Around Iceland September Fall Photo Workshop

Sign up now

About this workshop

In our Around Iceland Fall Photo Workshop, we travel across Iceland, photographing the many incredible locations in their Autumn colors. With the northern lights in season, we focus our attention on the skies during the evenings, searching for the aurora, and picking a beautiful landscape as a foreground. Iceland is famous for its lack of forests, so the fall landscapes are unique, with the changing colors in shrubs, low-lying plants, and moss-covered lava fields.

We stop at various glaciers, glacier lagoons, black beaches, numerous waterfalls, geothermal areas, lava fields and seascapes on our journey around Iceland. This is a fantastic photo workshop for landscape photographers looking for a great introduction to the diverse scenery Iceland has to offer.
This workshop is for photographers who want a more personal experience. Our small groups typically consist of no more than ten photographers at a time, and our workshop is all-inclusive. That means you only pay the workshop fee and receive all services included while you travel with us. That is guiding, accommodations, all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), transport in a custom 4×4 Truck, and expert post-processing tips.

Workshop Summary

duration
Date – September 12 - 22, 2025
11 days / 10 nights
payment
Price – $7,200
Deposit of $2,000 upon booking. Single room supplement adds $1,200
Guide_Sigurdur_Hrafn_Stefnisson
Guide – Sigurður Stefnisson
Siggi is one our our most experienced guides and will guide this workshop
More info
small-groups
Available – Available
Maximum of 10 participants
activity-level
Activity Level – Easy to Medium
See our FAQ page for our acitivity level guide
More info
location
Location – Iceland
We'll travel the ring road around Iceland in this workshop
Sign up now

Itinerary

If photographers would like to extend their stay in Iceland it is easy to arrange private day tours before or after the workshop. Popular day-trips include the Snæfellsnes Peninsula or Reykjanes Peninsula. For cancellation and refund policy for our workshops, please visit the Terms & Conditions page.

DAY 1

As always, we will need to be flexible and adjust to the weather conditions to make the most out of our workshop and travel safely. You arrive in Iceland and check into your hotel in Reykjavik in the evening we meet up in the lobby and go out for dinner in Reykjavik. We’ll go briefly through our itinerary, safety precautions, and some practical things before we start our adventure in Iceland. If you arrive early in town, you can photograph some of the attractions in the city of Reykjavik such, as Harpa concert hall, Hallgrimskirkja church, the Sun Voyager sculpture, or Perlan.

DAY 2

Þingvellir & the Highlands of Iceland We begin our journey early from our hotel in Reykjavik and travel to Þingvellir (Thingvellir). The park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of two tectonic plates, with rocky cliffs and fissures like the huge Almannagjá fault. We travel onwards to the highlands of Iceland and stop at Háifoss waterfall. We continue to Landmannalaugar in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve.

DAY 3

South Coast and Vik i Myrdal. We travel downwards to the south coast where we will spend the day photographing seascapes and a few of the majestic waterfalls in the area, like Seljalandsfoss waterfall and Skógafoss waterfall. We will spend our evening around the quaint town of Vík í Mýrdal, photograph the Dyrhólaey sea arches, and Reynisdrangar sea stacks. We will also explore the black volcanic beach of Reynisfjara that offers brilliant opportunities for seascape photography with the Reynisdrangar sea stacks and Dyrholaey rock arch. We will spend the night in the Vík area.

DAY 4 & 5

South Coast, Seascapes & Waterfalls After sunrise along the coastline of Vík, we continue on the road east to the glacier area of Vatnajökull National Park. We will stay in a comfortable hotel with views of the glacier, and close to the famous glacier lagoon. For the next two days, we explore and capture glaciers from all angles. We visit Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon, Vestrahorn mountain, and many more incredible landscapes to shoot. The variety of quality locations will allow us to move around as the weather dictates, with excellent photographic opportunities in every direction. Should the northern lights decide to make an appearance, our options for foregrounds are truly endless.

DAY 6

We head to the east fjords of Iceland. We’ll stop in ample locations to photograph sea stacks, the winding coastal roads, and the cascading streams down the steep terraced mountains and other lesser-known locations in the area. The most famous ones are Heinabergslón, Vestrahorn & Eystrahorn. Then we’ll spend the night in a charming fishing village.

DAY 7 & 8

From the East Fjords, we travel north to Lake Mývatn, known as the pearl of Northern Iceland. We capture some horses and turf houses along the way. We first head to the majestic waterfall Dettifoss, before we check into our hotel in Mývatn. For the next two nights, we’ll stay at Mývatn. We will visit and photograph many of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland, such as Goðafoss, Aldeyjarfoss, and Hrafnabjargafoss. The Mývatn basin sits squarely on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and many of the enthralling sights in the area are either volcanic or geothermal. The last volcanic eruption in this area was quite recent, in September 1984 in Krafla. This area in the north of Iceland is the perfect location for aurora borealis (northern lights) photography as there is no light pollution, and the options for beautiful foregrounds, such as the reflecting lake, are endless when the weather and conditions are just right. Mývatn also offers wonderful nature baths that we might visit if people are interested, so pack your swimsuit!

DAY 9

We continue our journey west along the northern coastline and travel back towards Reykjavik. Along the way, we will stop at some lesser-known locations and spend the night in Northwest Iceland. We will go through the second-largest city in Iceland and the capital of the north, Akureyri—home to around 20,000 Icelanders. After a short stop, we get back on the road and photograph the mountain peaks of Hraundrangi, a sharp mountain peak not far from Akureyri.

DAY 10

Hvítserkur, Borgarfjörður, Reykjavík We begin the day at the Hvítserkur seascape, a 15-meter high monolith or sea-stack. After lunch, we continue towards Reykjavik and stop at a few waterfalls along the way. West Iceland is known for its impressive waterfalls, salmon fishing, and Viking sagas. We will also make a stop to photograph Icelandic horses before we arrive at our hotel in the capital. Upon arrival in Reykjavik, we will check into our hotel and say farewell as the workshop concludes here. You then have the rest of the evening to explore Reykjavik, have dinner, prepare for your flight home, or rest.

DAY 11

Departure day. Breakfast is included at your hotel, and check-out is at 11 am. You can schedule your flight at any time that’s suitable for you.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Send us your name and email, and we'll get back to you.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXTEND YOUR STAY IN ICELAND?

It’s easy to arrange private day tours before or after the workshop. Popular day trips include the Snæfellsnes Peninsula or The Golden Circle. We can also set up custom tours based on your preferences. 

For cancellation and refund policy for our workshops, please visit our Terms & Conditions page.

What's included

  • All accommodations with private bathrooms during the workshop
  • All meals, except dinner on the last night
  • Guided by a professional Icelandic photographer
  • Image critique and post-processing session
  • 4x4 custom truck transportation
  • Packing list and equipment recommendations

What's not included

  • International flights
  • Cancellation and travel insurances
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Dinner on the last night in Reykjavik
  • Gratuity for your photography guide
  • Airport transfers from KEF airport to Reykjavik and back
Sign up now

Workshop photo gallery
Sign up now

Testimonials

We just got back from attending the Autumn workshop in Iceland with Skarpi. We had an excellent experience, learned lots of new photography techniques, met new friends, and saw many special locations. Skarpi looked after all our needs and ensured all our expectations were met. Great food, accommodations, transportation, care and attention throughout. He worked hard to ensure we had photographic opportunities even when the weather was not cooperating. We highly recommend Arctic Exposure and Skarpi!
Ken Chatel