Highland Adventure: Exploring Iceland's Untamed Beauty

Day one begins with your arrival at Keflavík International Airport. You will take a bus or taxi to transfer to your hotel in Reykjavík, where you will be able to relax until 7 p.m. At this point, you will meet your guides and the rest of the group in the lobby, and head to a distinguished restaurant for a delicious dinner. Over the meal, you’ll get to know the people you’ll be spending the next week with and run through the itinerary of the adventure ahead. After a satisfying meal, we’ll retire to the hotel for the night.

On your second day, the adventure truly begins! First thing in the morning, you will board a comfortable bus, and we’ll set off on our journey to the Highlands. The drive promises to be just as thrilling as the destination as we will pass waterfalls, glaciers and stunning rock formations. Although weather and road conditions will slightly dictate the route, you are likely to start by visiting two stunning crater lakes: Bláhylur and Ljótipollur. Bláhylur translates to ‘the blue lake’, named so for its vivid azure coloration, whereas Ljótipolur means ‘the ugly puddle’, in spite of its ethereal beauty and impressive contrasts between its red slopes and sapphire waters. After making the most of these unique, fascinating locations, we will head to a hotel in the Highlands. With the Midnight Sun overhead, however, you can continue taking photos long into the night; just make sure you will be refreshed for another full day of shooting tomorrow.

On day two, you will head into the Landmannalaugar region. This awe-inspiring highland oasis is packed full of amazing spots, so you will have countless photo opportunities throughout the day. You’ll shoot geological and geothermal wonders, vividly coloured mountain ranges, and the area’s surrounding glaciers and volcanoes. While you could spend all day wandering around, capturing on camera whatever inspires you, your guides will make sure that you will spot the highlights of the area and take some unique pictures.

The first of these is the Frostastaðaháls ridge, where you will attain otherworldly panoramas of Iceland. This pass will also grant you great views over the serene crater lake of the same name. Secondly, you will head to the valley of Sigöldugljúfur, which is lined with many unique and beautiful waterfalls. Before retiring for the night, you will be able to bathe in natural hot pools beneath the Midnight Sun at Landmannalaugur which literally translates to 'people's pools'.

© Iurie Belegurschi

© Iurie Belegurschi

On this day you will head to the third tallest waterfall in Iceland, Háifoss, which plummets from a height of over 120 meters into a dramatic ravine. Nearby you will find the charming waterfall Granni, before arriving at Hjálparfoss waterfall. It tumbles in two tiers, and is surrounded by rare basalt columns, so perfectly formed that they hardly seem natural. The darkness of these columns contrasts beautifully with the verdant moss, blue waters and white spray of the waterfall.

After shooting at these sites, we will head back to Reykjavík and continue our journey to the east part of the island.

After the highlands, we’ll be photographing some of the many wonders of the Snaefellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, including Arnarstapi fishing village, Búðakirkja church, Kirkjufell mountain and the Lóndrangar rock stacks.

At Arnarstapi, you’ll witness fantastic nearby beach, ravines, columnar basalt, caves and fascinating rock formations, as well as the strong waves of the North Atlantic Ocean. A central attraction there is the Gatklettur natural stone arch, as well as the nearby lava field. Budakirkja, by the hamlet Búðir, is a charming old black church dating back to the 19th century but renovated in the 1980s. It offers a striking and highly photogenic sight as it stands in a moss-grown lava field surrounded by an old turf wall with a beautiful mountain ring around it. Nearby you’ll see remnants of an old farm and, not far away, a rare golden sand beach.

Next, you’ll also be photographing the famous Mount Kirkjufell, a landmark of the fishing town Grundarfjörður. The mountain is distinctive for its pyramid-like shape and is renowned for having appeared in HBO's Game of Thrones series. It is also a mountain that always seems to offer something new in terms of angle, light and form, as it rises proudly over the town and its fjord. You'll have the chance to photograph it with a beautiful waterfall cascading at the base.

Last but not least, you’ll be seeing the impressive Londrangar sea stacks and Svalþúfa Hill, a crater that has mostly fallen to erosion. At Þúfubjarg cliff, you will also be able to enjoy the magnificent birdlife of the area, including puffins, kittiwakes, common murres, northern fulmars. You’ll notice how the sea and winds shaped the area, and not far off you’ll see remnants of the huts of fishermen who braved the natural forces.

On our last day, we’ll get to visit the beautiful Icelandic waterfalls – Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. As you make your way along the coast, you'll notice your surroundings changing before your eyes. Urban landscapes will be replaced with vast, mossy lava fields and you'll begin to spot glaciers glistening on the horizon.

Your first stop will be at the breathtaking Seljalandsfoss waterfall. Dropping from a height of 60 metres, this waterfall is incredibly picturesque and provides many opportunities for a variety of compositions. Perhaps the most fascinating composition will wait for you behind the waterfall, peering out from within a massive cavern. You may get a little wet for this shot, but the results will be worth it.

From there, you'll head towards the Skógafoss waterfall, which is just as marvelous in its own right. Sheer, dark cliffs surround this thundering curtain of water that you can almost touch, provided you are brave enough to get that close! This is a great place to practice different exposure effects by experimenting with your shutter speed. While it is possible to walk to the base of the waterfall, you can also achieve a wonderful view by climbing up a staircase for an expansive panorama of everything below.

© Nuno Antunes

© Henry Do

Breakfast and check-out from the hotel.