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St David’s Hospice Iceland Expedition Trek 2024

20th Nov 2024 - 25th Nov 2024

6 days/Iceland /Moderate to Challenging

Overview

Explore the landscapes of Iceland. Join St David’s Hospice as they spend three days trekking across fields of geothermal activity with bubbling mud pools and hot springs, the peaks of the Mount Hengill heritage site and the fault lines between Europe and America. Keep your eyes to the skies and you might be lucky enough to experience Lady Aurora herself!

NB. Bookings on this trip are now subject to availability and may be subject to flight surcharges.

This trek is graded moderate to challenging. You will be trekking long distances over varying terrain on consecutive days.

Iceland is a Nordic island sitting in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, just outside of the Arctic Circle. It is the most sparsely populated country in Europe and with its constantly active geologic border is littered with volcanoes, glaciers, mountains, geysers and lava fields.

Its capital Reykjavík, the world’s most northerly capital, is the heart of Iceland’s cultural, economic and governmental activity. Established as the first Icelandic settlement in 870 AD, Reykjavík has gone through many changes in its long and storied existence. It’s home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history. The striking concrete Hallgrímskirkja church with its rotating Perlan glass dome and the modern glass honeycomb structure of the Harpa concert hall and conference centre are architectural marvels offering sweeping views of the sea and nearby hills.

The minimum age is 18. It may be possible to participate if you are 16 or 17 years old but you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There is no upper age limit. The ideal candidate would be fit, healthy and determined, open to adventure and adaptable to unexpected changes.

You will be accompanied by local guides who have an excellent knowledge of culture and hiking in the region. The guides are first-aid trained and will support you throughout your journey. You will also be accompanied by a Different Travel Company UK tour manager.

If you do not already regularly exercise you should aim to start training (including plenty of hills) as early as possible. The best training is hill walking, which will prepare you for the type of terrain you will experience. Other activities which can complement hill walking include running, cycling, gym workouts, boot camps etc.

You will stay in a hotel or similar for the duration of the trip. Travel to and from the airport and hotel will be by private minibus.

You will be provided with plenty of hearty Icelandic meals which typically include fish and lamb and will keep your energy levels high for each day of discovery. Please inform us in advance if you have any dietary requirements.

Temperatures can typically peak to around 5°C during the day and drop to around 0°C at night however you must be prepared for variations to this which are out of our control. The weather during the adventure is expected to be dry with light winds however, rain is possible.

Itinerary

Day 1 (Wednesday 20 November 2024):

London – Reykjavik
Depart London for Reykjavik and transfer to a hotel on the southern coast of Iceland.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 (Thursday 21 November 2024):

Nesjavellir – Reykjadalur – Hveragerdi
After breakfast we drive to Nesjavellir from where our day’s hike starts.  We will hike across a field of geothermal activity with bubbling mud pools to Ölkelduháls. From there we continue down to the magical valley of Solfataras and hot springs called Reykjadalur where those brave enough can dip into a natural hot river. We continue down to the car park near Hveragerði where our bus awaits us. We will have a short drive back to our hotel.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trek: approx.14km

Day 3 (Friday 22 November 2024):

Hengill – Mt. Vorduskeggi
After a good breakfast, we drive up to the Mt Hengill area. From there we will hike up to Vörðuskeggi Peak (805m). From the top, you will enjoy views of Lake Þingvellir and Langjökull to the north and Eyjafjallajökull and the distant Westman Islands. From there we will hike up to Mt Skeggi the highest peak in the Hengill Heritage Site. We will then return to our hotel for dinner and a jacuzzi!
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Trek: approx. 13-14km

Day 4 (Saturday 23 November 2024):

Pingellir National Park – Reykjavik
A short drive brings us to the National Park of Thingvellir where we will hike along the fault lines that divide America and Europe. After the hike, we drive to Reykjavik for your celebration dinner in town.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trek: approx. 10km

Day 5 (Sunday 24 November 2024):

Reykjavik 

Today is free for you to explore Reykjavik or take an optional excursion to visit the Blue Lagoon (payable separately).
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 6 (Monday 25 November 2024):

Reykjavik – London
Today we take the flight home back to London.
Meals: Breakfast

 

N.B. This itinerary may change due to weather, the ability of the group and so on. We will do our best to keep to the itinerary but we cannot be held responsible for changes outside of our control. In all circumstances, your guide and tour leader will have the final say in the interest of health and safety.

Costs & How to pay

Registration fee: £395
and then either…

Sponsorship: £3,990

or

Flexi: £1,995* trip costs plus £1,995 fundraising for St David’s Hospice

NB. Bookings on this trip are now subject to availability and may be subject to flight surcharges.

SPONSORSHIP

This option is for those who wish to raise sponsorship to cover both the costs of the trip (flights, accommodation, food, guides etc.) and a donation to their chosen charity. There is a minimum sponsorship amount for each trip that you are required to raise in order to participate.

  • A registration fee is payable at the time of booking.
  • A minimum of £3,192 must be paid to the charity by 28 August 2024.
  • The remaining £798 must be fundraised by the date of departure.

FLEXI

This option is for those who choose to pay the trip costs (flights, accommodation, food, guides etc.) themselves while still raising some funds for the charity.

  • A registration fee is payable at the time of booking.
  • Trip cost balance of £1,995* is payable to Different Travel no later than 28 August 2024.
  • You must also fundraise a minimum of £1,995 for St David’s Hospice. A minimum of £1,596 is due by 28 August 2024. The remaining £399 is due by the date of departure.
  • Any fundraising undertaken cannot be used for your trip costs.

*NB Trip costs are based on the overall group size and are subject to change. This is the most you will be required to pay for this trek.

What's included

  • Return flights from London (inc. current taxes and fuel surcharges),
  • Transfers and transport in Iceland
  • Accommodation in hotels (5 nights)
  • Meals as specified
  • Local guides
  • Different Travel UK tour manager

What's not included

  • Travel insurance
  • Tips (£50-60pp)
  • Personal expenses (e.g. drinks, souvenirs etc.)
  • Vaccinations

Have a question?

If you’ve a question about this challenge that you can’t find the answer to within the given information then complete this quick form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.