Northern Ireland Cruise from Belfast to Reykjavík — 26 Days

Belfast

Belfast pairs a proud maritime past with a lively, walkable centre. At Titanic Belfast, the story of the famous liner unfolds beside the shipyard where she was built. Nearby, grand City Hall and the Cathedral Quarter reveal different sides of the city, from civic confidence to café-lined lanes. Across west Belfast, political murals offer a vivid perspective on its recent history. With the Giant’s Causeway within reach, Belfast also makes a compelling starting point for Northern Ireland’s dramatic coast.

Isle of Man

Douglas, the Isle of Man’s capital, welcomes visitors with a broad seafront. Its Victorian promenade and Manx Museum offer a concise introduction to the island’s history. Ride the electric railway north to Ramsey, or visit Tynwald Hill, where the island’s parliament holds its annual open-air sitting. Beyond town, rugged cliffs, sandy bays and quiet roads reward exploration on foot or by car.

Isle of Arran

Arran packs a remarkable cross-section of Scotland into one island: granite peaks, quiet beaches, wooded glens and working farms. The ferry from Ardrossan lands at Brodick, where roads lead to Brodick Castle and its gardens. The island’s coastal road makes a scenic circuit, while inland detours reveal quieter glens. Taste whisky at Lochranza or walk beneath Goat Fell, Arran’s highest summit. On clear days, sea views accompany you at every turn.

Rathlin Island

Rathlin Island lies six miles off County Antrim, reached by ferry from Ballycastle. This small, inhabited island rewards visitors with rugged coastal walks, quiet lanes and broad views across the North Channel. At the RSPB’s West Light Seabird Centre, watch nesting seabirds, including puffins, from a dramatic cliff-top setting. The West Lighthouse is famously inverted, with its light housed near ground level.

Isle of Iona

Iona is reached by ferry from Fionnphort, on the Isle of Mull, and rewards the crossing with rare stillness. Here, St Columba founded a monastery in 563, making the island one of Christianity’s most enduring destinations. The restored medieval abbey remains its centrepiece, while white-sand shores and open machair invite unhurried walks. Come for history, stay for the clear light, sea air and sense of distance from the mainland.

Isle of Staffa

Staffa rises from the Atlantic off Scotland’s west coast, its dark basalt columns giving the island an almost architectural edge. Step into Fingal’s Cave, where the sea echoes beneath a vaulted roof of hexagonal rock. Boat visits usually depart from Mull or Iona, but landings depend on sea and weather conditions. Come between late spring and summer for a chance to see puffins on the island’s grassy slopes. Bring sturdy footwear; uneven rock and spray are part of the encounter.

Isle of Mull

Arrive on Mull for Atlantic light, white-sand bays and rugged green hills. At Craignure, Duart Castle rises above the Sound of Mull, guarding this strategic channel for centuries. Tobermory’s brightly painted harbour rewards a stroll among independent shops, cafés and waterfront views. Beyond the villages, watch for white-tailed eagles, otters and red deer across moorland and coast. Allow time for narrow roads and changeable weather; the island’s quieter pleasures rarely come at speed.

Isle of Eigg

Eigg is one of Scotland’s Small Isles, a compact island of dark volcanic ridges, open moorland and Atlantic shore. From the pier at Galmisdale, roads and footpaths lead into a landscape best explored at an unhurried pace. Climb An Sgùrr, the island’s dramatic pitchstone ridge, or walk to Singing Sands, where quartz-rich grains can squeak underfoot. Eigg has been community-owned since 1997, and its small population gives a visit a distinctly local character.

St Kilda Islands Scotland

St Kilda lies far out in the Atlantic, west of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. Its main island, Hirta, holds stone cleits and the remains of a community evacuated in 1930. Today, its cliffs shelter vast seabird colonies, including gannets and puffins. UNESCO recognises St Kilda for its natural and cultural heritage. Boat trips reach Hirta when conditions allow, but weather is part of the journey.

Stornoway

Stornoway is the working heart of Lewis, where fishing boats share a harbour with ferries and visiting ships. Lews Castle houses Museum nan Eilean, while its grounds make an easy first walk. The road west leads to Callanish, where prehistoric standing stones rise above the Atlantic-facing moor. Here, Gaelic heritage is not a display alone; it remains part of daily life, heard in place names and conversation.

Kirkwall

Kirkwall is Orkney’s compact capital, where Norse history remains part of everyday life. Begin at St Magnus Cathedral, a striking red-sandstone landmark founded in 1137. Nearby, the ruins of the Earl’s and Bishop’s palaces reveal the power once held here. Beyond town, prehistoric sites such as Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar make a compelling excursion. Leave time for the harbor, local shops, and a dram of island whisky.

Copinsay Island Scotland (Scenic Stop)

Leith-Edinburgh

Leith brings Edinburgh within reach, but rewards those who stay by the water. Once a working port, this lively district pairs maritime history with independent restaurants, galleries and a strong local character. At Ocean Terminal, step aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, the former royal residence now open to visitors. Trams and buses connect you with the capital: Edinburgh Castle, its museums and Georgian streets make an easy day ashore.

Invergordon

Invergordon sits on the Cromarty Firth, where the Highlands meet a deep-water estuary shaped by centuries of maritime history. From the quayside, travel to Inverness, Culloden Battlefield or Loch Ness. Each offers a distinct view of Highland history and landscape. Closer to port, Invergordon’s murals tell local stories, while the waterfront reflects the town’s enduring connection to the sea.

Kirkwall

Kirkwall is Orkney’s compact capital, where Norse history remains part of everyday life. Begin at St Magnus Cathedral, a striking red-sandstone landmark founded in 1137. Nearby, the ruins of the Earl’s and Bishop’s palaces reveal the power once held here. Beyond town, prehistoric sites such as Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar make a compelling excursion. Leave time for the harbor, local shops, and a dram of island whisky.

Fair Isle

Set between Orkney and Shetland, Fair Isle rewards the detour with a rare sense of quiet and distance. Sea cliffs rise above the Atlantic, where puffins and other seabirds gather in season. On land, stone crofts and green pasture frame a close-knit community famed for its distinctive Fair Isle knitting. Its appeal lies in remoteness as much as scenery; allow time to explore, since weather shapes island life.

Isle of Noss

Just east of Bressay, Noss’s cliffs rise nearly 600 feet above the North Sea, a striking approach by boat. This uninhabited Shetland island is a National Nature Reserve, famed for its seabird colonies. Thousands of gannets crowd the ledges, while fulmars and guillemots wheel above the water. A seasonal boat from Bressay provides access, weather permitting; paths lead to close views of the cliffs.

Lerwick

Lerwick feels more like a North Atlantic outpost than a Scottish port, with stone-fronted streets facing a working harbour. Shetland’s capital rewards a stroll along the waterfront and through narrow lanes. The Lodberrie, an eighteenth-century merchant’s house built partly over the sea, is one of its most distinctive landmarks. Visit Shetland Museum and Archives for the islands’ Norse heritage and contemporary life. Beyond town, open moorland, sea cliffs and wildlife offer a striking change of scale.

• Mousa Island Scotland (Scenic Stop)

Torshavn

Tórshavn is one of the world’s smallest capitals, yet it offers a revealing introduction to the Faroe Islands. Begin at Tinganes, where red-painted timber buildings cluster on a narrow headland beside the harbor. The Løgting, the Faroese parliament, meets nearby, continuing a political tradition rooted in the islands’ Norse past. In the compact center, cafés, shops and museums offer an easy pause before the Atlantic’s open horizons reclaim your attention.

• Suduroy Island Faroes (Scenic Stop)

Klaksvik

Klaksvík is the Faroe Islands’ second-largest town, set between steep mountains on Borðoy’s sheltered east coast. Fishing remains central to its life, yet the town rewards a slower look. Visit Christianskirkjan, whose timber roof recalls traditional Faroese building. From the harbor, ferries cross to Kalsoy, while roads and subsea tunnels connect Klaksvík with the wider islands. Come for the sea air, mountain views, and an unvarnished sense of Faroese life.

At Sea (At Sea)

Seydisfjordur, Iceland

Seyðisfjörður sits at the end of a deep fjord, framed by steep mountains and waterfalls. Its colorful wooden houses and blue church give the small town a character unlike Iceland’s larger ports. Walk the rainbow-painted street, visit the Skaftfell arts centre, or follow trails toward nearby cascades. The road over Fjarðarheiði offers wide views, though weather can change quickly. Here, East Iceland feels close, quiet, and distinctly local.

Siglufjordur, Iceland

Set beneath steep mountains at the head of a narrow fjord, Siglufjörður feels close to Iceland’s northern edge. Once the center of Iceland’s herring boom, this compact harbor town preserves its story at the Herring Era Museum. Walk the waterfront, then explore restored herring buildings and exhibits tracing the industry’s rise and fall. Beyond town, mountain roads and hiking routes open onto the dramatic Tröllaskagi Peninsula. Its fjord setting and steep peaks make the town as memorable as its past.

Patreksfjordur, Iceland

From Patreksfjörður’s sheltered Westfjords harbour to Höfn beneath Vatnajökull, Iceland’s western and southeastern edges reveal strikingly different landscapes. Patreksfjörður is a quiet base for exploring dramatic sea cliffs and Látrabjarg, where puffins nest in summer. Höfn is celebrated for langoustine and views of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier. Farther west along the south coast, glacier lagoons bring icebergs close to shore.

• Fjord Cruising (Fjord Cruising)

Grundarfjordur, Iceland

Grundarfjörður sits on the north shore of Iceland's Snæfellsnes peninsula, a fishing village beneath steep mountains. Its signature sight is Kirkjufell, a 463-metre peak shaped like an arrowhead. Walk or drive to Kirkjufellsfoss, where cascades frame the mountain. Further west, Snæfellsjökull glacier crowns a volcano and the national park around it. Weather changes quickly here, so bring warm, waterproof layers. Come for scale, silence and light.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavík is a capital with one foot in the wild. The Atlantic frames the city, volcanic mountains rise on the horizon, and geothermal water warms its pools. Start at Hallgrímskirkja, whose tower commands broad views, then walk down to the harbor and Harpa concert hall. Cafés, design shops, and museums make the compact center easy to explore on foot. Beyond town, geysers and waterfalls make a striking day trip; return for a soak in a neighborhood pool.