Tentative Program Dates: Tuesday, January 2, 2024 (class meetings start) - Monday, January 15, 2024 (class meetings end) 

Sample itinerary is subject to change. Note: Students arrange their own housing and meals while participating in the on-campus component. The cost of housing and meals while participating in the on-campus component is NOT factored in the program's cost estimate. 

Day 1: Class meeting prior to travel on the UNI campus. Explore Nordic and Icelandic Resources and Civilizations through discussions, readings and activities. Students arrange their own housing and meals while participating in the on-campus component. 

Day 2: Drive to Chicago O'Hare Airport for group flight to Reykjavík, Iceland. Overnight flight; arrive the next morning. 

Day 3: Arrive in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. Reykjavík city tour. 

Day 4: Visit National Museum of Iceland and learn about Icelandic culture and society over the past 1200 years as well as the Perlan Museum, where you can about Iceland's natural wonders with interactive exhibits such as the world's first indoor ice cave. You will also visit Reykjavík CrossFit for a 1 hour CrossFit class. Group dinner in evening. 

Day 5: Reykjavík  Free Day. Northern Lights Tour in evening, if conditions are favorable 

Day 6: Today you will be exploring volcanic activity and deposits in the area. Discover the amazing geological features of Reykjanes Peninsula, a UNESCO Geopark. Travel along the coast and take a walk on the Bridge between Continents. Here you can see the Mid-Atlantic ridge that divides the North American and European tectonic plates. Iceland is the only place on Earth where the ridge can be seen on land. End the day at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's famous geothermally-heated spa. 

Day 7: This Golden Circle day tour includes the most popular natural wonders of Iceland: Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall and Geysir geothermal area.

Located in a rift valley where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, Þingvellir is also the site of the world’s oldest democratic parliament, founded in 930 A.D. Next, visit to the famous Geysir geothermal area and its bubbling springs and hot mud pots. The most active geyser of the area is Strokkur, erupting up to 30 m (98 feet) high every 7-10 minutes. Strokkur is surrounded by many other small and interesting bubbling geysers and mud pots. Only a few minutes’ drive from Geysir is Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Europe. Thousands of tons of water from a glacial river thunder down into a canyon from two different levels of ledges. One ledge is 11m (36 feet) high, and the other is 21 m (69 feet). Next, visit Friðheimar: Organic Greenhouse Farm where you can see how vegetables are grown using Iceland’s geothermal energy. Continue from Golden Circle to the South part of Iceland. If the skies are clear, you’ll have a view of two famous volcanoes. Beautiful Mt. Hekla is Iceland’s most frequently erupting volcano (last eruption in year 2000). Eyjafjallajökull’s 2010 eruption halted international air traffic. The volcano will be visible from your accommodation Hellishólar on a clear day. If the group is lucky and the conditions are favorable you may have an opportunity to see northern lights tonight. Group dinner in evening. 

Day 8: South Shore: Seljalandsfoss, Eyjafjallajökull , Skógafoss , Skógar museum

The first stop is at Seljalandsfoss, a ribbon-shaped waterfall you can walk behind if trail conditions are just right. Visit breathtaking Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s most photographed waterfalls. Nearby is the local Skógar museum. Here you can see buildings and objects that show how Icelanders lived in the countryside over the last few centuries. Pass by the Dyrhólaey headland with its sheer cliffs and onwards to Reynisfjara, where you can take a walk on the beach. You can also get a view of the Reynisdrangar rocks, located 66 meters (215 feet) above sea level. A packed lunch is included for this day trip. Return to Reykjavík for the remainder of your stay.

Day 9: Reykjavík  Free Day. Northern Lights Tour in evening, if conditions are favorable 

Day 10: Reykjavík Iceland Renewable Energy Cluster, Hellisheiði Power Station, Carbfix reinjection well

Iceland is the only Western country that produces all its electricity from sustainable natural resources in the form of geothermal and hydro-electric power. Today, you will visit with representatives from the Geothermal Research Cluster to learn about their roles in researching and developing of geothermal resources. Next, visit Hellisheiði Power Station, located on an active volcanic ridge, for an overview of how geothermal energy is processed from hot water and a private guided tour through the plant. Next, you will have an in-depth lecture in a conference room in Hellisheidi Power plant on Carbfix. It is not only trees and vegetation that bind carbon from the atmosphere. Huge quantities of carbon are naturally stored in rocks. Carbfix stands for Carbon Fixation. The process was developed to help nature re-balance the carbon cycle by imitating and accelerating natural storage of CO2 in favorable rock formations. After your lecture, watch a security video and put on helmets and vests before driving to the Carbfix reinjection well. Get an in-depth explanation of the process. 

Day 11: Fly home; travel from Chicago to the UNI campus. Students arrange their own housing and meals.

Day 12: Class meeting. Recap experience abroad and introduction to Nordic cultures in the USA. Students arrange their own housing and meals.

Day 13: Day trip to Decorah, Iowa. Activities at the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, followed by a group dinner to end the course.  (Note, the spring semester starts the next day)