Geography trip to Iceland by air: 5 days, 4 nights

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience: Located in Reykjavík, the Perlan Museum offers a great visitor experience. Volcanoes, glaciers, geothermal marvels and more come to life through cutting-edge technology and ground-breaking science. Visitors can see, feel, and live Iceland’s many natural wonders. There’s even a man-made 100-metre-long ice cave, the first of its kind in the world (built with over 350 tons of snow from the Blue Mountains) and a Glaciers Exhibit where students can learn about Iceland’s glaciers, their effect on the land and what will happen if they disappear. Visitors are also introduced to the unusual lifeforms that live on glaciers.
Select says: The Perlan Planetarium opens November 2018 with world class technology offering superb visitor experience, a dome theatre showing Icelandic nature, and a northern lights evening show. A further exhibition called Water in Icelandic Nature opens December 2018.

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience: The Lava Centre is an interactive, high-tech educational exhibition not to be missed, depicting volcanic activity, earthquakes and the creation of Iceland over millions of years. The centre is situated one hour away from Reykjavik in the town of Hvolsvöllur and sits between three active volcanoes, Eyjafjallajökull, Hekla and Katla.
Select says: The experience includes: Volcano Corridor, Geology Globe, Earthquake Corridor, The Fiery Heart of Iceland, Lava Corridor, Intro to Volcanology, and Ash Corridor. A great addition to the Iceland programme! View more

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience: A unique opportunity for students to take part in a reforestation programme and contribute to the recovery of Iceland´s ancient birch forests and reduce effects of CO2 at the same time.
Select says: All of the trees planted in the grove in Haukadalur are from a local greenhouse, located in the small village of Reykholt, only 20 km from the grove.

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience: This is a geothermal area with hot springs, steaming vents and mud pots. The dramatic, rugged landscape features volcanic craters, caves, lava fields, geothermal waters and hot springs. You will drive to the Álftanes peninsula and pass Bessastaðir, the residence of Iceland’s President, then to the town of Hafnarfjörður, situated picturesquely on an ancient lava flow. On towards Lake Kleifarvatn, set in fascinating, stark, moon-like surroundings. Near the lake’s southern end lies Krísuvík with powerful jets of steam escaping from deep below the earth’s crust and sulphurous steam rising from numerous vents of a geothermal field. We continue under low mountains along the shore with craggy cliffs rising sheer from the sea and dotted with bird’s nests then to the town of Grindavík with its large fishing fleet.
Select says: Nowhere on earth is the junction in the earth’s crust between the European and American tectonic plates as clearly visible as on the Reykjanes peninsula!

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience:

• Thingvellir National Park – stunning views of the mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, and are being pulled apart at a rate of 2cm per year. The geology here is not only interesting to learn about, but also spectacular to behold. There is much to explore in the park including the 20m Oxara waterfall, and the Nikulasargja Gorge, better known as Peningagja (Money Gorge) because it is customary to toss coins into the icy-cold water and make a wish.
• Geysir Hot Springs – a geothermal field where you can see geysers explode and pools of mud bubble.
• Gullfoss – known as the golden falls, Gullfoss is a stunning double waterfall that tumbles 34 metres into the Hvítá river.

Select says: There are possible add on excursions to the tour including –

• A visit to the Tomato Greenhouse for tasting and an introduction into how they use the Icelandic nature to cultivate tomatoes.

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience:

• Village of Vik – head across the Laki lava field to the village of Vík where you can stroll on the black lava beach and along the bird cliffs at Reynisfjara beach.
• Mýrdalsjökull glacier where the icecap covers an active volcano called Katla. Visit the Solheimajokull glacier snout where the glacier melts into a small lake in an everchanging landscape.
• Volcano Eyjafjallajökull – drive past and see the volcano that caused the infamous travel disruptions of 2010.
• Skógafoss and Seljalandfoss waterfalls – skógafoss is a stunning 60 metres high and Seljalandfoss is a high but narrow waterfall which plunges over the mountain.

Select says: Possible add ons for the South Shore Tour include the Lava Centre, an interactive, high-tech educational exhibition not to be missed, depicting volcanic activity, earthquakes and the creation of Iceland over millions of years.

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience: The Geothermal Energy Exhibition at Hellisheiði Power Plant is a state-of-the-art look into the harnessing of geothermal energy in Iceland. The plant is owned by Reykjavik Energy and is a striking example of how geothermal energy is harnessed in a sustainable manner in Iceland and a showcase for the rest of the world.
Select says: Experienced guides are on-hand to provide informative presentations backed by multimedia shows about sustainable green energy as a global energy source.

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience: The ever popular Blue lagoon is a unique geothermal spa set in the middle of the black lava field. The geothermal water originates 2,000 metres below the surface, where freshwater and seawater combine at extreme temperatures. It is then harnessed via drilling holes at a nearby geothermal power plant, Svartsengi, to create electricity and hot water for nearby communities. Students will learn about how the lagoon was formed and the wonders of geothermal seawater, along with volcanic activity in Iceland and the lava fields surrounding the Blue Lagoon.
Select says: Guided tours are approximately 40 minutes long, and take place indoors and outdoors. It is likely you will visit the blue lagoon on arrival, so keep your swim kit to hand.

Subject range: Geography

What you’ll experience: An opportunity of a lifetime for your students to take a whale watching tour from Reykjavik. Regular sightings from whale watching boats in Iceland include the infamous Killer whale orcas, humpback whales, pilot whales, minke whales, white beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises, not forgetting sperm, fin and blue whales.
Select says: Summer season is great for whale watching, as the wildlife in the bay is at its highest peak.