Iceland – The Highlands, The Northeast, & Jokulsarlon and the Ice beach area
Group Leader – Roger Devore
July 13-24, 2018
10 Participants
Typical Workshop Schedule What Is Included Payment, Discounts, Cancellation, Refund Policies What to Bring
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Additional images courtesy of Daniel Bergmann.
Don’t let the name fool you, the old saying is that Iceland and Greenland got their names confused. It certainly seems to be true from the photo opportunities. Iceland is the land of geysers and hot springs, glaciers and icebergs, occasional volcanoes, waterfalls, and amazing bird locations. Each stop offers new, exciting photo adventures. This land offers photo opportunities not available anywhere else in the world. Iceland continues to be an important part of most photographer’s “bucket list”. Join us on this amazing adventure. As Iceland becomes more and more popular, favorite areas become more and more crowded. This trip is more off the “beaten path” and avoids most of the Golden Circle and South Coast tours crowded areas, buts still visiting the best of the South Coast. This trip also has a different itinerary (except for the iceberg lagoon) than our other summer Iceland trips. Join us even if you have been before for a more complete look at the magic of Iceland.
Iceland is an island located west of the European continent and sits at the meeting point of the North American and Eurasian continental plates. The plates are slowly moving apart, which means that the country is slowly, by just a few centimeters each year, growing wider. The rift runs diagonally from the southeast corner of the country to northwest and makes Iceland a hot bed of interesting, if not weird, geological activity. You can find geysers that shoot water into the sky, geothermal hot springs that provide electricity for the country and heat Iceland’s many public pools, and volcanoes that can erupt and form underground caves, black sand beaches, and even entire islands.
Our trip has been planned by our Iceland outfitter to meet our specific guidelines, We will photograph the best of both the unique scenery and landscapes of this marvelous country. Our guide for the trip will be Chris Lund. one of Iceland’s finest photographers,
Tour highlights:
The Highlands
The Highlands (interior of Iceland) still retain the feeling of untouched nature and form one of the largest area in Europe, south of the Arctic Circle, which has never been inhabited or cultivated. This unique landscape, renowned for its unparalleled geology and geomorphology, is considered one of the last great wildernesses in Europe. Most of the Highlands are only accessible by road for three months during the summer.
The Northeast
The tour will be based at Lake Myvatn for three days. Myvatn is a shallow eutrophic lake in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland. From this base we’ll visit some of the most majestic waterfalls in Iceland: Godafoss and Aldeyjarfoss in the Skjalfandafljot river and Dettifoss and Selfoss in Jokulsa river. The area is also rich with geothermal features, such as fumaroles and bubbling mud pools.
Jokulsarlon and the Ice beach
Two days of the tour will be spent in the Vatnajokull glacier region. Vatnajokull is the largest ice cap in Europe and covers about 9% of Iceland. One of its largest outlet glaciers, Breidarmerkurjokull, calves into the Jokulsarlon lagoon and large icebergs float around in the lagoon before becoming small enough to wash out to sea through the short river channel of Jokulsa. Some of the ice is temporarily deposited on the black sand beach by the incoming tide and this interplay of ice, waves, dark sand and light makes this location one of the most exciting photography playgrounds on Earth. And it is continually changing – the ice condition is different from one day to another.
The final itinerary is dependent on weather and other conditions and the guide will use his experience with local conditions to determine the best plan for each day, which might even change as a day progresses – all to maximize the photographic opportunities. In mid-July the sun rises at around 03:00 and sets at about 23:00. So the day is very long which means that the best light can be between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. On some occasions the daily schedule might be turned around.
We leave Reykjavik after breakfast and head into the southern highlands, where we’ll be based at the Hrauneyjar Highland center for two nights. From there we’ll explore nearby highland pearls, such as Landmannalaugar and the Fjallabak nature reserve. The area has a number of colorful mountains, crater lakes, black sand dunes and a few very impressive waterfalls.
We now travel north along the infamous Sprengisandur highland route, that goes across the center of the country. We’ll be staying by lake Myvatn for three nights, from where we’ll be exploring the impressive landscapes of the region. Accommodation at Hotel Reynihlid.
Days 5 and 6, July 18–19
From our base at Myvatn we’ll be travelling to the majestic waterfalls in the north. These waterfalls are located in two glacial rivers, one to the east from Myvatn and the other to the southwest. Some of the most photogenic geothermal areas in Iceland are also nearby our hotel, making it easy to be there for sunrise and sunset.
Day 7, July 20
The trip now continues its eastward journey. We’ll be driving across the highland plateau of Modrudalsoraefi to eventually reach the east fjords. We’ll be photographing on the way and in the fjords of the east in the evening. Accommodation at Hotel Blafell in Breiddalsvik.
Day 8 and 9, July 21–22
We continue travelling west to the Vatnajokull region, where we’ll spend two nights at the Smyrlabjorg hotel. Once there we’ll be concentrating our efforts on the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon and some of the smaller lagoons and glaciers in the area. We will make repeated visits to Jokulsarlon and the ice beach, giving us a number of opportunities to work with ice. We’ll also drive further east, to Stokksnes, where we’ll photograph the iconic Vestrahorn mountain range.
Day 10, July 23
Today we’ll be on the road to the town of Keflavik, near the international airport, where we’ll overnight to be able to catch morning flights out of Iceland on July 24. There is plenty to photograph on the way, including the black sand beaches and sea stacks near Vik and Dyrholaey, the Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss
$6750 for shared accommodations. Single supplement is an additional $1000. We will do our best to find you a roommate if that is your choice, but if none is found, you will be at the single rate. What is included are meals (except first day), transportation, lodging, and guide fees. What is not included is the flight to Iceland, snacks, tips, & alcoholic beverages. A note about the cost: Iceland is a very desired location for travel. Based on demand, a national rising VAT tax, and a very favorable exchgange rate against the US dollar (up 20% over the last year), Iceland has become the most expensive area to visit in Europe. The cost is based on the current currency exchange rate. If there will be a major change of the exchange rate the cost may have to be adjusted accordingly, up or down depending on the change.
A $750 deposit is required at registration to hold your spot. Due to room requirements, the balance will be due on April 01 2018. Final payment will be by check or additional credit card fees will apply. Cancellations after April 01, will result in loss of fees unless we can replace you. Trip insurance is highly recommended.
The airport is Keflavik in Reykjavik.
Hiking for the trip is easy and individuals can walk around as their ability allows.
Pricing is based on a minimum of 6 participants for the trip. If less register, you will be giving the option of going at a higher price or receiving a total refund. Interest in this trip seems to be great and we recommend early registration.
