Iceland July Excursion choices
Hi
I am taking the Iceland trip in July and just received the excursion choices. Two of the reasons I wanted to visit Iceland was to see the Puffins and ride an Icelandic Horse. Both of these were listed in the promotional materials for this trip, but now I don't see them at all. Can anyone shed light on this? This is my first Tauck trip and it seems like false advertising. Thanks in advance!
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Check Day 2 of the itinerary. "There are places on Earth that simply must be experienced and the geological children, Heimaey and Surtsey islands in the area of Iceland called Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands), are among them. Named "islands of the western men" for a group of rebellious slaves whose daring exploits are the stuff of Icelandic legend, this remote part of Iceland – far off the beaten track, with its scenic beauty, huge seabird colonies and intriguing human saga – has an aura of adventure and magic. In 1973, a volcanic eruption on Heimaey, the only populated island, destroyed the small town and changed the island's landscape forever. Come ashore on Heimaey for a day of exploration that includes a visit to Sprangan cliff, where young islanders are taught the sport of rope-swinging and cliff-side egg-collecting;** a stop at Storhöfdi, home to the island's largest colony of puffins and an incredible vantage point for breathtaking views of the island and the massive glaciers of the mainland (weather permitting); and a walk up the youngest mountain in the world – which was born when Mt. Eldfell spewed lava over the island, creating the new "Pompeii" of the north. You won't have to look too hard to see **puffins, Arctic terns, and other birds that inhabit the cliffs and coves. Tonight, join us for the Captain's Welcome Dinner as your ship charts a course for Grundafjordur."
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We also saw lots of puffins on Grimsey Island - day 4 of your itinerary. You probably aren't seeing an excursion choice for that day because, weather permitting, everyone will do that activity.
Pre pandemic when we went, we went to an Icelandic horse center for demonstrations but there was no opportunity to ride them.
We were very lucky to have the ship’s captain invite my husband and I to go out into the sea in a dingy and view the puffins from that perspective.it was so awesome.
You don't see them mentioned in the excursion choices because days were you should see them, day 2 on Heimaey, and day for on Grimsey, have no excursion choices. Everyone has the same excursion.
We're on the June 15 cruise and looking forward to it.
Okay. Thank you for the responses. That makes sense. I don't want to go all the way to Iceland and miss the puffins! The horseback riding was mentioned in the marketing materials, but I don't see it anywhere else. Maybe I will try to see if I can do it during my pre stay.
Any other input on excursions is appreciated.
We went early and did an excursion that included riding the horses. See https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2016Iceland-01.htm
We went in 2025. You'll see plenty of puffins- both small and large
We visited a farm for a wonderful lunch in one of their large green houses. The owners grew tomatoes, etc. and flowers hydroponically, and raised and trained Icelandic horses. We visited the stable to see the horses up closely and watched a show/demonstrating their smooth ride and variety of gaits, but we did not have the opportunity to ride the horses ourselves. https://fridheimar.is/tourist-services/
Thank you for the input and great pictures and link for horseback riding. Definitely going to check that out. The farm visit looks awesome, so I will pick that as an excursion. I wish they had more details in the description of the excursions. They are really vague, but your photos and description are so helpful. Thanks!!
Mich4, note that the photos AlanS posted on the farm are not part of an optional excursion. They are part of the Golden Circle tour on Day 7, which is scheduled for everyone. The lunch in the greenhouse and farm tour have never been mentioned in the Tauck descriptions of that tour, but have been reported in this forum by guests on several past cruises.
There is a farm visit included as an optional excursion on Day 6 in Isafjordur. This is part of the "Dynjandi & Icelandic Farm Visit" excursion which is new this year, so was not part of AlanS's tour. There is no mention of horses in this excursion.
A visit to the Fridheimer farm is not likely part of what is traditionally known as the "Golden Circle" tour despite the title of the original Tauck Day 7 itinerary, "Iceland’s “Golden Circle” The althing & The Blue Lagoon"). A visit to Fridheimer farm was not listed anywhere on the website or various on-tour itineraries in 2025. It was a pleasant surprise.
We were offered one of two options for Day 7 which we only learned about when we got our handouts once aboard Le Champlain. One longer 11 hour option included (swimming in) the Blue Lagoon and the other, shorter 8 hour version did not. Since we had already planned to swim at Myvatn baths a few days prior (ended up being a wise choice!) we chose the shorter, Day 7 option.
None of the routes were actually a "Golden Circle." I think the second option was offered because many travelers were concerned about the long day, the effects of the Blue Lagoon water on their hair, and the limited time to get ready for the farewell dinner that night. Also, I believe Tauck continues to wicker the itinerary and options, because, while the tour is interesting, frankly, compared to most of our other nearly 20 Tauck tours, there is not much "there" there. Also, access to the Blue Lagoon can be prohibited due to the close proximity of the repeated eruptions nearby (there was an eruption during our flight home!!)