Iceland Photo Tour
Comments from our photo guide Haukur:
This particular interior route of South Iceland is in my opinion among the most varied and most spectacular landscapes to be found in Iceland. The young land (only 3 million years old) is the main reason that this area is so unique. Here we find just a few cottages used by hikers and farmers, gravel roads and the occasional bridge - not much else is affected by man.
To base accommodation at Hrífunes all the time will increase the time we can actually photograph. From my experience about 1-2 hours per day get lost only by changing accommodation, which I thought could be better spent behind the camera.
On our photo tour we will see a mixture of volcanic landscapes; black volcanic sands, mountains, clay, lava, light colors of rhyolite, moss, streams, rivers and geothermal heat that mixes with the ice and snow e.g. at Hrafntinnusker. So basically this whole area is a fiesta for the camera and that is why I always like to go back there. In addition, the ever-changing weather conditions provide us with sheer endless photo opportunities.
My experience in the interior:
- When traveling in the interior you usually wave or say hello to the ones you meet.
That means there is not a lot of traffic :))
- Peaceful, we have an expression for it : Fjallakyrrd - silence of the mountains
- The day is not predictable in any term
- Being there somehow brings things back to basics
Customer feedback:
Please read the customer feedback from our tour in 2009 at the bottom of the page.
Tour facts:
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Dates: |
06.08. - 13.08.2010 |
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Number of Participants: |
6-8 people |
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Duration: |
8 days / 7 nights |
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Level of activity: |
Participants need to be good on foot as it is sometimes necessary to make short hikes with steep slopes to the photo locations. |
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Price per Person in Double Room: |
EUR 2.140,- |
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Accommodation: |
Farmhouse Hrífunes with made-up beds |
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Meals: |
Breakfast from day 2 till last day Picnic lunch from day 1 till last day Dinner included from first day till second last day |
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Transportation & guiding: |
Professional English-speaking driver guide Transportation in a 4x4 super van |
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Activities and fees: |
Visitor fees in the highlands |
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Day 1: Into the Southern Interior (Fjallabak Syðra) |
06.08.2010 |
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Haukur will pick you up between 09:00 hours and 09:30 hours from your accommodation in Reykjavik. We head out of town towards the Southern Interior passing Fljótshlið. Here fantastic views on glaciers, canyons and valleys will open up, not to forget the black outwash plain Mælifellsandur. Get the cameras ready! Over the track Öldufellsleid we arrive at the farm Hrífunes, the ideal base for our photo tour. Here we meet Hadda (Haukur‘s wife) who is waiting for us with one of her first delicious home-made meals. |
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Accommodation: Hrífunes |
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Day 2: Fire gorge Eldgja and lake Langisjor |
07.08.2010 |
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We spend the day in the eastern part of the Southern Interior. We visit the fire gorge Eldgjá, a a volcanic fissure, 30 kilometres in length, which is believed to have erupted in 934. The most spectacular part of the fissure is adjacent to the Fjallabaksvegur road, where it reaches a width of 600 metres and a depth of 150 metres. At this point the Nyðri-Ófæra river falls into the ravine in two waterfalls. A beautiful natural rock arch that lay across the lower cascade was swept away by the river a few years ago. Another photo spot today is lake Langisjór – a breathtaking place in the remote highlands. The blue water lined with the green mountains on its shore ask for plenty of film. After photographing we return to Hrífunes and Hadda. |
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Accommodation: Hrífunes |
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Day 3: Hrafntinnusker – a highland secret |
08.08.2010 |
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Over the track Öldufellsleið passing Mælifellsandur, Hvanngil, Álftavatn and Laufafell we reach Hrafntinnusker where we plan to spend 3-4 hours of photographing. Ice caves, green moss and colourful rhyolite mountains provide us an excellent photo location. Haukur will show you his secret hidden favourite photo spot. We return to Hrifunes the same way we came, which will give us the opportunity to revisit some sights but in totally different light conditions. |
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Accommodation: Hrífunes |
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Day 4: NP Skaftafell and glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón |
09.08.2010 |
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We take a longer rest today as we arrived quite late the night before. We leave at about 11:00 hours the southern interior and visit the must see photo sights along the ring road. Our first stop is National Park Skaftafell. The Skaftafell National Park lies between high mountains, Lómagnúpur and the Öræfajökull glacier, an extinct volcano whose peak, Hvannadalhnjúkur, is Iceland‘s highest point, 2,119 metres high. Skaftafell is a wooded area surrounded by expanses of sand desert deposited by glacial rivers. The Skeiðará river floods massively from time to time, when melt water bursts out. Skaftafell boasts varied natural beauty, with thriving vegetation, wooded slopes, and waterfalls plunging into gorges. Next stop is the famous glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón. Since 1950 the glacier tongue of Breiðamerkurjökull glacier has retreated and a lagoon, gradually increasing in area, was created. The edge of the glacier calves into the lagoon and icebergs of different sizes are created. The lagoon is very deep, at least 190 metres. It is an unforgettable adventure to take a boat trip between the icebergs to admire the natural ice sculptures and the blue green colour of the ice. After photographing we return to Hrífunes. |
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Accommodation: Hrífunes |
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Day 5: Landmannalaugar and surroundings |
10.08.2010 |
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We drive on the northern Fjallabak road to Landmannalaugar. At the edge of a geothermal area, Landmannalaugar is surrounded by colourful rhyolite mountains, and both hot and cold springs emerge from the earth to provide excellent natural bathing pools. Driving back on Nyðra Fjallabak will provide us with more opportunities in different light. |
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Accommodation: Hrífunes |
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Day 6: Laki craters and surroundings |
11.08.2010 |
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This morning we visit the hidden waterfall Fagrifoss before we head to our main sight today – the Laki craters. Lakagígar is a row of craters on a 25 km long volcanic fissure southwest of the Vatnajökull glacier. An eruption in Lakagígar in 1783 produced more lava than any other eruption in the world. The eruption led to a natural disaster unparalleled in Icelandic history; ash and poisonous gases from the eruption caused the death of animals, followed by a famine in which one-fifth of the population died. Our photo opportunities are here lava fields, bizarre lava formations and craters.When we return to Hrífunes we celebrate the last evening in the highlands with a campfire and a beer down by the river. |
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Accommodation: Hrífunes |
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Day 7: Open Day |
12.08.2010 |
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This day will be used to travel back to one of the places you visited before or see something new. We choose to keep one open day on this tour, where you can decide together with your photo guide where to go. It is also good to have this additional day if the weather has not been in your favour on one of the previous days. When we return to Hrífunes we celebrate the last evening in the highlands with a campfire and a beer down by the river. |
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Accommodation: Hrífunes |
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Day 8: South coast: Vik, Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss |
13.08.2010 |
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We leave our Hrífunes behind and visit the major sights of the South coast, like the cliffs of Dyrholaey with the basalt formations of Reynisdrangar, as well as the amazing waterfalls Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. In the early evening Haukur will drop you off at your accommodation in Reykjavik. |
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Accommodation: Hrífunes |
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Modern Icelandic cuisine is based on local ingredients especially lamb and seafood. The meals will be catered by Haukur's wife Hadda Bjork who is known for her good cooking skills. Hadda Björk, finds natural herbs such as wild thyme, Downey birch and many other from the surrounding areas of Hrífunes farm. This gives the dishes a combination of special Icelandic flavors.
Accommodation:
Hrifunes, our accommodation, has a unique location just next to our highland routes that take us quickly to our destinations in the interior of south Iceland to maximize time for photographing. Hrifunes is an old farm which is now partly-owned by Haukur and Hadda. The houses have newly been restored.
A collection of comments from the Advanced Photo Tour August 2009
“ Haukur is extremely knowledgeable of the area as geologial and recent history and of its photographic appertunities. He was appropiately patient and at the same time did not allow any single individual to slow the entire group. Haukur is a natural leader, he has a delightful personality, perfect for leading the trip. I appreciated being located in the area where the daily trips were made. It made the travel shorter, the surroundings are beautiful, I feel like I am part of the local culture. All in all this has been a wonderful experience. The best way to descripe it is that I would like to come again.”
Steve Penland, Olympia, WA USA.
“What a perfect trip! We loved the ability to visit Haukur’s favorite spots for pictures.We saw lakes, mountains, waterfalls that are not typical for tourists. Perfect days of photo taking were then followed by incredible dinners that could easily be considered gourmet – fantastic ! Thank you both for sharing your home, your faivorite photospots your home cooking.”
Pat Howard, Bottmingen, Switzerland.
“Already filtered through the set of 5 K pics and selected 200 for a short slide show. Think this is the best set I ever took in 25 years of photography.”
Andrea Chioato, Bottmingenn, Switzerland
“ Wonderful locations and Haukur was the perfect guide giving us so many wonderful photographic stops. Lots of bumpy rides but they were all worth it. Absolutely loved this tour!”
Corrado Palumbi, Italy.
"The photo-tour exceeded my expectations. Knowledge of the area greatly helped us finding images.
Both Haukur and Hadda went beyond the call of duty. Dinner was like five star restaurant ! "
Clive Gyne, Canada.
