Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "construction" projects in Iceland

SEEDS volunteers will be working on environmental and nature oriented tasks in this project. We will be based on an Icelandic farm in the East of the country. This is our fifth year of cooperation and the volunteers’ experiences have been very positive.
Our tasks will mainly be focused on improving and beautifying the environment in and around the whole area; planting trees, clearing out a barn and clearing the surrounding area. Volunteers will possibly help with lambing and work with some animals.
The working schedule will be very flexible. It will depend on the needs of our local host, the advance of the diverse projects in the area surrounding the valley and the weather conditions. While we help to preserve the local environment, we will explore the surroundings of the location and enjoy free time activities arranged in cooperation with the local host, such as hiking and discovering the beautiful scenery.

We will be lodged in a farmhouse, in shared rooms, sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Food ingredients will be provided and a kitchen is available. Volunteers will share the duties of cooking and cleaning. Please do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for the international evening.

The project is located in the municipality of Fljótsdalshérað; 17 km from the largest town in Eastern Iceland called Egilsstaðir (population 2300). The town has a swimming pool, shops, pubs and museums among other main services.
The area is beautiful and has a lot of interesting sites. The biggest forest in Iceland, Hallormstaðarskógur is located within the district.The forest spreads over 30 ha and it offers great opportunities for hiking. The tree collection has a huge variety of foreign trees and is renowned among professionals and travellers. There is also a horse rental and a small swimming pool in the forest.
The farm we will be staying at is located close to Lagarfljót, the home of the mythical creature “the Lagarfljót Serpent” (Lagarfljótsormurinn) which was believed to have been spotted last in early 2012 by a local farmer. The serpent is thought to be Iceland’s equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster. If you get lucky you might get a glimpse of it and maybe even be able to get a picture of the much sought after serpent. Other interesting animals of the area are the wild reindeers. They live in and around Fljótsdalshérað and count about ten thousand.
The East Fjords of Iceland have a special landscape,dominated by long, narrow fjords and steep mountains. This is one of the oldest regions of Iceland shaped by glaciers in the Ice Age.

English will be the official language in the camp; high proficiency is not a requirement.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). The closest bus stop and local airport is located in Egilsstaðir (EGS). The ferry “Norræna – Smyril line” sails from the Faroe Islands and Denmark and docks in the harbour in Seyðisfjörður town, 27 km from Egilsstaðir.
SEEDS organises a “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and back. Apart from being cheap and convenient, it allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting sites.

Participation fee EUR 160 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Volunteers should have a motivation for working outdoors and getting to know ways of living in rural areas in Iceland.
Please bring warm clothes and outdoor wear as weather in Iceland can be unpredictable.

SEEDS volunteers will be working on several projects, mostly construction and renovation related tasks, preparing the area before the summer; supporting a group of local Icelanders that are developing the area with new tourism services and pushing forward alternative ways of income; running a series of mountain huts in this isolated area and offering services to travellers during the summer time.
The tasks will include landscaping around houses in the area as well as some painting. Volunteers will also help revegetate some areas around. We will be maintaining hiking paths and clearing litter. As the landscape is raw, the work is physically demanding but also rewarding.

Volunteers will be hosted in a local mountain hut; sleeping in shared rooms on mattresses on the floor; please bring your own sleeping bag. The facilities are very basic and volunteers are expected to show consideration for their companions.
Volunteers will receive food ingredients and be in charge of cooking and cleaning. Please do not forget some traditional food from your home country for the international evening.

The Icelandic highlands, or “the interior”, are a true pearl to all nature lovers and outdoor people. It is accessible on 4WD cars and most routes involve crossing un-bridged rivers.
If you really want to get away from it all, the interior of Iceland is like nothing you have ever experienced. The mountainous centre of the island, with its rocky deserts, craggy mountain peaks, ice caps, volcanoes, hidden valleys and hot springs, is an awesome and untouched wilderness.
The interior was almost totally inaccessible until recently. However outlaws managed to hide out for years at a time in the highlands, rustling sheep and keeping away from law-abiding citizens. Folklore stories tell of both natural and supernatural beings that lay in wait for unwary highland travellers. Travellers going between the north and south of Iceland sometimes had to cross the highlands. To get to the assembly of Alþingi (parliament) each summer, delegates had to ride from every corner of the country to Þingvellir in the southwest.
Journeys across the interior were never undertaken lightly; such travel was risky and lives were often lost. Today the interior is crossed by two mountain roads, via Kjölur and Sprengisandur, which are only open in summer, after the snow has thawed in spring.
Volunteers will be staying close to the glacier Hofsjökull and near to the rivers Hvítá and Þjórsá. The mountains in the area that reach up to 1500 m were formed during a volcanic eruption in the later part of the ice age. The area is still dynamic and great geothermal activity takes place in the surroundings. The environment is very diverse, both in shape and colour. The mountains are weathered and have very little continuous growth, as the forces of nature, like glaciers, water flow, ice bursts etc. have been fast working in these mountain highlands.

English will be the language of the camp; high proficiency is not required.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 250 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

The fee includes the domestic transportation from Reykjavík to the camp site and back (on the first and last day of the camp). Departure time will be at 7:00 in the morning.
Remote and very isolated site located in natural areas of extreme beauty. Volunteers need to be prepared for physical and demanding work, free time activities are mostly hiking and trekking in the area as there is no transportation available or possibility to organise transport to different sites.
Bring warm winter clothes as the project takes place outside and the weather can be very cold.

SEEDS volunteers will be working on several projects, mostly construction and renovation related tasks, preparing the area before the summer; supporting a group of local Icelanders that are developing the area with new tourism services and pushing forward alternative ways of income; running a series of mountain huts in this isolated area and offering services to travellers during the summer time.
The tasks will include landscaping around houses in the area as well as painting and maintaining verandas. As the landscape is raw, the work is physically demanding but also rewarding.
We will be maintaining hiking paths, clearing litter along the paths and in the valley. We will also build fences around natural hot pools in the area and clear some old fences.

We will be hosted in a local mountain hut; sleeping in shared rooms on mattresses on the floor; please bring your own sleeping bag. The facilities are very basic and volunteers are expected to show consideration for their companions.
We will receive food ingredients and be in charge of cooking and cleaning. Please do not forget some traditional food from your home country for the international evening.

The Icelandic highlands, or “the interior”, are a true pearl to all nature lovers and outdoor people. It is accessible on 4WD cars and most routes involve crossing un-bridged rivers.
If you really want to get away from it all, the interior of Iceland is like nothing you have ever experienced. The mountainous centre of the island, with its rocky deserts, craggy mountain peaks, ice caps, volcanoes, hidden valleys and hot springs, is an awesome and untouched wilderness.

The interior was almost totally inaccessible until recently. However outlaws managed to hide out for years at a time in the highlands, rustling sheep and keeping away from law-abiding citizens. Folklore stories tell of both natural and supernatural beings that lay in wait for unwary highland travellers. Travellers going between the north and south of Iceland sometimes had to cross the highlands. To get to the assembly of Alþingi (parliament) each summer, delegates had to ride from every corner of the country to Þingvellir in the southwest.

Journeys across the interior were never undertaken lightly; such travel was risky and lives were often lost. Today the interior is crossed by two mountain roads, via Kjölur and Sprengisandur, which are only open in summer, after the snow has thawed in spring.

We will be staying close to the glacier Hofsjökull and near to the rivers Hvítá and Þjórsá. The mountains in the area that reach up to 1500 m were formed during a volcanic eruption in the later part of the ice age. The area is still dynamic and great geothermal activity takes place in the surroundings. The environment is very diverse, both in shape and colour. The mountains are weathered and have very little continuous growth, as the forces of nature, like glaciers, water flow, ice bursts etc. have been fast working in these mountain highlands.

English will be the language of the camp; high proficiency is not required.

Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).
SEEDS organises a “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camps and back. Apart from being cheap and convenient, it allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting sites.

Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). To be paid to SEEDS on arrival.

Remote and very isolated site located in natural areas of extreme beauty. Volunteers need to be prepared for physical and demanding work, free time activities are mostly outdoors in the area as there is no transportation available or possibility to organise transport to different sites.
Bring warm clothes, gloves, hats, scarves and socks as the weather can be cold even in summer.

SEEDS volunteers will be working with an Icelandic music festival called Secret Solstice. This is the first time this festival is being held and it will feature over a hundred artists both local and international from various arrays of genres. The festival takes place over the course of three days in the 24 hour midnight sun during the summer solstice.
The workcamp takes place in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. Volunteers in this workcamp will work as the site build crew. This crew is all about hard work and long hours, it takes place before and after the festival. Volunteers will be doing all kinds of different jobs with the build and breakdown of the festival site.
The work is physically demanding and will require heavy lifting, hence it is not for the faint-hearted although very rewarding.
Volunteers will get a t-shirt that is to be worn at all times while on duty. The great thing about this shift is that you can enjoy the festival in its entirety.

SEEDS volunteers in this workcamp will sleep in tents in the festival area. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Volunteers will have access to a bathroom, showers and a fully equipped kitchen. Volunteers will receive food supplies and be in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities.
Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your country for the international evening.

The population of Reykjavik is over 200,000 including the metropolitan area, so two thirds of Iceland’s inhabitants live here. It is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources. The world’s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjavík is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides.
Reykjavik is often called “the nightlife capital of the north”. But there is more to Reykjavík than pubs and clubs. Reykjavík also gathers the most interesting of Icelandic culture. It is an incubator of new ideas and styles which often indicates new global trends. It is an International city with a lively Cosmopolitan cultural scene surrounded with beautiful nature.
During this time in June you will be able to experience Iceland’s 24 hour midnight sun during the summer solstice. Because of how close Iceland is situated to the Arctic Circle, the nation gets the full on effect of seasonal changes on a unique scale. During the summer we get long, sunny days and, as expected, winter comes with complete darkness.
In the area closer than 100 Km from Reykjavík, there are several spectacular waterfalls, geysers, impressive coastline and the well-known geothermal Blue Lagoon spa to visit.

English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 120 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Volunteers will get a free festival wristband and get to participate in a special Secret Solstice staff party.
Tours and excursions (Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon or South Shore) can be arranged for SEEDS volunteers at discount fares.
Weather conditions in Iceland are unpredictable, so be prepared to experience all kinds of weather.

SEEDS volunteers will participate for the fourth year in a row in a unique project with the Icelandic Forestry Association. The work camp will take place in a valley deep in Hvalfjörður, the whale-fjord, located in the South west of Iceland. Volunteers will be performing different tasks such as cleaning up in the forest, collecting wood, creating new and maintaining old walking paths and do some maintenance work and renovation work on a timber house.
Eight working hours are expected on week days. After the workday, some time will be devoted to education. During this relaxed interactive time volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and discuss about environmental matters and forestry, practice numerous tools, realize craftwork, go hiking, visit places of interest in the surroundings, and take part in local cultural events. Volunteers need to be motivated to work outdoors and be willing to take part in all the diverse tasks connected with the project. Work is physical and demanding.

In this camp volunteers will challenge themselves with rather primitive facilities. We will sleep in a big “Indian” tent on the location of the project. Volunteers have to bring their own warm sleeping bag and a camping mattress.
Food will be provided and will be cooked either on camping gas or on an open fire. Food will be kept cold in the river and we will wash ourselves with cloths and water either straight from the river or with water heated on the fire. A travel-toilet will be set up in a private location.
We will share the different duties of cooking and cleaning. Do not forget to bring some traditional or typical food from your home country for the international evening.

The valley of Brynjudalur, where the work camp takes place is about 80 Kilometres from the capital; deep inside Hvalfjörður. It is surrounded by mountains, to the north of the valley is a mountain called Múlafjall, south of the Valley are Bolafell and Suðurfjall and to the west Þrándarstaðafjall. The valley is extremely beautiful, with many plants and trees.
There are many small canyons, streams and waterfalls and it is a popular place for hikers to visit. Along the valley runs the river Brynjudalsá which starts in Sandvatn.
Hvalfjörður lies north of Reykjavík and Mosfellslbær and is the longest fjord in the south-west of Iceland, cutting 30kms deep into the land along a north-east/south-west axis and curling to the east at its head. Before the Hvalfjarðargöng tunnel was opened in 1998 and the main ring-road rerouted underneath the fjord, all traffic heading north or west to and from Reykjavík had to follow the fjord all the way around -a drive of an hour or two.

English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).
SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camp site and vice versa. Apart from being cheaper and more convenient, it allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Volunteers should have a motivation for working outdoors and be prepared to experience all kinds of weather. Please bring warm winter clothes as the project takes place outside and the weather can be cold.
This camp includes environmental education and weekends will be devoted to leisure activities organised in cooperation with SEEDS and our hosting partner.

SEEDS has been working with the municipality of Strandabyggð since 2009 with very good results for the volunteers, the locals and SEEDS. Strandir (e. The coasts), located on the north-eastern part of the western fjords of Iceland, are a hiker’s paradise.
Some of the most popular walking paths have not been maintained in a proper way for some time. Therefore SEEDS volunteers will be working on restoring and maintaining those hiking trails. Maintaining these pathways is very important to encourage people in the area to enjoy the beautiful environment in a way that does not spoil the nature around. The ground is sometimes rocky and volunteers have to work together to find the most suitable place for the path.
Volunteers will also assist with preparing for the town festival, by for example putting up stages, taking them down; decorate the town and beautifying the area afterwards. Interested volunteers will also have the opportunity to participate in the town festival and put up their own acts (show art work, do an act on stage, introduce their culture, etc.) if they like.
Work can be physically demanding and volunteers should be in a good physical condition. Be prepared for some flexibility due to the weather.

SEEDS volunteers will be hosted in a local house and have access to shower facilities. Volunteers will be sleeping on mattresses on the floor in shared rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Food ingredients will be provided and volunteers will have access to a kitchen. Volunteers will share the different duties of cooking and cleaning. Please do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for an international evening.

The work camp takes place in the West fjords at the north-western part of Iceland. The region accounts for 10% of the country’s surface but only about 7200 people live there, so it is one of the least populated areas of Europe. The West fjords are very mountainous; the coastline is made by dozens of fjords surrounded by steep hills.
The region of Strandir was for centuries one of the most remote areas in Iceland, known for the inhabitants' knowledge of magic and as a refuge for criminals and outlaws. The landscape of Strandir is far from uniform, the low hills of Hrútafjörður in the south gradually change to 700 m high mountains rising straight from the coast in the northern part.
The population in the Strandir region is under 800. The towns of Hólmavík and Drangsnes are the most populated; around 400 people in Hólmavík and 100 in Drangsnes. The people of Strandir live almost entirely on traditional fishing and farming and are increasingly aware of their heritage and will proudly tell tales of their ancestors' dealings with ghosts and other supernatural beings.
It has often been said that the people of Strandir know a bit more about witchcraft and sorcery than others, and to underscore that claim The Museum of Sorcery & Witchcraft, which takes one on a magical tour into the mystical world of the supernatural, is to be found in the area.

English will be the official language in the camp, high proficiency is not required.

Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).
SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camp site and vice versa. Apart from being cheaper and more convenient, it allows volunteers to meet fellow campers and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

Participation fee EUR 160 (Euros). Please note that the fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic crowns.

Bring warm clothes with you as the project takes place outdoors.
Our hosting partner will organise some free time activities in the surroundings of the project.

SEEDS volunteers will once again be working with the City of Reykjavík in one of the main Skiing areas in the capital region of Iceland.
We will be working in Skálafell, where the ski slopes are turned into a Bike park during summertime and mountain bike enthusiasts can nourish their passion. The main tasks will include renovation and maintenance work on the bike trails; mainly raking and scraping them up. Some paint job awaits the SEEDS volunteers as well and general cleaning of the area.
The camp starts only a couple of days after summer solstice, when the sun never fully sets at this latitude and the nights are as bright as the days. The bright nights are magical with almost 24 hours of sunlight and staying awake enjoying the beautiful surroundings is a unique experience.

SEEDS volunteers will stay in an equipped house in Reykjavík. The facilities are basic and volunteers are expected to show consideration for their companions. Volunteers will be sleeping in shared rooms in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Volunteers will receive food supplies and be partly in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. During week days lunch will be served at the working site.
Do not forget some traditional food from your country for an international evening.

The house where SEEDS volunteers will be quartered during the project is located in Reykjavík, approximately 30 km away from the location of the working site. Volunteers will be transported there every working day.
Some of the best natural country sides in Iceland are located where this workcamp takes place. Hiking, mountain biking, alpine and cross country skiing are a few outdoor activities people can enjoy in the area.
Iceland is chilly, even in summer. Expect nights to dip down to 10 Celsius and days to warm up to the mid-high teens Celsius and warmer. In mountains, weather can change quickly and drastically.
The population of Reykjavik is over 200,000 including the metropolitan area, so two thirds of Iceland’s inhabitants live here. It is a dynamic, modern city which lives in harmony with beautiful nature, using renewable energy sources. The world’s northernmost capital bridges the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. Reykjavík is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides.
Reykjavík is a vibrant city that manages to combine the intimacy of a small-town atmosphere with all the qualities of a modern, trendy city. Here you can leisurely stroll around the lovely little streets of the town centre with its many renovated old houses and there's no hustle and bustle, no noisy traffic to contend with.

English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 150 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic kronas.

Volunteers have to bring good working shoes and clothes, even though it is summer, it might still be cold and hats and gloves might be necessary. Volunteers need to be prepared for a wide range of weather.
Our hosting partner will organise free time activities in the area and tours and excursions can be arranged for SEEDS volunteers at discount fares as well (for example Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon, South Shore, etc.)

SEEDS volunteers will be taking part in various outdoors tasks such as building a stone wall in a garden with sculptures and outdoor artwork. The volunteers will be supervised by a professional stonewall maker and a nature scientist. Furthermore volunteers will make a walking path from the sculpture garden towards a small canyon where some outdoor artwork can be found. Volunteers will also help with setting up and moving the artwork.
Our host is taking the first steps towards making a Geo-park and volunteers will help with marking and registering locations and other related tasks.
If time and weather allows, volunteers will help building a chapel which is aimed to be for all religions and beliefs. We may take down old fences and generally beautify the area.
The working plan will depend on the needs of our local host and the volunteers need motivation to work mainly outdoors on physical jobs and under changeable weather conditions.

SEEDS volunteers will stay in a local house; Sleeping in shared rooms on mattresses in a sleeping bag accommodation. Please bring your own sleeping bag.
Volunteers receive food supplies and mostly are in charge of the cooking and cleaning activities. Do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home country for an international evening.

The project takes place in the Western part of Iceland, in a unique natural pearl with breathtaking landscape, between glaciers and lava fields. The place is like an oasis in the desert, as the weather is often better than in the surroundings.
The place is a dream for hikers, walking paths and trails spread around in all directions, beautiful waterfalls and one of the best known caves in Iceland is nearby. Every weekend there is a bon-fire in the nearby camping area where visitors meet, sing, play games and enjoy the company.
Among the natural wonders around are the Hraunfossar waterfalls, where water comes out from a lava field over a length of 1 km, placed in a setting of birch-wood and Surtshellir (Surt's Cave) is in the Hallmundarhraun lava field, which is among the best known and deepest in Iceland.
According to some of the oldest Icelandic sagas, this area is said to be inhabited since the very early settlement of the island. In the old days, farmers were expected to offer travellers something to eat and a place to stay if needed and as the location was in a busy trail, the locals had many guests they had to take care of: In that way it can be said that tourism started few hundred years ago in this beautiful location. Dense forests, lava, water springs and torrential glacier rivers, mixed with a diverse fauna and flora makes this area a delightful place to stay at.
There are small local services, a convenience store, swimming pool with Jacuzzis, a pit-stop joint with a gas station and a small restaurant.
The project is next to Langjökull (Long Glacier), the second largest glacier in Iceland, it is 950 km2 and its highest point is 1355 m above sea level. Agencies organize snow mobile trips and snow truck trips. Langjökull is surrounded by other small glaciers, Eiríksjökull, Þórisjökull, Hrútafell and Ok.

English will be the language in the camp; basic conversational skills are needed.

Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus station: Central Reykjavík (BSÍ).

Participation fee EUR 200 (Euros). Please note that these fees are to be paid to SEEDS on arrival in either Euros or Icelandic krónas.

Volunteers have to bring good working shoes and clothes, even though it is summer, it might still be cold and hats and gloves might be necessary.
Volunteers applying for this project should have a motivation for working outdoors and do physical work. Our hosting partner will organise some free time activities in the area.