Southern Cross Galleries

Day 1

Arrival Keflavik Airport, Reykjavík, Iceland

Drive directly to Stykkishólmur in Snæfellsnes Peninsula and overnight there. Stops will be made along the way as opportunities arise.

Day 2

Stykkishólmur, Vestfirðir (Westfjords), and Látrabjarg Cliff

Featured Highlights:

Take the Ferry Baldur from Stykkishólmur to Brjánslækur and drive from there to Hnjótur Guesthouse in Örlygshöfn for check in. From Hnjótur Guesthouse it is half hour drive to Látrabjarg, which marks the western-most part of Europe. As Europe's largest bird cliff (14 kilometers long and up to 440 meters high) Látrabjarg hosts millions of birds. The cliffs are occupied by puffins, northern gannets. guillemots and razorbills to name a few.

Overnight at Hnjótur Guesthouse

Day 3

Drive south along the Westfjords to Gauksmýri Guesthouse in Húnavatnsýsla.

Stops will be made along the way as opportunities arise.

Overnight at Gauksmýri Guesthouse

Day 4

Lake Mývatn Region

Featured Highlights:

Drive along the countryside passing Icelandic farms with stops in the Skagafjörður Valley, Öxnadal Valley, and Akureyri town. Stops will also be made at Goðafoss Waterfall and the Vaglaskógur Forest.

Mývatn is a shallow lake situated in an area of active volcanism. The Lake and its surrounding wetlands have exceptionally rich fauna and waterbirds. Mývatn was created by a large basalticlava eruption 2300 years ago, and the surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms. Námaskarð and Mine Pass are a myriad of hot mud springs in widely different colors, which are exceptional to photograph.

Dimmuborgir (Dark Castles) are volcanic rock formations to the east of Lake Myvatn. The whole area is shrouded in mystery and will inspire your imagination. We end the day with a much needed bath in the natural thermal springs at Grjótagjá.

Overnight at Dimmuborgir Guesthouse.

Day 5

Húsavík - Tjörnes - Ásbyrgi - Hljóðaklettar - Dettifoss - Möðrudalur

Featured Highlights:

Ásbyrgi, an enclosed canyon, is undoubtedly one of Iceland's most beloved nature pearls. The enclosure is about 3.5 kilometers long and 1.1 kilometers wide, surrounded by cliffs which reach as high as 100 meters. According to legend, the horse of Óðinn, the chief god of Norse mythology, stepped down here leaving its giant hoof print.

Dettifoss is Iceland's greatest and most majestic waterfall. It is also rated as Europe's most powerful waterfall, based on its magnitude.

Overnight at Dimmuborgir Guesthouse.

Day 6

Mývatn to Landmannalaugar

A full day's drive through Iceland's remote interior along via the Sprengisandsleið Desert to the Landmannalaugar area -- an opportunity very few photographers get to enjoy. Stops will be made along the way as opportunities arise.

Overnight at a Guesthouse near Landmannalaugar

Day 7

Landmannalaugar

Featured Highlights:

Today we hike through Landmannalaugar, which literally means "people's pools" and is situated in the Southern Highlands close to the volcano Hekla. There are some very unusual geological elements in this area such as the multicolored rhyolite mountains and lava fields. The mountains display a wide spectrum of colors including pink, green, brown, yellow, purple, blue, black and white. As we hike we will encounter natural geothermal pools, where we will be able rest and bathe.

Overnight at a Guesthouse near Landmannalaugar

Day 8

Southcoast to Vík

Featured Highlights:

Today we visit the Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls. Skógafoss, is one of the biggest and most beautiful waterfalls in the country with a width of 25 meters and a drop of 60 meters. According to legend, the first Viking settler in the area, Þrasi Þórólfsson, buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall.

Seljalandsfoss, another spectacular waterfall, is one of the most famous in Iceland and very picturesque. Here, we will be able to walk behind the waterfall to gain a different perspective. Along the way to Vík we will also stop at different locations to photograph glaciers and the newly famous Eyjafjallajökull Volcano. We end the day at Reynisfjara, a natural black sand and pebble beach with basalt caves, which are very interesting to photograph.

Overnight at Hotel on the Golden Circle Route

Day 9

Þingvellir - Geysir Hot Spring - Gullfoss Waterfall

Visit the Gullfoss Waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Europe. A few minutes drive from Gullfoss is the world famous Geysir region. Hot springs are in abundance there, such as the famous "Great Geysir" -- which has given name to hot springs all over the world. We will see one of the most active geysers in the area, Strokkur, spouting up to 20 meters. We conclude our trip with a visit to Þingvellir, where the world's oldest democratic parliament was founded in 930 A.D. Þingvellir is also a remarkable geological site that will provide us with many great photographic opportunities.

Overnight Reykjavík

Day 10

Transfer to Keflavik Airport. Departure from Iceland.