Peter Greenberg: Touring Iceland and Greenland

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-06-19

Hello, I want to go to Iceland and Greenland with a tour that includes meals. What do you suggest?
–Florence
Lavallette, N.J.
 
Iceland Adventure, Scantours, and Runic Travels—all offer multi-day, combination Greenland-and-Iceland itineraries showing the best of both islands, including Viking ruins, glaciers, geothermal springs, fjords, and waterfalls. All three companies include flights from the United States, airport transfers, accommodations, guides, and free time for your own exploration. Most meals are included, but not all. And some of the companies allow you to customize your trip. Prices range from $2,000–$5,000 per person.
 
Another way to see both places is to take a cruise, particularly if you’re intent on having all your meals included. Top of the World Tours offers three different cruises with two- or three-week itineraries including Greenland and Iceland (one includes Norway, too). These trips are a bit pricier, costing from $4,070 to $12,920 per person, depending on the length of the trip and the cabin class.
 
Don’t forget that tours and cruises to this region occur only from late spring through early fall, and they tend to book up quickly (due to limited capacity on flights and ships), so book as early as possible. Most trips start and end in Iceland, which you’ll reach either by direct flight from the United States, or via Copenhagen, Denmark, or London.

AARP offers a wide selection of tours and vacation benefits through a variety of escorted tour providers. Learn more at http://products.aarp.org/travel/vacations_tours/.