South Coast & Snæfellsnes Fall Photo Workshop
Our South Coast & Snæfellsnes Photo Workshop focuses on the fantastic landscapes the South Coast and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula have to offer in fall. The northern lights will hopefully grace us with their presence, but as with all of our workshops that fall withing the Northern light season, we will do our utmost to seize the opportunity to photograph them. You will find many of the more known locations of Iceland on the South Coast as well as lesser know locations and photograph them in their fall colors.
The fall is a short season in Iceland but the marvellous colours of autumn and the Northern Lights should tick most boxes for landscape photographers. Our local guides will assist you to get to the right locations at the right time as we follow the light.
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is best known by photographers for the picturesque Mount Kirkjufell and its neighboring waterfall, but the area offers so much more with moving landscapes and an abundance of beautiful seascapes. The glacier of Snæfellsnes is mentioned as the gateway to the centre of the earth in Jules Verne’s science fiction novel “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”, but the peninsula is also one of three national parks in Iceland. The first two days of the workshop will be spent in this magical place photographing the major sights, stunning sunsets and perhaps a northern lights show at Mount Kirkjufell.
The South Coast is the most visited region in Iceland. We always do our best to avoid the crowds when possible. We have plenty of local connections and locations to visit so we can take you off the radar to photograph amazing sites.
Highlights
Fall colors – They are truly amazing in Iceland during this very short season
Waterfalls – Major waterfalls such as Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, and Svartifoss
Northern Lights – Aurora borealis nights in the glacier lagoon and other unique locations if conditions allow
Amazing landscapes – Including Snæfellsnes, Kirkjufell, Glacier Lagoon, Black Sand beaches and much more
Transportation – Super Truck transport into remote areas
Professional Photography Guides – All of our guides are professional photographers based in Iceland with years of experience leading photography workshops
Activity Level – Easy
Small groups – Maximum number of participants: 10
Duration – 9 days / 8 nights
All-inclusive workshop – Included in the price of the workshop are your accommodations, all meals, guiding and transportation
Schedule
2023
Date
Available
Guide
Payment info
- Deposit payment of $2,000 USD upon booking
- Payment in full is required 90 days prior to the tour starting date
- Double occupancy accommodations for eight nights at hotels, while single rooms are available upon request
- Single room supplement adds $1,000 USD
Total price: $5,400 USD
SIGN UPWhat's included
- All accommodations with private bathrooms during the workshop
- All meals
- Guided by a professional Icelandic photographer
- Image critique and post-processing session
- Super truck transportation
What's not included
- International flights
- Cancellation insurance
- Alcoholic drinks
- Gratuity for your photography guide
- Dinner on the last night
- Airport transfers
Autumn in Iceland photography tour
I went on this tour with my 87 year young mother (her second trip with Arctic Exposure!). We both had a great time. Skarpi was a great guide. At every stop, and there were a lot of different places, he suggested the spots for the best photos as well as helping with camera settings! The accommodations were comfortable and clean. The food was good everywhere we ate. I would definitely recommend this company for photo tours of Iceland! There is so much to see.
Amazing Autumn Tour of Iceland
I decided to book this tour after a previously planned trip to Iceland with some friends fell through. This was my first “solo” tour (as in without my friends) and I was a bit apprehensive about what to expect – but I had nothing to worry about! First of all, let me just say that Iceland is a photographers dream – it is just stunning! The tour was led by Skarpi who owns Arctic Exposure. He was a great guide – knew all of the spots to take you to that wouldn’t be too touristy which made for better photographs! My group was very small (7 people) so you got to know everyone pretty quickly. In addition to Skarpi helping with any camera settings or composition, you get the benefit of learning from others on the tour with you! This was great for me as a beginner and more of a hobbyist photographer. I definitely felt that I learned a lot on this trip and came away with photos that made me feel more professional!
As for the accommodations, most of the places you stay at will be more like a bed & breakfast – very quaint and cozy but all very clean and comfortable. This seems to be the norm in Iceland.
The food was amazing! I had heard that the food wasn’t that great in Iceland, but everywhere we ate was delicious. There was always some sort of fresh caught fish with potatoes and vegetables. If that’s not your jam, most places also usually had some sort of pasta dish, pizza or hamburgers – something for just about everyone!
Arctic Exposure did a great job finding off the beaten paths for the best photographs, comfortable accommodations and delicious places to eat! I would definitely recommend this company to anyone looking to book a photo tour of Iceland!
Itinerary
DAY 1 – Arrival in Reykjavík
In this workshop, we need to be flexible and adjust to the weather and aurora activity, as always when traveling in Iceland.
Arrival in Iceland and check into your hotel in Reykjavik. In the evening, we meet for a group dinner in Reykjavik where we briefly go through the tour itinerary, safety instructions, and some practical things before we start our adventure in Iceland. If you arrive early, you can photograph some of the top attractions in the city such as the Harpa concert hall, Hallgrimskirkja, the Sun Voyager or Perlan.
DAY 2 – Þingvellir National Park and Snæfellsnes
We start early from our hotel in Reykjavik and drive straight to the beautiful landscape of Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park where we capture our fall colors in the soft light at sunrise. Next, we keep on further west to photograph remote waterfalls and farm areas until we reach our destination of Snæfellsnes where we spend the next two nights.
DAY 3 – Snæfellsnes
We visit the famous mountain Kirkjufell and other spectacular locations when we circle the Snæfellsnes peninsula, such as Lóndrangar, Arnarstapi, and the black church at Búðir to name a few. Capturing the aurora over mountain Kirkjufell is the dream shot for many photographers.
Day 4 – Snæfellsnes and Vík
After sunrise in Snæfellsnes, we travel to the south coast to capture some of the greatest waterfalls in Iceland, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. The next two nights we’ll stay in Vik, surrounded by great landscape and seascape.
Day 5 – Vík
We spend the whole day exploring, and capturing some of the great seascapes and rock formations in the southernmost part of Iceland. Dyrhólaey, Reynisdrangar, Vík, Sólheimajökull, and Mýrdalsjökull to name a few of the locations.
Day 6 – Vík and The Glacier Lagoon
From Vík we travel further east to Vatnajökull National Park and Glacier Lagoon area, on the way we’ll stop at some mysterious locations such as the moss-covered lava fields in Eldhraun, turf roof churches, Skaftafell and hike up to the Black Falls and glaciers.
Day 7 – Glacier Lagoon, Höfn, Stokksnes and Vestrahorn
The picturesque east fjords are calling us. We will stop at the more jagged coastal peaks of Vestrahorn and we’ll stop in ample locations to photograph sea stacks, the winding roads and cascading streams down the steep terraced mountains. Perhaps Reindeer (the trademark of East Iceland) will make an appearance and then we will of course seize the moment and capture them in the fall colors.
Day 8 – Vatnajökull National Park and back to Reykjavik
After capturing our last sunrise on this tour in the Glacier Lagoon area, we travel back west. We’ll be flexible with locations and stop where the light is good and conditions right.
We check into our hotel in the capital 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 9 – Departure
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.
If photographers would like to extend their stay in Iceland it is easy to arrange private day tours before or after the workshop. A popular day tour to add is the Reykjanes Peninsula.
For cancellation and refund policy for our workshops, please visit the Terms & Conditions page.