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9-NIGHT ICELANDIC ADVENTURE
Thursday, June 18 – Saturday, June 27, 2026
(B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, T = Tasting with food)
Day 1: Thursday, June 18
ARRIVE IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
Welcome to Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost sovereign state capital. It’s also one of the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world. Reykjavik was first permanent settlement in Iceland was in Reykjavík in 874 AD. In Old Norse the word Reykjavík translates as “Smoky Bay”. Upon arrival at Keflavik International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, a 45-minute drive. A Welcome Dinner this evening is a short walk from the hotel at La Primavera (Harpa).This highly regarded restaurant combines Northern Italy food traditions with premium Icelandic ingredients. (D)
OVERNIGHT: Iceland Parliament Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton (2 nights)
Day 2: Friday, June 19
GOLDEN CIRCLE AND FRIÐHEIMAR TOUR
This is a day of adventure, encompassing the sights and sounds of Iceland’s Golden Circle, a scenic route of stunning natural landmarks and historic places. Experience Iceland’s geological wonders including Gullfoss Waterfall, Þingvellir National Park and the Geysir Geothermal Area. The small village of Laugarvatn — located on the shores of a lake with the same name — is home to Laugarvatn Fontana Hot Springs Spa and Bath. Sample Geyser Bread, made using age old method of baking in the steaming hot ground. After lunch at the Hotel Geysir, we wait for the appearance of the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights), served with a hot chocolate and this country’s favorite pastry Kleine, sort of an Icelandic doughnut. Return to the hotel in the early evening. Dinner tonight is at leisure. (B,L)
Day 3: Saturday, June 20
LEISURE DAY/OPTIONAL LAGOON VISIT & SWIM/EMBARKATION
This morning explore Reykjavik at your leisure. Iceland’s capital offers cultural attractions, history, natural beauty and ample museums. Alternatively, join an optional day tour to Iceland’s Sky Lagoon, a luxurious, man-made thermal bath that juts out over the wild North Atlantic. In the late afternoon you will be transferred to our ship the Ponant L’Austral. After dinner tonight gather in the main lounge to meet your Chateau Montelena group members for after-dinner drinks. (B,D, Cocktail Hour)
Embarkation 6/20/2026 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Departure 6/20/2026 at 7:30 PM
Day 4: Sunday, June 21
AROUND SURTSEY ISLAND
Arrival 6/21/2026
Departure 6/21/2026 early morning
A small but dramatic basalt formation in the North Atlantic Ocean, Surtsey is a volcanic island formed by a submarine eruption that lasted from 1963 to 1967. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To protect its virgin ecosystem, it is forbidden to land here. Only a small group of scientists have access to Surtsey to study the plant and animal colonization of the island. Since 1967 mosses, fungi and lichens have taken hold, vascular plants followed. Around 300 invertebrate species and 90 bird species have also colonized this new island. While L’Austral is underway, enjoy panoramic views of Surtsey’s extraordinary contours. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Monday, June 22
HEIMAEY, VESTMANNAEYJAR
Arrival 6/21/2026 early morning
Departure 6/21/2026 late afternoon
Heimaey sits off the southern coast of Iceland, the largest of the Vestmann Islands and the only inhabited island in the archipelago. The steep Edfell Volcanoes here are adjacent to the green prairies of Herjólfsdalur, offering another rich contrast of nature and stark rocky volcanic terrain. On the Stórhöfði Road, see picturesque grey sand beaches and cliffs carved by the Arctic Ocean. (B,L,D)
TIP: Visit Eldheimar, an ultra-modern and interactive museum which traces the 1973 volcanic eruption of Heimaey.
Day 6: Tuesday, June 23
GRUNDARFJÖRDUR
Arrival 6/22/2026 late morning
Departure 6/22/2026 early evening
Located at the foot of the Kirkiufell, the boreal hideaway of Grundarfjordur sits on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Arriving by tender boat, an enormous lava-stone sentinel rock guards the bay entrance, with the town sheltered behind. A stone’s throw from the jetty, there is a riot of color. Here crystal-clear waters, tundra and beaches give way to cerulean waters of Breiðafjörður. This pretty Icelandic town also has beautiful emerald-colored lawns, with colorful Nordic houses that merge into the surrounding countryside. (B,L,D)
Day 7: Wednesday, June 24
GRÍMSEY
Arrival 6/23/2026 midday
Departure 6/23/2026 evening
Grímsey is the northernmost island of Iceland surging up from the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Circle runs through the island. On this remote west coast of Iceland Grímseyjarhreppur is the island’s only town. Traveling south the lush hillsides are carpeted with moss and grass. The rest of the coastline features imposing basalt cliffs inhabited by thousands of sea birds. (B,L,D)
Day 8: Thursday, June 25
AKUREYRI
Arrival 6/24/2026 mid afternoon
Departure 6/24/2026 mid afternoon
Just under the Arctic Circle, the elegant city of Akureyri is tucked away in the Eyjafjörður fjord. All around see a stunning palette of colors: blue harbor waters, bronze mountain ash squares and brightly painted houses in the historic town center. Walking along the cobbled streets with rows of terraces. A vast stairway cut into the hillside leads up to the emblematic feature of the town, namely the Akureyrarkirkja Church. A warm microclimate here resulted in the creation of a beautiful botanic garden. Native Icelandic flora and plants from all over the world thrive here. (B,L,D)
Day 9: Friday, June 26
ISAFJÖRDUR
Arrival 6/25/2026 early morning
Departure 6/25/2026 early afternoon
Today we sail into the heart of northwest Iceland’s fjords. This is a wild land of lost valleys, with steep cliffs and a harsh climate. Cruise up Isafjörður Fjord, one of the most beautiful in the country, with steep walls forged by ancient basaltic lava flows. Nestled at the back of the fjord, between imposing mountains lies the town of Isafjörður. This is a delightful and historic fishing village with remarkable wooden houses well worth photographing. (B,L,D)
Day 10: Saturday, June 27
REYKJAVÍK – DISEMBARKATION
Bid farewell to L’Austral, your crew and fellow Montelena Iceland shipmates. Transfers to Reykjavik’s Keflavik International Airport can be pre-arranged on board. (B)
(Airport departure transfer not included.)
PASSENGER FITNESS AND BOARDING CONDITIONS:
A PONANT cruise lets you experience an exceptional moment and we are bound by our quality requirements towards you – both in terms of prior, necessary information and of safety. So that we can fulfil our obligations completely we wish to draw your attention to your own commitment as Concerns yourself and your underage children when they are accepted on our cruises.
You are hereby informed that, in order to enjoy your cruise and to ensure that it runs smoothly for the other passengers and the crew, you declare for yourself, and the minors included in your contract that you are fit enough:
– both physically and psychologically, to stay for several days at sea in the closed environment of a cruise ship,
– to disembark/embark at ports of call or to go on boat excursions,
– to respect the Captain’s and the crew’s orders in case of bad weather or any other incident while at sea or in port.
Even though each of our ships has a medical team, comprising a doctor and nurse who provide medical treatment and emergency care, as well as a hospital with state-of-the-art medical equipment, certain pre-existing medical conditions may prove incompatible with the contingences of the ship’s distance and the sailing conditions as well as with the preservation of the passengers’ and the crew’s safety.
This is why we ask you – before signing on for one of our cruises, whatever the program – to make sure you are physically and mentally fit by seeing your doctor – both for yourself and for the minors included in your contract – who will be able to help you decide whether your pre-existing state of health is compatible with the cruise you are planning.
Generally speaking, in reserving a PONANT cruise you declare you are aware of the physical and medical demands that may be entailed by certain of our excursions, which propose, particularly and non-exhaustively, polar diving, kayaking, diving, snorkeling, trekking etc.
Non-exhaustive list of medical conditions that are grounds for refusing embarkation and disembarkation:
- Limited autonomy, as defined with a maximum level of 3 for expedition and 4 for yachting, on the clinical frailty scale that your doctor can explain to you;
- Behavioral disorders, dementia, disorientation, unstable psychiatric illness or unstable neurological conditions (epilepsy, paralysis, giddy spells, etc.…);
- Active contagious diseases including but not limited to skin, respiratory, and gastro-intestinal diseases;
- Uncontrolled infectious disease;
- Surgical operation less than one month before embarkation;
- Respiratory or cardiac problems requiring additional oxygen;
- Acute coronary syndrome having required surgery (percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass) or admission into intensive care within the last 3 months;
- Chronic, unstable cardiovascular disease, requiring change of treatment in less than one month, or invasive procedure planned within 6 months;
- Kidney disease requiring dialysis;
- Incapacity to comply with Ponant’s immunization requirements;
- Chronic pathology that may be destabilized by changes in treatment times or health lifestyle aboard (chronic renal insufficiency, cardiac insufficiency, respiratory insufficiency, insulin-dependent diabetes;