Iceland is so spectacular that it’s hard to take a bad photo there. But how about a perfect one? Join award-winning photojournalist, Tate Drucker, for a hands-on photography workshop along the south coast of Iceland to learn the tricks of the professional trade. You’ll sharpen your photo-taking skills capturing towering waterfalls, search for herds of wild reindeer amid multicolor lava fields, and hike to horizon-shattering glaciers and deep-blue ice caves. As you level up through individual mentoring, portfolio reviews, and post-production workshops, you’ll be ready for one of outdoor photography’s greatest achievements: capturing the evasive Northern Lights in all their glory! People say that a camera can’t do Iceland justice—prove them wrong, and have a great time in the process.
Master the art of wilderness photography with an award-winning photojournalist
Explore some of Iceland’s most iconic (and photogenic) landscapes
Follow an itinerary carefully crafted for capturing the Northern Lights
Hone your photo skills in Iceland’s otherworldly nature on a week-long trip with an award-winning photojournalist. Visit and photograph the island’s most iconic landscapes, such as black sand beaches, glaciers, waterfalls, and the Northern Lights, while improving your technique with educational hands-on workshops and one-on-one mentoring. Spend your off-time in scenic hotels on an itinerary custom-made for Aurora Borealis chasing.
Meet your guide and photography expert at your hotel in downtown Reykjavik. Explore the city’s colorful, bustling streets with colorful storefronts, and great restaurants. Then, retreat to your hotel and regroup for an early-evening photography workshop.
Meals included: none
Hotel: Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina
Set out for the small seaside village of Vik. Along the way, visit two of Iceland’s most powerful and iconic waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. In Vik, go for a golden hour photo walk on the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara, taking pics of its basalt sea stacks, before retreating to the hotel for your evening workshop. Time for your first night of searching for the Northern Lights.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hotel: Hotel Vik
After a sunrise shoot, you’ll follow Iceland’s coastline through the sprawling Eldhraun lava fields populated by wild reindeer, stopping to hike along the ridge of the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. Explore the jagged lava columns of Svartifoss waterfall and trek the spectacular Svínafellsjökull glacier. Then, visit Diamond Beach, a black-sand beach covered in fluorescent blue icebergs.
Proceed to the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, your hotel for the next two nights, chosen for its remote, light-pollution-free location and dark skies. Enjoy an evening workshop by the fireplace before setting out to the glacier lagoon to look for and photograph the Aurora Borealis.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hotel: Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
Make an early start for Jökulsárlón, Iceland’s most spectacular glacier lagoon with building-sized icebergs calving from the Vatnajökull glacier. Look for seals and herds of reindeer as you walk and take photos along the water’s edge.
From Jokulsarlön, travel towards the village of Höfn, stopping to hike the windswept Stokknes valley. After lunch in the village, take a photo tour of its sleepy harbor and colorful houses before heading back towards Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach for an evening workshop and more Northern Lights hunting.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hotel: Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
From Fosshotel, you’ll set off into Vatnajökull National Park to explore one of its spectacular ice caves. Strap on your crampons and head deep into the belly of the glacier with a professional ice guide. After a day of exploring and photographing the caves, travel west to the village of Vík. Settle back into a familiar hotel, enjoy a workshopping session, and head back out on a final bout to capture the Northern Lights.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hotel: Hotel Vik
From Vik, head inland to photograph Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle. Here, you get to wander multicolor hot springs and watch the magnificent Geysir erupt. Visit Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most photo-worthy waterfalls, and hike along the craggy boulders that separate the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park. Then it’s back to the Icelandair Hotel in the Reykjavik Marina, where you’ll enjoy a final photography workshop.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Hotel: Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina
This is the final day of the standard tour! You can choose to head home, or spend an optional extra day in Reykjavik!
This bonus day is for guests who want an additional day of shooting, as well as more time to finish photo editing, critiques, and portfolio reviews. You’ll get an additional workshop, private transport and entry to the Blue Lagoon, and an extra night at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina.
Meals included: Breakfast
Hotel: none, or the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina
If you chose to spend an extra night in Reykjavik, you’ll travel back home on day 8.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Iceland, please refer to Iceland’s official guidelines for international travelers.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
This is an educational photography tour, not an intense hiking adventure, meaning that hiking and photography beginners with decent fitness levels are welcome. You will be traversing variable terrain several hours a day for 6 days and spelunking in an ice cave with crampons on your feet on day 5. Keep in mind that you will also be carrying your camera gear and a daypack loaded with things you’ll need throughout the day and that there’s a good chance you’ll encounter challenging weather conditions.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking and photography tours in Iceland can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 3 months (90 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
To get to Reykjavik, Iceland, the starting point of this tour, most people fly into Keflavik International Airport 45 minutes away. From there, your guide will arrange for your transportation to the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina in downtown Reykjavik.
