Testimonials
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15 day Iceland Round Trip
My husband and I travel a lot but always on our own, so we were initially wary of taking a guided tour, albeit private. We consider ourselves fortunate that we planned our trip with En Route. Oli and Kristen from the get go were extremely responsive and thoughtful, organized our trip very well.
Iceland is breathtaking and a photographer’s paradise no doubt but we feel our trip became even more special because of traveling with Oli. Oli is patience personified and helped us discover and get to places that we could not have known about on our own. I definitely look forward to taking more trips with him!
“What can I say? First class operation all the way!”
The people at Iceland En Route have their game on… run a top shelf operation, addressing every detail to ensure that your trip with them goes off without even the smallest hiccup…
Our driver and tour guide was Oli who was simply outstanding, knowledgeable, a photographer himself and sharing insight into certain approaches photographing some of the beautiful sites we visited. We booked 3 tours in all with En Route, including an overnight tour, and each tour was better than the previous one.
As with anything in life, you get what you pay for… If you want a personalized and meaningful experience, this is the place to book your tours through.
On the backend, Kristin handled all the bookings, arrangements, airport transfers and was even kind enough to recommend and arrange dinner reservations for us for every night of our stay in Reykjavik … flawlessly…
Thank your Kristin and Oli and the entire En Route team… Just an outstanding job and service!!! If you’re going to Reykjavik, these are the people you want to work with!
“Second trip…still wonderful”
After exploring Iceland in the summer with En Route, I went back to see what photography in the winter was like. Because my summer experience with En Route was fantastic, I left my winter trip in the hands of Oli and Kristin as well. As before, the trip was planned perfectly, with special attention given to things that I wanted to see. Although the weather was not the best, Oli maximized the photographic opportunities, something I could not have done on my own (or with a less expert guide). Thanks Oli and Kristin!
“Great guide for a two week trip”
Great trip with a guide who had a great sense of humour even when the weather wasn’t cooperating with us. I enjoyed the trip even though I missed a good showing of the Northern Lights and would have loved a couple of clicks of some native birds.
“Go to photo guide”
Oli was great, from planning before we got to Iceland, to the actual tour. We made the best of a challenging day, due to the weather. The very windy and snowy conditions made instruction somewhat difficult. We will return, and use Oli again.
“You are not likely to find a better or more accommodating guide.”
We were initially going to use another guide, but he took too long to respond to emails and questions before the trip. Oli and his wife Kristin earned our confidence by responding swiftly, patiently, and thoroughly to every question we asked before we paid our deposit.
Oli is an outstanding photographer who knows all the great places and the best times of day to visit. He did his very best to accommodate every request and answer every question about the country that a tourist dare to ask. 🙂 Because of him, I got more outstanding photos from our 4 days there than we ever would have obtained on our own. (And he also suggested several follow-up one-day trips for the days we could drive on our own.)
As a small business owner myself, I understand the importance of great customer service and outstanding communication skills. Oli provides both and is outstanding at what he does. We liked him so much that we may even accompany him on a trip to Bolivia he’s leading in 2018!
Visited October 2016
“Excellent Photo Guide in Iceland”
I am a photographer and I wanted a photo-guide to show me around. Being a photographer and mentor myself, I always spot capable and knowledgable people in the field soon. Oli Haukur of Enroute was exceptional in helping me and my clients achieve great photographic results. Oli was not just hard working and very professional, he was also extreme fun and caring. He is surely recommended for anyone to visit Iceland on a photographic holiday.
Visited July 2016
“Another amazing trip.”
Olih was our guide this year and last year. And he has been an amazing Tour guide every time. There was 9 of us each time, youngest being 2. We saw Puffins, horses, waterfalls, incredible landscapes, the list goes on and on. And if there was something that was on the top of your list, well, he made sure you we’re going to see it.
Visited July 2016
“Best photo tour I’ve taken…by far.”
I’m an experienced photographer and have taken (and conducted) photo tours in a variety of locations. Oli’s tour was exceptional. He is wonderful company as well as a wonderful, caring guide (and outstanding photographer). In 5 1/2 days, we traveled through the entire country, seeing locations I would not have found on my own in lighting conditions I would not have predicted. With Oli, I was also able to learn much about the country, its society and economy. This means that, in addition to having many images, I will have some familiarity with the place where they were taken.
The trip logistics and accomodations were expertly organized by Kristin, even though I decided to go to Iceland at pretty much the last minute. I left our trip thinking that I had seen everything, but wanting to come back for another tour…with En Route.
“New Year’s with Oli and Iceland”
This past New Year’s, 2016, my wife and I spent several days with Oli on the southern coast of Iceland. We had never been there before and we were captivated by the stark beauty of the island. Oli was our guide and was happy to share his local knowledge, experience and guidance. He took us to beautiful places and was very patient both explaining what we were seeing and helping us have a truly remarkable photographic experience. This trip is highly recommended, and do not avoid going in the winter. The weather is similar to a winter in New England. Iceland is a hidden gem and should definitely be on your bucket list! Oli, our heart felt thank you and we hope to be back again soon.
“If you want the best…”
I had the great fortune to spend three days with Óli touring and photographing the South and Eastern coastline and glaciers of Iceland. From pick up to drop off – no request was too big, no day or drive was too long and no question about photography went unanswered (from camera settings to post editing – based on his experiences as a working pro photographer). I’ve not toured with someone who puts more into a day and really works to make sure you get unique, interesting photographs at the right time in the right place across the spectrum (landscapes, seascapes, horses, glaciers, Northern Lights) in this amazing country. While I was solo with Óli, he also works with groups and handles all the arrangements from pick up to drop off. Solo or group, you will enjoy your time with him – and take home great memories and photos!
“5 days with Óli Haukur / photoshooting , Iearning & laughing !!!”
Oli has it all. He s experienced. He knows “that” unique timing and point of view on every location. knows hidden locations. He has a solid knowledge about the art of photography, Brings crystal clear technical explanations and keeps at every moment an active sense of humor. The vehicle is perfect and allowed us to reach all the difficult places. After 5 days travelling with Oli and my wife at the south and east coast of Iceland, we enjoyed the country, learned tips and skills to improve as photographers, had the chance to get in touch with the islandic sensitivity and way of living and specially, we laughed a lot. Absolutely recommended. !!!
“Iceland photo tour”
I went to Iceland on March 2015 for a photo tour with fellow photographers. We went to half way around the world to Iceland to capture aurora and the beauty of iceland. During those time that I was in Iceland I was accompanied by Mr Oli Haukur, a local photographer and a photo tour leader. I am impressed with his attentiveness and his passion for photography. He lead the group to some famous spots and also some spots that nobody has seen before. He was really committed in his work, and made sure that everyone of us got our shots and went home happily. One night while shooting Aurora, we stayed up till 2:30 am before we arrived in the hotel. That is how committed and caring he was with our group. When I go to Iceland again in the near future, I will definitely want Oli to be my guide. He can arrange everything for your need there.
“Iceland tour”
I am a keen photographer and was looking to see the best Iceland has to offer. After searching for guides, Olis portfolio kept cropping up and his work blew me away, I knew this was the guy to take me on a tour of Iceland. Once sorted an early start was arranged where we headed over to Jokulsarlon. Cant believe how much we fitted into one day! Glaciers, waterfalls, crystal caves, glacier beach, even snowmobiles!! Oli of Iceland En Route is an awesome guide,well recommended and deffinetely going with Oli again when back in Iceland. 5 stars plus
“My visit to Iceland – Oli Haukur was my excellent guide, whom I strongly recommend.”
My brother and I spent one week in February 2016 visiting Iceland. We engaged the services of our guide, Oli Haukur, for five days. This was the best decision that we made.
Oli drove us along most of the southern coast of Iceland, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and the Golden Circle. That was a lot of driving in 5 days. We visited numerous waterfalls, streams, rapids, lagoons, glaciers, the Ice Cave, beaches, and geysers. We walked on frozen lakes, photographed the aurora borealis, saw seals, geese and ducks, volcanic mountains, lava plains, and Icelandic horses.
I found this trip to be very meaningful and enriching. Oli was very helpful: Oli speaks impeccably perfect English and hence communication was easy. He knew where to bring us, and hence we were able to see many more sights in the limited amount of time that we had than if we had to look for these sights ourselves. He was punctual, well informed, personable, affable, funny, reliable, trustworthy, and it was possible to discuss a wide range of different topics meaningfully. There was never a dull moment with Oli. He made a point of getting us to the sights before the huge bus loads of tourists arrived, so that we could enjoy the sights better! He made sure that we were safe at all times – if the terrain were the slightest bit slick, he provided us with crampons which helped immensely in reducing the risk of falls. We stopped along the highway to visit and pat the horses in the area. He made a point of always safely pulling off the road so that accidents would not occur. His vehicle was well serviced and equipped with studded tires thereby increasing traction on the road. He drove safely and took no risks on the road. He was attentive while driving at all times.
Oli is also a great professional photographer. I have seen a number of photos that he took and they are very very fine indeed. We are also avid, interested and fairly competent photographers as well, so we were able to discuss the technical as well as artistic details of photography on site. He understood the importance of lighting, long shadows, the golden light, some clouds for making the sky interesting, and appropriate shutter speeds to effectively characterize the effect of moving water. He advised us on the appropriate lens to use at the various sights. He understood composition very well. He knew at what time of the day to bring us to the iconic sights when the lighting would be optimal for photography. He also went beyond the call of duty of taking us out at night to sufficiently dark places to photograph the aurora borealis. We were thus able to capture beautiful aurora photos.
On our last day together, after we said goodbye, I had inadvertently left my tripod behind in his vehicle. As soon as Oli became aware of this, he drove back to our hotel and cheerfully delivered my tripod to me.
Iceland is a beautiful country, its people are lovely, and everyone speaks perfect English here. The air is fresh and invigorating, the water is clean and sweet, the glaciers, lagoons, streams, beaches, tidal waves, waterfalls, and horses are majestic and awesome, and the food is delicious and of very high quality. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and I cannot imagine a 5-day period of time where I had experienced such incredible and intense beauty and appreciated more the awesome and powerful effects of Nature. It has been a very invigorating, worthwhile time spent together, and Oli, with his good natured smile, facilitated our enjoyment of this beautiful country elegantly.
“Trip of a Lifetime”
We decided to book a last-minute tour of Iceland for a photo expedition. We did very little research but were very fortunate to have found Iceland En Route. Oli was a terrific guy who knew all of the right places to go, how to get there, and when to be there. His wife Kristin did an excellent job of booking hotels for us and made constant updates as we went. Even on the day that we were stranded in the hotel because of a storm, Oli and Kristin did a great job of rebooking our hotels and making alternate plans for our trip. Since Oli is a very high caliber photographer, we used the time for instruction on photography and Light Room software for photo processing. Oli is a pleasure to spend time with and has a great sense of humor. He also dealt well with us foreigners in our ignorance and our challenges for him. He has great patience! We look forward to an opportunity to host Oli and his family in the US if that ever comes to pass. In the meanwhile, you can’t do wrong to see Iceland with Iceland En Route. You can try and figure it all out on your own, or get your money’s worth with expert guidance. I recommend the latter.
