AACI Kosher Iceland
August 11-18, 2023 – 8 Days-7 Nights

Join us on an unbelievable Adventure of a Lifetime

Whale Watching, Boat Ride, Blue Lagoon, Glacier Visit, Ice caves + Waterfalls galore & so much more!

This trip will offer the opportunity to see a land of the boiling mud pools, spurting geysers, glaciers and waterfalls. Its breathtaking landscapes are inspirational. Iceland is the least densely populated country in Europe, with a pure, unpolluted and truly magical landscape. Our tour will be in English, fully kosher and Shabbat Observant. In August the sun dips down to the horizon but never sets. Our days will be filled with activities such as a snow-mobile safari, unique visit to ice caves, walking through Lava fields around the cauldron of a volcano, relaxation in some of the natural hot baths of the blue lagoon + so much more!

Day 1, Friday August 11 | Tel Aviv – Reykjavik – “Bridge Between Continents”, Perlan Museum
Departure from Ben Gurion Airport, Terminal 3 (by direct flight or via an intermediate destination) to Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s international airport in the city of Reykjavik which is the largest city in Iceland and the northernmost capital in the world. Reykjavik is home to half of the country’s residents and is the main center of economic, cultural and academic activities in Iceland.

From the airport we will drive straight to the Reykans Peninsula, to see and walk on the “bridge between continents”. The location is exactly at the junction of two tectonic plates, the Eurasian plate and the North American plate. These plates are moving away from each other and thus the area of Iceland actually increases by a few centimeters each year. If you thought it was impossible to jump from Europe to America on foot, you are in for a surprise! Between the two continental plates, and at a height of 15 meters, a pedestrian bridge was built over one of the cracks which serves as clear evidence of the presence of the tectonic plate margins. The bridge was built as a symbol of the connection between Europe and North America. On each side of the bridge appears a butcher who greets those who come: “Welcome to Europe” and “Welcome to America”.

From here we will continue to one of the iconic buildings in the capital of Iceland which until 1991 was used as a storage tank for Reykjavik’s hot water, and we will visit the Perlan museum/complex. The complex has a display on Icelandic nature, the local animals, geology and the northern lights. Another experience in the complex is an impressive ice cave and also a 360 view of the entire Reykjavík bay.

After our tour, we will return to our hotel and prepare for Shabbat.

Day 2, Saturday August 12 | Shabbat rest in Reykjavik
Shabbat. Shabbat Menucha – we will dedicate the day to rest and prayer. We will go with the guide on a walking tour in Reykjavík. We will see the pedestrian mall and the business center of the city, the opera house, (Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall) which was inaugurated in 2011 and quickly became one of the symbols of Reykjavík and is considered a must-see for those visiting the city. We will also see the town hall, part of which is used as a museum, and, of course, the impressive and unusual Hallgrímskirkiavnra church.

Day 3, Sunday August 13 | Westman Islands (Parrot Sea), Slielandsfoss waterfall
This morning we will go on a cruise to the Westman Islands – a group of islands located in southern Iceland. The islands are an archipelago that includes 15 islands, of which only the large island of Heimaey is inhabited, although on the other islands you can find isolated cabins that are mainly used for hunting. We will tour among the parts of the island buried under the lava and volcanic dust. We will continue the tour between the island’s cliffs and watch the variety of sea birds and animals.

The animal most associated with the islands is the sea parrot (the puffins). You can watch them on the cliffs nesting; there are walking paths leading to the nesting points. The nesting season of the terns is from around mid-April to mid-August. The name “Westman” in Icelandic means “people of the west”. In the past the island was inhabited by Irish slaves. Ireland is west of Norway and the descendants of the first Icelanders are mainly Norwegians. Hence, the name was established as the islands of the “People of the West” until today.

We will also visit the impressive Aldheimer Museum located at the foot of the Aldfeitl volcano. The museum describes the eruption of the volcano that happened in 1973, which is considered one of the most significant natural disasters in Iceland. Visitors get a glimpse into people’s lives on the island of Heimaey before the eruption and the event itself that changed their lives forever. The islanders were forced to leave their homes in the middle of the night and evacuate the island, many of them never seeing their homes or belongings again since that day. The lava flow from Eldfell in the eastern part of the island destroyed half of the town and even threatened to block its narrow port, which is the main source of income. A quick action by the residents to cool the lava with water hoses stopped the flow of lava and saved the port and the continuation of life on the island.

We will end the beautiful day trip with a visit to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Iceland in the southern region of Iceland, which falls from a height of 60 meters.

In the evening we will return to our hotel in Reykjavík.

Day 4, Monday August 14 | Vatnajökull glacier and Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon
The day will be dedicated to the power of Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull. which covers about 8% of the island’s surface. Under the glacier, as under many of Iceland’s glaciers, there are volcanoes. Volcanic lakes, such as Grímsvötn. During the last ice age, many volcanic eruptions took place under the ice sheet and special mountains with fairly flat peaks were formed, such as Mount Herðubreið which, during the last ice age, was covered under the ice sheet and is now completely exposed above the ground.

This is a day to admire dramatic fjord landscapes and tiny fishing villages at the corners of winding roads. Towards noon, our next destination is Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon on which glaciers float. This is the largest and deepest glacial lagoon in Iceland which was formed by large blocks of ice that broke off from the Vatnajökull glacier. Due to the lake’s close proximity to the glacier, there is a fear that the lake will eventually turn into a real bay.

We will board an amphibious vehicle for a cruise in the glacial lagoon. This is a unique experience where you can see the glaciers up close including the break point of the ice blocks from the great glacier. During the cruise we will learn the history of this glacial lagoon which started forming around 1935 and grew as the glacier retreated. Since the 1970s, Jökulsárlón has quadrupled in size and now measures around 11 square kilometers (7 miles) wide. At 248 meters (814 feet) deep, Jökulsárlón is the deepest lake in the country.

Day 5, Tuesday August 15 | Golden Ring – Strokkur Geyser, Gullfoss Golden Falls and Thingvellir National Park
This day will be devoted to a trip to the “Golden Ring” area. On our way there we will pass by an Icelandic horse farm. The Icelandic horse is different in appearance from other types of horses. It has its own way of walking – when it gallops, a foot on each side touches the ground. Its fur is also different from the other horses.

We will reach Friðheimar where we will visit a geothermal farm and see the Strokkur geyser that erupts every 5-10 minutes, one of the largest geysers in the world. We will also see the golden Gullfoss waterfalls, a system of waterfalls that falls into a deep and spectacular canyon. The source of the water of the falls is actually the great glacier Hlangyokutl. After that, we will go to the Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Park located near Thingvell Lake. The system of gorges and geological fractures that surround the park is considered one of the best illustrations on the planet as to the movement of the tectonic plates. This is one of the places where the Eurasian land shelf meets the North American one. This area was first settled by Vikings.

At the end of the tour day we will return to our hotel in Reykjavík for dinner and overnight. 

Day 6, Wednesday August 16 | Snapefelsens PeninsulaAfter breakfast, we will make our way to the town of Borgarnes, which has about 2000 inhabitants. From there we will descend south to the whale fjord Hvalfjörður.  We will get a chance to tour the place and enjoy the unique beauty of an authentic Icelandic fjord with the ships, beaches, snowy mountains, and waterfalls. During World War II, the British and the Americans built a large military base here. There is also a whaling station. For geology enthusiasts, the inner part of the Fjord of the Whales presents an interesting mixture of volcanoes and green vegetation.

We will travel to the Snæfellsnes peninsula where the small villages of Hellnar and Arnarstapi are located. The villages lie at the foot of the Snaefellsjökull glacier, the famous volcano in Iceland. The glacier and the area around it are considered one of the energy centers of the earth, and this is where the legend was forged that Snapefelsens is the gateway to the center of the earth.

Day 7, Thursday August 17 | Whale watching in Reykjavík, the Blue Lagoon
Today we will go on a whale watching cruise from Reykjavik. The Icelandic capital is the country’s most popular destination for whale watching cruises. Cruises usually depart from the Old Port. Those who want the opportunity to watch the biggest animal of the sea, Reykjavík is one of the places to watch them. There is a fair chance of catching sight of them and, indeed, the whales are seen near the city’s beaches all year round.

After that, we will drive to one of the famous places in Iceland, the Blue Lagoon. The accidental creation of the lagoon is an incredible story. In the 1970s, the Swartsangi geothermal power plant began to discharge water rich in salt, algae, and minerals and eventually a large pool was formed in the lava field. This has become an attraction for many visitors year-round and in all weathers. We can bathe in the pool to our heart’s content and after the warm and refreshing experience we will go to the airport and fly back to Tel Aviv.

Day 8, Friday August 18 | Tel Aviv
Landing early in the morning in Tel Aviv

Prices are subject to change due to possible rise in port and fuel taxes

Terms of payment:
Upon Registration: 50%
Balance due 20.7. 2023

Cancellation:
From time of registration until July 19, 2023: 50%
From July 20, 2023, to day of departure: 100%

The trip includes:
* Round trip, Israel – Iceland flights
* Economy – half board, Sandwiches for lunch
* Entrance fee to the sites according to the route of the trip
* Tips
* An Israeli guide
* AACI escort
* Air-conditioned tourist bus.

The trip does not include:
* Personal expenses during the trip to Iceland
* Medical insurance and luggage
* Changes in port and fuel taxes are determined by the airlines. AACI & DH have no control over fluctuating prices.

Registration form 11-18.8.23

For more details, contact Carole at AACI 972-2-5661181 ext. 310