A Textile Journey Through Iceland
May 3 – 11, 2024
Textile Center’s return trip to Iceland – set for May 3-11, 2024 – is sold out.
Following an exciting tour to Iceland in September 2023, Textile Center is pleased to announce a return trip to the beautiful Nordic nation May 3 – 11, 2024. Hosted by Textile Center’s Executive Director Karl Reichert and our Icelandic guide Hjálmar Óskarsson of Travel Beyond, this textile adventure includes opportunities to meet fiber artists, participate in hands-on workshops, and learn about the Icelandic culture and experience the island’s natural beauty.
The trip includes a day at the Icelandic Textile Center along the north coast, and a half-day workshop at HESPA along the south coast with natural dye expert Guðrún Bjarnadóttir. We will visit four working farms (during lambing season) and a tannery, as well as two Istex factories where 90% of all Icelandic wool is scoured and processed. (Scroll down for daily itinerary.)
The tour price is $4,840 based on double occupancy and includes roundtrip airfare (scheduled as direct flights between Minneapolis and Reykjavik). There is a single supplement price of $946 if you desire a single room. As with all our international tours, Textile Center requests a $600 tax-deductible donation to support its fiber art programming before the tour commences.
The tour is sold out, however, if you would like to join the waitlist, please get in touch with Karl at kreichert@textilecentermn.org.
Click here to view the video of our Iceland Tour 2024 Info Session held on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.
Zoom Passcode: 0M78*POZ
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 – Friday, May 3, 2024 – Travel to Iceland
We will meet at Minneapolis International Airport (MSP) for travel together to Reykjavik (KEF) on Iceland Air. Our flight is FI 656 departing at 7:25 PM. Karl will be at the airport to meet you and help you check in for our flight.
Day 2 – Saturday, May 4, 2024 – Touchdown Iceland
After landing in Reykjavik at 6:35 am, we will be picked up by our private motor coach. We will start by exploring Seltún geothermal area before arriving at Sky Lagoon. In no time, we will pamper ourselves at one of Iceland’s more famous hot springs, we will be able to soak, relax, and have lunch in the cafe. Next we will travel via private motor coach to the south. We will enjoy a welcome dinner and stay in the beautiful Grimsborgir Hotel (Lunch is not included at the Sky Lagoon, the Welcome Dinner is included).
Day 3 – Sunday, May 5, 2024 – Golden Circle Highlights
After an included breakfast at our hotel, we will enjoy the beauty of the Pingvellir National Park via private motor coach. This is where the Vikings established the parliament in the year 930 and where a rift valley is being created by the drift of two tectonic plates, the North American and the Eurasian plates. We will have lunch at Frioheimar Greenhouse – a family run tomato farm where we will enjoy their delicious homemade tomato soup. We will then visit the famous Geysir hot springs area where the group can enjoy exploring and witnessing the eruption of Strokkur – the famous geysir that blows water into the air every 10 minutes. This site has a lovely cafe and gift shop. Our last stop of the day will be at Gullfoss waterfall – one of the many famous waterfalls in Iceland. This site also has a beautiful gift shop with many of the top Icelandic brands represented. We will also enjoy dinner at a local favorite restaurant, Tryggvaskáli. This evening we return to the Grimsborgir hotel for our second night. (Both lunch and dinner are included).
Day 4 – Monday, May 6, 2024 – Icelandic Sheep and Goats
Today we visit three different locations: First, we will visit Uppspuni owned and run by husband and wife Tyrfingur Sveinsson and Hulda Brynjólfsdóttir. In 2011 they took over the farm at Lækjartún where they keep sheep and cows alongside their yarn business. When arriving at Uppspuni, you will meet with Hulda, the owner and founder of the very first mini mill in Iceland. She will tell you about the Icelandic sheep, wool and the story of how the sheep kept Iceland inhabited from its original settlement to today. She will tell you what she is doing with the wool and show you the machines in action making extraordinary yarn from her own sheep and other farmers who want to have yarn from their own wool.
Second, we will visit Nina at Fjárhúsloftið and tour her farm. We´ll see her goats, and her fish farm operation. She will invite us to the loft where we will have the opportunity to try some of her products: goat cheese, farmed arctic char, smoked and curried meat. Her workshop also includes a display of products designed and made by her and other Icelandic designers. Our final stop of the day is at Hárlaugsstaðir farm where the group will get a short presentation on their tanning process. Here, the farmers also make soap from tallow which can be bought in their little shop along with many different locally designed and made wool products. The farm is also where the artists at heklaísland present their goods and their products are also for sale. Tonight we will have dinner at Hotel Selfoss before returning to our hotel (the Hotel Grimsborgir). (Lunch is on your own, Dinner is included)
Day 5- Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – HESPA Wool Dyeing and the South Coast
Today we will have a relaxing morning at the hotel before checking out. Today we will take a class with Gudrun Biadadottir at her studio to learn about her traditional HESPA technique for wool dyeing. Gudrun will host a five-hour workshop for us where she will teach the participants about how she colors wool with plants according to the the old traditions and modern technology. After the workshop, we will travel to Reykjavik, check into our hotel. We will then walk to dinner together at the Hofnin restaurant at 7pm. Hofnin is a fish and seafood focused restaurant on waterfront in the the Old Wharf. Hotel: Hotel Reykjavik Saga. (Lunch is on your own and Dinner are included)
Day 6 – Wednesday, May 8, 2024 – Free day in Reykjavik
Today we will explore the city of Reykjavik on our own and we will have plenty of shopping time. You may want to visit the Hallgrimskirkja Church for a view of Reykjavik from the tower. Both lunch and dinner are on our own today, giving us maximum flexibility to be explorers in the city!
Day 7- Thursday, May 9, 2024 – Wool Processing at the Istex Factories and Blönduós
This morning we will board a private motor coach to head north. We will visit the Istex spinning factory in Mosfellsbaer (est. 1896). Istex processes 99% of all Icelandic wool. We will also have our share of more beautiful nature today as we travel to the North Coast. We will have lunch near the Borgarfjörður fjord. Tonight we will stay in the tiny town of Blönduós. Our group may be located in different hotels and guest houses in this town, but everything is very close together, and the bus will transport everyone from their hotel to our dinner. We will enjoy an included dinner at the Blönduós hotel. (Lunch is on your own and Dinner are included)
Day 8 – Friday, May 10, 2024 – Icelandic Textile Center Workshop
This morning we will visit we will visit the Istex Wool Scouring Factory. Then we will have a chance to get creative at a hands-on workshop at the Icelandic Textile Center with teaching artists from the Center. Our workshop will focus on embroidery and knitting. After our workshop, we will visit the farm of one of our instructors, Johanna. Since this is lamb season, we may see some newborns. We will enjoy an included dinner at the Hotel Blondous, and return to our various hotels for our second night. (Lunch is on your own, dinner is included.)
Day 9 – Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Departure from Iceland
Today the group will travel southwest, enjoying the sites as we make our way back to the airport for our flight home. Lunch will be en route (not included). Iceland Air Flight 657 departs at 4:45 pm for Minneapolis and is scheduled to arrive at 6:10 pm. We may be leaving Iceland, but we are returning home with memories that will last forever (and a lot of beautiful wool and yarn!)