Arctic Adventures 2026 Iceland FAM Trip

In May 2026, we welcomed more than 30 participants to Iceland for our familiarization (FAM) trip across some of the country’s most active adventure regions. The group included influencers, travel agents, media representatives, and industry partners from markets including the UK, USA, China, Spain, Italy, Iceland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Canada, and India.

It was the biggest hosted trip we’ve put together so far. The idea was simple: if someone is going to inspire travelers to visit Iceland, plan their route, or help them choose the right experience, they should see what those experiences actually feel like. We wanted them inside the tours. On the ice. In the cave. On the boat. Next to our guides.

The six-day hosted journey connected global travel storytellers and industry partners with the guides, landscapes, and operations behind Iceland’s adventure tourism. The trip gave the group a closer look at what actually goes into guided adventure travel in Iceland: the planning, the safety briefings, the weather, the route decisions, and the local knowledge that never quite fits into a brochure.

From Reykjavík, the group traveled through the Golden Circle, down the South Coast to Vatnajökull glacier and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, then back across Þingvellir National Park and Langjökull glacier. Six days, several kinds of weather, and very little empty space on the schedule.

Participants hiked on glacier ice in crampons, snorkeled between two continents in clear glacial water, stood inside an ice cave, walked through a lava tunnel, and ended most days with hot food, warm drinks, and full camera rolls. Everything the group joined is part of the kind of Iceland we guide through regularly. The only unusual part was having creators, journalists, agents, and partners all in one group.

Highlights included:

• Glacier hike on Vatnajökull with the expert guides.
• Katla ice cave beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier on the South Coast.
• Snorkeling in Silfra fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
• Whale watching from Reykjavík harbor to see the ocean giants up close.
• Into the Glacier at Langjökull, the ice tunnel inside Iceland's second-largest glacier.
• Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel to see the volcanic geology beneath the surface.
• Laugarás Lagoon, the newest geothermal spa on the Golden Circle.

The hosted group brought together travel creators, journalists, agents, media representatives, and international travel industry partners representing a wide range of traveler audiences. Their work covers adventure travel, group travel, long-haul itineraries, luxury planning, destination storytelling, and creator-led travel content.

The 2026 FAM trip reflected a wider shift in how Iceland is being presented to travelers. Visitors still come for glaciers, waterfalls, black sand beaches, geothermal areas, and ice caves, but more travelers are looking for well-guided routes that combine famous landmarks with active, expertly led experiences.

As of May 15, 2026, creator content from the trip had reached approximately 2.9 million views on Instagram and 3.6 million views on Facebook, with more video coverage in production. The strongest-performing posts focused on glaciers, ice caves, and Silfra. No surprise there, Iceland’s ice tends to stop the scroll.

These early results show strong interest in what guided adventure travel in Iceland looks like, especially when it involves glaciers, ice caves, geothermal areas, waterfalls, whale watching, and active outdoor experiences. They also show the value of creator-led content in helping travelers picture the trip more clearly, from the scale of the landscapes to the planning and access needed to explore them safely.

Explore moments from the 2026 Arctic Adventures FAM trip, from glacier hikes and ice caves to whale watching, geothermal areas, and the South Coast. The gallery below highlights the landscapes, guided experiences, and behind-the-scenes moments shared by the group during the six-day journey.

We don't run FAM trips on a fixed schedule, so we can't say when the next one will be. But if you cover Iceland adventure travel, work in tourism, or build content for travelers planning Icelandic trips, we'd like to hear from you! Whether that's an editorial collaboration, a future hosted visit, or a quick conversation.