14 Day Around Iceland Photography Workshop in Winter

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime with this epic 14 day winter photo workshop, during which you will chase the Northern Lights and explore the mysterious ice caves of Iceland. This is our most comprehensive tour, covering a staggering number of locations all around the country, allowing you to hone your skills in-field and discover everything there is to know about landscape photography. Whether you are a beginner, an amateur or a pro, this intensive photo workshop will expose you to most of the incredible winter scenery that Iceland has to offer, developing and expanding your landscape photography portfolio.

We’ll begin bright and early on day two, boarding our specially modified 4x4 vehicle and heading towards the magical Snaefellsnes Peninsula in Iceland’s north west. Once there, we’ll spend two nights exploring the jagged rock formations all along its coast, including the columnar basalt sea stacks at the sleepy fishing village of Arnarstapi.

We’ll capture the immense beauty of the black church of Budir, set against the backdrop of the looming Snaefellsjokull Glacier. The surrounding area will yield numerous compositions, from vast lava fields to snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Our sunset shoot will be at the majestic Kirkjufell, Iceland’s most famous mountain. Having risen to fame in the TV series Game of Thrones, this picturesque mountain is now one of the most photographed in all of Iceland and there’s no wondering why. Swathed in snow, its unique cone-shape resembles a pyramid and if you’re lucky, the mountain’s eerie eye will make an appearance. Otherwise, the waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss at the mountain’s base will make for an interesting composition, particularly when the Northern Lights begin dancing overhead.

Your accommodation for the night will be in Snaefellsnes.

We’ll delve into the sights of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula a little further, visiting quaint fishing villages all along the coastline. There will be plenty to shoot, from rugged cliffs to icy outcrops, including the stunning rock pinnacles of Londrangar. These volcanic basalt plugs have eroded away from the shoreline over time, now resembling a castle reaching out towards the horizon. They’ll make for an incredible scene if we find ourselves lucky enough to witness the Aurora tonight.

Your accommodation this evening will be in Snaefellsnes.

On day four, we’ll leave the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, heading north towards the mountainous Vatnsnes Peninsula where many seals make their homes. This is a place of great natural beauty, yielding forth its most prized treasure – the Hvitserkur basalt rock formation that resembles a drinking dragon at low tide. We’ll take our time photographing this majestic wonder of nature, making the most of leading lines in the black sand at its base. It will be the perfect subject for us when the Northern Lights dance across the night sky.

Accommodation for the night will be in Akureyri.

We’ll have an early breakfast, then make our way towards the glorious Highlands waterfall Godafoss for a magical sunrise shoot. Known as the “waterfall of the gods”, this is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in all of Iceland, particularly during the winter when snow covers the surrounding landscape and there is ice crusted along the banks of the river that feed it.

Later on in the day, we’ll explore the desolate volcanic features surrounding the jagged shores of Lake Myvatn, the site of many scenes in the TV series, Game of Thrones. You may recognise this area “beyond the wall”, where Jon Snow entered a steamy geothermal cave with Ygritte and cast aside his vow of celibacy. The nearby extraordinary lava stacks of Dimmuborgir were used in the scenes for Mance Rayder’s Wildling camp, though we’ll make better use of them as incredible foregrounds when the Northern Lights come out to play!

Accommodation overnight will be at Myvatn.

On day six, we’ll travel by super jeep across the heavy blanket of snow towards two spectacular waterfalls deep within the northern Highlands – Aldeyjarfoss and Hrafnabjargafoss. Completely off the beaten track, these waterfalls are at the peak of their beauty during winter, when the snow cloaks them in an icy cover. Aldeyjarfoss stands out with almost frozen water still gushing forth amidst its tall basalt columns, while Hrafnabjargafoss impresses with its deep snow-covered canyon and brilliant blue water. When the sun begins to set, it casts a pale pastel glow in the skies above, making for a truly ethereal atmosphere.

Accommodation overnight will be at Myvatn.

We’ll defrost a little bit on this day with a trip to Namaskard mountain – a sulfuric, steamy landscape to the north of Lake Myvatn. This geothermal area is home to the enormous tephra explosion crater Hverfell, and brims with photographic opportunities. You’ll have the opportunity to photograph boiling mud pots, multi coloured sinters and hot fumaroles as they seethe forth from the ground beneath.

If time permits, then we’ll be able to relax for a dip at the Myvatn Nature Baths, fondly known as the Blue Lagoon of the north.

Accommodation overnight will be in Myvatn.

On day eight, we’ll travel away from Lake Myvatn towards Jokulsargljufur National Park on the east coast of Iceland. Along the way, we’ll stop at Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, before making our way over the mountain pass into the pristine and remote Eastfjords. With views of the Vatnajokull glacier in the distance and an abundance of untouched scenery, this is one of the most picturesque and less visited areas in Iceland. There will be plenty of opportunities to photograph reflections within the icy water of the surrounding fjords, and numerous foregrounds to feature with the elusive Northern Lights.

Our accommodation for the evening will be at the small coastal village of Djupivogur.

This day sees us heading into the protected wilderness area of the Vatnajokull National Park, home to Europe’s largest glacier. There will be plenty on offer to shoot, from snowy mountain peaks to lava fields and snow-laden volcanic features. Our goal will be to reach the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon for sunset, where large icebergs float about serenely in the water before floating out to sea. The lagoon makes for a wonderful subject when the Northern Lights are overhead.

Accommodation overnight will be in the Jokulsarlon area.

After an early breakfast, we’ll head back out to Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon for sunrise, when gorgeous pastel colours complement the enormous milky white icebergs that float about in its depths. Calved from the nearby Breidarmerkurjokull glacier, these icebergs make their way through a narrow passage from the lagoon into the sea, where they are reshaped by the waves and eventually wash back up onto the adjacent “ice beach”, resembling diamonds in the sun. It’s the perfect place to practice your long exposure skills, as the water recedes around these shining diamond-like sculptures.

The highlight of the afternoon will be when we descend into the depths of the Vatnajokull glacier to explore an ice cave! These wonders of nature are incredibly unique, changing constantly over time so that no two are ever the same. We’ll make our way slowly through the crystal blue walls of the cave with our wide angle lenses, making the most of the light on offer.

If the Northern Lights come out to play in the evening, then we will no doubt photograph them over the Jokulsarlon lagoon or the less-visited Fjallsarlon.

Acommodation overnight will be in the Jokulsarlon area.

On this day, we’ll head east of Vatnajokull, towards the windswept Stokksnes peninsula. The area is most famed for the jagged mountain Vestrahorn, which rises steeply from the black sand beach along the coastline. The compositions here are plentiful, from snowy sand dunes to cracks in the ice within frozen pools at the mountain’s base. There is enough here to keep you busy until the sunset! We’ll have dinner in the area and hope that the Northern Lights will dance for us in the evening so that we may capture them over this epic backdrop but if not, then we will head back to Jokulsarlon where we will retire for the night.

The south coast has some of the most beautiful scenery in Iceland and you’ll witness it first-hand as we make our way from Vatnajokull towards the fishing village of Vik. From volcanoes to lava fields, glaciers, black sand beaches and sea stacks, this enchanting area has it all.

We’ll explore the celebrated black sand beach at Reynisfjara, where the spiky basalt sea stack Reynisdrangar rises from the sea. The photographic opportunities here abound and you’ll relish in capturing the wild waves of the ocean as they roll around the sea stacks onto the shore. When the sun sets, it will cast a beautiful glow over the entire area, making for truly magical scenes.

Accommodation overnight will be in Vik.

This will be our final day shooting in-field and we’ll begin the morning at the windswept Dyrholaey peninsula, with expansive views towards the Reynisdrangar sea stacks as well as a volcanic rock arch that stands 120 metres tall within the sea. We will then travel past the mighty volcanoes Hekla and Eyjafjallajokull, the latter of which was responsible for stopping air travel in Europe during a massive eruption in 2010. If conditions allow, then we may make a stop at the glacier tongue of Solheimajokull, one of the few places in Iceland where you can come face-to-face with the raw power of nature.

As we make our way back slowly towards Reykjavik, we’ll stop off at the mighty Skogafoss waterfall which stands out in the wintertime, surrounded by snow-laden rocks. Our final shoot will be at the charming Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where a unique cavern will allow us to walk behind the waterfall for truly unique shots of the water cascading over the frozen surrounds.

Once we are back in Reykjavik, we’ll meet together for a final dinner as a group, before we bid each other farewell.

We strongly recommend you to get a Trip Cancellation & Travel Insurance after booking your trip. If you cancel and the Workshop is otherwise filled, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a $300 service charge. If you cancel and the Workshop does not fill, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule, based on the full fee of the Workshop:

Greater than 90 days from the start date of the Workshop: full refund minus $300 service fee.

75 days or more: 75% refund

60 days or more: 50% refund

Less than 60 days: no refund

Refunds will be paid by the same method that the original payment was made.

We highly recommend that you get a travel and medical insurance. Your own domestic government medical insurance and private health scheme will not cover you whilst you are overseas.

The tour is always dependent on weather, as the Icelandic weather can indeed be highly unpredictable. Likewise, visits to ice caves are dependent on favorable conditions, and indeed the ice caves themselves are not permanent. When it comes to the Northern Lights, while they are most likely to be seen between September and April, there is no guarantee that they will appear on a given day.

Total price: 6990 USD

New Dates 2024

Day 1 -Arrival

Day 2 - Snæfellsnes peninsula

Day 3 - Snæfellsnes peninsula

Day 4 - Hvitserkur

Day 5 - Lake Myvatn

Day 6 - Lake Myvatn

Day 7 - Lake Myvatn

Day 8 - East Iceland-Djúpivogur

Day 9 - Vatnajokull National Park

Day 10 - Vatnajokull National Park

Day 11 - Vatnajokull National Park

Day 12 - Vik

Day 13 - Heading back

Day 14 - Departure

Included:

Not Included: