What was the purpose of the Viking voyages?

The primary purpose of the Viking voyages and exploration was for trade.  Viking society depended heavily on trade.  Viking merchants sought to trade with people in both existing areas and new areas.  They traded a large variety of goods, especially with other merchants in Asia.  Ships sailed by Viking merchants traveled to many places in the world, both east and west.  Vikings had developed seaworthy ships, so they were able to travel farther than other explorers in that time.  This gave them an advantage in both trade and exploration.  
Some historians believe that the Viking explorers were also looking for more land to house some of their expanding population back home.  Evidence of Viking settlements can be found in many places today.  
Some Viking explorers wanted to discover new lands.  The Vikings explored Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland.  These were areas previously unexplored by Europeans.