ICELAND is one of the world's hottest destinations - and you could be there on The Senior's fully escorted cruise tour next year.
Organised in conjunction with Travelrite International, the19-day tour will take in the very best of Iceland as well as Norway, Shetland Islands and Scotland.
After an overnight flight to Amsterdam, our group will enjoy a sightseeing tour and city canal cruise before a second day to see the city at your leisure... perhaps visit Van Gogh Museum or the Rijksmuseum.
Then it's all aboard MS Rotterdam, standard-bearer for the Holland America fleet of ships.
There'll be plenty of time to enjoy the ship's many facilities, including a $2 million art and antique collection.
First port of call is Bergen in Norway, a city surrounded by mountains. There'll be a guided tour of the Hanseatic Quarter with the chance to ride the funicular from the city centre to the top of Mount Floyen for magnificent views of the surrounding islands from 320 metres above sea level.
It's then full steam ahead for Iceland and the port of Seydisfjordur, which lies at the head of a narrow fjord flanked by mountains. Passengers will be able to shake off their sea legs on a walking sightseeing tour, visit the Skatfell Cultural Centre and see one of the country's tallest and most beautiful waterfalls, Hengifoss Waterfall.
Next up is Akureyri, the unofficial capital of northern Iceland and home to one of the country's most famous turf houses, built in the traditional style of stone and turf.
There's also a visit to the Akureyri Botanical Gardens where Arctic plants are a feature, before spending some time in the town centre.
Arriving in Isafjordur, the tour visits a 19th century fisherman's hut, restored in 1988, and then heads through Bolungarvik village and stops for a sip of fresh mountain water at the waterfall in Tunguskogur. Majestic mountains rising from the sea make this a memorable day.
The tour spends two days in the capital Reykjavik, gateway to Iceland's stunning natural wonders - from ice fields to boiling thermal pools.
At Gulllfoss Waterfall, huge quantities of water tumble violently into a deep, meandering gorge.
The group also visits the site of Iceland's ancient parliament and the place where you can see the American and Eurasian tectonic plates pulling apart at the rate of a few centimetres a year.
It's then back to sea for a day before reaching Lerwick, on the Shetland Islands. Places to be visited include Scalloway Castle, built in 1600 by the tyrant Earl Patrick Stewart using forced labour, Scalloway Museum and the Tingwall Valley with its Norse heritage.
Of course, there'll also be Shetland ponies!
Scotland is next on the itinerary, with stops at Inverness, near Loch Ness, and Edinburgh.
Places of interest include the native woodlands of Glen Urquhart, Urquhart Castle, and Edinburgh's ancient Royal Mile with its cobbled streets that form the backbone of the medieval Old Town leading from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to Edinburgh Castle. There's also a tour of the castle, home to the Scottish crown jewels and historic Stone of Destiny.
The tour rounds out by cruising back to Amsterdam.
- Tour departs Australia on June 19, 2019, returning on July 7. It is priced from $9190 per person twin share ($11,990 single).
Details from Travelrite HERE or 1800-630-343.
