TATE DRUCKER
P H O T O J O U R N A L I S T
ICELAND
Northern Lights Photography Tour
March 3 - 9, 2024
$3,650 per person sharing
7 Days / 6 Nights
Join award-winning photojournalist Tate Drucker on this exciting photography trip to Iceland.
Hone your skills as a photographer in this immersive, hands-on workshop that takes you along Iceland's spectacular southern coast. Stand in awe of the magnificent Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls; search for herds of wild reindeer in multicolor lava fields; hike amongst calving glaciers and icebergs at the Jökulsárlón lagoon and black-sand volcanic beaches; and spend every night searching for the magnificent northern lights.
HIGHLIGHTS
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One-on-one mentoring, end-of-day photo critiques, post-production workshops, and portfolio reviews with a professional photographer who has seven years of experience photographing the Arctic and Subarctic
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Set out from our carefully-selected accommodations every night to search for the northern lights. Utilize Iceland's iconic landscapes to create unique-to-Iceland aurora photographs
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Search for herds of wild reindeer, Icelandic horses, and the elusive Arctic fox as we explore the epic, moon-like landscapes of Iceland's volcanic southern coast
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Walk along the shores of the magnificent Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where building-sized icebergs calve from the Vatnajökull glacier
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Come face-to-face with jaw-dropping waterfalls, stand beside active geysers, and soak in the steaming hot springs of the Blue Lagoon (optional)
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Strap on your crampons and explore an ice cave inside the Vatnajökull glacier
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Visit the iceberg-studded black-sand beaches of Diamond Beach and Stokksnes
WHAT'S INCLUDED
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Six nights of accommodation in 3 & 4 star hotels (2 pax sharing)
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Four lunches, four dinners, and seven breakfasts
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The guidance of a professional photographer and highly experienced and knowledgable Icelandic guide and driver
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Private transport throughout Iceland in a luxurious 4x4 Super-Truck
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Airport pick up and drop off
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All activities listed on the itinerary
ITINERARY
7 Days / 6 Nights
DAY ONE | March 3
Reykjavik
Meals Included: N/A
Hotel: Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina
Welcome to Iceland! Your photography guide and expert, Tate Drucker, will meet you at our hotel for the evening, right in the heart of Reykjavik's downtown marina district. Enjoy the walkable, bustling streets of Reykjavik, with its colorful storefronts, traditional restaurants, and lively bars and coffee shops. In the early evening, the group will meet at the hotel for the trip's first photography workshop.
DAY TWO | March 4
Reykjavik to Vík
Meals Included: B, L, D
Hotel: Hótel Vík
Total Distance to Travel: 188km
After breakfast at our hotel in Reykjavik, it's time to set out for the small, seaside village of Vík. Along the way we'll visit the magnificent waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss, two of Iceland's most powerful and iconic falls. Upon arrival to Vík, we'll go for a golden hour photo walk on the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara, photographing its iconic basalt sea stacks, before meeting back at the hotel for the evening workshop.
This will be our first night searching for northern lights, as we'll be in an area with little enough light pollution to spot and photograph the aurora.
DAY THREE | March 5
Vík to Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
Meals Included: B, L, D
Hotel: Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
Total Distance to Travel: 163km
After a sunrise shoot on Vík's black sand beach, we will continue to make our way East along Iceland's coastline. Keep your eyes peeled for herds of wild reindeer as we careen through the sprawling Eldhraun lava fields, stopping to hike along the knife-edge ridge of the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. Stand beside the Svartifoss waterfall with its jagged lava columns, and hike alongside the spectacular Svínafellsjökull glacier. Before reaching our evening's accommodation, we'll visit Diamond Beach, a breathtaking black-sand beach covered in fluorescent blue icebergs that have broken off from the looming Vatnajökull glacier.
Our hotel for the next three nights is the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, which has been carefully chosen for its remote location and dark skies. Here, we'll have an evening photography workshop beside the lodge's cozy fireplace before setting out to the glacier lagoon to look for and photograph the northern lights.
DAY FOUR | March 6
Stokknes & Vestrahorn
Meals Included: B, L, D
Hotel: Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
Total Distance to Travel: 220km
After breakfast at our hotel, we'll make an early start for Jökulsárlón, Iceland's most spectacular glacier lagoon. Here, building-sized icebergs calve from the Vatnajökull glacier, dotting the sprawling bright blue lagoon. Look for seals and herds of reindeer as we walk along the water's edge, photographing the dynamic, colorful landscape.
From Jokulsarlön we'll make our way towards the village of Höfn, stopping along the way to hike through the iconic windswept valley of Stokknes. After lunch in Höfn, we'll photograph the quaint Icelandic village with its sleepy harbor and colorful houses. Eventually, we'll head back towards Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach for sunset, an evening photography workshop, and more northern lights hunting.
DAY FIVE | March 7
Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon to Vík
Meals Included: B, L, D
Hotel: Hótel Vík
Total Distance to Travel: 163km
From Fosshotel, we'll set off into Vatnajökull National Park to explore one of the ice cap's spectacular ice caves. After strapping on our crampons, we'll head deep into the belly of the glacier with our professional ice guide. After a day of exploring and photographing the caves, we will start to make our way back West to the village of Vík. Here, we'll settle back into familiar Hótel Vík, have a workshopping session, then set out to search for the northern lights one last time.
DAY SIX | March 8
Vík to Reykjavik
Meals Included: B, L
Hotel: Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina
Total Distance to Travel: 275km
From Vík we'll head inland to photograph Iceland's iconic Golden Circle. Here, watch the magnificent Geysir erupt in this geothermal hot spot, and wander around multicolor hot springs and bubbling geysers. Visit Gullfoss, one of Iceland's most powerful waterfalls, and hike along the craggy boulders that separate the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park.
At the end of the day, we'll arrive back where we started, at Icelandair Hotel in the Reykjavik Marina. Here, we'll have a final photography workshop at our cozy lodge before enjoying a final night in Reykjavik.
DAY SEVEN | March 9
Reykjavik Departure or Full Day Reykjavik (OPTIONAL)
Meals Included: B
Hotel: Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina
Total Distance to Travel: N/A
Today is either the departure day for guests, or an optional full day in Reykjavik with a visit to the geothermal hot springs at the picturesque Blue Lagoon.
This optional day is for guests who want an additional day of shooting, as well as more time to finish photo editing, critiques, and portfolio reviews. The cost for the additional workshop day, night at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina, private transport and entry fee to the Blue Lagoon is $300.
DAY EIGHT | OPTIONAL | March 10
Reykjavik Departure
Meals Included: B
Hotel: N/A
Total Distance to Travel: N/A
Today is the departure day for guests who have stayed for the previous optional tour day. Here, we say goodbye and continue home or onto the next destination.
This workshop is open for photographers of all levels, from beginners looking to learn the basics and to have the assistance to take the photos of their dreams, to advanced photographers wanting to work on specific skills or goals.
This trip is expertly arranged through Iceland Private Tours, a guiding company with over a decade of experience arranging masterful holidays all over Iceland.
Please note that some activities on the tour are weather-dependent and may be subject to change.
As well, the daily distance traveled is merely an approximation; some days may be shorter or longer due to road closures, road conditions, and group movements.
Finally, keep in mind that the northern lights are an unpredictable phenomena, and whether they appear is entirely up to factors out of our control (weather and solar flares). While we have carefully chosen locations based on their high frequency of aurora activity, as well as minimal light pollution, we cannot guarantee that the lights will appear. Therefore, while chances are still high, we ask all participants to go into the trip with an open mind.