Your Retreat:

This special week in Northern Iceland is open to all. It offers the opportunity to learn about Iceland's culture, history, and unique geography while experiencing some of the most magical sights of this amazing country. A professional guide will accompany you each day, sharing details of each site along with local folklore and personal stories.

OUR ITINERARY: Each morning, after breakfast, we will all have the option to participate in an all levels group yoga/movement class. Our hosts will pick us up at each domicile (all within a few blocks), and we’ll be transported across the fjord to our beautiful yoga and wellness center that overlooks the mountains and water.  Classes will be welcoming to all, and if you prefer, the center has a relaxation room, beautiful views, a dry sauna, and a jacuzzi available to our group. After class, we’ll be transported to lunch; after this, we’ll head out for our day’s activities!  If you decide any morning to sleep in and skip a class, you can meet us at lunch, which is just a couple blocks from your home. Our afternoon and evening adventures together will include:

• Hrisey Island is a lovely ferry ride to spend an afternoon picturesque exploration and hike of Hrisey Island. Situated at 66 degrees North, just a stone’s throw from the Arctic Circle, Hrisey is considered one of Iceland's “Power” places. This can’t be easily explained, so we’ll offer some moments of pause to sit and feel this special planetary vortex energy.

• A local exploration of Akureyri, learning about the history and folklore. We’ll drive along the fjord and make several stops, including visiting a secret canyon with hidden elves.  You’ll feel like you’ve been transported back in time or onto the most spectacular movie set designed by Mother Nature herself! Some weeks, we can offer a special dinner at a local farm. 

• Icelandic Horseriding! The Icelandic Horse is unique to Iceland and even boasts a unique gait called the “tolt.” Beginner riders will be in one group and enjoy a breathtakingly beautiful experience of the spring fields of Iceland. More experienced riders will have the opportunity to trot, canter, and tolt through the countryside! We’ll learn about these beautiful animals and be treated to hot beverages and Icelandic treats afterward. *note: If you are uncomfortable on horses, we can offer whale watching as an alternative!

• A full-day adventure to Myvatn – an amazing geothermic region that will take you from the fjord, through the mountains, to the lava fields.  You’ll experience the rolling fields of Icelandic sheep contrasted with the barren lunar landscapes the astronauts used to train for the first lunar landing in the ’60s!   Our day concludes with a visit to the thermal baths of the North.  In the front is a modern cafe, showers, and lockers … when you exit the back, you enter large natural pools of geothermic waters bubbling from Mother Earth herself.  With a high concentration of natural minerals, Icelanders often credit these waters with their health and longevity, which is much higher than the norm.  We’ll watch the sunset, and the galaxies of stars arise.  A sight to behold!

• There are two afternoons of optional activities. These afternoons, your teachers may offer extra classes, and you may decide to explore the little town on your own, get a massage, or walk to the fjord and take a boat to see the humpback whales. With enough interest, we can take a group to the geothermic salt water baths at the GeoSea in Husavik and arrange a visit to the new Forest Lagoon in Akureyri.

Each evening after our excursions, we return to Akureyri for dinner, then relax in our apartments and the backyard hot tubs to enjoy the fresh air and excellent company. Side note: The weather in Iceland is more temperate this time of year than you might expect! It is not uncommon for temperatures to be 50’s°F during the day.