Iceland in Winter!
Come join Backcountry Journeys and Ben Blankenship for a once in a lifetime photographic exploration of Iceland in it's quietest yet arguably most beautiful season - winter!
Our focus on this special departure is to photograph the plethora of Ice Caves, Sea-Scapes, Waterfalls & Auroras that abound on this tiny volcanic island (and without the crowds!)
Any photographer who has been attracted to the wonders of Iceland knows it is one of the gems on Earth in terms of stunning landscape photography.
Vast landscapes, waterfalls and seascapes complete this beautiful winter tour of Iceland.
We'll be spending time near Vik which is home to some of the most spectacular waterfalls such as Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skogafoss waterfall as well as the Reynisdrangar sea stacks.
We'll also explore the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and Vatnajökull National Park, home of the largest glacier in Iceland Vatnajökull.
One of the highlights of this interary is the Ice Caves! We'll explore several as well as the stunningly beautiful Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and it‘s ice beach often called Blue Diamond Beach.
This Special Winter tour of Iceland will focus on the utterly surreal and fantastic winter landscapes of Iceland. After darkness falls we’ll be sure to look up into the arctic night sky for the Aurora Borealis, as this surreal and highly sought-after light show is common at this time of year. With luck, we may even be able to photograph the aurora over glaciers, lagoons & mountains!
Your guide on this trip, Ben Blankenship is no stranger to the nordic country yet we will also be accompanied by an expert local Icelandic guide (who also is a professional photographer) that knows the area intimately. This "dream team" combination will ensure you leave the trip with an incredible portfolio of new images.
We're really excited about this one folks! What's better than a new adventure to a stunningly beautiful, diverse & interesting country? ....ahh nothing really!
Join Backcountry Journeys in Iceland this Winter and have yourself a trip of a lifetime.
- Ice Caves
- Sea-scapes
- Waterfalls & Auroras!
- Small Group Departure
This trip strictly limited to ten photographers + local Icelandic Expert & BCJ guide Ben Blankenship
- Awesome Meals & Lodging Included
- Ben Blankenship + Icelandic Guide
Day-To-Day Itinerary
Most meals included – (B,L,D) denotes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day One (Travel Day)(D)
Arrive in Iceland and check into your hotel in Reykjavik. A welcome dinner for the group will be around in the evening. We‘ll go over the itinerary and prepare for our adventure in Iceland, as well as get to know each other. We meet at 6 pm in the lobby at our hotel in Reykjavik and go out for dinner very close by.
Day Two (B,L,D)
Group pick up at 9 am from the hotel in Reykjavik and begin our photography adventure, by driving towards Vík. where we will spend the night. This area has some of the most iconic waterfalls and dramatic seascapes in the country, such as Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skogafoss waterfall, Reynisdrangar sea stacks, and Dyrholaey peninsula.
Day Three (B,L,D)
We‘ll start the day with photographing the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and the Reynisdrangar rock formations. Then head east along the South coast of Iceland to Vatnajökull national park and view the largest glacier in Iceland Vatnajökull.
Day Four (B,L,D)
Today we‘ll have a full day of glacier photography and we‘ll also go visit an ice cave and photograph those amazing wonders. Your local guide will select the best locations for
amazing photographs. We‘ll also try to capture the northern lights. Our local guide will monitor the forecast and select the best time and day to go out hunting.
Day Five (B,L,D)
We will photograph the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and it‘s ice beach often called Blue Diamond Beach as well as Fjallsárlón Lagoon. We‘ll also explore The Stokksnes area below
Vestrahorn, mountain and a fascinating geology site formed by unstratified plutonic rock. East of the mountain is a strange-shaped outcrop called Brunnhorn that stretches out to
sea. Vestrahorn is a very picturesque mountain with black sand dunes in the foreground and a shallow beach with reflections. In winter, we can expect spectacular light on the
mountain.
Day Six (B,L,D)
We say goodbye to Vatnajökull Park and head back towards Vík where we‘ll spend the night again. This time in Vík we‘ll go on an Glacier tour into Katla glacier, ice cave.
Day Seven (B,L,D)
After breakfast at Vík we‘ll make our way to Kvernufoss waterfall and Thingvellir National Park, a historic park full of beautiful locations for photography. We‘ll also make a stop at Thorufoss waterfall before we return to Reykjavik and end conclude our workshop at the hotel.
Day Eight (B)
Our final day in Iceland. Departures can be made for anytime today!
Ice Caves, Auroras, Seascapes & Waterfalls:
Iceland in Winter!
8 Days / 7 Nights
Trip Price: $7995
BCJ Tribe Members: $7195
Deposit: $3500
+$995 Single Supplement
Fitness Level: 1
Meals: Most meals included
Lodging: 7 nights lodging
Start: Reyjkavik, Iceland
End: Reyjkavik, Iceland
Dates:
February 27th to March 6th, 2023
*Group size limited to ten photographers
**Reservations open Tuesday, August 30th at 8am Mountain
- Special Trip Departures are valid for new trip reservations only (no transfers)
Our Guests Love Backcountry Journeys
At Backcountry Journeys we’ve been perfecting photography trips for years and have some of the BEST photo pros & Trip Leaders in the business. With one of the highest return guest ratios in the adventure travel space we’ve become the gold standard for what a photography tour / workshop should look like. Our commitment to our guests & personalized attention is what sets us apart from the rest – and it shows.
Backcountry Journeys “Tribe” community is one of the most active in the industry – and our guests come back year after year to experience new photo destinations – sometimes several times per year!
But don’t just take it from us! Our TripAdvisor page says it all – below are a few recent testimonials from some of our past travelers:
“What an amazing trip we had! Thanks to Ben and PJ, our very competent and patient guides, we saw a huge variety of wonderful vistas from delicate snow scenes in the first two days contrasted with the steam arising in places, to massive mountains in cloud and sunlight, magical pine forests and geysers. At all times we had access to Ben and PJ to ask for advice of needed and they offered suggestions for good angles for shooting landscape and wildlife shots. Among the wildlife we saw were many bison and elk herds, pronghorn antelope, bald eagles, grizzly bears (Mum with two cubs), chipmunks, Red-tailed hawk, coyote and even distant wolves! We were very fortunate with the weather which allowed us to see the landscapes in a variety of moods in snow, cloud and sunlight, all helping to give us a broad taste of these magnificent wilderness parks.
I can highly recommend these tours to anyone as they are great value for money, often exciting, educational and a lot of fun!”
Marion A
Sydney, Australia
“Glacier National Park is glorious! I highly recommend taking this Backcountry Journeys trip. It was our second trip (previously did Zion and Bryce with Russ and Crystal) and my husband and I were very happy with the results.
Matt Meisenheimer is a fabulous guide who really takes his craft seriously. He always made sure we were in the right place at the right time and was willing to put in extra time to allow us to see more areas within the park.
Matt taught me new functions and features on my camera that made me enjoy the trip even more. To be honest, you don’t get much sleep on this trip – up early and out until late, but the landscapes are so beautiful, you just don’t mind.
I can’t wait for our next two trips with Backcountry in 2020 – Yosemite and Grand Teton. I’m sure those trips will be equally awe inspiring and rewarding.”
Linda E
Chicago, Illinois
"Just completed the Great Smoky Mountains in Autumn standard trip with Backcountry Journeys. This is my 3rd trip with BCJ and as was expected it was another awesome trip. Our guides, Russell Graves and Ben Blankenship were great. Having focused mainly on landscape tours previously, this tour had a good mix of landscape and wildlife. Our guides were patient, proficient and extremely helpful in providing tips on appropriate lenses and the proper camera setting for every occasion. Since they had abundant knowledge of the Smokies we were in the right place at the right time. To top off the fact that being in the Park was special, the food and lodging provided throughout the trip were top notch!"
Tony E
Springfield, Missouri
"I'm an amateur photographer and wanted a tour that focused on getting "the picture" as well as teaching you about your camera and getting those pictures. This group did exactly that. I went on Backcountry Journey's Ultimate Northern Lights 6-day trip in Oct 11-17, 2020. Had a fantastic experience! Our guide, Russ, was knowledgeable, helpful, patient and definitely wanted us to have a good photo experience. Ours was a small group (thanks to COVID), but he gave individual attention to each of us and was always ready to answer questions or help. Fortunately for our group, the weather, KP numbers, and solar wind cooperated and we got some incredible pics! Russ had several different sites picked out for us to view the Lights, and was flexible to make changes when the weather dictated to do so. They chose a very nice hotel and restaurants for us. They also had COVID rules that the group adhered to, making the trip comfortable under the circumstances. I would highly recommend the company and will travel with them in the future."
Cindy S
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
"My first photo trip ever, booked almost last minute - and absolutely great experience!
Small group of people with similar expectations, led by two guides-professional photographers, knowing the area and understanding nature - all together looks like the recipe for success!
Yellowstone and Grand Teton in autumn offer unlimited opportunities for photographers, both professional and amateur. Having guides ready to give precious hints and advice taught me a lot, and nice personalities of Ben and Russell - our guides - made the trip also fun."
Dorota P
New Haven, Connecticut
"We had an exceptional trip with Backcountry Journeys to Katmai and the Northern Lights. We were able to get up close with the bears and have lots of opportunities to take great photos. The photographic advice was top notch. Same was true for Northern Lights!!
Our guide knew where to go, how to get us there and then get great pictures. Lots of night photography skills were shared."
Peter T
Piedmont, South Carolina
“This 5 day, six night photo workshop on the Big Island of Hawaii was more then I had even imagined. Monumental exploding surf, plunging waterfalls and isolated beaches for sunrise and sunset. Our photographer guide always at the ready with suggested gear or a strong arm down a steep hillside.
All inclusive workshop had us at very nice accommodations and great food choices from fine dinning to quirky breakfast spots.
My second trip with Backcountry Journeys. Also a wonderful way for a photographer to see the right spots.”
Stephana B
Fishers, Indiana
"This was a bucket list trip for me and it totally exceeded all my expectations and then some! From my initial conversations with Russ, the ease of booking, reminders/updates along the way and the trip in genearl was amazing! The guides, all experienced/advanced photographers, went out of their way to make sure we got the best shots possible and were always willing to do what it took to help! Even the rain didn't slow us down! My co-photograhers were also awesome and I made lifetime memories and friends!"
Terry B
Dallas, Texas
HERE’S THE DEAL
We’re so confident that the trips we offer will not only meet but exceed the lofty expectations set forth on our website – if your trip experience does not 100% match the promises laid forth on our website we will gladly give you a credit toward a future trip. Natural events such as wildlife & weather are certainly out of our control but every aspect of the trip including logistics, accommodations, vehicles, itinerary & your expert trip leaders will match the lofty promises we’ve made on the site – we guarantee it!
Worry Free Travel
If there are still any COVID-19 related travel issues during any trip you book – rest assured you will be able to transfer your trip at no cost before your final payment is due. Our peace of mind guarantee to you!
On top of that we offer one of the most rock solid guarantees in the travel industry.