Embark on an unforgettable journey with us this fall in our Iceland Photo Tour. Immerse yourself in the enchanting beauty of Iceland, a landscape photographer’s dream destination.
Picture yourself on volcanic beaches, where the stark contrast of black sand meets the powerful backdrop of the ocean. Witness the majesty of some of Europe’s largest glaciers. Additionally, you’ll get to travel into the depths of these glaciers during an ice cave tour, where you’ll discover and photograph this hidden world. Marvel at the dramatic mountains that seem to defy reality, as if taken right out of a fantasy movie. The waterfalls in Iceland are also a sight to behold, each one more jaw-dropping than the previous.
But the magic doesn’t end there – at nightfall, you can experience the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Northern Lights, painting the sky with hues of green and violet. Under this breathtaking phenomenon, each location becomes magical when the Aurora shines across the night sky.
We’ve scheduled our photo tour around the fall equinox, the best time of the year to photograph the Northern Lights.
Our tour will focus on some of the most photogenic areas in Iceland – the Southern part of Iceland, a true paradise for landscape photographers. Every corner reveals breathtaking locations that will fuel your creative spirit. Capture emblematic waterfalls such as Skogafoss and Gullfoss, volcanic black-sand beaches like Reynisfjara and Stokksnes, other classics like the Golden Circle, as well as glaciers like Jokulsarlon, and glacier caves that defy imagination.
Beyond the stunning scenery, immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring spectacle of the northern lights, brightening the dark September nights. We’ll be vigilant for solar activity and guide you in planning, predicting, and capturing these celestial wonders.
Throughout our photography expedition to Iceland, we are committed to personally assisting you in capturing the best possible images. Available 24/7, we strive to ensure you not only return home with exceptional photos but also with an enriched knowledge base and, of course, unforgettable moments. Regardless of your gear or skills, together, we’ll extract the maximum potential from both, making this journey a remarkable chapter in your photographic story.
Our Iceland Photo Tour itinerary is tentative and flexible, as it will be adjusted according to the weather conditions. During the night sessions, we will move to areas with clear skies to increase our chances of seeing the Northern Lights.
September is statistically the best time to see the Aurora in terms of solar activity, so if the weather permits, this will be an Iceland Northern Lights tour.
Our Iceland photo tour begins at Keflavik International Airport (KEF), where we will be waiting for you to take you to our first hotel.
After a meet and greet with the rest of the group and a welcome speech, we will do a quick gear review to make sure that you have your camera gear ready for the adventure!
Later, we’ll do a sunset session around the oldest lighthouse in Iceland; Reykjanesviti. In this area, you will find some photogenic cliffs and sea stacks where we will capture our first images. If there are favorable conditions at night, our first Northern Ligths photography session will be in the Reykjanes Peninsula, with different locations on the cliffs, Lake Kleifarvatn.
On the second day of our Iceland photography tour, our first stop will be Seljalandsfoss, a spectacular waterfall where you can walk behind. Close to this waterfall, if time allows we will visit another secluded waterfall called Gljufrafoss.
We will continue along the Icelandic Ring Road until we reach one of the most photographed waterfalls in Iceland, Skogafoss. This massive stream of water will take your breath away. It is one of our favorite spots on the trip, and it’ll probably be familiar from popular series such as Vikings or Game of Thrones.
After Skogafoss, we’ll visit the nearby Kvernufoss. This waterfall tends to be overshadowed by the neighboring Skogafoss despite being one of the most photogenic waterfalls in Iceland. Here, we’ll show you different compositions and we’ll also walk behind the waterfall for some unique views.
If conditions are favorable, we will return to Seljalandsfoss to photograph the sunset, and if chances are in favor for seeing the Northern Lights, we will take photographs from Skogafoss.
On the third day of our Iceland photo tour, we’ll explore one of the most photogenic regions in the country— a landscape adorned with glaciers, glacier lagoons, and glacier beaches. Our first glacier of the day will be Svinafellsjokull glacier, one of Iceland’s most striking glaciers, which well meet at eye level after a brief walk.
Later, after checking in to our accommodation, we’ll witness a serene sunset at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, renowned for good reason as one of the most photogenic spots in Iceland. Returning at night, we hope to capture the elusive beauty of the Aurora Borealis over this iconic spot.
En route to the glaciers, we’ll make stops at the Fjadragljufur canyon, a delicately beautiful moss-covered canyon, and the distinctive Lomagnupur rock, shooting almost straight up from the ground. These locations will add diverse elements to our visual journey. This day promises not just photographic opportunities but an authentic encounter with the raw, untamed beauty of Iceland’s icy landscapes.
As the morning sun breaks on the fourth day of our Iceland guided photo tour, we’ll visit the surreal Diamond Beach for our morning shoot. Diamond Beach is an otherworldly landscape where the sunrise casts an ethereal glow on icebergs scattered along the black sand. These icebergs travel downstream from the nearby Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and wash up in Diamond Beach when the tide is low.
After the morning shoot, we’ll revisit the glacier lagoons of Jokulsarlon and Fjallsarlon, now bathed in the clarity of daylight, offering new perspectives and compositions.
The day takes a thrilling turn as we dive into one of Iceland’s most remarkable adventures—a journey into an ice cave. September marks the reopening of these wonders to the public, and we will visit them with the safety and expertise of a local Icelandic guide. Get ready for an exploration where photography meets the raw, transient allure of the ice caves, creating visually striking abstract images.
If the forecast for the Northern Lights is promising, we’ll be back at the glacier lagoons to photograph them.
On the fifth day of our Iceland photography tour, our journey along the Ring Road leads us to the picturesque village of Hofn. After settling into our hotel, we’ll head over to the breathtaking Stokksnes beach, featuring its striking black sand dunes and the majestic Vestrahorn as the focal point. Amidst this stunning landscape, we’ll explore diverse compositions, experimenting with reflections, framing techniques using the sand dunes, and leveraging the waves as captivating leading lines; there are limitless possibilities!
For our evening shoot, we’ll venture to the easternmost edge of our Iceland expedition—the enchanting Hvalnes Lighthouse. This coastal gem offers a prime vantage point for capturing both the iconic lighthouse and the awe-inspiring silhouette of Eystrahorn, standing tall as one of Iceland’s most captivating mountains.
Should the night sky favor us with a promising forecast for the Northern Lights, we’ll return to Stokksnes to photograph the Aurora.
On the sixth day of our Iceland photography trip, we’ll start our visual journey with a breathtaking sunrise shoot at the iconic Stokksnes. We’ll then hit the road and start driving back to the west.
En route to our final destination, if time permits, we might stop at an optional location. We’ll then continue heading towards Vik, the southernmost town in Iceland and a significant hub in the region. Nestled against the backdrop of dramatic landscapes, Vik is a true gem for photographers.
At Vik, we’ll do a sunset session at the renowned Dyrholaey Arch, where the interplay of light and shadow paints the coastal cliffs in hues of gold and amber. The black sand beach of Reynisfjara, with its striking basalt columns, offers more stunning compositions for us to explore.
As night falls, we’ll keep our eyes on the sky (and the forecasts), paying attention to the possibility of witnessing the Northern Lights. If the forecast is favorable, Vik Beach or the surrounding tidal pools will serve as our stage, where we’ll capture the celestial dance against the mirrored reflections.
On the seventh day of our Iceland photo tour, we will do a sunrise photo shoot from the Black Sand Beach in Vik. From this location, we’ve experienced some of the most spectacular sunrises on our tours. After breakfast, we’ll continue our journey to the Golden Circle.
Iceland’s Golden Circle is a popular route between some of the most visited locations on the island. We will start photographing the famous Geysir Strokkur, a fountain-type geyser that erupts every 3 to 4 minutes.
Then, we will drive a short distance to Bruarfoss Waterfall, one of the most special waterfalls in Iceland. This waterfall is part of the Bruar River; this river is melted from one of the Icelandic glaciers having a distinctive blue color, which is why Bruarfoss is also called “Iceland’s bluest waterfall”. The scenery around this waterfall is a feast for the eyes, especially at this time of year when the fall colors turn the foliage into vibrant colors.
During the day, we’ll do some editing classes, where we’ll show you the best techniques to bring the photos you’ve taken during the trip to life. During these classes, we’ll teach some basic postprocessing techniques, as well as more advanced content if you want to dive deeper.
If there were Northern Lights that night, we would be back at Bruarfoss or we would take the chance to visit Gullfoss and enjoy the location for ourselves at night.
On the eighth day of our Iceland photography adventure, we will drive mighty Gullfoss Waterfall, where we will photograph this massive “foss” from different vantage points using long exposures to capture the motion of the water.
After sunrise, we’ll head back to the hotel to have breakfast and pack.
Next, we’ll drive west to Reykjavik and the Reykjanes peninsula to spend the last night of our unforgettable Iceland photo tour.
If the forecast is promising and we can see the aurora, we will go back to either Lake Kleifarvatn or Reykjanesviti for one last night session.
Our photo tour to Iceland ends at the hotel where we started our trip. From here you can book a free shuttle to the airport.
Deposit: USD 2,000
A USD 2,000 deposit is required to reserve your spot for this workshop. You can also pay in full at any time. The remaining balance is due 120 days before the starting date of this tour. If the remaining balance is not paid in full by the due date, you will lose your spot.
This workshop is mainly focused on landscape and Northern Lights photography with possibilities for aerial photography.
What you learn during the workshop will vary according to your goals and skills. Your instructors are professional photographers with extensive experience who will help you take your photography to the next level.
During the tour you’ll have the opportunity to learn:
Some of the photography basics you can learn during the workshop are:
Some of the advanced photography techniques you can learn during the workshop are:
Some of the post-processing techniques that you can learn with are:
David Aguilar will be the tour leader throughout this Iceland photography tour, and he will make sure that you get the best photography results and experience out of this tour. He will help you with your photography, technique, and composition in all your landscape, wildlife, and aerial images.
David is a real expert on Iceland after countless trips all around the island over the last decade. He has led many Iceland photo tours before, and he’s very knowledgeable about the most photogenic locations, the weather patterns, and the best techniques to capture breathtaking landscape images. He’s also a master drone pilot and can help you with your aerial photography on this trip.
David’s main passion is traveling and helping others with their craft. He’s traveled extensively, not only in Nordic countries like Iceland and Norway but also across vast areas in European Alps and South America. He currently lead photo tours in many different regions of Europe and South America.
He’s also a skilled post-processing editor and has helped countless photographers over the last few years with his online landscape editing courses.
Prince Berkoh will be the tour leader of the tour and he’ll make sure that you capture the best possible images during this trip.
Prince is a landscape and night photographer based in Spain. His passion for photography has taken him to some of the most spectacular landscapes in Europe, from Spain to the remote Faroe Islands.
As an experienced photo tour leader, Prince has been running tours to Iceland over the last years, learning all about this marvelous island and the best photographic gems.
He loves educating and teaching others about photography, having led numerous tours around the world in different seasons, and given presentations on night photography over the years.
Prince will show you how to best capture the Iceland landscapes, from the basics to advanced techniques like bracketing, focus stacking, panoramas, and other Northern Lights photography tips. He is also a professional videographer, and will help you get the best angles from your drone.
Francesco Dall’Olmo will be the co-leader on this Iceland photo tour, and he’ll assist you with all your photography needs. He has led tours in Iceland in the past, getting to know all the locations and use this knowledge and experience to better assist your photography needs.
Francesco is a landscape and night photographer. Additionally, he is a professional time-lapse photographer. He’s been honing his photography skills over the years in his backyard: the Italian Dolomites, which he knows like no other.
He has traveled all over the world, capturing breathtaking images in Atacama, Patagonia, and all over Europe. He has also helped multiple photographers improve their skills in various photography workshops.
With Francesco, you’ll learn everything you need to take your photography to the next level!
Unai Larraya will be the coleader on this Iceland photo tour. He is an expert landscape photographer who will make sure you end up with the best possible images. Having led tours here in the past, he has deep knowledge of Iceland, it’s photography locations and culture.
Unai is an experienced landscape and wildlife photographer based in Northern Spain. He has refined his photography skills while traveling around the world over the past few years and has taught many other photographers along the way.
Since Unai started his photography journey, he has won multiple awards in recognition of his outstanding photography and editing skills.
With Unai, you’ll learn about composition, shaping light, color theory, focus stacking, and more. He will also show you how to implement all these techniques into your workflow to take your photography to the next level!
A complete list of everything that we recommend for this tour is sent to all participants upon sign-up. Below, you can find a summary of things you might need:
You may be interested in this guide where you can dive deeper into photography equipment for traveling.
For more in-depth information about gear to photograph the northern lights, you can read our article about the best lenses for Northern Lights, and also the best cameras for Northern Lights.
The average temperature in Iceland in September is 8ºC but the weather is very variable, going from warm days to snowstorms in a matter of hours. You should be prepared for all seasons and bring winter clothes. Some of the things that you will have to bring to this Iceland photography tour are:
You will find more items and details in the official list of recommendations that we provide upon registration.
The currency in Iceland is the Icelandic Krona (ISK). It would be more convenient to bring ISK from your home country, although if that is not possible, you could exchange it at the Keflavík airport.
In almost 100% of the places in Iceland, you can pay by credit card and debit card, no matter how small the amount is, so you don’t need much cash for the trip.
Iceland follows the visa regulations of the Schengen Area. Depending on your nationality and duration of stay, a visa may be necessary. We are here to assist you with the visa application process and provide guidance. It’s essential to verify the specific visa requirements for your country of residence prior to your trip.
Visitors from most countries (such as the United States and Canada) don’t need a visa to visit Iceland for less than 90 days. Remember to consult the official embassy or consulate of Iceland for the most up-to-date and accurate visa information based on your nationality and circumstances.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Starting from 2025, travelers from visa-exempt countries need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization to enter most EU countries. The current list of nationalities which need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization includes the USA and Canada.
Visit the Official EU Travel website to find more information about ETIAS.
During this Iceland photography tour, we’ll be staying at some of the top-rated hotels near the photography locations we’ll visit. Almost every day we’ll change hotels to move closer to the locations for the day. Some of our accommodations have hot tubs, so we recommend packing a bathing suit to enjoy some relaxing time after photographing the northern lights.
Accommodation is included during this trip in shared double rooms with twin beds. A number of limited private rooms are available for an extra supplement of $1,150 USD.
All transportation and fuel are included during the tour, alongside driving services from an accredited professional driver.
We’ll be traveling in a comfortable minibus with room for everyone and their luggage and personal items. Our driver knows best how to navigate the roads in Iceland to get us to our photography locations always on time.
All the places we will visit in this Iceland photography tour are very close to the road, and we won’t have to walk more than a few minutes to reach our photography locations, with the exception of the ice cave tour.
The ice cave tour has an estimated duration of 6 hours; this includes driving to and from the starting point. The total walking time during this tour is roughly 4 hours, covering a total distance of approximately 3 miles (5 km), and a total elevation gain of 300 ft (100 m). This is mainly done on ice with crampons provided by the local tour company.
It’s important to note that the exact duration of the tour, walking distance, and elevation gain are estimates based on our previous experience. The actual duration depends on many factors, such as weather conditions and the location of the ice caves, which vary from year to year.
We will also be driving, walking, and shooting a lot during the tour, especially at night when there are chances to see the Aurora, so we recommend being in good physical shape to be able to enjoy this experience.
The price of round-trip flights to Iceland from Europe and the US cost approximately $400-800. You’ll have to book your flight to/from Keflavik International airport (KEF).
Meals are not included. Most of the days, we will eat snacks/picnic during lunch to speed up and maximize the time for photography.
We recommend preparing to spend about $60-$80 USD on food per day.
All the parking/entrance fees like Seljalandsfoss, Stokksnes or the ice caves are included in the tour.
Our workshops are completely centered on photography: finding the best moments of light during the day and at night and creating an intensive experience that is conducive to learning and taking the best images.
Our workshops are limited to small groups with a ratio of no more than six students per instructor. This is also an important factor for providing the attentive instruction you need during the tour.
During this workshop, we will photograph the famous locations in Iceland as well as some hidden gems that we have discovered while hiking and exploring in the past that are rarely visited or photographed.
We will discuss your goals before the tour so we can create a dedicated instruction plan for you. It doesn’t matter your age or skills; we will design your plan and provide you with materials before, during, and after the workshop so the learning process is not limited to just the tour.
We have spent years designing national and international photo tours with successful results, helping photographers with everything from the simple task of getting off Auto to the ambitious goal of capturing complex images. Dan’s online courses have also helped more than 400 photographers over the last few years.
Beyond the photography, our photography workshops help build strong bonds that last forever. After our trip, you’ll feel like you have been with a group of friends rather than on a standard tour. We are thankful to have plenty of repeat clients who keep traveling and learning with us.
Whether you are experienced or just starting in photography, you are all welcome, and I am convinced that you will progress very fast. Together, we will get you back home with greater and deeper knowledge in many photography topics.
Also, we can Zoom or Skype beforehand to discuss your skill level, knowledge, and your goals with this tour.
All the places we will visit in this Iceland photography tour are very close to the road, and we won’t have to walk more than a few minutes to reach our photography locations, with the exception of the ice cave tour.
The ice cave tour has an estimated duration of 6 hours; this includes driving to and from the starting point. The total walking time during this tour is roughly 4 hours, covering a total distance of approximately 3 miles (5 km), and a total elevation gain of 300 ft (100 m). This is mainly done on ice with crampons provided by the local tour company.
It’s important to note that the exact duration of the tour, walking distance, and elevation gain are estimates based on our previous experience. The actual duration depends on many factors, such as weather conditions and the location of the ice caves, which vary from year to year.
We will also be driving, walking, and shooting a lot during the tour, especially at night when there are chances to see the Aurora, so we recommend being in good physical shape to be able to enjoy this experience.
There is no age limit. This trip is perfect for anyone over 18 years old who wants to photograph Iceland with us.
Non-photographer companions are welcome to join the tour, and they need to book a spot under the same price and conditions as any other participant. (We don’t allow non-participant companions tagging along with the group). We have had plenty of non-photographer companions over the years and all of them enjoyed an amazing experience. As long as they enjoy nature, beautiful landscapes, and are a bit patient with the schedules of a photo tour, joining the trip can be a great experience regardless of the shooting.
Capture the Atlas is drone-friendly. Our tour leaders are experienced drone pilots and can help you with your drone photography. However, we are not responsible for accidental damage or fines if you fly it in restricted areas.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with and help countless photographers in Iceland over the last years:
Active volcanoes, endless glaciers, lush valleys, black sand beaches, mountains & fjords, skies colored by the Aurora Borealis…Iceland is paradise for photographers for good reason. It’s very easy to feel like in a fantasy world when you see and shoot across all those spectacular locations, and this trip will help you discover all the spectacular things that Iceland has to offer.
Expect excitement like in no other trip when we prepare to go out and chase the Northern Lights. This experience can’t be described in images or words; you have to live through it and, believe me, after that you’ll understand why shooting the “green lady” is so mesmerizing and addictive.
Iceland is one of the first places that I started shooting when I first picked up a camera many years ago. I fell so profoundly in love with everything on the island that I’ve been traveling there every year since that initial trip. Iceland is our signature photo tour for many reasons, and I can’t wait to show you the magic of this place!
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