Winter Wonderland in North Iceland

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Each season, Icelandic landscape transforms to a completely unique world in every sense. The contrasting reflections of light meet the rugged, steaming, volcanic lunar landscape and make up extraordinary photographic scenes. The ever changing sheaths, may it be the green, silky moss or crisp, frosty ice and bundles of snow cover the dramatic diverse land formations.
In wintertime, the north of Iceland usually holds more snow and quiet cold than the windy, wet south which makes the north a very poetic and vibrant yet spectacular photographic haven, not to mention in the long hours of the winter nights, when the enticing northern lights dance above the steep dramatic mountains and energy filled moonlit waterfalls.

Amazing team of professional photographers with their vast experience in landscape and winter photography, will guide you and make sure you reach the greatest locations at the best possible light conditions to capture unique images for your expanding portfolio.
Highlights: Reykjavík, Snæfellsnes, Arnаrѕtарі, Kirkjufell, Búðіr, Hvítserkur, Mývatn, Goðafoss, Aldeyjarfoss, Hrafnabjargarfoss, Namaskard, Hverir geothermal area.

Itinerary:

Day 1  – Arrival

Upon arrival at Keflavik International Airport, please arrange your own transfer to the provided hotel in Reykjavik. You can easily take any flyBus directly to Reykjavík city center where your hotel is located. Our team meets in the hotel lobby for a dinner reservation close by, during which we get to know each other and review the Workshop schedule.
We spend the night in Reykjavík.

Day 2 – 3  – Snæfellsnes peninsula

This winter photography workshop begins with exploring the multifaceted landscape of the magical Snæfellsnes peninsula, with Iceland´s first National Park of the legendary Snæfellsjökull Glacier. The crater is renowned to be the entry to the centre of the earth, according to Jules Verne´s 19th century science fiction, later made film; The journey to the centre of the earth. The landscape is vastly diverse with 100km long panoramic terrain portraying samples of what Iceland has to offer, with unique photographic opportunities of weathered and sea washed cliffs and rock formations. The rough lava field with varieties of ice covered fern and the rare yellow sand beach, surrounds the famous black church at Búðir and the spectacular columnar basalt harbour of Arnarstapi fishing village will make part of the journey. One of photographers´ most popular mountain, Mt. Kirkjufell, thrones over Grundarfjörður village where we spend the night, impatiently awaiting the Northern lights to expose themselves for our photographic feast.

Day 4  – Hvítserkur – Akureyri

After we enjoy the late sunrise under the picturesque Mt. Kirkjufell we continue our winter photo tour to the northwest of Iceland. Our first stoppage today is at Hvítserkur, the legendary Troll of Vatnsnes which is an eminent and photogenic 15m high basalt monolith. Some feel it looks like a huge beast, an elephant or even a dinosaur, drinking from the sea. Seals are often seen around the beast so prepare to meet the eyes of these magical creatures.
We then continue to the northeast, towards Akureyri, the capital of the north, where we spend the night. Akureyri, being the second largest city in Iceland and according to The Lonely Planet, one of ten best destinations in Europe 2015, is a quirky and vibrant old town of commerce and later education, arts and sports, including great skiing slopes, and has since the 9th century played a great role for the north of Iceland with its ice free port and relatively mild weather conditions due to the beneficial geographical location in the fjord of Eyjafjörður.

Day 5  – Goðafoss and lake Mývatn

Rise and shine with an early breakfast for today we head to the widely spectacular waterfall Goðafoss, The Waterfall of the Gods. Situated on the edge of the inland, it is likely at that time of year to be enwrapped in ice and snow in the enticing late winter sunset. Goðafoss with the height of 12m and 30m width and thus not as high and powerful as some other waterfalls in Iceland, is still one of the most impressive and breathtaking. Goðafoss played an important role in the history of christianity in Iceland according to the sagas that describe the lawspeaker, Þorgeir Þorkelsson, overturning all his Pagan statues into the waterfall in the year 1000, hence the name Goðafoss.
We continue our journey towards Lake Mývatn, where you will definitely find the most peculiar and mysterious lava formations. The lake area, close to the volcanic caldera Mt. Krafla, still highly active, is filled with pseudo craters, steaming and sometimes bubbling volcanic activity and landscape we can so understandably see in TV series like Game of Thrones. The area sits right on the mid-Atlantic ridge of the tectonic plates that divide Europe and America, and is geologically young. Here you may witness the dance and sometimes struggles between the fire and ice that Iceland is known to empower.

Day 6  – Super Jeep Tour – Aldeyjarfoss and Hrafnabjargarfoss waterfalls / Dettifoss

We are headed for an adventurous trip to the central highlands today, to an area that simply an uninhabitable volcanic deserted pocket of gems. There are not many that get to witness this part of the world in winter as the roads to the highlands of Iceland are usually closed during these months, except for our powerful and huge Super Jeeps, strong enough for these challenging conditions.
The fourth longest river in Iceland, Skjálfandafljót, flows a 178km from its source in the highlands of Vatnajökull glaciers and exhibits on the way numerous striking waterfalls. Tucked away, Aldeyjarfoss waterfall, guarded by the glorious rows of 20m high dark basalt columns, is for many a precious secret as well as the unique Hrafnabjargarfoss with the island cliff in the midst of the large river running on each side, thus creating diverse waterfall formations.
We spend the night again in Mývatn.

Day 7  – Mývatn – Reykjavík

We dedicate this last day of our adventure to the phenomenon of heat, exploring the mystical geothermal area of Hverir which lies at the feet of the mountain pass Námaskarð. Be ready to capture colourful shots of mineral decorations on rows of sulphurous mud springs, known as solfataras, boiling with energy as well as of the fumaroles, emitting gases and steams. Please beware to access the area with great awareness and respect as it is an ever changing land in motion.
Before we drive back to the capital, Reykjavík, we climb Mt. Hverfell to witness the expansive, panoramic landscape clothed in the cool and barren winter sheaths.
Spending the night in Reykjavík, we shall enjoy a final celebratory dinner together at a local restaurant.

Day 8  – Departure day

Please arrange your own airport transfer from your hotel to Keflavik international Airport, as on day 1 when you arrived.

Note on Iceland to all visitors

Iceland is a young country with extraordinary powerful, rugged and yet very vulnerable and raw nature that demands our utmost respect and great care. We ask every visitor to show respect and positive regards to our precious land at all times as the results of damaged land can be brutal, with fierce sandstorms and heavy rain.

Also keep in mind that your best interests of safety are in question as this young and dynamic land can be unforgiving at times with its boiling and therefore brittle surface and isolated areas where we so like to explore and enjoy.

Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association works hard to protect and maintain Iceland to continuously be the welcoming and magical island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and we take pride in supporting that in every way.

Disclaimer from Iceland En Route

Please kindly be aware that Iceland is of very unpredictable nature which is exactly why we love it so much. At times it surprises us with turbulent weathers with short notice, heavy and fierce snow storms, forceful winds and subglacial eruptions which causes water to rise in our rivers. It is consequently possible that roads may close and we thus forced as operators to claim rights and responsibility to alter tours to ensure your safety first. We encourage you to embrace that as part of the adventure. We do, which keeps us on our toes and at the same time makes the country the liveable gem it certainly is.