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At Arctic Adventures, we believe that how we operate matters just as much as where we take you. Our values shape every decision we make, from protecting Iceland's wild landscapes to supporting local communities and championing equal rights. With clear goals, certified sustainable practices, and a passion for doing things the right way, we aim to set a standard we can be proud of. The recognition we've earned along the way reflects that commitment and keeps us moving forward. In 2026, that includes keeping our Gold-Class Vakinn Environmental Certificate after passing our latest audit and being named an Excellent in Iceland company for both 2025 and 2026.

Our Certifications

Being a sustainable tour operator is something which we, at Arctic Adventures, take very seriously. It is also important for us to be able to reassure our customers concerning this. Our Certifications are an official recognition of our sustainability status. We are motivated to find additional ways to improve and to keep pace with new sustainability developments.

Arctic Adventures awards and certificates 2026.

Vakinn Quality Accreditation

Vakinn is a quality system run by the Icelandic Tourist Board. Only tourism businesses that maintain high standards across all areas of their operations and meet Vakinn’s comprehensive assessment criteria, earn the right to carry its official quality label. In 2025, Arctic Adventures achieved Vakinn’s highest possible Environmental Certification: the Gold-Class level, awarded through independent audits for outstanding performance in sustainability, safety, and responsible operations.

We are proud to be a Vakinn-certified travel service, consistently maintaining this quality standard year after year and ensuring our daily operations meet all accreditation requirements.

For travelers, the Vakinn Gold-Class label means:

  • You’re booking with a company that meets Iceland’s highest standards for quality, safety, and environmental care.
  • Our tours are run responsibly, with systems in place to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainability at every step.
  • You can expect ethical business practices, well-trained staff, and a strong focus on guest safety and satisfaction.

Vakinn Gold-Class Environmental Certificate

Arctic Adventures has been awarded and has maintained the Vakinn Environmental Certificate for several years now. In 2025, we reached the Gold-Class level, and in 2026, we successfully passed our audit and kept it. This is an official recognition of our high standards concerning sustainability, the environment, and social responsibility, confirmed through independent audits of how we operate every day. This is an official recognition of our high standards concerning sustainability, the environment and social responsibility.

The preservation of magnificent Icelandic nature for future generations to enjoy has always been very important to Arctic Adventures. And we believe the protection of fragile ecosystems and wildlife habitats is as necessary as finding ways to reduce our individual and collective ecological footprints.

The main focus of the Vakinn environmental system is:

  • Strategy and procedures
  • Classification of waste
  • Green accounting (measuring and monitoring)
  • Social responsibility
  • Reduction and offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions

Excellent in Iceland Award

We're honored to have received the Excellent in Iceland recognition for 2026, as we did in 2025. Known in Icelandic as Fyrirmyndarfyrirtæki í rekstri, roughly "a model company in how it's run," it's a mark of outstanding business performance awarded each year by the Icelandic business newspaper Viðskiptablaðið in partnership with Keldan, a financial information platform.

In plain terms, the award goes to companies that are run responsibly and stay on solid ground year after year. Viðskiptablaðið and Keldan review each company's official annual accounts over three years. To qualify, a company must have made a profit, be of a meaningful size, and not rely too heavily on borrowed finances. They also weigh other factors, such as whether the company has filed its annual accounts.

Why does this matter when you travel with us? Many guests book their tours months in advance, and they want to know the company will be there to deliver them. This award is independent confirmation that we're a stable, well-run business.

We're proud to be part of this high-performing group and grateful for this acknowledgment of our continued commitment to sustainable growth. Keldan's list of recognized companies

The Icelandic Tourist Board

Arctic Adventures is registered as a tour operator with The Icelandic Tourist Board, Ferðamálastofa.
We hope that our permit or license will provide our customers with welcome reassurance. As a Licensed Tour Operator, we have to make certain of a few factors which are important for your confidence in us, enjoyment, the quality of your tour and, of course, your safety.
Everyone in the company has the correct level of qualification for the work they undertake. The qualifications of your guide will always meet or exceed the level required by Ferðamálastofa for the activity they undertake with you. The expertise and professionalism of your guide is so important, both for your enjoyment and safety. We want you to really get that special, once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Operating guidelines with safety plans are in place for all of our tours. The operating standards of licensed tour operators are defined by the Tourism Act of Iceland.

Our Awards

From the company's inception, our main priorities have been quality, expertise, and sustainability. We strive for excellence every day, delivering the best possible experience to our customers. We have a lot of love for what we do, and this passion has translated into the many awards we've received over the years.

2026:

  • Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award 2026: Awarded to businesses that consistently earn top traveler reviews and ratings over a 12-month period, placing us among the highest-rated experiences worldwide.
  • Excellent in Iceland 2026 (Fyrirmyndarfyrirtæki í rekstri): awarded by Viðskiptablaðið and Keldan to Icelandic companies that are run responsibly and stay financially stable year after year.

2025:

2024:

2023:

2022:

  • Travelers' Choice: award by Tripadvisor

2021:

2020:

  • Iceland's Leading Tour Operator 2020: World Travel Awards

  • Travel/leisure content campaign of the year: an award won together with Wolfgang Digital Academy

  • Travelers' Choice: award by Tripadvisor

2019:

  • SEO - Most Effective Use of Content: an award won together with Wolfgang Digital Academy
  • Highest Conversion Response from a Content Program: an award won together with Wolfgang Digital Academy
  • Tour of the Year: 5 Day - Snaefellsnes, South Coast and Northern Lights award by TourRadar

  • Tour of the Year: 6 Day - Around Iceland Adventure award by TourRadar

  • TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

2018:

2017:

2016:

  • TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

We are thankful to all the partners that worked with us over the years and we cannot wait to see what will tomorrow bring.

Equal Rights Policy

Straumhvarf ehf. and its subsidiaries place an emphasis on ensuring that all of their employees enjoy equal rights. This is the best way of ensuring that the human resources which the company is responsible are fully optimized, encompassing, among other things, the education, experience, skills and outlooks of its staff. All employees shall comply with the Equal Rights Policy and work according to its spirit. Any direct or indirect discrimination based on gender, age, origins or religion is completely forbidden. For more information, read the full equal rights policy.