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 What's this tour like? Read a Review! |
The 'best time' to visit Iceland and Greenland depends on exactly what you want to see. From our point of view, we've very carefully picked July as it should give you the most diverse experience possible, the best weather, long summer days, midnight sun in Greenland, and the environment being at it's most lush and green. During July in Iceland many of the highland roads open up giving us access to some more remote areas usually closed during the colder months and it's also the best month to photograph the puffins returning with fish in their beaks! We needn't be worried about harsh lighting ruining our landscapes and waterfalls as Iceland is conveniently cloudy 90% of the time anyway. In Greenland, July is also the best month as the waterways will have only just opened up for boat travel (June the sea is still frozen solid), whales should be swimming past the shores, icebergs and glaciers are very active, and the springtime flowers and plants should all be out adding colour, and the climate is generally mild, with the weather often fine with clear blue skies for long spells at a time.
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Weather in Iceland can be highly variable. Temperatures in July range between 8 - 15 degrees Celsius with cloud cover for 90% of the time (makes for great soft lighting for waterfalls etc!) and a 63% chance of rain on a typical day. In Ilulissat, Greenland, temperatures range between 6 - 15 degrees Celsius, with 24hr daylight (i.e. the sun never sets). There is cloud cover 72% of the time with a 36% chance of rain on average. You'll therefore need to make sure you have clothes that'll keep you warm and good quality rain gear for yourself and your camera equipment. As the beautiful, golden 'evening lighting' extends right up to (and beyond) midnight, some of our days in Greenland go very late, but we usually compensate by allowing a bit of a ‘morning' sleep-in where possible. Of course weather is outside of our control and while we do our very best to re-work itinerary to try and keep in as much as possible in the advent of bad weather, in the end sometimes it can't be helped and we will not be held responsible or provide any refunds or compensation for anything we are forced to miss out on.
While we always strive to do our best to accomodate all dietary needs, Iceland and especially Greenland can present some challenges depending on how strict your specific needs are. Quoting from a restaurant "Vegetarians who eat fish will enjoy the Greenlandic feast all year long, but those with other nutritional preferences or health requirements should keep in mind that vegetables (and food that isn't from the sea), most of the time are imported. Most accessible vegetables are canned or frozen, but in bigger towns you will be able to find some fresh produce, keeping in mind that due to cargo rates, it might be more expensive than usual, or in short supply.". You certainly won't starve, but please be pre-warned that if you're a vegetarian (unless you eat seafood), or vegan, sometimes your meals and options may not be as wonderful as others.
Most of this tour is physically quite easy – mostly driving up to locations which then involve only a small walk, with a few notable, optional exceptions:
Puffin Cliffs, Iceland: We've driven almost all the way to the Puffin Cliffs, except for a final 150m walk up a steep soft sand dune to get to the top plateau (after that it's flat), and the guide will provide hiking poles if needed. Don't worry though, you can take your time and we'll wait for everyone at the top before continuing along the rim to view the puffins. No one has ever not made it, and we're there to help.
Landmannalaugar, Iceland: To reach the most photogenic locations in this spectacular national park you need to walk along a well-used trail, with your camera, for about 3 hours (return) at slow pace with plenty of photographic stops on route (it would otherwise only be an hour or so), and much of it is quite flat, save an initial unavoidable slope, and some other optional ones. If you don't think this is possible for you, don't worry, as there are plenty of other photographic opportunities close by that can entertain you while others walk. You're also welcome to walk as far as you're comfortable with, then either wait around or start to head back on your own - no pressure.
Also, in Iceland we hire two off road 4WD vehicles with high ground clearance, and getting in and out of these vehicles involves a high step up and down. It's certainly manageable, but please be careful when stepping down and make sure you hold onto the handles provided. We can bring a little step if needed to make it easier.
In Greenland, you'll need to be confident getting on and off the various charter boats that we use, and this can sometimes involves a big step to get from the boat to the wharf. However, there are numerous guides on hand to assist who do this all the time, and it shouldn't be a problem so long as you're vaguely mobile.
When we vist the remote Ilimanaq village in Greenland, you'll need to be capable of carrying both your own camera bag and your small overnight duffle bag off the boat and up a steep series of stairs and path to your accommodation yourself.
We have a day trip from Ilimanaq village in Greenland, where we'll be driven inland on 4-person ATV/side-by-side quad bikes which can be a little bumpy and, quoting the operator, may not be suitable for someone with 'severe back or neck problems', but they are used to taking guests of all ages and will do their best to ensure you're all comfortable, however it's optional and you could stay and photograph the colourful village instead if this isn't for you.
Please email us if you have any questions or concerns about fitness for this trip we can provide photographs and additional information about these more challenging sections.
We created our Iceland & Greenland photo tour to be - in our eyes - the perfect travel experience. When I travel, I don't want to be stuck with loads of other people (especially when we've got nothing in common), or be taken to the regular, over-crowded tourist attractions or waste half my time in an amazing country just relaxing by some pool. I want to get the most out of it - I want to see as many different animals as I can, I want to travel through different landscapes and be shown hidden gems off the beaten path, I want to experience the culture, taste the food, meet new friends with similar interests, enjoy some luxury and importantly, I want to have the time to take some beautiful and unique photos of it all.
It's not enough for me to spot a distant lion, tick it off and move on - I wan't to have the option to try and get closer, on the correct side for best lighting and even wait for him to lift his head and stare directly down the barrel of my lens - or to move on when I'm done - I want flexibility. I want the inside tips for the best location to be ready when the sun rises over the horizon and spills across the bay onto those boulders - and if I can't quite get my shot to work, it'd be awesome to have a friendly pro-photographer right there to offer advice (not one who'll stand in front of you to get the best shot themselves!). If there's a seal colony out on an island nearby, then I'd want to charter a boat out there just with my friends onboard so we can spend as much or as little time as we want to get the shots without being crowded on a regular sight-seeing trip. If the seal colony was a bit of a tourist attraction on a local beach then I'd want to wait for the crowds to leave, and go down onto the beach after hours - just us, and a private ranger guide to photograph them at our leisure in beautiful evening lighting.
You don't even need to be a photographer to love this style of holiday - who wouldn't like a bit of extra patience from their tour leaders, or to be given the opportunity to fly over the migrating herds of Africa in a doors-off plane or over a beautiful coastline in a doors-off helicopter for some epic views? Stay on a private island, learn some new skills with your photography, make some new friends and have an unforgettable, unique holiday - all at the same time! Sound good? Well, there's a reason more than half of our guests come back again, and again!
We've become one of the world's premiere photography tour companies for a reason: We offer the highest quality, small-group, unique operations focused on providing the access and luxuries the others don't - such as exclusive charter of ships, planes & helicopters (doors-off for better photography) along with off-road & special access permits to get you closer - so we can give you what we know you want. For example, while other operators might book you a spot on a busy, regular scenic cruise, we'd privately charter the whole boat, relaxing the pace, giving you plenty of space and modifying the route for the best photogenic locations and timings. We delight in welcoming you to beautiful accommodation and providing fantastic local seafood and other luxuries to ensure the tour is as much a wonderful holiday as it is a photographic experience.
Unlike most, we're fully accredited and insured, obtain all the proper permits, respect and give back to the communities and environment, and employ industry best-practices such as holding your payments in a trust-fund and have been awarded the tick from the Accredited Tourism Business Australia (Australian national symbol of tourism quality). We don't waste your time with 'rest-days' or surprise you with hidden costs.
Perhaps one of the key differences our guests keep saying is how we - unlike so many other operators - always put YOU and YOUR photos first, always there to help out with any issues or check your images and suggest ways you could improve - never getting in your way or even taking any photos ourselves unless every single guest is content. Our friendly pro photography guides are all energetic and up-to-date and are a pleasure to be around. Our goal is to help YOU have the best experience possible, improving YOUR photography, and helping YOU take the best photos!
If you're still not convinced, then ask anyone who's come on a photo tour with us - our repeat guest rate speaks for itself: We've had entire photo tours sell-out solely with repeat guests, and if you'd like we can put you in touch with a guest who's already been on the tour your considering to ask their opinion.
Absolutely not! We have many non-photographers (and partners of photographers) enjoy our tours! As one guest said "It didn't matter that I'm not a photographer - I used my iPhone. Just experiencing all these amazing locations at a relaxed pace, in comfort and without the crowds was wonderful!". The expert photography tuition is a bonus - the incredible access to experience the most wonderful places in a tiny group is the main thing! If you're traveling to take photos, or just as a holiday - in the end, it's all about seeing as many of the amazing animals as possible, experiencing the local food and culture, admiring the landscapes, breathing the fresh air and enjoying the whole unforgettable experience with a small group of friends. Whether or not you put a camera in front of your face doesn't really change this. We've had many non-photographers come on our tour, enjoying just spotting animals, identifying them, or watching their behaviour and by the end of the trip many of them do start picking up a camera (or borrowing one of ours) and start getting excited about photography too! Some have later gone on to become full-on photographers, to the delight of their partners! Either way, they have a ball and often come on another photo tour with us again and again.
Most photography guests are beginner to keen-enthusiast level - so don't stress that your photography may not be good enough - the whole point of our photo tour is to improve your photography, no matter what your level! Our photo tours are enjoyed by everyone from non-photographers, iPhone and happy-snap photographers right up to serious professionals. We start each tour with a quick photography crash-course, and our expert photography guides are there to help you throughout the whole photo tour. There is no better way to improve your photography than spending a solid week or two practicing, surrounded by amazingly inspiring subjects, with a small, friendly group of like-minded people. You will be amazed how much your photography will improve. We're there to offer as much or as little assistance as you'd like, at whatever level of complexity you're ready for.
For each of our photo tours, we've carefully prepared (and keep updated) a detailed information booklet covering everything including our recommendations for what kind of camera & lenses we'd consider well suited for that trip, as well as also everything else like clothes, what type of power plug, what currency, what the climate is like, language tips and plenty of other information to help answer all your questions! We'll send you a copy of this information booklet when you book, or you can email us for one in advance.
[CLOSE]Don't worry - more than half of our photo tour guests travel solo. To help you make friends before you even leave and to be reassured and aided by the advice of your fellow-travellers (and those who have gone before you), we've created an interactive Facebook group for our CBP Voyager Club members (that's anyone who's been on, or is going on any of our tours, which also gives them 10% OFF any future tours!). You can find out who's coming from your area, perhaps even meet up beforehand or fly together. This is a great resource and we encourage you to make the most of it if you're on Facebook! Anyone can read the CBP Voyager Club Facebook page, but you can only interact once you've paid your deposit.
And don't worry that most accommodation is twin-share - we're good at pairing you up with a roomie who you'll get along with - it has been the start of long-term friendships for many! We can't guarantee that we'll always be able to have you sharing with someone of the same sex - it depends on the gender split, but we do our best. You can request to purchase a single supplement (a room to yourself) if you really need to (subject to availability) though keep in mind that you're usually only in your rooms to sleep as we fill your waking hours with plenty to do, and the couple of times we have had guests request rooms to themselves, they end up regretting it when they see the amazing friendships that form between the other roomies.
Our cancelation policies are in line with other leading tourism operators, and you can read all about them here in our Booking Terms and Conditions. We are proud to employ industry best-practices such as holding your payments in a trust-fund and have been awarded the T-QUAL tick (Australian Government's national symbol of tourism quality).
[CLOSE]The Voyager Club is our photo tour loyalty program! As our photo tours apparently can be very addictive (we've had guests come to more than half a dozen of our tours!), we created the Chris Bray Photography Voyager Club, giving repeat guests 5% OFF future tours with automatic Silver Membership, and then 10% OFF as Gold Members after their fifth tour with us.
[CLOSE]Either click the 'Book Now' button above and fill in your details, or simply contact us and let us know which tour you're keen to join us on, and we'll send you a deposit invoice to secure your spot, along with the tour information booklet and our Booking Terms and Conditions.
[CLOSE]Our tour starts in the early evening when we meet at the Hotel Odinsve in Reykjavík. After a quick welcome slideshow, photography refresher course and briefing, we'll head out for dinner, sampling some of the fine local cuisine before setting your camera batteries on charge, formatting memory cards and getting some sleep, ready for the adventure to begin tomorrow!
[CLOSE]After breakfast, we’ll meet with our driver guides and jump into our two modified 4WD vehicles and head off of our Iceland adventure. Together our two vehicles can seat 13 plus the drivers, so we’ll have plenty of room! First up we’ll head to a steaming geothermal area just outside Reykjavík to test out everyone’s cameras, get in the mood and also check out a great lookout over the largest lake in Iceland, Thingvallavatn.
Before we take the road up into the highlands, we’ll make a stop at the famous waterfall Gullfoss waterfall - the first of many amazing waterfalls we’ll photograph. Heading North, we’ll make a few stops to capture this weirdly barren landscape and mountains, with Langjökull glacier looming in the background. Reaching the geothermal gorge at last, we’ll make short hikes through this beautifully colorful landscape.
Tonight we stay in the brand new Highland Base Hotel, designed for total comfort. Be sure to bring your swimmers as they have hot tubs outside if you’re keen!
This morning we’ll take a second look around this geothermal gorge area and other picturesque scenes in different, morning light. After checking out, our first stop will be at Gýgjarfoss waterfall which is just down the road from our hotel. We’ll then head back down the road South towards the Geysir area for tonight, checking into the spectacular Hotel Geysir. Our main goal here is to photograph the only spurting hot spring in Iceland (called Strokkur), both late this evening and very early tomorrow morning, before the tourist groups arrive. Amazingly, these hot springs are only 7 min walk from our hotel. The geyser typically erupts every 6–10 minutes, spectacularly shooting water and steam 15–20 metres into the air, but sometimes it can even erupt 40 metres high! While this is super impressive, it’s also fun to try and capture the elusive ‘blue bulb’ shape that forms a split second before it spouts up in the air.
[CLOSE]We’ll have another crack at the perfect geyser shot early this morning before the crowds arrive, and then head back to the hotel for breakfast. Today we’ll journey onwards to the southern highlands of Iceland. We’ll stop at a beautiful small green canyon adorned with small waterfalls and then proceed on to Iceland’s second tallest waterfall ‘Háifoss’ – one of our favourite waterfalls in the world (which looks a bit like the one from the movie ‘UP’ or Angel Falls in Venezuela), and happily the short but rocky drive in helps reduce the hoards of tourists that would otherwise cram here!
In the afternoon, we’ll head to Landmannalaugar – boasting the most colourful mountains in Iceland. Being a volcanic hot-spot, the landscape varies from black lava flows with red and green mountains, to orange sandy deserts and vibrant green lake-filled valleys. From here we can walk slowly (3hr return walk) to the base of the sulphur mountain – Brennisteinsalda. The name in English means: sulphur wave. This multi-coloured, 855m tall formation is a mixture of green mosses, red iron from the earth and black/ blue from the lava flows. This volcanic mountain is still visibly active, and we’ll see hot sulphur springs and vapour venting from its sides! It’s pretty amazing.
It’ll be a late dinner by the time we arrive at our Hotel Highland - the smaller, fancier one of the two hotels here in the southern highlands. It’ll be home for the next two nights however, so you can unpack a bit and slow down.
It doesn’t get any better than this! Today we’ve chartered a helicopter to come all the way from Reykjavík and land beside our hotel, to commence a series of two hour long, doors-off helicopter flights to photograph the most spectacular colours, patterns, mountains, glaciers, craters, river deltas and waterfalls in the highlands of Iceland! Aerial photography is an absolute dream in Iceland and we’ve designed the best possible route! Depending on the weather, we’ll aim to fly over the spectacular Tungná and Skaftá rivers, Langisjor lake, the Laki craters, Myrdalsjökull glacier, Mt Maelifell (the iconic green Pyramid mountain) and even Hrafntinnusker with its geothermal steam and crazily-coloured Jökulgil canyon! Super-excitingly, we’ll also attempt a brief 15 minute stop beside an epic, otherwise completely inaccessible glacier that I want to see. I can’t wait! My previous helicopter trips in Iceland have always been the best chopper flights I’ve ever done, and this new route promises to be even better!
We’ll be fitting in the set of 3 flights around the weather, and assisting those not flying with any photography or Lightroom help in the hotel, but when we’re all done, this afternoon the plan is to venture to the ‘Fishing lakes’ - a neat row of craters formed in the 15th century, with some bizarre moonscape craters on the way.
We’re still at Hotel Highland tonight, for a well-earned rest!
After checking out, we’ll drive east, passing at Ófaerufoss waterfall and Fire Canyon on the way to Icelands largest Lava field from the eruption in 1783 that changed the world’s climate for few years!
There’s a bit of driving today, but the main highlight will be travelling to Ingólfshöfdi Cape - an isolated headland on the East coast, fronting the Atlantic Ocean. Here, thousands of seabirds, especially Atlantic Puffins, Guillemots & Great Skuas all come to nest! The only way out to this nature reserve across the tidal black sand flats is to enlist the help of the local farmer (doubling as a guide) who’ll take us on his hay cart behind his tractor! Awesome! After managing the short but steep, sandy 100m track onto the cliff top, we’ll arrive at the best vantage point to photograph the 100s if not 1000s of puffins that nest here on the various edges of the headland! Over half of the world’s population of Atlantic Puffins breed in Iceland, somewhere between 3 – 4 million pairs each year! Here we can get amazingly close to these charismatic birds (often only 3 or 4 feet away!), and at this time of year the puffins should be fishing out at sea, returning to their nests with their beaks full with fish. It’ll be an absolutely amazing experience, but don’t worry if you don’t nail that perfect shot tonight, because we knew you’d all want a second try, so we’ve organised to get you back out there again very early tomorrow morning to do it all again, which also gives us twice the chance for good weather.
Tonight we check into the spectacular Hotel Jökulsárlon, our home for the next two special nights.
We’ll be waking up early this morning for a second attempt at the puffin colony bathed in early morning light at Ingolfshofdi Cape. The farmer will again take us out on his tractor and we’ll all hopefully capture some more iconic shots of cliff-side puffins against the black lava sands in the background. Don’t forget to photograph the nesting Great Skuas and Guillemots too! This’ll certainly be one of the highlights and that’s why we have scheduled to do it twice! After visiting the cape we’ll return to our hotel for brunch and a rest. Did I say rest? I meant, photo review & Lightroom tutorial session!
Later in the afternoon, we’ll head out and shoot the Ice Lagoon, where little washed up bergs can appear to glow against the black sand. Photographing here with longer shutter speeds into the evening as the waves wash up and back around these ice diamonds is a photographer’s paradise. When we’re all done, we’ll head back to our hotel for a final night’s sleep in Iceland!
We've a long drive back to Reykjavík Airport this morning, so we'll check out early and get underway - but you can snooze on the drive! At the airport we'll say goodbye to our local driver-guides, and hop on our (included) flight to Greenland! It's worth staying awake for this flight if you can - the view out the window can be pretty jaw-dropping as we cross Greenland's rugged, iceberg-filled East coast and over onto its great Icecap, scattered with electric-blue glacial melt pools and streams. It's one of the most amazing passenger flights we have ever been on. At last we'll start our descent down into Ilulissat on the west coast in the afternoon - a classic Greenland village, approximately 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. Every house is seemingly a different colour, all nestled in front of steep mountains with a huge glacier beside it pushing out an endless parade of icebergs which then bob theatrically past the coastline. Located 350km north of the Arctic circle, this picturesque village's claim to fame is the UNESCO world heritage listed Ilulissat icefjord (AKA Jakobshavn Glacier) literally right beside the village. It's the biggest glacier outside of Antarctica and also the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere, producing the majority of Greenland's icebergs - likely including the one which sank the Titanic. The glacier flows out at an astonishing rate - approx. 30 metres/day, producing around 48 cubic km of ice every year - it was also the feature of the recent ‘Chasing the Ice' documentary. Sadly, it's also one of the world's fastest retreating glaciers.
Once we arrive, we'll check into accommodation at the newly renovated Hotel Hvide Falk, right on the iceberg filled coast and situated in the heart of Ilulissat, within walking distance of all the area's attractions, with panoramic views of the colourful Ilulissat city. After enjoying their famous Greenlandic Feast for dinner, we'll head out on our exclusively chartered boat for a ‘midnight-sun' cruise in and around these beautifully sculpted icebergs, some 100m high, glowing in the non-stop golden evening lighting - all the while keeping a look out for humpback whales too! The sun will never set, and there's tea and coffee to keep you awake, so it'll likely be after midnight by the time we get you home, but you can enjoy a sleep in tomorrow.
After a late breakfast and time to pack a smaller bag for the next 2 nights, we'll check-out of the hotel and meet a local guide who'll take us on a leisurely walking tour us to some of the town's cultural and historical sights as well as its most photogenic locations, including Zion's Church perched on a hill of daisies and arctic cotton blooms, overlooking a bay where huge chucks of ice drift past. We'll also check out the fish market, harbour and other viewpoints.
After lunch, we're relocating to the beautiful, remote village of Ilimanaq (population 53 people) for 2 nights. There are no roads to Ilimanaq from the surrounding towns, so the only way there is by boat. Our private boat journey south through the Ilulissat Icefjord is like nothing you can imagine: We'll be zig-zagging through some of the world’s largest icebergs, and with a bit of luck we will encounter a whale or two as well, before we arriving at the picturesque quay of Ilimanaq. It is no coincidence that the area is part of UNESCOs world heritage list. Welcome to another of our favourite places on Earth.
Upon arrival we'll check into the surreal Ilimanaq lodge, an aesthetic row of 15 architecturally designed A-frame cabins along the water's edge, boasting incredible views over the Ilulissat Icefjord. You might even be able to watch a pod of whales cruise past the icebergs, while standing inside your cabin gazing out through its ceiling-to-floor glass front! Later afternoon we'll explore the settlement of Ilimanaq on a private tour. This village, with its colourful painted homes, is incredibly unique. The people here still live a very self-sufficient, hunter-gatherer lifestyle. You'll find an abundance of fish and skin drying racks (and even more sled dogs) to photograph, which make for some amazing images!
Dinner here is incredibly special. Since its opening in 2017, Restaurant Egede at Ilimanaq Lodge has been serving dishes made from Greenlandic ingredients, prepared with a modern twist. The food draws from what can be found around us in Ilimanaq, spiced with a good dose of creativity. The concept is not aimed at gastronomic prestige but rather at strengthening the connection to the surrounding nature and culture in a relaxed and homey atmosphere. You'll love it.
The golden lighting goes on forever here, so if anyone's still awake after dinner, we can explore around and frame up some more iconic images of the life and landscapes around this magic spot.
We've got an amazing expedition planned for you today. After breakfast, we'll hop on another boat, and navigate even further south to Itilliup Ilua. Here we'll climb ashore onto a wide sandy beach, from where we drive in off-road vehicles through the Arctic tundra until we reach the Tasiusaq Fjord system - a popular hunting area for thousands of years. We'll reach an inland fjord, where we swap to smaller boats, and head deep in between the icebergs to the end of the fjord, where the two glaciers and the ice sheet come into view. We'll disembark, enjoy our packed lunch with an amazing view of the glacier in front of us, and then hike towards and even onto the enormous ice sheet! Today will be (another) day to remember for the rest of your lives.
We'll be back in Ilimanaq by late-afternoon with time to shower and relax a moment before another beautiful dinner and a second night in the amazing eco-cabins.
Enjoy one last relaxing morning watching for whales and icebergs from your fancy cabin, then we'll check out, enjoy another spectacular boat journey back through the maze of ice north to Ilulissat. We'll zip back to Hotel Hvide Falk to grab your main bags, and leave them at the our next wonderful accommodation - Greenland's most famous hotel - Hotel Arctic (the world's most northerly 4-star hotel) where you'll be staying in their
well-appointed Superior rooms which all feature beautiful views out over the ever-shifting mosaic of icebergs in the bay.
After lunch, we'll visit the 'Icefjord Centre' - an impressive new structure that's part art and culture museum, part cafe, with an amazing rooftop boasting Greenland’s most exceptional panorama, gazing out to the Icefjord Kangia, which is exactly where we're going next.
There's a beautifully maintained boardwalk from the Icefjord Centre, meandering onwards through the UNESCO world heritage site and evidence of the ancient settlement of Sermermiut, before a set of stairs take us to what we think is one of the most breath-taking yet accessible views of the ever changing Icefjord, if not of the whole world. Nothing can prepare you for the scale of the icy view out across the jumbled expanse of grounded bergs being pushed out by the glacier.
By mid-afternoon we'll check into Hotel Arctic, enjoy the rooms for a moment, before heading out to an exclusive photographic opportunity with a Greenlandic dog musher and his team of beautiful sled dogs! Ilulissat has over 2000 Greenlandic dogs (the Greenland dog is one of the oldest breeds in the world and it's been proven that the first dog reached Greenland with the Saqqaq people 4000 years ago). The dog sled is still considered to be the safest and most secure way to travel distances around Greenland in the winter. We'll learn all about it, as well as be able to interact with and photograph these majestic dogs, and if we're lucky, maybe even some puppies!
The dinner back at Hotel Arctic is another meal for the picture books, a Smörgåsbord of local Greenlandic experiences. If you've any energy after dinner, again, you're right on the waterfront, and there's usually sled dogs in their kennels just out the front - you couldn't take a bad photo around here, so go for a walk and soak it up.
You're in for another highlight today! Photographing Eqip Sermina – a calving, tidewater glacier – is a must in Greenland, so today we've arranged another exclusive boat tour. After breakfast at Hotel Arctic, we'll be transported by boat along the ice-filled coast, passing Bredebugt, the settlement of Oqaatsut and the big fijord system called Pakitsoq where whales and seals often are seen. Further on we'll pass through Ataa Straight, surrounded by steep mountains with birdlife and waterfalls. Our boat will then drift silently in front of the glacier for lunch, waiting for some ice to calve dramatically in front of us – an amazing experience. Seeing the glacier this way gives us unhurried and unparalleled access. You're going to love it!
Eventually we'll have to drag ourselves out from under the timeless spell of this amazing place, and head back to Ilulissat, keeping our eyes out for more whales, seals and beautiful snow capped mountains.
Weather permitting, we have one last highlight in store for you this afternoon: another mind-blowing scenic helicopter flight, which together with the flight we did over Iceland, are what I consider the two most memorable helicopter flights I've ever done! This bright red helicopter is huge and can fit us all onboard, giving us incredible views as we fly inland towards the Jakobshavn Glacier, looking out for Musk Ox on the way! With a bit of luck, we'll make it to the greenlandic ice sheet, and look for beautiful blue meltwater pools and channels, or maybe even land next to a glacier, enabling us to get out of the helicopter and take photos from this amazing (and private) vantage point. Fingers crossed!
Flying back in to land over the colourful town, you might start to feel sad that this whole amazing adventure is now over, but don't worry - it's not over yet! There's a cool old turf hut perched on a hill overlooking the Ilulissat Icefjord that we used to organise a lovely little casual BBQ for our final dinner, but it's since been turned into a cafe, and it doesn't open for dinner. However, we've managed to pull some strings and organise to have it opened up just for us tonight, providing once again the perfect place for us to enjoy a farewell dinner exclusively for our group, as we reminisce about all the incredible experiences we've shared and photographed together during the last two action-packed weeks. The perfect way to end.
Well, that's all folks – after breakfast we'll be offering airport transfers for those heading home from Greenland, although some of you may well choose to hang around for a few more days relaxing, photo-culling or exploring further afield. Thank you all very much!
[CLOSE]IMPORTANT - Ensure you have read our Tour Booking Conditions prior to booking. A copy will be sent with your deposit invoice, and must be signed and returned to us (an emailed scan/photo of your signed copy will suffice), before we accept and confirm your booking. The document covers everything from your rights, inclusions and payment schedule, to our cancellation policy and extent of liability.
A non-refundable, non-transferable $1,000 USD booking deposit is required to secure your place on this photo tour.
Price includes all meals and accommodation.
Price does not include flights from your home town to Reykjavík in Iceland, nor your flight back home from Ilulissat Greenland to allow you to stay longer in Greenland if you wanted. The tour does however include the flight from Iceland to Greenland.
After you book, we will email you an extensive information document telling you everything you need to know from what camera gear to bring, currency, power plug types, etc.
We do not loan out our own camera equipment for this trip. Be prepared to be self sufficient regarding your camera gear.
CBP GOLD Voyager Club members receive 10% OFF loyalty discount. CBP SILVER Voyager Club members receive 5% OFF loyalty discount.
