Iceland: Epic Winter Landscape & Wildlife Photography Tour

​

Sample Itinerary

- please note some flexibility is built in to allow for weather conditions

- aurora hunting will be undertaken whenever night time activity levels and weather allow

 

Day 1

Arrive Iceland at Keflavik airport, where you will be greeted and transferred to your first night Reykjavik hotel (superior double/twin? on  B&B basis)

Depending on your arrival time you may have the afternoon/ evening free time to explore some the city's attractions.

​

Day 2

We start our epic Iceland tour by heading slightly west, to photograph the handsome Hraunfossar waterfalls before having lunch at the café there.  Our guide Haukur has farmer relatives in this area, who keep Icelandic horses, and allow us access to photograph them up close and at leisure.  Then it's time to follow scenic Hvalfjordur bay back towards the south. We will stop along the way at photogenic locations, eventually reaching the Geysir area where we will spend the night. 

 

Day 3

First light shoot at Strokkur - the only spouting hot spring in Iceland - and other geothermal features at Geyser, well before the first busloads of tourists arrive at this iconic attraction.  Then it's back to the hotel for breakfast and check out before moving on to majestic Gullfoss waterfall.  Gulfoss is usually still frozen at this time of year, which is a truly beautiful and spectacular sight, offering many different options for photography.

​

We now head to the south coast, stopping for lunch on the way.  We photograph Gluggafoss waterfall and perhaps one more as we make our way to Dyrhólaey headland for an evening shoot.  We stay the next two nights at Haukur's own guesthouse, experiencing his family's traditional Icelandic hospitality.

 

Day 4

We photograph the sea stacks on Reynisfjara beach at first light, taking a light breakfast with us. Depending on snow cover we will try to access the Katla glacier outlet. The lonely rock on the black sand is great to shoot, then by contrast we have the Laki lava field covered in green moss. Lunch today will be in the town of Vík, and afterwards we visit a craft farmer friend of Haukur's.  Mrs. Kidda knits genuine Icelandic wool sweaters (NOT the cheap Chinese versions in the souvenir shops of Reykjavik!) and other items from Icelandic sheep wool. She is one of the best kept secrets of a more traditional Iceland. 

 

Day 5

We check out of our guesthouse and head towards the Vatnajökull Glacier National Park area, stopping off at more fascinating and photogenic locations on the way. When we reach the Glacier site we will spend our evening photographing it at sunset.

 

Day 6

Another early start, with a sunrise shoot at the so called 'diamond beach'. Here icebergs from the glacier have washed ashore on the black sand beach, leaving it glittering with intricately ocean-carved 'jewels'. We will look at many ways to shoot them before going on to explore the ice lagoon itself. This is where the front face of the glacier calves icebergs which fill the calm waters.  Here we will also look to photograph seals, which like to lounge on the ice floes, and a range of birds.  An added bonus here is the chance to photograph Northern Lights over the lagoon, if they are active and the weather is suitable...fingers crossed! 

 

Day 7:

A second sunrise on the beach - we allow for two chances to do this as the weather is not always kind! - followed by a tour to an ice cave.  Please note: it is possible that the ice caves may not be accessible if we experience warm weather and rain for several days prior to our visit, as they can fill with water - ice caves are water tunnels during summer - but we have a good chance of success at this time of year. 

 

Day 8

Sunrise at another glacier outlet called Fjallsárjökull, followed by breakfast, check out and a leisurely day drive to Reykjavik with various stops on the way.  Early evening check in to our Reykjavik hotel.

​

​

Day 9

​

This is where our core tour ends and our Arctic Fox extension begins.  

So you will either have some free time to explore Reykjavik before heading to the airport for your international connections home.

OR

If you are joining the Arctic fox extension, you'll have a morning to explore Reykjavik and sample one of the city's local lunch spots before heading to the city airport for our flight to Isafjordur. We spend the night here, with an option to sample one of the finest and most atmospheric fish restaurants in Iceland: highly recommended.

​

Day 10

This morning is free to catch up on sleep or explore Isafjordur before our boat departs for Kviar Lodge at noon. On the scenic journey we will keep an eye out for whales and a variety of seabirds.  After settling in to the lodge we will make our first foray out for Arctic foxes in late light.

 

 

Day 11 & 12

Based at Kviar Lodge - the only permanent accommodation in this remote part of Iceland - we will spend the next two days roaming the beaches and cliffs, and settling into the local hides, to photograph Arctic Foxes and the bird life that the area offers.  By night, if the skies are clear and activity good, we may have the chance to photograph the Northern lights.

 

​

Day 13

After a final morning of wildlife photography we take the boat back to Isafjördur in time to connect with our flight back to Reykjavik, where we spend our final night of the tour.

​

​

Day 14

Transfer to Keflavik airport for our international flights home.