Iceland is a place of amazement for volunteers of all backgrounds. Iceland has a unique landscape that includes both breathtaking glaciers and active volcanoes that help create hot springs and geothermal pools for everyone to enjoy. Bright summer nights and the mystic and beautiful Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in winter grace volunteers with wonder. 11% of the country is covered by glaciers, including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe. Icelandic sagas from the 13th century provide a rich historical record for the country. Iceland is one of the smallest countries in terms of population with only 376,000 inhabitants (2022). As a volunteer in Iceland, you may be surprised to find somewhat mild temperatures throughout the year, thanks to the ocean gulfstream.
Volunteer in Iceland
Volunteer Opportunities in Iceland
Environment
Volunteers can assist with farm work in Iceland, including feeding, cleaning, milking, and grooming animals such as horses, sheep, cows, hens, and goats. In addition, volunteers may help with general farm maintenance and gardening tasks.
Social Work
Volunteers can work in a second-hand shop that supports a relief organization serving children in developing countries by providing educational opportunities, shelter, and other basic needs. Volunteers also assist the organization in planning and preparing for its annual fundraising events.
Education
Volunteers work at a local preschool that emphasizes a holistic approach to learning. The main role of volunteers is to support childcare. Tasks can include feeding and changing children, leading arts and crafts activities, and accompanying children on educational field trips.
Discover
Iceland is well known for its Viking heritage, and Icelanders take pride in the language and culture of their ancestors. Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavík, where most of the population lives, is known for its Viking museums and renewable energy initiatives.
Learn
Iceland is known for its history of harnessing renewable energy sources, including geothermal and hydroelectric energy. This shift toward renewable energy began in the early 20th century, and today the country is a global leader in clean energy production.
Challenge
From the Northern Lights to whale watching and volcanoes, Iceland is rich in geography and biodiversity. Explore its many national parks, geysers, lagoons, waterfalls, and natural wonders.
Quest Fees and Details
United Planet Quests are designed to be immersive, authentic, comprehensive and provide you everything you’ll need to succeed. The program elements allow you to engage fully with a new culture, forge strong relationships, and challenge yourself. Most importantly, we partner with the community to ensure your experience will be important, relevant and helpful to the community you serve.
- Pre-departure preparation
- Food and lodging in your host country
- Airport transfers
- Emergency medical insurance
- Online pre-departure training with our staff
- In-country orientation upon arrival and ongoing support and supervision throughout your Quest
- 20-40 hrs of service per week
- A United Planet t-shirt
Due to varying airline prices, United Planet does not arrange or cover the cost of flights to and from Iceland. However, we arrange all ground transportation to and from the airport in Iceland and will ensure that you arrive safely at orientation.
- Volunteers are responsible for booking and covering the cost of their own flights.
- Volunteers will obtain visas as necessary, depending on duration.
- Travel anytime throughout the year for this Quest. We recommend June-August for maximum sunlight!
| 2 Weeks | 4 Weeks | 6 Weeks | 8 Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,740 | $3,132 | $4,594 | $5,846 |
About Our Quest Fee
We want you to succeed. That means having in place the support our volunteers need. We don’t just drop you in country and hope for the best. We provide training before you leave … language exposure … 24/7 in-country support … support for your host family … accommodations, meals and airport transportation … activities and excursions. The whole idea is to make the experience successful and productive for you and the host community, and we have found that these things are crucial. Remember that we are a non-profit, mission-driven organization – we wouldn’t spend money on something that wasn’t important.
*Payment Plan Details: A $300 deposit is due at the time of your enrollment to lock in your spot in our program. After your confirmation in a program, you can choose to pay the Quest Fee all at once or in installments. The total Quest Fee is due 4 weeks before your departure date.