Women Only Around Iceland Summer Photo Workshop 2027

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About this workshop

In our Around Iceland August Summer Photo Workshop, a women-only tour led by a female guide, we cover the very best of the extraordinary Arctic country. The summer season in Iceland is particularly unique because the days feel endless. With the sun setting around 10 pm in August, we can go out after dinner to capture amazing sunsets. The Atlantic puffin is getting ready to head back to sea, so we make sure to visit a puffin colony during the 11-day workshop, before they leave again.

We will take you to a variety of glaciers, glacial lagoons, black beaches, waterfalls, geothermal zones, lava fields, and seascapes on our journey around Iceland. This is an ideal photo workshop for women nature photographers who want a fantastic introduction to the diverse landscape Iceland has to offer. Locations include Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Glacier Lagoon, Lake Myvatn, Reynisfjara Black Beach, and many, many more.

Iceland has always been a land of strong women. From the Viking settlers who crossed the North Atlantic and shaped the sagas, to the women who stood up in the 1975 women’s strike and helped elect the world’s first democratically elected female president, Icelandic women have never waited for permission to lead. Even the language reflects it: Icelandic women carry the name of their mother or father with pride, ending in dóttir, meaning “daughter of.” On this journey, you become part of that story. Travel, learn, and shoot alongside like-minded women photographers, and channel the fearless spirit of the Dóttirs who came before you. Capture the landscape, and learn a little of the women’s history woven into it along the way.

Iceland is also consistently ranked one of the safest countries on the planet, so you can explore, wander out for those late-evening sunsets, and focus on your photography with complete peace of mind.

This workshop is for women photographers of all skill levels who are seeking a more personal experience. Our small groups consist of no more than ten photographers at a time. The workshop fee includes guiding by our female lead guide, accommodations with breakfast, transport in a 4×4 super-truck, and post-processing tips.

Workshop Summary

Date – August 3 - 13, 2027

11 days / 10 nights

Price – $7,995

Deposit of $2,000 upon booking. Single room supplement adds $1,500

Guide – Eyrún Lydía Sævarsdóttir

Eyrún has a burning passion for photography & nature, plus many certifications so you'll be in great hands

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Available – Available

Maximum of 10 participants

Activity Level – Easy to Medium

See our FAQ page for our acitivity level guide

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Location – Iceland

We visit the highlights around Iceland in this workshop

Itinerary

DAY 1

Arrival in Iceland and check into your hotel in Reykjavik. Check-in starts at 3 p.m. In the evening, we meet for welcome dinner in Reykjavik (included) where we briefly go through the tour itinerary, safety instructions, and some practical things before we start our adventure in Iceland.

DAY 2

Þingvellir National Park and Highlands of Iceland. We start at Þingvellir. 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 also visit Landmannalaugar in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve.

DAY 3

South Coast, Seascapes, Waterfalls & Birds. We travel along the south coast, visit Seljalandsfoss and Skogarfoss waterfalls. We will spend our evening around the quaint town of Vík í Mýrdal (which has a beautiful country church surrounded by fields of lupine wildflowers), and photograph the Dyrhólaey sea arches, sea stacks, and puffin colony.

DAY 4

Vík, Black Beach & Vatnajökull National Park. We start the day by continuing to shoot some of the unique landscapes in the Vík area and then head eastwards through beautiful lava and moss-covered fields and pass a few glaciers on our way to Skaftafell National Park. Once in Skaftafell, we will photograph glaciers and Hvannadalshnjúkur—the highest mountain in Iceland.

DAY 5

Glaciers, Glacier Lagoon & Glacier Beach. We’ll spend the day photographing beautiful landscapes as well as the jaw-dropping Jökulsarlón glacier lagoon, glacier beach, and the surrounding area with the beautiful Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in the background—a classic photograph from Iceland.

DAY 6

Mountain Lagoon, Stokksnes and Vestrahorn mountains. We'll go off the beaten path to Heinabergslón before heading further east to Stokksnes. We will stop at the more jagged coastal peaks of Vestrahorn and Eystrahorn, as well as excellent locations to photograph sea stacks, dramatic winding roads and cascading streams down the steep terraced mountains. Along the way, we will perhaps cross paths with reindeer—the trademark of East Iceland. We make our way further east, stopping at a few hidden gem locations and spend the night at Djúpivogur.

DAY 7

Dettifoss, Mývatn & Geothermal Pools. Here we’ll witness the immense power of Europe’s largest waterfall by volume, Dettifoss, and take some shorter hikes in the river canyon of Jökulsárgljufur National Park to see rock stacks dividing the powerful Jökulsá á Fjöllum river. In the Mývatn lake area, we’ll photograph geothermal steam vents, bizarre volcanic formations, and fields of craters that will give you the impression that you have landed on the moon. If the group is interested we can visit the Mývatn Nature Baths for a swim—a pool of geothermal water drawn from depths of up to 2,500 meters.

DAY 8

Mývatn Lake & Waterfalls. The Northern part of Iceland is known for a trio of waterfalls that are often called “The Majestic Waterfalls”. The first Aldeyjarfoss waterfall with its basalt column front and the second Goðafoss waterfall the name Goðafoss could be translated roughly as “The Waterfall of The Gods”. The third is Dettifoss that we visit the previous day.

DAY 9

Mývatn, Skagafjörður & Waterfalls After sunrise and our breakfast at the Mývatn hotel, we travel down the northern coastline. Along the way, we will stop at some lesser-known locations and spend the night in Northwest Iceland.

DAY 10

Hvítserkur, Borgarfjörður, Reykjavík. The day begins at seascape Hvítserkur, a 15-meter high monolith or sea stack. After lunch, we head towards Reykjavik and stop at a few waterfalls that we pass along the way. We will also make a stop to photograph Icelandic horses before we arrive at our hotel in Reykjavík. When in Reykjavík, we will assist you in checking into your hotel and say farewell as the workshop concludes here. You then have time to explore, have dinner or just rest back at the hotel.

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.

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.

What's included

All accommodations with private bathrooms during the workshop

Single rooms available for addtional $1,500, based on availability

Breakfast at hotels

Guided by Eyrún professional Icelandic local photographer

Image critique and post-processing session

4x4 truck transportation

Welcome dinner on the first night

Packing list and equipment recommendations for this workshop

Small group and safe female travel

What's not included

International flights

Cancellation and travel insurances

Meals & drinks other than stated above

Gratuity for your photography guide

Airport transfers from KEF airport to Reykjavik and back

Workshop photo gallery

Testimonials

“A Perfect EXPOSURE” is how we would describe our recent small group tour around the Ring Road with Arctic Exposure touring company. The experience was “perfect” and here is why… The highlight of our tour was our guide, Eyrun. She was an amazing guide and companion for our seven days on the road. Particulars included her professionalism, flexibility, and attention to safety, her focus on our comfort / convenience and her lovely personality. Each day we reviewed the agenda and assembled at a previously agreed-upon start time (with some flexibility, because this was a private tour). Eyrun would detail the drive time to each stop, highlights about the particular locations and options to make it more or less rigorous. Many locations were an easy walk, but in several spots we had the option to do longer walks / hikes - which our group enjoyed. If there were things of which we needed to be aware, she noted these and pointed out any safety concerns such as rougher terrain, slippery footing or the deceptive surf (sneaker waves) around the black sand beach. At the conclusion of each day, Eyrun made sure we were properly situated in our lodging and had a good plan for our evening meal. We also reviewed the next day’s agenda and start time. It was also great to make “day of” adjustments to our plan based on new locations we saw on a map, or which she suggested, or based on the weather conditions. If we were traveling a long way between rest / bathroom breaks or if mid day meal options were limited, we were always advised to consider rest areas and grocery options for snacks. Our transportation was first rate with a Sprinter Van equipped for rough weather; all the way down to the studded/spiked tires. We were very comfortable and had plenty of space for luggage and day packs. Please note, this was not a photo tour; just a touring / hiking experience. The biggest highlight of the trip was Eyrun’s tremendous knowledge of all things Icelandic. She is very well traveled both within Iceland and beyond and seemed to be a limitless resource for sight-seeing information, history, geology, culture, food and more. She answered all questions (or researched them and got back to us with answers) and was comfortable with both chatting and quiet time or simply listening to her play list or our suggested music. Our group was completely satisfied with the experience curated by Arctic Exposure and we would highly recommend considering them for your touring. As for Eyrun, words cannot describe how much we enjoyed spending time with her and having her as our guide. Thank you Arctic Exposure and thank you, Eyrun!!!

Mary, Glenn, Liz & Blaine