08 Jun 2026 - 15 Jun 2026 (8 days)
EUR3,995 NO SPACES AVAILABLE
Tour Leader: Robert Williams
Tour Price (Per person): EUR3,995 (USD4,612 * GBP3,521 * AUD6,620)
Single Supplement: EUR1,180 (USD1,362 * GBP1,040 * AUD1,955)
This tour pairs with: Finland & Norway - Forests and Fjords 2026
Lying far out into the North Atlantic Ocean, the volcanic island of Iceland is the land between two continents; a land of fire and ice with its Viking heritage. While Iceland doesn’t have a long list of breeding birds, those that do occur are in many cases abundant, with globally important populations of waders, wildfowl and seabirds. In fact, its towering cliffs are among the largest seabird colonies on the planet, with five species of breeding auk, including Atlantic Puffin and Thick-billed Murre (Brünnich’s Guillemot), while the numerous lakes and wetlands are teeming with an array of divers, ducks and waders, such as Harlequin Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Red‐necked Phalarope and Purple Sandpiper. Top of many people’s wish list is the world’s mightiest falcon, Gyr Falcon, and Iceland has a healthy population of this supreme predator. As a backdrop to all this there is also the country itself, with its volcanoes, lava fields, glaciers, spouting geysers, mud pools, dramatic coasts and black sand beaches making for spectacular and other-worldly scenery at every turn!
Atlantic Puffin; Thick-billed Murre (Brünnich’s Guillemot); Harlequin & Long-tailed Ducks; Barrow’s Goldeneyes; Red‐necked & Red Phalaropes; Purple Sandpiper; Gyr Falcon; Common Loon (Great Norther Diver); Whooper Swan; Snow Bunting; Razorbill; Black-legged Kittiwake; Glaucous & Iceland Gulls; Rock Ptarmigan; Pink-footed Goose; European Golden Plover; Red-breasted Merganser; Horned (Slavonian) Grebe and Short-eared Owl.
White‐beaked Dolphin; Minke, Killer, Humpback or even Blue Whales; Arctic Fox.
tundra, coast, pelagic, lagoons, wetlands, lakes, volcanic landscapes, rivers
day time temperatures average between 16 - 20ºC, while coastal wind and evenings are cooler
6 with 1 Rockjumper leader
UNDEMANDING: This tour is ideal for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels. It’s suitable for most mobility levels and offers a relaxed pace, ensuring an enjoyable experience for everyone.
relaxed, with some long days (due to Iceland's latitude and the time of year, daylight is almost 24hrs a day)
comfortable
mostly easy
Lake Myvatn, Godafoss Waterfall, Gullfoss - the ‘Golden Waterfall’, Great Geysir and Strokkur Geysir, Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park, Reykjanes Peninsula
good to excellent
An excellent trip. Good list of birds even though it was the relaxed itinerary. Rob’s recounting some of his excellent adventures was an added bonus.
Paul brought in his wealth of experience. He worked well with Ashoka to make sure nothing was lost in translation. One member sustained an injury on day 1, probably because he declined the extra help offered on a slightly slippery walk. Paul and Ashoka took charge of the situation immediately, made sure the rest of the group was comfortable while getting help. It was incredible that the injured person managed to complete the trip with a walker. Ashoka is a highly experienced local guide. He went out of the way to accommodate our birding and non-birding (request to try local food) requests. Both Paul and Ashoka were always calm and very pleasant, paying individual attention to every person and ensured we had a memorable experience.
I really enjoyed having Lev as a tour guide, he was very knowledgeable and helpful and great at giving directions to see "hidden" birds in the jungle.
This was my third trip with Dušan and he, once again, orchestrated an outstanding experience. Not only is he a top notch bird guide, but he is also a superb tour leader who works tirelessly to make sure his clients have an enjoyable and trouble-free experience. Last, but not least, he is an interesting and friendly person: always willing to share his expertise and excited about learning from others. I truly hope that I have an opportunity to bird and travel with Dušan again.
Excellent tour. Accommodations were as good as could be expected given the isolated areas we needed to reach to see all the endemics. We saw them all. Dusan and the two local guides were exceptional at finding the birds and getting us on them. The vehicle fit our purpose, the luggage trailer was a great idea, and our driver Jose was very professional.