Explore your roots under the midnight sun in 2027 with the Snorri Program
The Snorri Program is a unique immersive summer program in Iceland for Canadians and Americans of Icelandic descent, ages 20 to 30.
Don’t miss the deadline to apply: Tuesday, January 19, 2027
What is the Snorri Program?
The Snorri program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in Icelandic culture, discover your heritage, and meet amazing people. The five-week summer program consists of three distinct parts:
Weeks 1-2: Cultural and educational program in Reykjavík
Weeks 3-4: Homestay and volunteer placement
Week 5: Adventure tour seeing the best Iceland has to offer
Tentative program dates for 2027 are June 13 to July 18.
Exact dates will be confirmed no later than January 2027.
What’s included?
Your program fee covers:
> Round-trip airfare from select gateway cities in North America to Iceland. *Note: domestic flights and other transport within North America not included.
> Accommodation and most meals for the whole 5 weeks.
> Domestic travel costs within Iceland (for official program activities).
> Two-week language instruction and culture program, sponsored by Icelandic Roots and the Árni Magnússon Institute.
> Adventure tour: full room and board, transportation, sightseeing, and cultural activities.
> Weekend and evening program in Reykjavík.
> Family tree and direct contact with your Icelandic relatives.
> Orientation session and information kit upon arrival.
> Graduation dinner and celebration on the last night of the program, sponsored by the Icelandic National League of North America.
> 24/7 support from program staff
And so much more!
The 2027 participation fee will be confirmed in early Dec. 2026. (The 2026 rate was $7,580 USD per person)
(This includes round-trip airfare from select gateway cities in North America to Iceland. )
This low rate is made possible by the generosity of many organizations in Iceland and North America.
A number of grants and scholarships are available to help cover part of your participation fee. In 2026, each participant received an average of $2675 USD / $3640 CAD in grants.
How much does Snorri cost?
Applications for our 2027 program are open!
Deadline to apply: Tuesday, January 19, 2027
Keep reading below for more details about each segment of the program.
Language & Culture
During your first two weeks in Reykjavík, you will take part in an educational program sponsored by Icelandic Roots and the Árni Magnússon Institute. The cultural and educational program includes dynamic Icelandic language lessons along with museum visits and lectures on topics like Icelandic history, culture, and nature. You’ll even get to meet the President of Iceland and tour the Parliament House, schedules permitting. Participants are expected to attend and actively participate in all mandatory activities. Generally, you’ll also get a chance to meet your Icelandic peers participating in the reciprocal Snorri West program, and we may also have some joint activities with Nordjobb participants—young adults from the other Nordic countries working in Iceland.
Homestays & Family
During your time in Reykjavík, you will receive a family tree tracing your roots back to your Icelandic emigrant ancestors and beyond. You will also be able to see how you are connected to some famous Icelanders, as well as your fellow Snorris. We’ll have a lecture on genealogy, and our expert genealogist will be able to answer any questions you may have.
Genealogy information is provided by Íslendingabók (The Book of Icelanders) and Icelandic Roots. When you apply for the program, you will be asked to fill out a family tree form with as much information as you can about your Icelandic ancestors who emigrated to North America. This will enable us to connect with your living Icelandic relatives and identify a family to host you for the two-week homestay period. It will also enable us to help you contact more of your relatives in Iceland if you wish. Accurate information will make the application process faster.
After the first two weeks in Reykjavík, you’ll do a two-week homestay with an Icelandic family. While not always possible, we will do our best to place you with relatives who live in the geographical area where your ancestors once lived. The vast majority of previous participants have stayed with relatives for the so-called “family and volunteer period,” but in rare cases, your host family may not be your direct relatives. During your homestay, you will participate in everyday family life and take on a volunteer summer position. Generally, these positions are similar to jobs young Icelanders may have during the summer months.
Volunteer Placements
The Snorri Program will take care of finding you a host family and arranging your volunteer placement. If you have specific requests, you are welcome to let us know in advance and we will try our best to accommodate your wishes; however, we cannot make any guarantees.
Previous volunteer positions have involved:
Guesthouses and hotels
Horse rentals
Whale watching tour companies
Farms
Greenhouses
Tree planting projects
Fish freezing plants
Construction projects
Daycare programs
Retirement homes
Swimming pools
Museums
Reykjavík Zoo
Shops
We will try our best to accommodate special needs and/or wishes. Please keep in mind that due to language limitations and because the homestay period is just two weeks long, it is usually difficult to find volunteer placements directly related to your specific interests and/or education. But keep in mind that any placement can be a great experience if you have an open mind and are ready to experience new things!
Please note that no changes will be made to family or volunteer placements after they have been confirmed unless there is a special reason to do so. No matter what kind of volunteer placement you have, you will have the experience of a lifetime!
Adventure Tour
During the last week of the program, you will embark on an epic adventure tour around Iceland. The itinerary varies from year to year, but past trips have included:
Hiking
White water rafting
Glacier trekking
Volcano tours
Lava cave tours
Horseback riding
Soaking in natural hot springs
Museum tours
And always ample ice cream
All groups visit Hofsós, Iceland and tour the Icelandic Emigration Center (Vesturfarasetrið). Weather permitting, every group also goes on a boat tour to hike up Drangey Island where Grettir the Strong (from Grettir's Saga) lived as an outlaw.
The Snorri Program Partners and Sponsors
The Snorri Program is operated by the Snorri Foundation in partnership with Vesturheimur - vináttufélag (formerly the Icelandic National League of Iceland) and the Nordic Association.
Other partners include the Icelandic Ministry of Culture, Innovation, and Higher Education, the City of Reykjavík, the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland, Icelandic Roots, the Icelandic National League of North America, and the Icelandic National League of the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Snorri Program program runs 5 weeks during the summer. The exact start and end date changes year to year.
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The program fee covers accommodation for the entire five-week trip; most meals; round trip airfare from certain Icelandair gateway cities in North America; information kit and orientation upon arrival; domestic transportation when traveling as a group and to and from your homestay; the two-week language and culture program in Reykjavík (including lectures; Icelandic classes and course materials; and evening programs); detailed genealogy information; three-month access to the Icelandic Roots genealogy database and free training; contact with Icelandic relatives; full board, lodging, and travel costs for the week-long adventure tour; amazing memories that will last a lifetime, and more.
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Yes, Snorri participants must be of Icelandic descent (in the case of adoptees, at least one parent must be of Icelandic descent). However, Snorri Plus is open to people with no Icelandic ancestry.
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Snorri is open to applicants ages 20 to 30. If you are 19 but will turn 20 before or during the trip, you are still welcome to apply. Likewise, if you are 30 but will turn 31 before or during the trip, you are welcome to apply.
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Thanks to the Snorri Foundation and our generous sponsors, the advertised program fee is already considerably lower than the true cost of the program. We recognize that it is still a significant sum, but thankfully our North American partners offer several scholarships to help cover the cost of participating.
More questions?
Your Snorri Adventure Awaits!
Deadline to apply: Tuesday, January 19, 2027