Northern Lights & Wild Isles: Iceland, Greenland, Scotland | 14 Days

Your expedition begins in Reykjavik, where you have free time to experience the city before boarding Douglas Mawson. Once aboard, participate in the scheduled safety briefing as preparations are made for the voyage ahead. A welcome dinner introduces the onboard portion of this 14-day journey and marks the start of the expedition from Iceland toward Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scotland. During the first evening, head out onto the deck as the ship navigates away from city lights. The night brings the expedition’s first opportunity to search the skies for the Northern Lights, with the route designed to take advantage of clear conditions away from urban light pollution whenever possible.

Cruise through Iceland’s remote Westfjords as Douglas Mawson continues into landscapes dominated by water and dramatic natural scenery. Today’s principal destination is Dynjandi, a majestic waterfall reaching approximately 100 meters. Travel by Zodiac for the landing and experience this impressive landmark at closer range. The day combines scenic cruising with an opportunity to explore one of the natural highlights identified for the expedition. In the afternoon, attention shifts from the landscape to the surrounding waters as the expedition includes whale watching. This combination of Zodiac exploration, waterfall scenery, cruising, and marine wildlife observation introduces the nature-focused character of the journey and its emphasis on experiencing remote environments from both ship and shore.

Continue exploring Iceland with a Zodiac visit to Vigur Island, where the itinerary includes opportunities to observe colonies of puffins and Arctic terns. Birdlife becomes a central feature of the day as the expedition explores this island environment before continuing toward Ísafjörður. Back on the water, wildlife observation remains an important part of the program, with cruising dedicated to searching for minke and humpback whales. The day brings together two of the expedition’s recurring themes: observing marine mammals and encountering birdlife in the destinations visited along the route. Zodiac travel provides another perspective on the surroundings, while cruising aboard Douglas Mawson creates further opportunities to watch for wildlife as the expedition progresses.

Spend a full day at sea as Douglas Mawson leaves Iceland behind and sails across the Denmark Strait toward Greenland. Rather than focusing on a shore landing, today provides time to experience the voyage itself and learn more about the regions included in the expedition. Educational lectures on geology and history form part of the onboard program, adding context to the landscapes, destinations, and environments encountered during the journey. The crossing also marks an important transition in the itinerary, connecting the Icelandic portion of the expedition with the four days dedicated to exploring East Greenland. Enjoy the experience of sailing through these northern waters while preparing for the remote fjords and Zodiac excursions that lie ahead.

The expedition dedicates four days to exploring East Greenland, making this one of the most extensive portions of the itinerary. Travel by Zodiac into ice-choked fjords and experience remote landscapes from the water, with opportunities to go ashore and hike across tundra terrain. During these hikes, the expedition searches for musk oxen, adding a wildlife element to the exploration of Greenland’s dramatic natural environment. The itinerary also includes a visit to a remote Inuit community, bringing a human and cultural dimension to these days among the fjords. Zodiac excursions, hiking, wildlife observation, and scenic exploration combine throughout this part of the voyage, allowing the itinerary to focus closely on the distinctive environments encountered along Greenland’s eastern coast.

Return to Iceland with a visit to Akureyri, where the itinerary offers options for exploring several distinctive natural attractions. Depending on the selected experience, you may visit Goðafoss waterfall together with the Mývatn pseudocraters and thermal baths, or explore the Dimmuborgir lava fields. The day therefore provides different ways to discover the geological and scenic character of the region while continuing the expedition’s broader focus on natural landscapes. From waterfall scenery to pseudocraters, thermal baths, and lava formations, the listed options highlight Iceland’s geological features. After several days focused on the fjords and tundra of East Greenland, this stop introduces another varied Icelandic landscape before Douglas Mawson continues along the expedition route.

Today’s destination is Seyðisfjörður, where natural scenery and local cultural features come together. The itinerary includes a hike following the Fjarðará river, offering an active way to explore the surroundings. Time is also dedicated to discovering the town’s art galleries and its colorful wooden houses, which are associated with former Norwegian merchants. This combination of hiking, art, architecture, and history gives the day a different character from the wildlife-focused and Zodiac-based experiences earlier in the expedition. Explore the destination on foot and take in both its outdoor environment and its built heritage before returning to the ship and continuing toward the Faroe Islands, the next major destination on the voyage.

Douglas Mawson reaches the Faroe Islands today, with an afternoon arrival in Tórshavn. After coming ashore, explore the historic Tinganes district, one of the principal highlights identified in the itinerary. The district is known for its distinctive turf-roofed houses, creating an opportunity to experience the historic character of the destination on foot. This first afternoon in Tórshavn provides an introduction to the Faroe Islands before a full day of exploration scheduled for tomorrow. Following the remote fjords, Icelandic geological landscapes, and wildlife encounters experienced earlier in the expedition, the arrival in Tórshavn shifts attention toward the islands’ historic setting and built environment while maintaining the journey’s broader emphasis on exploration.

Spend a full day exploring the landscapes of the Faroe Islands from Tórshavn. The itinerary focuses on sea cliffs, coastal trails, and the rolling hills that characterize the day’s exploration. With more time available than during the previous afternoon’s arrival, today offers a broader opportunity to experience the islands’ outdoor scenery and walk through their coastal environments. The emphasis is on natural landscapes and exploration on foot, complementing the historic Tinganes experience from Day 11. Sea cliffs provide a dramatic coastal element, while trails and hills create opportunities for active exploration. This full day in the Faroes forms the final major island experience before Douglas Mawson continues toward Scotland and the archaeological discoveries awaiting in the Orkney Islands.

Arrive in Scotland’s Orkney Islands and visit Papa Westray, where the expedition turns its attention to Neolithic archaeology. The key historical site for the day is the Knap of Howar, described in the source as the oldest standing stone house in northern Europe. Exploring this archaeological location adds another dimension to a voyage that has already included natural landmarks, wildlife, geological formations, historic districts, and remote communities. The itinerary also includes a visit to the local pub, providing a contrasting experience alongside the archaeological exploration. This final full day of the expedition brings together local character and ancient history before Douglas Mawson makes its way toward Aberdeen for disembarkation the following morning.

Douglas Mawson arrives in Aberdeen early in the morning, marking the conclusion of the 14-day, 13-night expedition from Reykjavik. After traveling through Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scotland, guests disembark at the port and the expedition comes to an end. The voyage has combined Zodiac excursions, hiking, scenic cruising, marine mammal and bird watching, photography, educational lectures, remote fjords, waterfalls, geological landscapes, historic communities, and Neolithic archaeology. From the first evening’s search for the Northern Lights after leaving Reykjavik to the final exploration of Papa Westray and the Knap of Howar, the route concludes here in Aberdeen. No additional activities after disembarkation are specified in the source material.