When women gather, magic happens. Join us for a one-of-a-kind Iceland knitting tour that weaves together daily knitting workshops, guided sightseeing, and cultural experiences. Plus, this tour is perfectly timed for the réttir (the annual sheep roundup) and gives you a great chance to witness the enchanting northern lights.

This Iceland knitting tour is the real deal. Experience Iceland like a local, guided by two Icelandic women: a knitting designer and a professional tour guide. Together, they will take you beyond Reykjavík into the remote, less-traveled countryside of northwest Iceland.

Mornings are for knitting. Each day from 9 AM to 12 PM, we gather for knitting workshops led by your instructor, Bergrós Kjartansdóttir.

Bergrós is renowned across Iceland for her knitting designs, featured in the Istex and Icewear catalogs. Each participant will receive her book Shawls of Myth & Magic, a collection of lace shawl patterns that also celebrates Icelandic wool, nature, and Norse mythology. From this book, you will knit the SEIÐUR shawl (meaning "the sorcerer"). In Norse mythology, women weavers were sorceresses, or seeresses, who could foresee natural phenomena and the fates of people. Bergrós will guide you in creating your SEIÐUR shawl, while sharing stories from her book and insights into her journey as a designer, artist, and author.

Afternoons are for exploring. Ingibjörg G. Guðjónsdóttir, aka Inga, is one of Iceland's best guides, with over 30 years of experience. She will lead the group on informative and fun walking tours through nature and historical sites, sharing Icelandic sagas and folk songs. Inga has also arranged visits to farms, historic landmarks, textile factories, and the homes of local textile artists. One special day will be spent at her farmhouse on the Vatnsnes Peninsula.

The timing of this retreat is intentional. September marks réttir—Iceland’s nationwide sheep roundup, where locals on foot, ATVs, and horseback, along with their trusty sheepdogs, retrieve sheep from the mountains and valleys. It’s a huge community event, and you’ll have the chance to be a part of it! Participants can help sort the sheep in the corrals if they want to. 

In the evenings, after dinner, you'll have time to relax, knit, soak in hot tubs, and stay up late watching the skies for the northern lights.

We hope you'll join us for this special Iceland knitting tour. This is not just any tour—it’s a truly unique adventure that happens only once a year and may not be offered every year.

*Experienced intermediate crocheters are welcome and will knit a different pattern called Sunneva.

• Daily workshops throughout the retreat led by renowned Icelandic knitting designer & author Bergrós Kjartansdóttiron.
• Receive Kjartansdóttiron beautiful knitting book Shawls of Myth & Magic  
• Learn to knit the shawl SEIÐUR from Bergrós book.
• Ample opportunities for shopping for wool handcrafts.
• Enjoy sightseeing and informative walks with Ingibjörg G. Guðjónsdóttir, your expert Icelandic guide who will teach you about Iceland history, nature, and culture through stories and informative walks.
• Guided behind the scenes tour of Istex Wool Factory.
• Meet the champion of Icelandic goats and learn how she saved the breed from extinction.
• Take part in Iceland's réttir, the sheep round up and countrywide party.
• Welcome and introduction to the  Icelandic textile center in Blöndsós and then we meander through the center in and see textile tools, and national costumes that can only be found there.
• Take a hike at Thingvellir National Park for an Icelandic history and geology lesson. 
• Visit with Guðrún at Hespuhúsið and learn how she uses plants to naturally dye yarn.
• Presentation by  Helga Thoroddsen an Icelandic textiles experts. 
• Opportunities to eat a variety of delicious Icelandic foods at restaurants and at family farms.
• Look up! There is a very good chance you will see northern lights dancing across the sky.
• Experience the healing waters of Iceland's geothermal energy and soak in hot tubs.

Ages: Women 18-88 and beyond.Basic skills knitting using the garter stitch. Experienced crocheters are welcome, too. 
Any women who is interested in:

• Learning to knit a lace shawl
• Group learning and the camaraderie of a shared learning experience.
• Visiting farms and homes of Icelandic rural residents to learn about modern farms, livestock, and textile production.
• Getting out in nature on short walks for sightseeing and light exercise. 
• Hearing stories about mythology, paganism, and folklore.
• Discussing women’s issues historically and in the present day as part of cultural exchange and fellowship. 

Minium 10 / Maximum 12  

To facilitate the most intimate and authentic experience of our adventure together, the group size is limited to no more than 12 participants. 

Environment: Rural, countryside. Variable Icelandic weather.

Physical Activity Level: Easy

Lodging: Comfort

Knitting Skill Level: From beginner

This adventure is suitable for any healthy person that can walk at least 1-2 hours unassisted. With that said, the more active you are before this trip, the more you will enjoy the overall experience including walks in Reykjavik, the countryside and at farms. 

For those who have mobility issues, contact us to discuss. There are many ways to adapt this program for those need it. Email contact@greenedventures.com 

Participants will stay 3-star hotels

-2 nights in Hotel Leifur Eiriksson  downtown Reykjavik

-2 nights in Hotel Hamar near Borgarnes 

-4 nights Hotel Laugabakki near Hvammstangi

Breakfasts (included)

Breakfast are provided by the hotels. Most are European continental. A European continental breakfast is light and simple, featuring fresh breads, croissants, jams, cheeses, cold cuts, yogurt, fruit, and muesli. Drinks include coffee, tea, and juices, with occasional hard-boiled eggs but few hot items.  Some hotels will have scrambled eggs, beans, and bacon. 

Lunches (3 soup lunches included)

The trip includes 3 lunches that are hearty soups and bread. Examples of other options on menus for purchase included fish and chips, open-faced sandwiches, burgers, and skyr. Popular options on the go include pylsur (hot dogs). Price for lunch is about $20 -30 USD

Dinners (1 dinner included)

Dinners in Iceland at most tourist locations feature fresh, local ingredients, often highlighting seafood and lamb. Common menu items include

• Fresh Fish: Cod, haddock, Arctic char, or salmon, often grilled or baked, served with vegetables and potatoes.
• Lamb: Icelandic lamb is tender and flavorful, usually prepared as lamb chops, roasted lamb, or lamb stew.
• Seafood Soup: A creamy soup made with shrimp, mussels, or local fish, often served with bread.
• Plokkfiskur: A traditional dish of mashed fish, potatoes, and béchamel sauce, served with rye bread.
• Vegetarian Options: Dishes featuring root vegetables, barley, and local greens, often in the form of salads, vegetable stews, or grain bowls.
• Skyr Desserts: Icelandic yogurt-like skyr served with berries, honey, or in cheesecakes.

Meals often focus on simplicity and freshness, with locally sourced ingredients at the forefront. Dinners cost $30-50 USD per main entree. Starters, desserts, and beverages are additional.

Most meals are not included in the package price to offer the most flexibility to participants. There are no checks to split. Simply order off of the menu and pay for what you ordered using a credit card. Tipping at restaurants is not customary. The price per meal is about what one would pay for food in the USA with tip and taxes included. 

Passports/Visas:

Visit the US State Department Website for the most current requirements. Most destinations require your passport to be valid 6 months beyond your planned departure date. Check your passport now to avoid last minute stress and hassle.   

https://www.state.gov/

Vaccinations & Travel Health:

Visit the CDC website for the most current requirements for travel and other travel health related suggestions and concerns for your destination:

Click on link to review:

Terms & Conditions

Cancellation Policy

Participants are highly encouraged to purchase travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances that may interrupt or cancel the trip. Purchase insurance within 14 days of your initial trip deposit for the maximum amount of benefit options including Cancel for Any Reason. You do not need to have your airline reservations to purchase travel insurance. Estimate the cost plus the package price to get your total trip cost.     

Travel insurance is available at:  https://greenedventures.com/travel-insurance/ 

Click here for the Packing List

We strive to deliver a seamless and unforgettable travel experience. However, all itineraries are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control. We reserve the right to modify the advertised itinerary, including changes to the order of activities, destinations, or accommodations, guides, and trip leaders without prior notice.

In the event of changes, we will make every effort to provide alternative arrangements of equal value to ensure your overall experience remains exceptional. Your safety, satisfaction, and enjoyment remain our top priorities.

We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to create the best possible journey for you.

Installments

For your convenience you can pay for your adventure in interest-free monthly installments using a checking account or credit card. 

ACH / Checking Account 

Pay zero transaction fees when you pay from your checking account.

Credit Card

Want to rack up points on your credit card? We get it. WeTravel will add a service fee to the total amount of your trip if you pay with a credit card. Credit Cards fees: 2.9% (Amex: 3.9%). This is a bank convenience fee not a fee added by Green Edventures. 

Alternate Between ACH & Credit Card

You can change your payment method at any time in your WeTravel Account

Bergrós Kjartansdóttir is your knitting instructor.

Bergrós an acclaimed, but down to earth, knitting designer and poet from the West Fjords of Iceland. She is also a published author, goldsmith, and scholar of old Icelandic Literature. 

The program package includes Icelandic yarn for your shawl, and a copy (in English) of Bergrós beautiful knitting book, Shawls of Myth & Magic  an ode to Icelandic wool, Icelandic nature and Norse mythology. 

Inspired by her mother, who is also a talented knitter, Bergrós has been knitting since she was in primary school. Her passion for the tradition continued into adulthood where she has weaved together her love of art, nature, and mythology into a profession aligned with two centuries old Scandinavia traditions of knitting and storytelling. 

Ingibjörg Guðjónsdóttir, Your Guide to an Icelandic Knitting Adventure**

Ingibjörg Guðjónsdóttir, affectionately known as Inga, is an experienced guide poised to lead an extraordinary knitting tour in Iceland's rural northwest. With over 30 years in the tourism industry and a deep-rooted passion for Icelandic culture, Inga is the perfect complement to the renowned knitting instructor, Bergrós Kjartansdóttir. Her extensive knowledge of Icelandic traditions, folklore, and rural landscapes will enrich the knitting workshops and cultural experiences on this unique journey.

Inga's expertise extends beyond guiding; she has a profound understanding of Iceland's history, particularly the role of women in sheep farming and textile production. As participants engage in knitting the SEIÐUR shawl under Bergrós's guidance, Inga will lead explorations through the countryside, visiting local farms and museums. These excursions are designed to provide insights into the traditional Icelandic way of life, connecting the craft of knitting to the nation's cultural heritage.

Arrival at Keflavik airport by 10am. Transfer to Reykjavik on your own.. Drop your luggage off at the hotel, and have breakfast on your own, or with new friends.

12:30 Meet at the hotel and walk to the National Museum for a tour about Icelandic history and textiles. (*walk 20 min, 1 mile)

3:00 pm Return to hotel. Check in. Relax before dinner. 

6:00 pm Dinner at a local restaurant (included)

Overnight at 3-star hotel,(Hotel Leifur Eiriksson) in downtown Reykjavik. 

Meals: D

Note: Group airport transfer on day one is not included because it is so easy to take the Flybus.is to Reykjavik and allows people to arrive at time the is convenient and economical for them. Detailed instructions on how to get to the hotel will be provided.

*If you would rather not walk to the museum, and need to take a taxi, one can be arranged for about 12 USD each way.

Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, you will start the day shopping at a local yarn store.  Here participants will pick out yarn to make their shawl and be able to stock up on all sorts of Lopi, wool yarn made from the fleece of Icelandic Sheep.  Over the next few days there will be opportunities to buy many handmade wool products in both Reykjavik and the countryside.

As we leave the city, we begin to notice the fall colors of the vast moss covered glacier swept fjords, and flattop volcanic mountains of the countryside. Along the way, your guide will share stories and information about the landscape, history, and culture of Iceland.

Our first stop is the Istex Wool Factory for a guided behind the scenes tour. Participants will learn how yarn is manufactured in Iceland and see how wool purchased directly from local farms is processed into to skeins sold on store shelves throughout the country, and the world.

Afternoon:

We continue the scenic drive north and enter the break taking Hvalfjörður. Participants enjoy a soup and bread lunch in bistro of Hvammsvík Nature Spa, followed by a 2-hour soak in the mineral waters. Purchase a beverage from a swim up bar, and enjoy the sounds of lapping ocean wave and sea birds while soaking in one of the several hot spring pools. 

Evening:

After checking into the hotel and getting settled, we will meet in our first knitting circle. Bergrós will introduce you to her work as a knitter and designer and go through some of her work. She will go over the project that we are going to start on in the workshop, as we take our first step in making the knitting examples of the Seiður shawl. Tonight, Bergrós will assess each participant's abilities and stitch tightness for recommendations on needle size for each person's project.

Overnight and dinner at Hotel Hamar or similar (2 nights).

Meals: BL

After breakfast, we will continue under the instruction of Bergrós with our shawl. You can ask all the questions for different techniques and get Bergrós help with details you need more help with.  

In the afternoon we drive to Ullarselið in Hvanneyri “wool center” where the University of Agriculture in cooperation with the women's association of the south west has made it possible for the women in the region to experiment and work with handspun wool. After an educational introduction by one of the associates, participants can support the initiative. The shop has so many beautiful products made by local women for purchase. 

We then take a short walk in Borgarnes along the shores of Borgarfjörður. 

Evening hot tubs and looking toward the sky for northern lights.

Second night at Hotel Hamar, or same category.

Dinner at Borgarnes Englendingavík

Meals: B

After breakfast we meet for our knitting workshop. By now you should have a doll-size example with all the small details you need to make your full-size shawl, and if you haven't started your full-sized one then it is time to start that. Today you can also use the time with Bergrós to get an explanation of another shawl that you might be interested in from her book.

Afternoon: We visit the champion of Icelandic Goats, Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir, a former nurse, who currently owns and operates Háafell, an Icelandic farm that has been in her family for generations. Jóhanna was born and raised on this land as were her six children!  This incredible woman has been fighting to save the Icelandic goat breed from extinction since 1989. She will share her story, her joys and challenges as a goat farmer, and her mission to promote goat products (cheese, meat, cashmere) in Iceland. 

Later, we will make a lunch stop on route, and then visit the Grenigerdi farm workshop where we will meet with the owners, a charming couple, Rita and Páll. They make and sell buttons made from natural materials like birch trees and reindeer horns. 

Late afternoon we will arrive at the village of Hvammstangi on the Vatnsnes Peninsula.

Overnight and dinner at the  Hótel Laugabakki. Enjoy hot tubs at the hotel before or after dinner. Don't forget to look outside for chance to see the northern lights!

Meals: B

Morning: After breakfast we meet again to work on our shawls and listen to Bergrós stories about her art, family, and book.

In the afternoon we visit the Icelandic Textile Center in Blönduós. The

museum exhibits beautiful Icelandic national costumes, and artistic embroideries along with many of the tools and equipment used to produce them. Founded by the Women's Union in East Hunavatnssysla, it is the only one of its kind in Iceland. Spend some time at the museum and shop at the store on site.

Second Night at Hotel Laugabakki , Dinner at Víðihlíð, Inga's all-time favorite for Fish & Chips.  

In the evening we will socialize, knit, and gaze for northern lights.

Meals: B

In the morning we will drive to Ægissíða, Inga's farmhouse, and spend the day there enjoying the countryside where the land and the sea meet between the mountains.  You will instantly feel at home at her home. 

Bergrós will continue her workshop in the cozy living room of the farmhouse. Participants will enjoy Inga's homemade Icelandic meat soup. Wanna learn from the expert? She won't mind you shadowing her process. 

Weather permitting, we can take our needles outside to knit in the sunshine and take in the golden light of autumn.  Depending on interest and time, other activities include meeting the farm's sheep, or walk in the countryside.

On the way back to the hotel, we go around Vatnsnes Peninsula to Hvítserkur Rock. Hvítserkur, otherwise known as the Troll of Northwest Iceland, is a 49ft tall basalt rock stack protruding from Húnaflói Bay. The rock is a seal sanctuary, and nesting ground for seagulls, shag and fulmar. Your guide will tell you about trolls and elves and associated folklore.

Dinner at Sjávarborg restaurant at Hvammstangi

Third Night at Hotel Laugabakki.

Meals: BL

In the morning we meet in our knitting circle with Bergrós and share how are projects are coming along.  

After lunch, we go to Þverárétt sheep corrals, for the roundup to experience Réttir - the Icelandic sheep roundup. This is a national treasure in Iceland. In September each community designates a day where the sheep that have been roaming free in the wild during the summer are brought in for the winter.  This is a VERY unique exciting opportunity to be part of a community event. Participants will observe the excitement of people, dogs, and horses during the roundup. With special permission from farmers, participants may also be able to get involved (and dirty) by helping to sort the sheep when they are brought to the sheep park. 

Overnight at Hotel Laugabakki and dinner at the hotel.

Meals BL

Note: Like all outdoor activities, the sheep roundup can be affected by the bad weather resulting it being cancelled for safety purposes. 

After breakfast we  head back towards the south and we stop to visit Þingvellir National Park for a short hike and history lesson. Þingvellir National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its culture and scientific significance. Historically it is where the first parliament of Iceland was founded by the Viking Chieftain and the place were laws were made and disputes were settled. It is also a place where plate tectonics can be studied. In the park you will stand on the North American plate and look across the valley at the Eurasian plate as you walk through the fissures caused by the movement of the plates. 

We will stop for lunch as we continue on to Selfoss to meet Guðrún at Hespuhúsið. Here, we visit Guðrún in home and workshop. Guðrún is an expert in plant dye yarn and a fascinating and passionate woman who loves to share her work.  

Finally, we drive back to Reykjavík in the early evening. 

Overnight at Hótel Leif Ericsson or Guesthouse Freyja or same category.

Farwell dinner.

Meals: B

After breakfast enjoy Reykjavik on your own. Visit museums, shops, local pool, or the Sky Lagoon. Group transfer to the airport at 12:30pm from the hotel. 

Meals: B