Iceland Fire & Ice Photo Tour August 2012

Itinerary for the Fire & Ice Photo Tour

Day 1:  August 18, Arrival in Keflavik Int. Airport & Reykjavik Cultural Night
KEF int. airport is 50 km out of Reykjavik but there is a regular Flybus and taxi's to Reykjavik.
This is a very picturesque day to be in Reykjavik. All over the center of Reykjavik there are cultural events in the street, music, art, theater and the annual Reykjavik Marathon is held on this day. The day ends with a great fireworks show on the waterfront. This is the day to be in Reykjavik (so you might want to arrive a day earlier - which we willl gladly assist with)
Accommodation: Hotel Odinsve in Reykjavik

Day 2:  August 19, Golden Circle to Geysir
We start the morning by driving to Thingvellir National Park, Iceland´s ancient parliament place of Althingi established in 930 AD which makes it the oldest parliament in the world. Thingvellir is also known for it´s natural beauty and geographical uniqueness. It´s the best place to see the tectonical plate boundaries, where the North-American plate and the Eurasian plate meet. 
Thingvellir National Park is on UNESCO's world heritage list. Great shots of lava cliffs and crevices where Iceland is drifting apart as well as Oxararfoss waterfall, Silfra-ravine, Lake Thingvallavatn and the surrounding mountains.
From Thingvellir it is only an hour's drive to Gullfoss waterfall where we stop for lunch and photograph the Gullfoss (the Golden Waterfall) before heading to Geysir where we stay for 2 nights. Our hotel is 2 minutes walk from the geysers so you can photograph the Geysir in the magic light at sunset and sunrise.
Accommodation: Hotel Geysir

Day 3:  August 20, Kerlingfjoll Mountains in Iceland's Central Highlands
In our Super-Trucks we drive the mountain track of Kjolur into the center of Iceland to mt. Kerlingafjoll which has one of the most beautiful geothermal areas but is so remote that it gets very few tourists. Beautiful canyons with a rare combination of  geothermal heat and snowy mountains (fire & ice) and array of colours in the ryolite mountains. Amazing colours and landscape. 
Last summer we were very lucky and got photos of baby Gyr falcons. On the way back to Geysir, we might take a short detour and drive on Langjokull glacier so you can photograph the glacier plateu and experience standing on a glacier.
Accommodation: Hotel Geysir

Day 4:  August 21, Three of Iceland´s biggest waterfalls and off-road to Geysir
We start by visiting Gullfoss waterfall again but this time from the other side of the canyon where nobody goes. This spot is one of our little photo-secrets. You have a much much greater chance of shooting a rainbow in the waterfall and you get a much greater variety of frames and more unigue photos.
Then we visit two waterfalls that are seldom visited because they are less accessible and further away than others. We need to cross a few unbridged rivers on a rough mt. track (which keeps all the buses away) in order to get there. The waterfalls are fantastic, each in their own way. Dynkur falls is in Iceland´s longest glacier river, Thjorsa and is completely untouched. Dark muddy glacial water, powerful and intimitating. Haifoss is Iceland´s second highest waterfall, clear water and majestic as it cascades into a deep canyon.
Accommodation: Hotel Highland

Day 5:  August 22, Hrafntinnusker and Fjallabak
From barren wilderness to crater lakes to green valleys and secluded mountain lakes to black lava - all within 50km.
It´s a short distance to the foothills of the famous volcano Hekla by the rough mountain tracks of Domadalur and Fjallabak.  The landscape around Hekla is shaped by centuries of volcanic activity, the most recent eruption in February 2000.
This is a deserted land of awsome beauty with endless photo ops for landscape photographers.
Our personal highlight of the day is Hrafntinnursker - 'Obsidian Skerry'. In the middle of Iceland's second largest geothermal area there are ice caves surrounded by the glassy black obisidian rocks, fluorescent green moss and steaming hot springs. Having all of this in one place is unique in the world - and the added bonus is that you can only get there by Super-Jeep or hiking so no tour buses and very few people if any. Hrafntinnusker is reason alone to join this tour. 
Accommodation: Hotel Highland

Day 6:  August 23, Icelandic highlands: Veidivotn lakes & Jokulheimar
Hotel Highland is ideally located so we can take different mountain roads and spend most of our day behind the camera instead of behind the wheel. Within a short distance we get a great variety of samples of the Icelandic highlands. Beautiful green mountain lakes, deserted sands and the desolated west edge of Vatnajokull glacier at Jokulheimar („Glacier World"). This is something you won´t read about in the guide books and the average tourist never sees. We have found it best to play this by ear and adjust to the weather forecast and your interest. We could also swap day 5 and 6 depending on weather.
Accommodation: Hotel Highland

Day 7:  August 24, Landmannalaugar - Skaftafell National Park
It is said that every nature photographer in Iceland goes through a Landmannalaugar-phase, the colours of the mountains, the lava and hot springs provide endless opertunities for a great landscape and nature photography. Of course we need to stop there for at least a couple of hours. We then drive through highlands, to an area known as Fjallabak („Behind the Mountains"). The landscape and scenery changes with every turn and on every hill on this winding mountain track. We will stop at your request and shoot - but there are so many amazing landscape photos to be taken that we almost certainly need to be a bit selective - just so that we reach our hotel before dinner. The Fjallabak route takes us to the south shore, to the ring road  and then we drive through the Laki lava field which is among the largest lava fields in the world before reaching Skaftafell National Park.
Our hotel is at the edge of the glacier so you can take an evening or morning walk to the edge of the glacier on your own - you can even photograph the glacier from your hotel room window.
Accommodation: Hotel Skaftafell

Day 8:  August 25, Skaftafell - Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
Morning boat cruise on Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon which is one of the most spectacular places in Iceland and a location for numerous films and ads. We visit another glacier lagoon which is  much less frequently visited, Fjallsarlon and dramatic glacier tongues of Vatnajokull glacier. We will also visit the black sand beach where the icebergs from the glacier laggon drift ashore. 
We are certain that you would also appreciate more time in Skaftafell National Park.
In the evening, we will visit the glacier lagoon again and photograph the fireworks display over Jokulsarlon. This is fireworks show is only advertised locally with short notice but it's normally held the weekend after Reykjavik's Cultural Night.
Accommodation: Hotel Skaftafell

Day 9:  August 26, Iceland's South Shore
We drive along Iceland's south shore to Reykavik and stop at all the main sights; black sand beach at Vik, hexagon basalt columns at Dyrholaey, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls.
Accommodation: Hotel Odinsve in Reykjavik

Day 10:  August 27, Departure from Keflavik Airport
It's possible to extend your stay if you wish - just drop us an email.

Photos from Fire & Ice Photo Tour

Fireworks at the glacier lagoon in south Iceland - only once a year.

Eyjafjallajokull volcano steaming in the back and the glacier black with ash

Our Super-Jeeps take you to magical places with magical light

Hekla volcano makes our Super-Jeep look tiny

From Hrafntinnusker

Hot springs and ice caves at Hrafntinnusker

Tour Highlights

Geysir
Strokkur

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon
- Fireworks
- Boat tour on the lagoon
- Fjallsarlon (which most people haven't discovered)

Landmannalaugar
Skaftafell National Park
Thingvellir (Pingvellir - Þingvellir) National Park
Reykjavik Cultural Night
Eyjafjallajokull volcano

Landscape photography in the Icelandic highlands, places which are not ease to find or get to without a local guide on a proper 4x4 and you might never even read about but are spectacular - such as:
- Hrafntinnusker
- Fjallabak nature reserve
- Jökulheimar
- Kerlingarfjoll