It’s a clam day in July, but Reykjavík harbour is bustling with life; crowds of travellers are gathered around small wooden huts to sign up for whale and puffin watching tours while others are simply enjoying a leisurely stroll around the harbour area.
At the docs, a modest Viking longship, its sides decorated with fanciful shields, sticks out from the many commercial boats and fishing vessels resting in the harbour. The ship was built in Þingeyri, Westfjords, in 2008 and modelled after the famous Gaukstaðaskip longship which was discovered at Gaukstaðir some years ago.
Married at sea
Ketill Berg Magnússon is the director of Reykjavík Viking Adventure, the company that maintains the ship and brings guests on sailing tours around the Faxaflói bay.
During the tours, guides inform passengers on Iceland’s Viking history, old navigation techniques, and, if you are lucky, you’ll be able to spot some puffins on Engey island.
“The idea came from the need to preserve the ship – if it’s not in use, the wood dries and becomes damaged. People had tried to offer these tours from Þingeyri but business was slow. That’s when the idea came to sail the ship to Reykjavík and operate tours from Reykjavík harbour,” Ketill explains.
The vessel is also available for private tours; for instance, one couple intends to get married on board as the ship sails from Reykjavík to the nearby town of Hafnarfjörður.
Designed for speed and quick escapes
The tours are ideal for families. My 11-year-old travel companion was more than eager to experience the Viking way of life. On our way back, the ship’s captain let him helm the ship, and manoeuvre it back into harbour – easily the highlight of the trip.
Our Viking guide, Ragnar (his real name), told us all there was to know about the longboats, the seafaring Vikings and their way of life.
Longships, or langskip, were used by Vikings for trade, exploration and warfare. The vessels were made from wood, had cloth sails and numerous beautifully crafted carvings on the hull. Its shallow hull was designed for speed and permitted beach landings. Its light weight, we were told, enabled the crew to carry the ship over portages and use it as shelter in camps. The ships were also double-ended, meaning it could quickly reverse direction without being turned around, which often allowed for a quick escape.
When sailing into harbour on such a vessel, one has no trouble imagining the sight that came into view as Ingólfur Arnarson, who first settled Reykjavík, neared what would become his future home. And that’s Reykjavík Viking Adventure’s goal: to give people a true Viking experience.
The tours leave daily at 9.30 am, 11.30 am, 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm.
It’s a clam day in July, but Reykjavík harbour is bustling with life; crowds of travellers are gathered around small wooden huts to sign up for whale and puffin watching tours while others are simply enjoying a leisurely stroll around the harbour area.
At the docs, a modest Viking longship, its sides decorated with fanciful shields, sticks out from the many commercial boats and fishing vessels resting in the harbour. The ship was built in Þingeyri, Westfjords, in 2008 and modelled after the famous Gaukstaðaskip longship which was discovered at Gaukstaðir some years ago.
Married at sea
Ketill Berg Magnússon is the director of Reykjavík Viking Adventure, the company that maintains the ship and brings guests on sailing tours around the Faxaflói bay.
During the tours, guides inform passengers on Iceland’s Viking history, old navigation techniques, and, if you are lucky, you’ll be able to spot some puffins on Engey island.
“The idea came from the need to preserve the ship – if it’s not in use, the wood dries and becomes damaged. People had tried to offer these tours from Þingeyri but business was slow. That’s when the idea came to sail the ship to Reykjavík and operate tours from Reykjavík harbour,” Ketill explains.
The vessel is also available for private tours; for instance, one couple intends to get married on board as the ship sails from Reykjavík to the nearby town of Hafnarfjörður.
Designed for speed and quick escapes
The tours are ideal for families. My 11-year-old travel companion was more than eager to experience the Viking way of life. On our way back, the ship’s captain let him helm the ship, and manoeuvre it back into harbour – easily the highlight of the trip.
Our Viking guide, Ragnar (his real name), told us all there was to know about the longboats, the seafaring Vikings and their way of life.
Longships, or langskip, were used by Vikings for trade, exploration and warfare. The vessels were made from wood, had cloth sails and numerous beautifully crafted carvings on the hull. Its shallow hull was designed for speed and permitted beach landings. Its light weight, we were told, enabled the crew to carry the ship over portages and use it as shelter in camps. The ships were also double-ended, meaning it could quickly reverse direction without being turned around, which often allowed for a quick escape.
When sailing into harbour on such a vessel, one has no trouble imagining the sight that came into view as Ingólfur Arnarson, who first settled Reykjavík, neared what would become his future home. And that’s Reykjavík Viking Adventure’s goal: to give people a true Viking experience.
The tours leave daily at 9.30 am, 11.30 am, 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm.
