(Courtesy of Lebor Tours) Hailed by many as the most amazing place on earth to visit, Iceland has always presented a challenge to religious Jews who were interested in kosher food, minyanim, and a Shabbat atmosphere. Iceland’s Jewish community is very small and the local Chabad opened only shortly before COVID. Tourists who visited were forced to “rough it” on their own by bringing almost all of the food with them, being on their own every day and with many Shabbat challenges. Even guided tours that came to Iceland often would only be able to offer meals that were cooked in the non-kosher kitchen of the hotel, fish double wrapped in tin foil.
Until now.
For the first time in history an all-kosher hotel is opening this August in Iceland. This summer it is only going to open for three weeks, but that itself is historic. The Geo Hotel in the wonderful village of Grindavik is being taken over by Lebor Tours and Gaya Luxury Tours. The entire hotel will be glatt kosher of the highest standard: Glatt meat, Cholov Yisrael and Pat Yisrael, all under the strict supervision of Rabbi Nechemia Rotenberg, shlita.
The program is divided into three week-long tours, from Tuesday to Tuesday. Eight days and seven nights, August 9-16, August 16-23 and August 23-30. The program includes all-day tours, two high-end gourmet meals per day and a self-packed lunch from the breakfast buffet, all catered by the renowned Avi Fein and Gaya Luxury tours, and of course lodging in the hotel.
Iceland, known as the land of fire and ice, is a land of indescribable beauty. Along with its 10,000 waterfalls, the outstanding landscape of glaciers, volcanos, geysers, boiling sulfur mud pots, ocean cliffs, whales and puffins has some of the most awe-inspiring sights on earth.
The incredible tours will include The Golden Circle, The Reykjanes Peninsula, The Snaefellsnes Peninsula (often called Iceland in miniature), The Southern coast’s waterfalls and beaches, a cruise to the breathtaking Westman Islands and Reykjavik—the northernmost capital of the world. During the course of the tours the group will visit 80% of the major sites of the entire country.
The full-day tours will be in English and guided by David and Adina Lebor, who have over two decades of experience guiding religious groups around the world. All the tours include short, easy walks that are suitable for all ages. The tours also include exciting attractions like the speedboat tour of the Westman Islands Archipelago and the IMAX Flyover Iceland ride in Reykjavik.
The Geo Hotel is a small, sleek hotel with simply furnished modern rooms built in the Icelandic style. The program encompasses the entire hotel, which will make for an intimate and enjoyable group experience. Meeting and making new friends is a one of the great advantages of group travel. The entire group will be religious Jews of all backgrounds from all over the U.S., Canada and elsewhere.
Right next to the hotel is the renowned Grindavik geothermal swimming pool, which will be rented exclusively for the group’s use every evening for separate swimming. Besides the Olympic-sized heated pool, the complex has two hot tubs, one with jet massage, a cold pot, a sauna, a children’s pool and a waterslide.
Just 40 minutes from the capital city of Reykjavik, Grindavík is a fishing village surrounded by beautiful and unique scenery. There are many fantastic trails for walking, running, cycling and horseback riding. The town also has one of the most beautiful golf courses in Iceland.
Besides golf, lovers of the extreme who are willing to forego a day of touring with the rest of the group can take part in a variety of activities at their own expense: a hike to the nearby volcano eruption site, mountain biking, ATVs, horseback riding, glacier hiking, snowmobiles and helicopter rides. Another possibility is to take a late return flight on Tuesday and take part in these activities on one’s own.
The price is only $4200 per person in a double-occupancy room. (Other prices are available for triples and singles.) This price includes everything except the flights, travel/medical insurance and extra expenses.
The hotel is small and there is very limited availability, so those interested need to act fast.
There are many reasonable flights available from the USA and the flight time is only five to six hours. In addition to flights from JFK and Newark, the new low-cost Icelandic airline, Play, has direct flights from Stewart International Airport near Newburgh, New York.
For a religious Jew, there has never been a better time to visit this most fascinating country, only half the way to mainland Europe.
For more information contact:
+972-54-539-1137 (telephone and WhatsApp)
516-591-3540 (U.S. number)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kosher.iceland
Website: http://lebortours.com/lebortours-iceland/
