Foreign Photography Holidays
Iceland: Northern Lights, Ice and Fire
Iceland: Northern Lights, Ice and Fire
Estimated Price: £1600 including flight from Edinburgh (other flights available)
This seven day photographic trip to Iceland should provide an amazing experience for the adventurous photographer who is thrilled by mindblowing glacial and volcanic scenery and the natural spectacle of the Northern Lights.
- International flights from Edinburgh (and other locations) are included and ATOL-protected as we travel with award-winning education travel agency Discover the World.
- Led by Experienced Professional Photographer and Going Digital Scotland photography tutor Anna Henly.
- Comprehensive itinerary to visit a huge variety of volcanic and glacial scenery in Iceland.
- Trip planned to give maximum chance of seeing and photographing the Northern Lights, although never guaranteed.
- Hotels chosen for scenic locations and dark sky free from light pollution.
- Dates chosen to give long enough hours of daylight to photograph the awesome scenery, long enough nights to see the Northern Lights.
We will have our own dedicated bus and knowledgeable Icelandic driver guide who will escort us through a land where volcanoes loom above vast icecaps. We will hike through moss-clad (or snow-covered) lava fields to waterfalls (maybe frozen) crashing over 70m-tall cliffs. The coastline is ringed by black-sand beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, sometimes littered with fragmentss of blue glacial ice. Colourful fishing villages are dotted along majestic fjords. Iceland’s natural wonders will not disappoint!
The weather will be chilly, although we will have time for a relaxing hot soak in the Secret Lagoon. The days will be spent photographing the landscape, created by ice and fire, and if we are lucky we will be dazzled by the Northern Lights once night falls. Our itinerary is ambitious, but it is flexible, so we can slow down or speed up, skip some sights, revisit others.
Our hotels have been specially selected by Discover the World for their convenient locations in the countryside. If the Northern Lights put on a show we want a dark sky and no light pollution from nearby towns.
I am well aware that Iceland is super expensive so I have done my best to work with Discover the World to come up with a holiday that is ambitious yet affordable, and will maximise our chances of seeing the Northern Lights and a LOT of Iceland’s famous glacial and volcanic highlights.
The price is all-inclusive: flights, travel in Iceland AND full board accommodation (except possibly ONE packed lunch), so there really shouldn’t be any hidden extras – just alcohol (this could be the week to go teetotal and will mean no shaky hands for Northern Lights photography after dinner), a tip for the driver and presents for those left at home! I have been to Iceland three times before, and there really isn’t much except the great outdoors, which is FREE!
The weather in Iceland is unpredictable – there might be rain or snow, and there might not be………..It will definitely be chilly so you will need warm clothes, especially warm footwear and gloves. And more warm socks, and more warm gloves. Don’t let inappropriate clothing spoil your photography! In November 2017 the weather was freezing, brilliant sunshine. There was snow underfoot, and very strong winds encountered. Five minutes of snow flurries, but no rain!
We will have an experienced local driver guide with us for the week who knows the country inside out and I will be on hand to help you make the most of your photography. You will be amazed at how much you learn on a photographic day, taking photographs day after day, and being surrounded by like minded photographer spirits………..who do like to talk about photography when they are not actually doing it. No question is too trivial: I am the Going Digital Scotland tutor and teach a wide variety of photography workshops – day courses and residential course throughout Scotland.
I have worked as a tour guide and tutor for photographic holiday companies in places as diverse as New Mexico, Costa Rica and recently onboard a cruise ship in the Arctic. I am also a ski guide with the Ski Club of Great Britain. It is a great source of joy sharing my favourite locations and hobbies with others.
This holiday will be an adventure! Walking distances will not be massive but reasonable physical fitness and the ability to walk across rough terrain, maybe snowy and icy, carrying your photographic gear will be essential. There will be abundant photographic opportunities during the day, and the Northern Lights tend to appear………..at bedtime! I will inspire you to make the most of every opportunity, remembering that it is an enjoyable photographic holiday, not a bootcamp!
Recap of Tour Details
Estimated Price: from £1600 per person based on two people sharing twin accommodation, including economy class international flights from Edinburgh and full board. (Flights must be booked through Discover the World, although you can have extra days in Iceland at the end or beginning of the trip).
Duration: 7 days
Single supplements : subject to availability. If you are a single person booking this holiday you do not have to pay single supplements if you are happy to share. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired with another single client of the same gender. However your booking is accepted only on the understanding that if no roommate is available then you accept a single supplement may be levied. Single supplements are payable if you specifically request to have a room to yourself. If you have requested single accommodation we will do our best to secure this although this may not always be possible.
Deposit 1: £300 per person required to confirm booking, payable by BACS to Anna Henly Photography. This is REFUNDABLE until we have a group of 10 and the group booking can be confirmed with Discover the World . Once the money has been transferred to Discover the World to book the flights, the deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE.
Deposit 2: £100 payable to Discover the World 10 weeks later
Final balance: the remainder payable to Discover the World no less than 10 weeks before tour begins
Travel insurance: You must be covered by insurance, which must include adequate cover for baggage, medical expenses and the cost of repatriation.
Group size:10 plus photography tour leader and driver. If we have less than 10 photographers sign up we have the option to have a smaller group, although the cost will rise due to the cost of the bus and driver being shared by fewer people, or we can delay the trip until 2019.
Fitness level :This tour is suitable for guests of modest levels of fitness, but stamina will be required to photograph during the day AND at night! And an ability to cope with “weather” which may be freezing cold, windy or rainy.
Photography level: This tour is suitable for ALL levels of photographic experience, although attending a “Going Digital Part 1 – Get off Auto” is highly recommended for complete beginners or those with new cameras. I would also recommend attending a “Going Digital Part 2 – Developing Skills ” course so you will hit the ground running! The tour leader Anna Henly will be available throughout the tour to support and advise clients on their photography. Please bring a spare camera! Cameras can stop working if they get cold, wet or dusty – the same as the rest of us, and may come back to life once home and dry!
Trip dates: 11-17 November – the exact dates cannot be confirmed until flights are on sale
Brochure and Booking Information
An illustrated brochure (from 2017) providing more detail, including our proposed itinerary, prices and booking information may be viewed or downloaded here:
ICELAND: NORTHERN LIGHTS, ICE AND FIRE
More details of the holiday will be posted on this page, but I wanted to get the basic information out there as soon as possible to give you time to start dreaming!