Join Our 5-Day Winter Photography Workshop in Iceland
Immerse yourself in the magic of Iceland in winter on this 5-day photography workshop. Travel from Reykjavík across the South Coast into Vatnajökull National Park, capturing extraordinary natural wonders like ice caves, glacier lagoons, and the dancing Northern Lights. With expert photo guides by your side, you’ll receive hands-on instruction in composition, exposure, and low-light techniques, and be led to the ideal locations at the right time to shoot landscapes, ice formations, and winter skies.
You’ll explore iconic sites such as frozen waterfalls, black sand beaches, glacier tongues, and hidden ice caves. Over the course of your journey, your hosts will also deliver post-processing tutorials and photo lectures to help you refine your technique and artistry. All transportation, four nights’ accommodation (outside Reykjavík), and transfers to shooting locations are included — though your Reykjavík lodging is up to you.
Don’t miss this chance to photograph Iceland’s winter beauty at its most dramatic — the ethereal light, crystalline ice caves, and auroras make this workshop a once-in-a-lifetime photo adventure.
Dates
19 - 23 November, 2025
Group Size
Maximum of 12
Price (USD)
$2,490 (Double Occupancy)
$2,940 (Single Occupancy)
Workshop Highlights
Photograph the Northern Lights
Capture the aurora borealis dancing across Iceland’s dark winter skies. Learn how to master long exposures, focus in the dark, and balance foreground elements with the aurora’s vibrant colors.Explore Crystal Blue Ice Caves
Step inside natural ice caves formed within Vatnajökull glacier. These shimmering blue chambers change every year, offering rare and surreal compositions that few photographers experience.Shoot Frozen Waterfalls and Glacier Lagoons
Discover iconic waterfalls framed by sparkling icicles and visit glacier lagoons filled with floating icebergs. These dramatic winter landscapes provide endless opportunities for both wide shots and intimate details.Personalized Guidance in a Small Group
With a limited group size, you’ll get hands-on mentorship from professional guides who tailor advice to your skill level. Whether beginner or seasoned photographer, you’ll leave with new skills and stunning images.Comfortable Travel in Winter Conditions
Travel safely in winter-equipped vehicles with experienced local drivers who know the roads and conditions, ensuring you reach the best shooting locations at the right times.Hands-On Post-Processing Sessions
Enhance your fieldwork with guided editing sessions. Learn how to bring out detail in snow and ice, balance exposures in aurora photography, and refine your images into gallery-quality photographs.
Included
- 5 day workshop with 4 nights accommodation in hotels and guesthouses
- Pickup & Drop-off in Reykjavik
- Rooms with private bathrooms
- Breakfast
- Transportation in a comfortable vehicle
- Award-winning, professional Photo Guides who will provide a combination of instruction, masterclasses, and in-field guidance
- Post-processing and photography lectures
Photography videos worth $1,500 - Access to exclusive discounts on gear from our partners
Excluded
- Flights/transportation to and from Reykjavik
- Lunches and snacks
- Alcohol and beverages
- Items of a personal nature including (but not limited to) laundry services, clothing, Wi-Fi, email, or phone charges
- Personal Travel, Medical, Equipment or Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Visas (if applicable)
- Gratuities for Photo Guides, local guides, and/or drivers
Book Now
This workshop is provided through a partnership with Iceland Photo Tours and will be co-guided by our own award-winning photographer, Sigurdur “Siggi” Brynjarsson.
To secure your spot on this workshop, select from the date options below to pay your deposit.
Completing your payment confirms acceptance of the Terms & Conditions as outlined in the Important Workshop Information below.
Please note that the remaining balance will be completed directly through Iceland Photo Tours.
The full amount is due 90 days prior to the start of the workshop.
Occupancy Type is subject to availability.
Itinerary
You can find more information about what to expect during this workshop below. However, to give you the opportunity to capture the best images possible, this itinerary will be kept flexible.
This workshop is timed to take advantage of the arctict sun with it´s long sunsets and a golden hour that stretches on for 1-2 hours.
These Golden Hours are a fascinating time for photographers, as the landscapes and seascapes can be painted in an ethereal palette of soft pinks, warm yellows, deep oranges, and dreamy purples from the rays of the low-lying sun.
To capture this light, we will be shooting from noon and into late night depending on whether we are able to catch the northern lights as well.
Our goal is to put you in the best locations at the right time with the best light so you can capture fantastic images.
Day 1: South Coast to Vik
Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime? You’ll be picked up in Reykjavík early in the morning to begin your journey to Iceland’s South Coast.
Please note that your hotel in Reykjavík is not included in the price of the tour and you will need to arrange this yourself.
Your first stop will be at Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall that originates from the glacier volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. Dropping from a height of 60 metres, this waterfall is unique in that it features a path that will lead you behind the cascade of water for incredible 360-degree views.
Just half an hour away is its neighbour, Skógafoss, a powerful waterfall that you can almost walk right up to. When the sun catches the curtain of mist thundering forth, it can create rainbows that arch through the spray! Be prepared at both of these locations though, as you may get a little bit wet.
As you continue your journey along the South Coast, you’ll come across the small promontory of Dyrhólaey, not far from the village of Vík í Mýrdal. This windswept peninsula features staggering views of the coastline, a historic lighthouse and an abundance of birdlife.
You’ll have the opportunity to capture the views from above and below, as you explore the nearby cliffs and catch a glimpse of the famous Reynisdrangar sea stacks in the distance.
Don’t fret if they seem too far away, as we’ll certainly move closer while the sun dips lower on the horizon. Our sunset location will be at the spectacular black sand beach of Reynisfjara, where powerful waves roll in from the North Atlantic Ocean. Surrounded by tall basalt columns and with an incredible naturally formed cave on the shore, these features add an additional layer of drama to an already astonishing seascape.
After dinner, if the conditions are just right, you’ll embark upon your first hunt for the Northern Lights. It’s a whole different kettle of fish trying to shoot in the dark but your expert photo guide will be on hand to teach you everything you need to know, ensuring that you’ll be able to capture the green lady dancing elegantly through the night sky.
You will retire for your first night to accommodation in Vík í Mýrdal.
Day 2: Vik to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
On the morning of day two, you’ll get up early for a sunrise shoot at the black sand beach. From the opposite side, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks take on a different form.
Freezing the motion of the waves as they crash against these incredible natural shapes is an exciting feat, and you’ll have all the time in the world to do so. From there, we’ll make our way towards the Vatnajökull National Park, reaching the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in time for sunset.
Jökulsárlón is where icebergs calve from the majestic Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, floating about serenely in the calm waters before making their way out through a narrow waterway towards the sea. There, they are pounded by the waves, reshaped and deposited back upon the black sand, where they resemble diamonds glistening in the sun.
You’ll have ample time to capture the immense serenity of these natural wonders as the sky takes on an ethereal winter glow. Watch closely as you might even spot a seal or two, fishing in the deep waters of the lagoon. After dinner, you’ll head out once again on a hunt for the Northern Lights. If the conditions are favourable, then you will shoot them dancing above the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, with large icebergs making for a truly enchanting foreground.
You’ll retire for the night to your accommodation in the vicinity.
Day 3: Vatnajokull National Park / Ice Cave
The tour is always dependent on the conditions, as the Icelandic weather can be highly unpredictable. Therefore, the itinerary on days 3 and 4 will remain flexible to allow our guides to ensure that you will be in the right place at the right time for stunning landscape photography in Iceland.
Generally speaking, the third day of your adventure will begin with a thrilling sunrise shoot at the Diamond Ice Beach. With our specially-provided rubber boots, you’ll be ready to capture the movement of the waves as they circle the icebergs on the beach, making for wonderful drawn-out long exposure effects.
Each iceberg brings with it a myriad of different compositions, so you’ll spend a good part of the morning perfecting your technique. The highlight of the afternoon will be when you take a super-jeep ride closer to the largest glacier in Europe, where you’ll disembark and walk upon the glacier to a stunning ice cave.
Ice caves are dynamic, constantly melting and reshaping over time, so what you photograph now might not be entirely the same in the future.
Be prepared to practice your low-light photography skills as you make the most of the available light bouncing off the crystal blue walls, capturing memories of a lifetime. After all this excitement, the only way to top it off is to get off the beaten track on the southern end of the Vatnajökull glacier.
You’ll have the chance to explore the lesser-known Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon, which is just as beautiful as its larger counterpart. Filled with icebergs and hidden away from the crowds, it’s a wonderful place to further hone your skills as the sun begins to set.
Once again in the evening, you’ll set out on a search for the elusive Northern Lights, before returning for the night to your accommodation in the vicinity.
Day 4: Vatnajokull National Park / Skaftafell Nature Reserve
On this day, you’ll revisit the Diamond Ice Beach and the adjacent Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon for another exciting sunrise shoot. There’s no doubt that many of you will relish in the possibility of honing your skills and trying out different compositions beneath the ever-changing light.
In the afternoon, you’ll head further east into the wilderness of Skaftafell Nature Reserve, well-known for its rugged landscape and inspiring views. It is home to Svínafellsjökull glacier, a sight not to be missed. Your sunset location will be at the foot of the mighty peaks of Vestrahorn, where undulating black sand dunes hide a number of frozen pools that make for endlessly compelling compositions.
This mountain makes for an enchanting backdrop, particularly at night, when the Northern Lights swirl across the starry sky overhead.
You’ll retire for the night in the vicinity of the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.
Day 5: Golden Circle, back to Reykjavik
This will be your final day of photography and you’ll have one last chance to capture the beauty of the Diamond Ice Beach and the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, before heading towards the west. It will be a long drive back to Reykjavík but there will be a lot to photograph along the way.
Depending on the conditions, you may stop at the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, made famous by a Justin Bieber music clip! Carved out by glaciers, this canyon takes on the form of a feather when seen from above. On foot, the scenery is just as astounding, seeming like an adventure back in time to when nature ruled supreme.
As you get nearer to the country’s capital, you’ll have the opportunity to experience Iceland’s most famous route – the Golden Circle. Here, you’ll get a taste for why this country is sometimes described as the “Land of Fire and Ice”! Geothermal features such as the exploding fountain geyser of Strokkur at Geysir will have you sweating with surprise, while the frozen cascades of the glorious waterfall Gullfoss will cool you down as they plunge into the snowy canyon beneath your feet.
Your final shooting location on the Golden Circle will be at Þingvellir, an impressive area marked by the remnants of volcanic activity. Here, you may witness the effects of the continental drift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
You’ll have the opportunity to capture your final sunset at the small waterfall Oxararfoss, with its bright blue water surrounded by layers of ice and snow. You’ll reach Reykjavík in the evening, no doubt with a treasure trove of stunning photos, fantastic new landscape photography skills and memories to last a lifetime.
Please note that your hotel in Reykjavík is not included in the price of this tour and you will need to arrange this yourself.
Important Workshop Information
A moderate level of fitness is required for this workshop.
Most shooting locations are easily accessible via a short hike. However, sometimes this may be across rough, uneven, icy or muddy terrain that includes elevation changes. Our Guides will let you know if a photography destination involves a long hike, steep incline or particularly challenging terrain, and provide alternative shooting locations or other options if you don’t feel comfortable.
Participants should be able to carry their own camera gear while hiking.
Sometimes we may remain in a location shooting for a few hours. Participants should be comfortable outdoors for extended periods of time in various weather conditions such as wind, rain, sun and extremes of temperature. Wherever possible, our Guides will keep the vehicle available nearby so participants can rest and take a break.
All participants should be in good physical shape with no mobility issues. If you have any concerns about your suitability, then reach out to us and we will be happy to discuss the particular location details of the workshop with you.
You must advise Viking International Phototours in advance and in writing via email of any illness, injury, or pre-existing medical conditions that might reasonably be expected to affect your participation during the workshop.
Our workshops require a minimum number of participants to proceed.
We will confirm if your photography workshop will be proceeding 90 days before the start date, at which point full payment of any remaining balance will be required.
Viking International Phototours reserves the right to reschedule or cancel workshops due to low participant numbers. We will do our best to reschedule the workshop within two years of the original date.
If this happens, we will offer you the choice between:
- Retaining your spot on the rescheduled workshop;
- Transferring to the same workshop on a different date if there is availability; or
- Canceling your spot on the rescheduled workshop: No refund – your funds will be held as credit which can be transferred or used towards our other photography workshops, self-drive packages, or tours for up to 2 years from the date of cancellation.
In the improbable event that a workshop is canceled altogether rather than rescheduled, we will offer you the choice between:
- Applying your funds towards a different workshop, tour or self-drive experience; or
- Receiving a full refund minus a $300 USD fee and any non-refundable fees paid to third parties.
Please note that Viking International Phototours are not liable for travel expenses incurred to reach the workshop destination or any other personal expenses incurred in preparing for your workshop. For this reason, we require that you obtain Trip Cancellation & Travel Insurance.
We also recommend you do not book travel or make any trip-related purchases before the workshop has been confirmed.
Accommodation options on our photography workshops may include:
• Double Occupancy where you will share a room with your traveling companion;
• Double Occupancy where you are paired with another workshop participant of the same gender; and/or
• Single Occupancy in your own room.
Your accommodation selection is made when you book the workshop.
During this workshop, we will be staying in clean, comfortable accommodations that include hotels, guesthouses, and apartments.
Please note that if you select Single Occupancy, this may include your own bedroom within a multi-room apartment or Guesthouse (shared bathroom/kitchenette).
Solo Participants wanting Double Occupancy
Solo participants are welcome to select the Double Occupancy rate at the time of booking. If Viking International Phototours is unable to pair you with a roommate of the same gender from the workshop group, we will notify you ahead of the workshop and request you to pay the supplementary cost for a Single Occupancy room.
Single Room Availability
On some photography workshops, Single Occupancy rooms may be limited. If this is the case, single rooms will be assigned on a first-booked, first-served basis. If you booked a photography workshop at the Single Occupancy rate and we are unable to provide you with a single room, we will notify you ahead of the workshop, place you into a Double Occupancy room paired with a workshop participant of the same gender, and refund you the difference.
One of the major goals of this workshop is hunting and photographing the Northern Lights.
While the Northern Lights season typically runs from September to March, to view them there needs to be sufficient solar activity and clear skies.
As such, while we cannot guarantee that you will catch the lights, our Guides will check daily for Northern Lights activity and weather forecast and plan the day based on these predictions.
Ice Cave tours are not often canceled due to rain or snow, so it is important you are prepared with adequate clothing.
However, as the safety of our participants is our main priority, if the Ice Cave Tour operator feels at any point that conditions are not safe, we will cancel the tour. In the event this occurs, we will do our best to reschedule to another day with more favorable conditions – as long as our itinerary and pre-booked accommodation allows.
Our workshop’s itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of our Photo Guides depending on factors including but not limited to weather, road conditions, transportation delays, and other factors beyond our control. We will check the weather forecasts and road conditions and plan our day to optimize shooting conditions.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to visit all the locations on the itinerary.
Iceland is stunning from the ground, and just as amazing with a birds-eye-view of the landscape. There are drone-friendly places, so if you own a drone, you are welcome to bring it along to the workshop.
Please note that you are solely responsible for your equipment, and are expected to adhere to all rules and regulations as specified by the Icelandic Transport Authority.
Viking International Phototours and our Photo Guides will not be liable for any injury or damage caused to equipment, environment, or people caused by you operating your drone during our workshop.
Please also note that the wind and weather in Iceland can be sudden and hazardous, so use your judgement and be mindful of conditions.
Please refer to the Terms and Conditions.
Booking with Viking International Phototours indicates acceptance of the Booking Terms and Conditions as outlined.
We know that plans can change, and unforeseen circumstances can happen.
You need to advise us in writing via email as soon as possible if you need to cancel your workshop. Your cancellation is not official until you have received a return email confirmation acknowledging your cancellation.
If you cancel and we can fill your spot on the workshop, you will receive a full refund minus a $300 USD fee.
If you cancel and the workshop does not fill, cancellation requests and refunds will be processed according to the following:
- More than 90 days from the start date of the workshop: Full refund minus $300 USD fee*
- Less than 90 days: No refund – your funds will be held as a credit which can be transferred or used towards our other self-drive packages, tours, or photography workshops for up to 2 years from the date of cancellation*.
*Please note that some of our workshops with partner companies/third parties may have non-refundable deposits, which will not be refunded or credited to you.
If you have any questions about this workshop, please get in touch with us at info@vip-llc.com.
