Iceland: North Coast
Each area of Iceland has unique character and features. In the north, the massive waterfalls are mostly wide rather than tall. The coastline is even more raw, and the fishing villages even more remote. The north tends to be colder, and snowier. It’s definitely less crowded. This trip comes at the end of winter, with longer days, and hopefully with a good chance of seeing auroras above the Arctic Henge.
Tour Details
April 11-19, 2025
This is a 8-night, 9-day tour. Your adventure begins with an overnight flight on April 10 (landing on April 11), and ends with your flight home on the afternoon of April 19.
$7,995 for singles, $13,495 for two sharing a room. Register below.
Skill level
Open to all who have an understanding of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras.
Group size
10, with 2 instructors — 5:1 ratio
Tour Leaders
Registration
| • Deposit of $1,995 (single) or $3,495 (two people sharing a room) is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $6,000 (single) or $10,000 (two people sharing a room) is due on January 12, 2025. → Pay balance here. |
| • You may choose the “Pay in Full” ticket if you desire to pay all at once. |
| • Last day for a cancellation request is January 11, 2025. (see cancellation and refund policy) |
| • See "Ticket Info" further below for what is and is not included with your ticket. |
The Iceland North Coast Experience
Itinerary
Day 1: We’ll pick you up from the Akureyri International Airport. After arriving back at the hotel there will be time for settling in before our welcome dinner.
Days 2-4: Exploration of the areas around the Tröllaskagi Peninsula. We’ll spend time in and around Akureyri, as well as Siglufjörður, the small fishing town in the narrow north-coast fjord. In addition to dramatic photography we can visit a photography museum, folk music center and a museum dedicated to the history of herring fishing.
Days 5-8: Exploration of the area around Lake Myvatn. We can visit the Myvatn Nature Baths (a spa that’s similar to but less crowded than the famous Blue Lagoon in the south), perhaps take a whale watching tour from Husavik, and make a pilgrimage to the Arctic Henge. Not to be missed are Dettifoss and Godafoss, two of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, the latter of which served as the location of the opening sequence of the Ridley Scott film Prometheus.
Day 9: Enjoy a final morning in Myvatn before heading to the airport for your flight back to Reykjavik and onward.
What You Should Know
Participants must have at least basic photo skills, know their cameras well, and be comfortable shooting RAW in manual mode with a DSLR or high-end mirrorless camera.
Night photography experience is helpful, but not necessary. Even folks with extensive experience shooting at night will find this tour challenging, stimulating and inspiring.
If you would like to attend this tour but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-tour tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Alternatively or additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-tour reads.
What You Will Learn
You’ll go home after the tour with a body of both day and nighttime images made in a variety of environments and conditions. Instruction on photographing the aurora borealis will be offered, along with one-on-one field guidance as requested.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
photographing the aurora borealis
making successful photographs in difficult conditions (weather, ice)
and more …
As this is a photo tour rather than a workshop, the emphasis is on getting participants to great locations with great light and making sure that everyone has the trip of a lifetime. We figure that you don’t travel to Iceland very often, and you wouldn’t want to spend your time in a classroom. As with most of our international tours, we will not be offering formal lessons or image reviews, but rather assistance as needed in the field. We’ll be photographing day and night.
That said, we do encourage you to think about and set goals for the trip.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO GAIN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?
great images?
lasting memories?
a break from the work-a-day stresses?
learn some new photography skills?
see and photograph the aurora borealis?
all of the above?
The instructors will be available for one-on-one guidance in the field. We’ll be glad to review your images with you during quieter moments, but there won’t be formal group image-review sessions.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Ticket Info
Included:
8 nights in your choice of single or shared accommodations
all transportation during the photography tour in a comfortable all-wheel-drive Sprinter van
breakfast and dinners from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last day
Not Included:
international flights to and from Reykjavik
transfer between the airports in Reykjavik
flight to and from Akureyri
all lunches
alcohol
Travel
You will fly to Keflavik International Airport (KEF) and transfer via Flybus to Reykjavik Domestic Airport (RKV), where you will take an easy 45-minute flight to Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland. This means an overnight flight leaving on April 10 (if you’re coming from North America) and an afternoon flight on April 11 to Akureyri. You are responsible for Flybus transfer between the airports in Reykjavik, plus all airfare.
All other in-country transportation is included, and will be in a roomy Sprinter all-wheel-drive van with high clearance and studded tires.
We will provide more detailed information shortly after you register.
Lodging & Food
The tour will be based in two tourist-class hotels in the north of Iceland. In general, Icelandic hotels are clean, stylish and comfortable.
The trip is inclusive of breakfasts and dinners, beginning with a welcome dinner in Akureyri on the first evening through breakfast on the last day. We will eat well, with breakfast at our hotel each morning, and dinner in our hotel or at a restaurant each night.
Weather
Expect daytime highs in the 30s F, lows in the 20s.
Temperatures occasionally dip into the 20s, and there is always the possibility of a winter storm. One of our recent groups experienced the Full Monty of an Icelandic winter storm, and it was intense. Ferocious wind and blowing snow can make getting around impossible. At times like these, we’ll work on and share our images, or visit museums or other cultural attractions.
Recommended Attire
The best way to prepare is to bring lots of layers, including waterproof and windproof outerwear: boots, jacket, pants and at least two pairs of gloves, preferably at least one pair of flip-top mittens, two hats and lots of hand warmers.
If you are not sure-footed (or even if you are), please consider a pair of crampons or Yaktrax for walking on ice and snow.
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this tour is Easy to Moderate. (See more about our classifications.)
We’ll be traversing a wide variety of terrain, potentially including mud, snow and ice. There will be uneven ground and it will probably be slippery. Most of our locations will be close to the tour van, but you should be prepared to walk a quarter- to a half-mile over snow and ice. We’re planning a 2- to 3-hour whale watch excursion, so bring your sea legs.
Note: To ensure the safety of individuals and the group, the tour leaders may use their discretion to limit an attendee from engaging in a vigorous activity on-site should that person's physical health or ability be in question. If you are unsure about your ability to meet the physical demands of this tour, we will be happy to discuss your concerns one-on-one before you register. You are also, of course, welcome to attend the tour and sit out any physical activity that makes you uncomfortable. In such cases, we can provide you with ideas for alternative shoot locations for that time.
Additional Info
Please read our FAQs section for more information about skill and gear requirements, and other information that pertains to all our workshops and tours.
If you have questions, please contact us—we're happy to talk it over with you.
Returning to the Land of Fire and Ice ...
“It was like we were chasing a dream as we spent every day chasing the light. ”
Before National Parks at Night was announced 10 years ago, Tim Cooper and I led a photography tour of Iceland in 2015. For both of us it was our first time visiting this Viking land filled with out-of-this-world landscapes.
We hit waterfall after waterfall and experienced plenty of auroras each night. It was epic. We had an amazing group, as well as wonderful guides who revealed so many prime locations, as well as so many secret spots.
It was like we were chasing a dream as we spent every day chasing the light.
But then something weird happened: We didn’t return. Well, I returned with Lance for National Parks at Night’s Westfjords workshop in 2017, but Tim and I didn’t come back. Not that we did nothing–we’ve been all over the world together!
But this year–a full decade later–we’re changing that. We’re heading back to Iceland together, to revisit the country that inspired us to spend every year searching for luscious landscapes and embracing the northern lights.
We are so excited to share this journey to the less traveled region of Iceland and explore familiar places and hunt out even more secrets.
