Iceland Photo Tour
June 30 - July 9, 2023

Join Jeff Hirsch Photography for a 10 day, 9 night photographer's tour of Iceland and all of its amazing, otherworldly splendor.

We have partnered with an Icelandic tour company to create a unique photographic experience that is sure to take your breath away.

From waterfalls and geothermal pools to black sand beaches and glacial lagoons, you will have an opportunity to make photographs and lasting memories.

We will stay in three and four star hotels, enjoy first class local meals, and travel the rugged countryside in style with our own vehicle, driver, and professional guide.

It's going to be a very special expedition.

We are anticipating high demand for this trip and have a short turn around time, so please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. immediately to secure your place with a deposit.

Trip Itinerary

Our day-by day itinerary outlines do not list all that you will see and discover. Under the expert guidance of your dedicated guide you will explore the rugged and beautiful nature from a unique vantage point and enjoy chance encounters with locals, animals and the elements.

Day 1: June 30, Welcome to Iceland!

• The group arrives in the early morning. Your expert driver guide will pick you up at the airport. Drive in a comfortable Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
• Continue to Reykjavik for breakfast and some sightseeing. The exploration will be a mix of driving and walking with focus on main landmarks such as the Parliament, Austurvollur main square, Hallgrimskirkja church, the Perla, Harpa concert hall, the old harbor, and more.
• Enjoy a free afternoon resting and exploring on your own.
• At dinner time, the group will gather for a short walk to a nearby restaurant for a Welcome dinner.

Accommodations: Hotel Reykjavik Saga
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 2: July 1, Golden Circle Highlights

• Today we explore the popular sights of the Golden Circle which include Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Geysir hot springs area and Gullfoss waterfall. Highlights:
  • Thingvellir is located in the dramatic rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart, clearly visible at the great Almannagjá or Everyman’s Gorge. There are many easy hiking possibilities at Thingvellir.
  • Geysir, the place giving its name to the phenomenon worldwide. There you will find Strokkur, the tireless erupting hot spring.
  • Gullfoss, or Gold Falls, Iceland’s most famous waterfall.
  • Lunch today will be at Fridheimar Farm, a family-run geothermally heated greenhouse farm. Enjoy the unique setting and the locally grown produce. Learn how Icelanders grow produce year-round with the help of geothermal energy.
• Dinner tonight is in the hotel restaurant.

Accommodations: Landhotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3, July 2, The Westman Islands

• Today we take the short ferry ride to the Westman Islands just off the south coast of Iceland.
• The Westman Islands were the site of a massive volcanic eruption in 1973 that buried almost a third of the town under lava and the rest under ash and pumice. It has since recovered and is now one of Iceland’s most successful fishing ports.
• Go on a sailing tour that circumnavigates the island. This is a great way to experience the island´s nature, wildlife and sea caves.
• On the island itself explore the area where the eruption took place including the mountain born in the 1973 eruption and visit a fascinating exhibit that includes houses that we buried in the lava and ash.
• Return to the mainland in the late afternoon.
• Dinner tonight is in the hotel restaurant.

Accommodations: Landhotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4, July 3, Waterfalls and Black Sand Beaches of the South

• Today we travel to the south-east of Iceland. Enjoy the dramatic landscape with glacier-tipped volcanoes and cascading waterfalls on one side and the black-sanded beaches on the other. Highlights today include:
  • The beautiful Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can walk behind the waterfall.
  • Skogafoss waterfall. Legend has it that a chest of gold is buried behind the falls.
  • The black sand beaches around Vik and Reynisfjara.
  • The impressive Eldhraun lava field – from the 1783 eruption in Laki.
• Arrive in Skaftafell in the late afternoon. Nestled by the Vatnajokull glacier, the largest ice cap in Europe, the landscape offers endless photo opportunities.
• Dinner tonight is in the hotel restaurant.

Accommodations: Hotel Skaftafell
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5, July 4, Skaftafell National Park

• Today we pack a picnic lunch and head to Skaftafell National Park where we will spend the day.
• The amazing alpine surroundings of waterfalls, glacier tongues, mountain peaks and the black desert sands stretching out to sea – offer countless photo opportunities.
• Dinner tonight is in the hotel restaurant.

Accommodations: Hotel Skaftafell
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6, July 5, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Arrive in the Eastfjords

• We start the day with a visit to the spectacular Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, where icebergs drift out to sea. Two James Bond movies were filmed in this fantastic location and floating among the ice you may spot seals, eider ducks, and, even witness the glacier calving into the crystal turquoise waters. Go on an Amphibian boat tour in the lagoon.
• Explore the nearby black sand beach, nicknamed the diamond beach, where large chunks of ice cover the sands for a dramatic contrast.
• Stop for lunch in Hofn, the langoustine lobster capital of Iceland for a delicious treat.
• Continue to the remote eastfjords.
• Visit Petra´s Stone collection. This unique museum was founded by Petra Sveinsdottir, who began collecting unique rocks in the nearby mountains while still a child, and continued adding to her collection up into old age. Today her home and garden is favorite stop for travelers to the east.
• In the late afternoon arrive in the small charming coastal village of Faskrudsfjordur.
• Your hotel for the next two nights is the unique Fosshotel Eastfjords. The building is a renovated hospital that was used for French fishermen in the early 20^th
• Dinner tonight is in the hotel restaurant with views of the fjord.

Accommodations: Fosshotel Eastfjords
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7, July 6, Eastfjords Highlights

• Today explore some of the highlights of the eastfjords. Stops include:
  • The Klifbrekkufossar cascading waterfalls by Mjoifjord.
  • The small village of Borgarfjordur Eystri and its surroundings. The village is home to only 100 people but countless elves!
  • Borgarfjordur Eystri boasts of a spectacular landscape and one of the best areas in Iceland to get close to puffins.
  • Tonight dinner is on your own – consider dining at the excellent Café Sumarlina for delicious seafood soup or great selection of gourmet pizzas.

Accommodations: Fosshotel Eastfjords
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Day 8, July 7, Highland Heath, Dettifoss Waterfall and the Jokulsargljufur Canyon

• Today traverse the Jokuldalsheidi highland heath at the edge of the northern highlands. Stop at the farm Modrudalur, the farm located at the highest point in Iceland. The views in the highlands are spectacular. At Modrudalur enjoy some coffee and homemade pastries.
• Continue to Dettifoss waterfall, the most powerful waterfall in Europe.
• From there travel along the Jokulsargljufur Canyon.
• Visit Asbyrgi (the canyon of the gods), a spectacular horseshoe-shaped depression steeped in folklore.
• By dinner time arrive in Husavik, a small fishing town located by Skjalfandi Bay.
• Fosshotel Husavik will be your base for 2 nights. The town of Husavik with a population of about 2,300 has a good selection of restaurant.
  

Accommodations: Fosshotel Husavik
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Day 9, July 8, Lake Myvatn Highlights

• Today explore the highlights around Lake Myvatn located about 30 min drive from Husavik.
• The Lake Myvatn area is a starkly beautiful but otherworldly landscape of sputtering mudpots, weird lava formations, steaming fumaroles and volcanic craters.
• The area is also world-famous among bird-watchers. Most species of waterfowl present in Iceland are found here in great numbers, including 13 different species of duck.
• Highlights today include:
  • The pseudo-craters at Skutustadagigar.
  • The lava formations at Dimmuborgir, the dark castles.
  • The explosive crater Hverfjall.
  • The geothermal area at Namaskard.
• At the end of the day, before returning to Husavik, enjoy a swim in the mineral-rich waters of the Myvatn Nature Baths, sometimes called the Blue Lagoon of the North.
• Tonight, walk to a nearby restaurant for our Farewell dinner.

Accommodations: Fosshotel Husavik
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10, July 9, Departure

• This morning a one-hour domestic flight returns you to Reykjavik.
• In Reykjavik you will be transferred to Keflavik International Airport for your afternoon departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast

Package Price: $6,800 USD

(NOTE: Because of the exorbitant cost of any and all food in Iceland, we have included almost every single meal as part of the package in an effort to keep your total trip costs manageable. Once in country, you will have very few out-of-pocket expenses other than souvenirs you may wish to bring home. Trip pricing is based on double occupancy.)

30% deposit due upon booking
Balance due March 31, 2023

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

DEPOSITS: If booking within 90 days of arrival, the full price of your trip needs to be paid to validate a booking. Otherwise, a 30% deposit is required within 7 days of confirmation and the remaining balance 90 days prior to the date of your arrival in Iceland.

PAYMENT METHODS: We accept bank transfers and credit cards. We charge a 4% service fee for use of American Express. 2% service fee for Visa or MasterCard. No fee for wire transfers.

CANCELLATION: More than 60 days prior to arrival will result in loss of 10% of trip price. Between 60 and 30 days prior to arrival will result in the loss of 50% of trip price. Within 30 days prior to arrival will result in the loss of 100% of trip price.

Please feel free to contact me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions you may have.