School Trips to Iceland

From spouting geysers to the Northern Lights, a geography trip to Iceland is a spectacular learning experience for pupils and teachers alike.

The ‘Land of Fire and Ice’ is a fitting nickname for Iceland and there a few better places to develop a practical understanding of ongoing scientific research

Witness and experience the effects of geothermal activity! Take a soak in the steamy 40°C waters of the Blue Lagoon which are fed from a nearby geothermal power plant, rich in minerals such as silica and sulphur, and renowned for their healing properties. An ideal first or final day activity.

A beautiful and majestic waterfall with wow factor at 200ft high. Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, on sunny days, a rainbow is often visible.

See the most famous and active geyser in Iceland in action. Strokkur is a popular stop along the Golden Circle for geography groups. Located in the highly active Geysir hot spring area with boiling mud pits and exploding geysers, Strokkur erupts every few minutes, spurting water up to 30 metres (100 ft) into the air.

What better way to learn about glaciers than to walk on one! This once in a lifetime visit provides groups with an utterly memorable and exhilarating experience, with spectacular views and learning opportunities.

Eyjafjallajökull is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, north of Skógar and west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of 1,651 metres.

Two volcanic fissures lie from the sea onto land in Reykjanes and form a series of craters. The craters have been named Stampar. The volcanic landscape has an eerie out of this world feel. Here you can walk along the Stampar craters and through barren lava fields.

Stóra & Litla Eldborg are two perfectly-formed scoria craters. They form part of a lava ring and are a protected natural feature. The craters can be found to the south of the mountain Geitahlíð. The age of this stunning volcanic phenomenon is not well known. Looking at the weathering of the soil surface, it is thought to be around 8,000 years old.

At Seltún, boardwalks meander round a cluster of hot springs. There are mud pools and steaming volcanic vents. These sulfuric solfataras shimmer with the minerals in the earth. Nearby is the lake Grænavatn, an old explosion crater filled with striking blue water created thanks to a combination of minerals & algae.

Reykjavik is the capital city of Iceland. It is the only metropolitan area on the island. The city’s name loosely translates to the ‘Bay of Smokes’. Its nickname is a reference to the steam-filled air. It is known as the world's greenest city thanks to its use of hydro and geothermal power.

Kleifarvatn is the largest volcanic lake in Iceland. It lies on the fissure zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The lake sits within a crater of black volcanic rock. All you can see is rock, water and sky. There are no rivers running into this incredibly deep lake. The water level only changes with the groundwater below.

Gunnuhver is a geothermal area of mud pools and steam vents. It is named after an angry female ghost, called Gudrun. Her spirit is believed to be trapped in the hot springs. The groundwater here is seawater, unlike other geothermal areas on the island. The colourful minerals in the ground create vibrant hues but danger is very real with temperatures of over 300°C.

With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:

- Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly
- Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings
- Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals

You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.

We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of:

- Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete A3 posters to promote your trip around school
- PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs
- Parents’ leaflets covering how NST manage safety, financial protection and details of our travel insurance
- Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip

For selected destinations, we’ll provide a trip launch web page using video footage and imagery. This web page is provided by a weblink and can be shared with pupils and parents in many ways.

Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour.

Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.

Plus, we can provide you with specific risk assessment templates for geography tours to Iceland – helping to make planning your trip easier for you.

Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process.

If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way.

Our helpful guide covers the following:

- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist

View our essential guide to a successful school trip here.

NST's new trip tracker, Locate My Trip, is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your group's location whilst on tour.

Our app has been specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers.

Watch our short Locate My Trip video here.

Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you.

With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too.

What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go.

Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here.

We've created a range of free geography resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!

Take a look at our downloadable posters here.