Featuring a wealth and wide variety of incredible photography opportunities, Northern Iceland is one of the best places on Earth to photograph cliff-dwelling birds such as colorful and comedic Atlantic puffins, razorbills, murres, fulmars, and many other seabirds.
Staying on a tiny island, we will be right on the Arctic Circle, spending time searching for and photographing nesting Arctic species and vagrants. As our group works west and northward from our starting point in Reykjavík, you will marvel at the beautiful sights at every turn. Our Iceland photography tour shows you the best of Iceland’s birds with other marvelous sights along the way.
While the highlight of this trip is surely Grimsey Island, on the Arctic Circle Island, we will spend 2 -1/2 days working our way west and then north so you won’t feel as though you are missing out on anything or rushing. We'll base for two nights in Reykjavik and explore some secret spots in this area before we start our journey north, first to Akureyri, and then on to Grimsey Island - the highlight of the trip.
It would be a lot of effort to travel all that way and not spend any time photographing some of the birds and locations of Iceland’s mainland - that makes it a well-rounded trip with the primary focus on birds. As far as other puffin colonies, there is little point in visiting them, as none hold a candle to where we are going - not even close.
During this time of year in Iceland it never gets truly dark. Thus we will have 21–22 hours of daylight, which means many potential hours of sweet light! Your days will be scheduled to avoid crowds and take advantage of amazing locations during the best light, often shooting late into the night after dinner or even before breakfast. Then we will balance our down time with the remaining hours of daylight.
An Iceland photography tour focused on birds wouldn’t be complete without a world-class leader by your side helping you locate species. This exciting adventure will be led by NatureScapes founder and photographer Greg Downing, who has been running trips to Iceland for more than 15 years. There is no better photographer/leader to guide you and make the most of the photographic opportunities in the area.
“(The) Island was wonderful. To have all those birds just seconds from the front door was a big plus.”
Dawn O.
On the first day of your Iceland photography tour, you will arrive at Keflavík International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Reykjavík. After getting settled in, you may opt for a self-guided city tour or a visit to the harbor, which is just steps away from our base hotel. It’s very safe to walk around Reykjavík, exploring at your leisure, with or without a camera and small lens. Since your flights are overnight, you may experience a little jet lag, so you’re also welcome to just relax at the hotel and energize yourself for the rest of the morning, In the afternoon we will meet up with the group, gather our gear, and drive one hour southwest to a special spot to photograph red-throated loons, then we'll get a quick dinner on the way home. On a good year we have had up to 20 loons in one small pond! Other possible species include nesting Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Golden Plover, Common Snipe, Arctic Skua, and more.
Note: Those arriving early may opt for an early arrival request with the hotel, or we can also facilitate any early arrival simply for the cost of the additional hotel night. Please inquire with us regarding specific early arrival recommendations. We also highly recommend arriving a full day early, particularly if you're coming from the west coast of the US, to combat jet lag or do anything extra on your own like visit the volcano, the city etc. (any of which we can arrange).
Overnight at hotel in Reykjavík. (No meals included)
After a good night's sleep and hearty breakfast, we will depart in search of more avian subjects and sights we know along the way. We'll be checking our various locations for Arctic Terns, Eurasian Oystercatchers, Golden Plovers, and other species. We will have lunch en route and, depending on weather, we may head back to the reserve where we photographed the previous evening. We'll return for late dinner or have dinner en route, depending on the timing and what we find. Staying flexible is key to making the most of our time and the often rapidly changing weather conditions.
Overnight at hotel in Reykjavik. (B)
After some photography on our own in the early morning, we have breakfast at the hotel and then begin our drive toward Akureyri, “the capital of the North.” On the way we will visit some spectacular sites, including possibly the north side of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and/or Husavik in the extreme north. We hope to have a chance to photograph birds like Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit, Horned Grebe, and more. We'll plan to have lunch en route and arrive at our hotel for a late dinner. After dinner we can explore the quaint town of Akureyri on foot or rest up for our ferry ride to the island of Grimsey the following morning.
Overnight at a hotel near Akureyri. (B)
You will leave Akureyri early to catch the 9:00 AM ferry to Grimsey Island, where we will arrive around noon. After a great lunch at the only restaurant on the island, close to the harbor, we will begin to explore the island and all it has to offer. You will be awe inspired and excited that we can slow down the pace and fully explore this island and take advantage of every opportunity. In previous years we have done everything from in-your-face puffin and razorbill flight shots to setups for nesting snow bunting, meadow pipit, golden-plover, arctic terns, phalarope and more!
We will have free rein of this amazing location, which will be ample time to get great shots of puffins and basically all the other species that inhabit this unique island along the Arctic Circle. While we will have transport for you and your gear between the main photography locations on the southern and northern tip of the island, if you do not want to walk far, there are puffins literally right outside our front door 24-7. You will truly be in awe with the opportunities here!
Overnight at a private guesthouse on Grimsey Island where we base for the next 5 nights. (B, Shared bath facilities and self serve laundry at our modern, clean, and spacious guesthouse)
Grimsey Island is a small location bisected by the Arctic Circle, and is the finest location in Iceland for photographing Atlantic puffins and other seabirds, especially in flight as they soar near their nesting cliffs.
There are tens of thousands of puffins on the island and, at times, the grass slopes are filled with them. It’s also a great place to photograph Razorbill, Arctic Terns, breeding Common and Thick-billed Murre, Black Guillemot, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Northern Fulmar. You can also expect to see and photograph Red-necked Phalarope, Ringed and European Golden Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Common Redshank and Snow Bunting, among others.
The island also offers unique opportunities for landscape photography, featuring structural basalt columns and rock formations.
Overnight at a private guesthouse on Island. (B)
After a full morning of photography on Grimsey, getting our last shot, we will leave the island in the afternoon and overnight in the town of Akureyri, arriving in time for a late dinner.
Overnight at a hotel in Akureyri. (B)
On the final day of your Iceland photography tour, you will make the drive back to Reykjavík while stopping at some nice photo opportunities en route, looking for Icelandic horses, birds, and even a few landscapes. After getting settled back into our Reykjavik hotel, you will enjoy a farewell dinner with your group before heading out the next morning.
Overnight at hotel in Reykjavík. (B,D)
This morning you will enjoy breakfast at your hotel before transferring for your flight home. If you would like, you may opt to spend extra days in Iceland on your own or set up a custom extension arranged by us.
Depart hotel in Reykjavík.(B)
Single supplement fees reflect our actual cost and are subject to availability. If you're a single traveler and we're unable to place you with a roommate, we will need to place you in a single room and charge a single supplement.
Greg has been traveling the world teaching professional and amateur photographers for more than 15 years hosting his instructional workshops and...Continue reading
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