Iceland, Norway and Sweden 2020
Join the Master of Agribusiness program and Kansas Farm Bureau August 23 - September 5, 2020 for a tour of Iceland, Norway and Sweden. There will also be an optional extension in Finland. Anyone interested in getting a better understanding of this region is encouraged to join us.
The trip is sold out! We have started a wait list for a second group. Please contact Mary Bowen, mjbowen@ksu.edu or
785-532-4435 for more information.
Tentative Itinerary:
August 23rd - Depart US
August 24th - Upon arrival in Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, there will be a city sightseeing tour.
August 25th - Depart after breakfast, with our first stop being the þingvellir National Park, the site of the ancient Parliament and Iceland’s most renowned beauty spot. See where the oldest, still active national parliament was founded in 930. The park is also of great geological interest: you can see exactly where the earth is splitting apart! We now head for Efstidalur dairy farm for a visit / introduction to their farm and a taste of their products. From here, we head to Friðheimar, a greenhouse and horse farm, to visit the greenhouse operation and see their horse show before enjoying lunch on the farm.
This afternoon, proceed to Gullfoss waterfall (the golden waterfall), one of Iceland’s most popular waterfalls, and the Geysir area with its hot springs, where we’ll have time to enjoy a couple of the very regular eruptions of the Strokkur hot spring, which occurs every five to ten minutes.
August 26th - First stop this morning is the Seljalandsfoss waterfall that you can walk behind. Afterwards continue to the community of Skógar to visit the folk museum, where we find among other things traditional turf/wooden houses, and agricultural tools from the past. After the visit, we make a short stop by the beautiful Skógafoss waterfall. On the way, we’ll glimpse the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano and make a stop at the Solheimajokull glacier tongue. Continue beneath the Myrdalsjokull glacier for a visit to Reynisfjara black sand beach.
August 27th - Today we return to Reykjavik, travelling through the biggest agricultural area in Iceland – known as the southern lowland. We’ll make a stop at þingborg, a wool centre where the ladies of the region work with wool and use it for all kinds of products. We meet up with one of them for an explanation about their work and Icelandic wool. Later we’ll continue to Hveragerði village with its geothermal zone in the middle of the village, onward to the Reykjanes peninsula with a stop at the Seltun geothermal area.
August 28th - This morning transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Bergen, in western Norway. On arrival, meet your city guide for a sightseeing tour of Bergen, Norway’s second largest city and so-called ‘Capital of the Fjords,' including the Hanseatic Bryggen harbour-side district, a UNESCO world heritage site with many buildings dating from the 17th century and earlier. A funicular ride up to Mount Floyen will give outstanding views over the city and coastline.
August 29th - Depart early this morning from Bergen and travel along the northern shore of the Hardangerfjord, the second largest fjord in Norway – known as ‘The Queen of the Fjords,' one of the most beautiful areas in Norway, with panoramic views, glaciers and fjord landscapes.
Hardanger is known as Norway’s orchard. Today 40% of all Norwegian fruit is grown in the Hardangerfjord region including apples, sweet cherries, pears and plums. In the area of Ulvik we’ll visit a fruit farm and have the opportunity to sample some of the apples and cider produced in the area, and learn about their production and history.
This afternoon continue to the area of Voss, with a visit to a cattle livestock farm prior to arriving at our hotel in the early evening.
August 30th - Depart after breakfast for the beautiful Sognefjord region. Cross over to the north of the Sognefjord and proceed to the area of Leikanger where there will be a visit to a cooperative farm. Lunch will be included locally prior to taking a scenic cruise back across one of the most scenic parts of the Sognefjord to Gudvangen.
August 31st - Depart the hotel this morning and travel east through rugged mountain scenery, past ski-resorts and then along the fertile Hallingdal Valley and Buskerud County, a strongly agricultural area. We’ll stop for a farm visit and lunch along the way.
The traditional activity in this part of Norway is mostly small-scale farming. Many livestock farms are still in operation with small herds of sheep, dairy cattle and goats. Crop growing is difficult because of the steep valley walls, but wheat, barley, rye and potatoes have all been grown in the past.
September 1st - After breakfast depart the hotel for a city sightseeing tour of Norway’s capital including the Viking Ship museum. This afternoon visit the Oslo Royal Farm on the Bygdoy peninsula. This farm was originally purchased in the 13th century by King Haakon. It’s a fully operational mixed farm with 60 dairy cows, 90 calves, 30 sheep on 800 ha. 300 of which are used to produce feed for livestock.
September 2nd - This morning, we will travel to Fredrikstad, where there will be a visit to the salmon-farming plant run by Fredrikstad Seafoods. After the visit, lunch will be included locally. This afternoon continue to Karlstad, on the northern shores of Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden and the European Union. The capital of Värmland County is noted for its culture and the quality and variety of its restaurants, with Haute cuisine, traditional Swedish or exotic Lebanese just some of the options available.
September 3rd - Continue our journey to Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, a beautiful city spread across 14 islands between Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea. In the afternoon, meet our city guide for a sightseeing tour of Stockholm including the old town, the Royal Palace and City Hall.
September 4th - This morning travel to Uppsala, the home of Sweden’s most famous gothic cathedral and the country’s oldest university. Upon arrival visit the cathedral. There will be free time for lunch afterwards. This afternoon visit a beef property arranged in cooperation with one of the Swedish cattle breed societies.
Return to Stockholm for your welcome dinner this evening on the island of Djurgarden.
September 5th - Transfer to airport for return flight to USA or onward flight to Rovaniemi, Finland.
For more information, contact Mary Bowen at mjbowen@ksu.edu or 785-532-4435.
