped the country over
time. Journey to the beautiful Seljalandsfoss Waterfall where the sure-footed
can walk the trail that takes you behind the 60-meter falls. Visit the Skogar
Folk Museum to explore Iceland’s cultural heritage and learn about the lives of
Iceland’s early settlers through an array of tools, books, and handicrafts.
You’ll visit the nearby stunning Skogafoss Waterfall, where on sunny days a
double rainbow is often visible. Discover Reynisfjara’s black-sand beach and
rock formations along with the magical legend of its history. Save your
appetite for dinner at your comfortable hotel tonight.
(B,
D)
Day
4: Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon & Skaftafell National Park
Spend the afternoon in Skaftafell National Park to view its
enormous glaciers. Filled with natural wonders, Skaftafell National Park also
boasts a snow-capped volcano and magnificent wilderness areas and woodlands.
Enjoy lunch with a view of the surrounding countryside. Travel to Jokulsarlon
Glacier Lagoon, a crystal-blue glacial lake dotted with icebergs. Marvel as you
witness small icebergs flowing into the Atlantic or breaking up along the
black-sand beach. Return to your hotel for dinner on your own.
(B,
L)
Day 5: Reykjavik & The
Blue Lagoon Spa
This morning, you’ll travel back to Reykjavik, visiting en route any itinerary
sites that might have been previously missed due to weather and enjoy the
balance of the afternoon in the city exploring some of the many charming sites
on your own. In the evening, you’ll be whisked away to the Blue Lagoon, a large
man-made lake surrounded by a lava field which is also a geothermal spa. Enjoy
one of the 25 wonders of the world as you share in a farewell dinner and lagoon
entry with your group.
(B,
D)
Day
6: Tour Ends
Your tour ends after breakfast.
(B)
All visits are weather dependent.
B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner