The tour is operated from October 15th until April 15th The Golden Circle is a term often used for tours visiting three of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. It is mainly based on three natural wonders not far from Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. This is a Golden Circle private winter tour that Hit Iceland operates in winter for your safety and comfort when driving conditions are often difficult and the roads slippery. We have also added two interesting stops to the classic Golden Circle tour to enhance your experience and relaxation. The tour starts and ends in Reykjavík. Advantages of a Golden Circle Private Tour in winter There are many advantages of taking a private tour with Hit Iceland in winter. You travel comfortably with a knowledgeable guide in a vehicle that fits the weather conditions in Iceland in winter. Everyone in the group can enjoy the tour and the scenery, as no one needs to concentrate on driving. At every stop, our local driver-guide accompanies you and shares broad insight into each specific place. Þingvellir National Park The first stop is at Þingvellir National Park, an important place in Iceland both historically and geologically. There, we visit Almannagjá Gorge, which aligns with the rift zone and is defined by two tectonic plates. In the gorge Almannagjá, you are situated between the European and American tectonic plates, more specifically at the spot where they drift apart. We also visit Öxarárfoss waterfall and the river Öxará. Within the national park, we walk by places with profound historical importance in Iceland, as it was the meeting place for Alþingi, the oldest parliament in history. Brúarfoss waterfall The waterfall Brúarfoss in the river Brúará is one of Iceland's most beautiful small-scale waterfalls. We added this waterfall to our Golden Circle private winter tour as it is as stunning in winter as in summer. Although it is more like rapids, historically, it has always been defined as a waterfall in Iceland. Brúarfoss is renowned for its blue color and clear water in the river. It is one of the most photogenic waterfalls and rivers in Iceland. Gullfoss waterfall is an inseparable part of the Golden Circle winter tour Gullfoss waterfall is the most impressive waterfall in Iceland. It is also the best-known natural wonder and the most popular tourist attraction. It is a waterfall often mentioned on lists of the world's top ten most fascinating waterfalls. It is a stunning sight and a special experience to view in all seasons. Geysir Geothermal Area and Strokkur Hot Spring Geysir is the hot spring area where the geyser Strokkur erupts every ten to fifteen minutes. The Geysir hot spring is part of the geothermal field in Haukadalur Valley in South Iceland. It has been active for 10,000 years, although the earliest accounts of hot springs in Haukadalur only date back to 1294. Haukadalur is also an important historical place in Iceland, home to a vital learning center where the sagas of Iceland were written. Fontana Relaxing Geothermal Bath Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths are located in the center of the Golden Circle and are thus ideal for finishing the Golden Circle private winter tour before driving back to Reykjavík. The water comes from a natural geothermal flow of hot water. The natural steam baths, the pools, and the sauna all contribute to a relaxing state of mind. During these winter tours, we will be at the geothermal baths during twilight, enjoying the scenery and experience in both daylight and early darkness. The baths are a great way to end the tour and prepare for the drive back to Reykjavík before dinner time. What is included in this Golden Circle private winter tour? Local driver-guide 4x4 modified 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser for up to 4 persons, with 35-inch studded snow tires Parking and service fees Admission to Fontana Geothermal Baths Water-Bottles Free Wi-Fi on board Crampons (if needed) Not included in this tour? Food Drinks If needed, the driver guide will stop at service stations with small roadside convenience stores where you can purchase food and snacks. Good to know and have in mind for a winter tour The weather in Iceland is unpredictable, especially in winter. What to bring with you? Hiking shoes Swimsuit (for the Fontana Geothermal Baths) Warm clothes Waterproof layer Pick-up In the booking process below, you tell us where you prefer to be picked up in Reykjavík. Feel free to contact us and ask for special requests for pick-up. Places we visit on this private winter tour Þingvellir national park Öxarárfoss waterfall Brúarfoss waterfall Geysir geothermal area Strokkur hot spring erupting Gullfoss waterfall Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths About the tour Transport: 4x4 modified 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser for up to 4 persons, with 35-inch studded snow tires Season: winter October through April Duration: 9 hours Time of pick up: 9:00 The tour can be booked for 1 to 4 people. The price is calculated for the vehicle, not per person. Cancellation Policy A cancellation fee of 100% is charged if canceled 10 days or less before the event. A cancellation fee of 75% is charged if canceled 20 days or less before the event. Most travel insurance covers unexpected events within 20 days, so make sure you are familiar with your travel insurance and the travel insurance on your credit card. If Hit Iceland cancels the tour due to unexpected events or weather, no cancellation fee is charged, and the customer receives full repayment. Price: ISK 155.000 Price is for the car/driver guide Toyota Land Cruiser for up to 4 persons, not pr. person

The Golden Circle is a term or description of one of Iceland's most popular tourist routes or day tours. The drive is based on three natural wonders not far from Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. It is a great day tour drive and easy for anyone to drive if you rent a car in summer (but more difficult in winter as road conditions and weather can be challenging). Most of the time, the tour starts and ends in Reykjavík and is driven in a day. The first stop is usually at Þingvellir, which is a sacred place in Iceland where Almannagjá fissure and Öxarárfoss waterfall play a significant role. Þingvellir also has profound historical meaning in Iceland as it was the meeting place for Alþingi, the oldest parliament in history. Secondly, there is Geysir, the hot spring area where the geyser Strokkur erupts every ten or fifteen minutes. Thirdly and most importantly, the Gullfoss waterfall is the most impressive waterfall in Iceland. A waterfall that is often mentioned on lists of the top ten most fascinating waterfalls in Europe and even on the planet. The distance from Reykjavík through the town Mosfellsbær and Road Nr. 36 to Gullfoss via Þingvellir and Geysir is approximately 120 kilometers or 75 miles. How to self-drive the Golden Circle? Tourism in Iceland has exploded in recent years, and so has the Golden Circle drive. Sometimes during summer, the road is packed with buses and rental cars, as are the parking lots by the three natural wonders. Usually, the buses depart from Reykjavík between eight and nine in the morning and arrive at the three natural wonders at a similar time. This is, for many reasons, a very convenient time to start and drive the tour as it fits well with lunchtime at Geysir or Gullfoss. Selfdrive advantages If you are not intimidated by crowds, you should start at the same time; otherwise, start your tour early in the summer, around 6 AM or 6:30 AM. Stopping at any of the three attractions takes about half an hour to 60 minutes. The road is asphalt and easy to drive in any car, small or large. It is a two-way lane, so keep in mind that the road is narrow but reasonably easy to drive in summer. The exception is in winter when the weather is sometimes quite harsh, and the road from Reykjavík to Þingvellir is either closed or very slippery and challenging to drive. You should always check the weather and road conditions when traveling in winter. You should also consider the time of year and season when planning a trip to Iceland, as there is a considerable difference between seasons. Here, you can read about the best time or season to visit Iceland. Why drive the Golden Circle? Geology on the Golden Circle All of the three attractions on the Golden Circle route are more than worth visiting. Þingvellir is one of a handful of places in Iceland where you can see the North Atlantic rift zone that stretches from the south pole up through the Atlantic Ocean through the island Iceland. When you are in the fissure Almannagjá, you are between the European and American tectonic plates and at the spot where they drift apart. It is a rare opportunity to sense the large geological forces. History related to the Golden Circle For those interested in history, Þingvellir is also the most prominent place in Iceland, as it played an essential role in the judiciary and lawmaking process from settlement throughout many centuries. It is also the place where Icelanders decided to abolish paganism and take up Christianity in the year 1000. Geysir is one of the best-known hot springs in the world, and the English term geyser comes from the old hot spring Geysir, the big brother of Strokkur that still erupts today. Gullfoss, of course, is one of the most impressive waterfalls on the planet and is one of the natural wonders that are equally interesting to visit in summer and winter as well as in autumn and spring. So even though there are considerable differences between seasons in Iceland, these three natural wonders are all accessible and exciting all year round, which is probably one of the reasons the route is so popular. Is the Golden Circle a circle? When you finish your drive at Gullfoss, you might wonder where you should go from there. What does it imply that it is a circle? If you started around eight in the morning, you are probably done viewing the three natural wonders and finished with lunch around 1 PM around noon. One option is to drive the one-and-a-half-hour drive back to Reykjavík, but then it's not a “circle” but a back-and-forth road trip. For the ride back through a different route, you have some options. Here, we will recommend the most interesting one for you to get the most out of your day. When you drive back from Gullfoss on Road 35, called Biskupstungnabraut, you take a left turn after 6 kilometers or approximately 4 miles on Road 30, called Skeiða- and Hrunamannavegur. After driving another 6 kilometers, you come to a bridge over the river Hvítá or White River. This is the same river you saw falling in Gullfoss a few kilometers north. By the bridge is an interesting stop called Brúárhlöð. It is worthed to stop at the parking lot on the east side and admire how the river has formed the canyon at this spot for hundreds of thousands of years. After Brúárhlöð, we recommend that you continue on Road 30 to the tiny hamlet of Flúðir. This is a 20 kilometers or approximately 13 miles drive to the south of Brúárhlöð. At Flúðir, you can visit the old pool, Gamla laugin, and dip into a geothermal pool. It is also an excellent place to stop for snacks, refreshments, and restrooms. Drive to Seljalandsfoss waterfall From Flúðir hamlet, you continue south on Road 30 Skeiða- and Hrunamannavegur and drive 30 kilometers or 19 miles to Road 1, the Ring Road in Iceland. The drive is quite scenic, and if the day is bright, you will have a good view of both the Hekla volcano and the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano on the east side of the road. When you reach the intersection at Road 1, you take a left turn to the east and drive the 54 kilometers or 34 miles to the intersection of Road 1 to Road 249 Þórsmerkurvegur. You drive less than one kilometer to reach the parking lot for Seljalandsfoss waterfall. The waterfall is one of the most visited natural wonders and attractions in Iceland, and for a reason. It is not only a beautiful waterfall but also a waterfall that you can walk behind. It is indeed a spectacular experience and a relatively easy walk. In winter, though, you need to remember that the path behind the waterfall is quite slippery. If you are not in a great hurry to go back to Reykjavík, another spectacular waterfall, Gljúfrabúi, is within walking distance of Seljalandsfoss. It is a waterfall inside a gorge or a cave. The drive back to Reykjavík Heading back after an eventful day, you take the Ring Road Nr. 1 to the west to Reykjavík. You are most likely in the afternoon, and most people are a bit tired after all the stops and viewing of natural wonders and attractions. You should not underestimate the energy it takes for an average person. The drive back to Reykjavík is 130 kilometers or 80 miles. Along the way, you drive through four small towns and villages, Hvolsvöllur, Hella, Selfoss, and Hveragerði on the Ring Road Nr. 1. All of the towns have restaurants and convenient stores so you can quickly stop for snacks and restrooms along the way. If you drive back to Reykavík, you will have the opportunity to dine at some of the spectacular restaurants you find in Reykavík city center and hit the sack for a convenient, good night's sleep at some of the many great hotels in the city. My recommendation for the Golden Circle drive As we recommend here, the whole drive is 370 kilometers or 230 miles. In comparison, the drive back and forth from Reykjavík to Gullfoss waterfall is 240 kilometers or 150 miles. The trip shouldn't take more than 9 to 10 hours, even at a slow pace. There are plenty of places and opportunities along the way for restroom stops and food, and if the skies are reasonably clear, it is also a beautiful scenic drive. What more to do than the Golden Circle? The Golden Circle drive is a great way to view and experience some of the most fascinating natural wonders Iceland can offer and is also available and relatively easy to drive all year round. It is a great option to spend a day visiting Iceland and staying in Ryekjavík for a few days or a stopover. In the summer, there is also the option of visiting the highland and joining us on our spectacular Hit Iceland Landmannalaugar highland tour.

Why visit Landmannalaugar in Iceland? 1. Landmannalaugar is the most exciting place in the Highland in Iceland 2. Visiting Landmannalaugar is a unique driving adventure 3. Landmannalaugar is a small but stunning part of the mysterious Torfajökull caldera 4. The rhyolite mountains are colorful like no other mountains on the planet 5. You will find obsidian if you need to protect yourself from the White Walkers 6. Landmannalaugar has the best natural geothermal pool in Iceland 7. Hike up to Mt. Brennisteinsalda, and you will walk through a geothermal wonderland 8. Landmannalaugar has more stunning hiking trails than any other part of Iceland 9. Landmannalaugar has a good but harsh camping ground 10. You can visit Landmannalaugar from Reykjavík on a day tour Landmannalaugar is one of the most remarkable and fascinating places in the Icelandic Highland. It is a place most people fall in love with from the moment they visit this extraordinary creation of Mother Nature. Landmannalaugar is also one of the five most fascinating natural wonders you can visit in Iceland and perhaps one of the most breathtaking places you can visit on the planet. This unique place in the Icelandic Highland, located 600 m above sea level, is best known for its relaxing geothermal pool and bath and a starting point for the famous 54km, four-day hiking trail Laugavegur. However, it is much more. It is the gateway into the magical caldera of Torfajökull with many natural wonders, colorful mountains, and hiking trails. When staying at Landmannalaugar, you can choose from many other exciting and breathtaking hiking trails with stunning sceneries and landscapes. Landmannalaugar with its colorful mountains is one of the most interesting places you can visit in Iceland Landmannalaugar is a wonderland for photographers, with an endless variety of geological formations, smoking hot springs, lava fields, rivers, creeks, gullies, ravines, canyons, volcanos, and rhyolite mountains that change colors from one hour to the next depending on the mood of the sun and the clouds. Unfortunately, it is a remote place only open from the first weeks of July (sometimes as early as the middle of June) until the end of September. It is a place that is always reluctant to show its colors and beauty outside this period, as it is often packed with snow or is under attack by severe blizzards and cold during winter. You should not visit or think about visiting it from the beginning of October until the beginning of July unless you are looking for a major 4x4 winter adventure. A product of a unique volcanic system and geothermal activity Landmannalaugar is part of the unique Torfajökull glacier volcanic system. Just a short distance south of Landmannalaugar is the northern rim of its ancient and enormous caldera. Part of the famous Laugavegur hiking trail is a passage through this old caldera, with a diameter of 12 km times 16 km. The Torfajökull caldera emptied its magma chamber and collapsed hundreds of thousands of years ago. The uniqueness is that the magma in Torfajökull caldera is much higher in acid than most of the magma and that thousands of eruptions have occurred throughout the millions of years of the island's geological history. It is a magma that produces rhyolite lava instead of the most common, basalt lava. Since the calderas’ collapse, geothermal activity, hot springs, erosion, ice, and many other geological phenomena have reshaped and molded the whole region into a stunning, irresistible, and unique natural wonder. Today, the landform within the caldera and the nearby mountains like Landmannalaugar, is perhaps one of the most breathtaking landscapes you can find, view, and experience on our planet. Service Center and facilities in Landmannalaugar are a bit primitive as it should be Recently, Landmannalaugar has become a kind of a base camp for people starting the hiking track from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk. It is also popular among tourists visiting for a few days to hike the shorter trails and admire this pearl in the highland. The Icelandic Touring Association FÍ (Ferðafélag Íslands in Icelandic) has a service center in Landmannalaugar. The service center consists of a hut built in 1969 that houses 80 people, a camping ground, toilets, showers, and facilities for washing. The service center has hot and cold water and is an excellent place to change your clothes if you plan to take a dip in the geothermal pool. Some visitors prefer to switch to swimming suits the traditional way outside by the pool. But here, you might consider that there is no electricity to charge your phone or use your shaving machine, hairdryer, or other electronic devices. There is also only a tent where you can have a meal and do some minor cooking. The service fee is a modest 500 Icelandic Kronur per day. The camping site and space for 4X4 campers The camping ground is a bit rough with hard soil and, thus, a bit resistant to tent pegs. You might have to "pin" your tent down with rocks. Usually, campers must fasten their tents with rocks and stones, found aplenty in Landmannalaugar. There is also a good space for 4x4 campers, who are also required to pay the service fee. Campers and people with tents on top of their car who camp on the other side of the river must also pay the service fee, as FÍ needs to continue to build and improve its service and facilities. Other services in Landmannalaugar From late June until the middle of September, a small convenience store in Landmannalaugar offers the basic necessities. It does not mean that you can rely on this store for all your food or need lesser preparation if you take the Laugavegur hiking trail or stay in Landmannalaugar for a few days. It is mainly for emergencies, although the service is increasing year by year. Another service during summer, the Icelandic Rescue Squad, has a permanent presence in Landmannalaugar to increase security in the area and help visitors and hikers with problems and accidents. The geothermal pool in Landmannalaugar Taking a dip in the geothermal pool in Landmannalaugar has been extremely popular among tourists and Icelanders for decades. The warm-water pool is only a few steps from the service center at the edge of the lava field of Laugahraun. It is a pool fed by the cold and hot streams coming from under the lava that is blending into the stream by the pool. Most visitors put on their swimming suits by the pool. It is part of the freedom in the mountains and the relaxed highland experience. For hikers visiting Landmannalaugar for a day or more and hiking the many short hikes in the area, it is very relaxing to dip into the pool after a walk to the top of the volcano Brennisteinsalda or Mt. Bláhnjúkur. Part of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve Landmannalaugar is part of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, which is approximately fifty thousand hectares of land in the south of the Icelandic Highland. It was established in the late eighties to protect the sensitive nature of the Highland. The Highland Road Fjallabak Nyrðri runs through most of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve and is one of the most accessible Highland roads to travel in Iceland, although a larger type of 4x4 is recommended, such as a Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover Defender, or a Jeep Wrangler. As always, for people crossing the Icelandic Highland, we emphasize that it is a very sensitive area, and driving outside market roads is strictly forbidden. There are no off-roads in Iceland, only F roads. Finding your way and how to drive to Landmannalaugar There are two main entrances to Landmannalaugar from the west. When you drive from Reykjavík, you find your way to Dómadalsleið Nr. F225, often referred to as Landmannaleið, or Nyrðri Fjallabak Mountain Road Nr. F208. Usually, Nyrðri Fjallabak opens sooner than Landmannaleið in early summer. We recommended that you rent a good 4x4 vehicle if you intend to drive on a mountain road in Iceland marked as an F road on maps. Accordingly, from Reykjavík, you start from the Ring Road Nr. 1 and drive eastward. Once you pass the bridge on the river Þjórsá, you look out for the road Landvegur Nr. 26. You need to drive approximately 50 km north on Road Nr. 26. By the mountain Búrfell, you take a right turn on Dómadalsleið Mountain Road Nr. F225. If the road is closed, you continue for approximately 25 km on Road Nr. 26 until you come to Mountain Road Nr. F208, the Nyrðri Fjallabak mountain road. Both Landmannaleið and Nyrðri Fjallabak lead to Landmannalaugar. Both roads can be a bit difficult, and we can only emphasize renting a 4x4 vehicle. Both roads usually open in early July; sometimes, F208 opens around the middle of June. Both roads close around the middle of September, and both require that you cross rivers. My review on Google Maps

Ljótipollur is a beautiful maar. In fact, a maar is a geological term in English, which oddly translates to “explosion crater” in Icelandic. The name Ljótipollur translates on the other hand to Ugly Pond in English. Although this is not at all deserved, this is the name it was given a long time ago. Nonetheless, most craters that have lakes within them are exceptionally scenic and photogenic. Ljótipollur, with its read and vegetated slopes and visible lava layers at the brim, is no exception. Maars are usually quite deep as the water originates below the ground, and no surface streams are leaking into or out of the lake. The depth of Ljótipollur is approximately 14 meters. Often, craters with small lakes have this beautiful turquoise blue lake, giving the crater an enhanced value. All such craters are great attractions for photographers. Moreover, Ljótipollur also attracts people interested in fishing, so don't be surprised if you see someone fishing from shore. Ljótipollur is quite accessible: Like its neighbor Hnausapollur, the maar Ljótipollur is part of the Veiðivötn volcanic fissure system. It is easily accessible from the mountain road Fjallabak Nyrðri (F208) and is located only a few kilometers from Landmannalaugar. The short route to the crater is a bit difficult and can be traversed only with larger 4X4 vehicles. And like all-natural wonders in the Icelandic Highland, the maar is accessible only during summer. If you are planning to visit Landmannalaugar, you might want to take the marked hiking track from the camping area to Ljótipollur and peacefully enjoy the magnificent lava and rhyolite mountains along the way. The crater is around 1.5-kilometer long, and the brims are pretty high. The form and size of the lake make it a bit difficult to capture in one shot, so do not forget to keep a 12-to-15-millimeter lens on your camera. The view from Ljótipollur is spectacular: One advantage of driving up the short distance from F208 to the brim of Ljótipollur is the view. Although the elevation from the road is less than 100 meters, the views are excellent, particularly to the east and south. All this makes the place highly photogenic, with many colors in the background—red lava rocks, layers of lava, green vegetation, and a turquoise-blue lake.

Garðskagi, located on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, may not immediately catch your eye. However, this gem is home to the beautiful Gardur Lighthouse and stunning shores that have been kept secret by locals for years. Discover the beauty of this unique destination and all it has to offer. Garðskagi, the tip of the toe on the Reykjanes peninsula, with its shores and lighthouses, might not seem too much to write home about at first sight. And in fact, this wonderful place has been kept secret by the locals for years and years. Whenever they need a change of scenery, a perfect place to relax, to have a picnic, a stroll along the beach, or to find much-needed solitude, to cry – or even scream their head off, their destination is the Garðskagi lighthouses. The old Garðskagi or Gardur lighthouse It may be strange to find two lighthouses standing side by side to guide the seafarers, one tall, one short. For decades, the shorter one, constructed in 1897, was regarded as one of the best lighthouses in Iceland because it stood low. Its beams were not disturbed by the mist quite common offshore in this area. But, gradually, the majestic ocean forces corroded the cliff serving as its base and in the end, it was deemed unsafe to enter. The more recent Garður lighthouse The tall one was constructed in 1944, and some two decades later, the old lighthouse‘s foundations were strengthened to give it a new role. It became a bird observatory – and no wonder, as the local birdlife is spectacular. The new lighthouse is a cylindrical concrete tower rising 28 meters high with a four-way facing rotation lens. The view from the top is breathtaking. Here is where you find the midnight sun in its purest form, and during winter, you can practically touch the northern lights.

Hallgrímskirkja is the best-known landmark in Reykjavík city. Hallgrímskirkja is a church at the top of Skólavörðuholt, a small hill in the Reykjavík City Center district. For decades and even centuries, the hill was the highest point in the village of Reykjavík and then the town of Reykjavík. That was before the districts of Árbær, Breiðholt, Grafarholt, and Grafarvogur developed in the early 20th century on land with higher elevation and before Reykjavík became a city. As early as the second decade of the 20th century, ideas began to surface suggesting building a church on the Skólavörðuholt hill. At a time when religion mattered more than it does today, Christianity was at the center of everyone’s life. In the third decade, elaborated proposals started to see daylight as the State Architect, titled House Master of the State, Guðjón Samúelsson, presented his grand idea about several buildings at Skólavörðuholt. Ideas that were supposed to represent the highest elevation of Icelandic culture and civic life, in any sense of the word, and give the small, remote Arctic Island an international makeover. An idea that never came to live apart from the idea of building a church at Skólavörðuholt. So even though Hallgrímskirkja church is just a building, its cultural reference has a much deeper meaning for Iceland, Reykjavík, and Icelanders. Hallgrímskirkja is an Evangelical-Lutheran church and part of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Iceland. Hallgrimskirkja Church is a building that sparked decades of disputes The State Architect and House Master of the State, Guðjón Samúelsson, is a remarkable person in Icelandic history. In addition to being the architect of Hallgrímskirkja church, he is also the architect of the main building at the University of Iceland, The National Theater in the Reykjavík City Center, and many other significant buildings in Reykjavík and around the country. You will most likely continue to see his name as you travel around the island and visit places with schools, churches, and other official buildings. His work and plan regarding Hallgrimskirkja Church started around 1937, and construction began around 1945. Forty-one years later, when the church was dedicated and blessed in 1986, it had initiated a flood of disputes and political conflicts while under construction. People argued left and right about the cost, the height of the tower, whether the church was beautiful or a blend of ugly, contradictory architecture, and many other matters as the church stood half-built for decades. For those of us who were born in the two decades after the Second World War, it was a monument to the slow process toward better times and prosperity. In 2008, the church was renovated due to major damages to the concrete and outside walls of the tower. As the repairs and improvements were extremely expensive of Hallgrímskirkja church, it took some years before they were done. Most of the outside layer of the tower had to be removed. It was a devastating sight, as the church has so recently been finished. Hallgrímskirkja is a very Icelandic architectural phenomenon When the initial design at Hallgrímskirkja church started, only a few artists, natural scientists, and people interested in traveling the countryside of Iceland for enjoyment really understood the value of our landscapes and natural wonders. Guðjón Samúelsson was one of those who knew and appreciated Iceland’s nature. Born and raised at Hunkubakkar, only a few minutes’ walk from Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, and having the mind of an artist and designer, it is not difficult to understand why he sought inspiration from many natural wonders. One of the most obvious references is the basalt columns that we can see at Dverghamrar, not far from his home, at Gerðuberg in the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and the Svartifoss waterfall in Skaftafell. You can see basalt column stacks in many places in Iceland. Many admirers of Hallgrímskirkja’s architecture also see references to mountains, icebergs, and glaciers. Although seen as a part of early 20th-century expressionist architecture, it is a very Icelandic phenomenon when we look at the references to many of our natural wonders and landscapes. The name and the historical source Hallgrímskirkja, or The Hallgrímskirkja church, took its name from one of the most prominent individuals in the 17th century. Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674) was a minister at Hvalsneskirkja in the Reykjanes Peninsula and later the Saurbær Church in Hvalfjörður fjord. His life was quite colorful, but he was an influential pastor for his time. Hallgrímur was also a poet who wrote some of Iceland's most important hymns. His work, the Passion Hymns, consisting of 50 hymns dedicated to "the history of the pain and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ," is regarded as one of the most valuable contributions to Icelandic literature. Hallgrímskirkja is a great building, a great church, and one the best-known landmarks in Reykjavík. Hallgrímskirkja church is one of the most famous landmarks in Reykjavík and probably one of the best-known landmarks in Iceland, alongside some of our other renowned waterfalls like Gullfoss and Dettifoss, basalt column sites like Stuðlagil and Gerðuberg, iceberg lagoons like Jökulsárlón, and hot springs like Strokkur. It is probably the most photographed item in Iceland. As a church, it is a wonderful and peaceful place to attend services and find a sanctuary for prayer. Hallgrímskirkja church has overcome most of the criticism and is considered by many to be an important and beautiful construction with great architecture. The 73-meter tower is one of Iceland's most popular observation panels, welcoming hundreds of visitors every day of the year. Admission to the tower is ISK 1200 for adults and ISK 200 for children. At the top, you will experience a wonderful view in any direction over Reykjavík city. Today, it is very difficult for anyone in Reykjavík to imagine the city without this greatly admired church, the Hallgrímskirkja church. The Organ at Hallgrímskirkja church The concert organ in Hallgrímskirkja church is the largest musical instrument in Iceland and a great addition to your visit once you enter the church. It is not unusual that organists have a practice during the day, only adding to the wonderful experience of visiting the Hallgrímskirkja church. The organ and the sound within the church often enhance the visit. The organ was built by the Johannes Klais organ factory in Germany. It was inaugurated in 1992, just before Christmas. The organ has four keyboards and pedals, 72 voices, and 5275 pipes. The organ is 15 meters high and weighs 25 tons. The largest pipes are about 10 meters high, and the instrument is part of the photogenic nature of the building. The purchase of the organ was largely financed by donations, as Icelanders were invited to buy the pipes. If you want to support the organ, it is still possible to buy a gift certificate in the church's store, which certifies that the person is the owner of a particular pipe in the organ. Opening hours Hallgrímskirkja’s church opening hours are Monday through Saturday from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. If you are staying in Reykjavík, you don’t want to miss this spot! But you also need to keep in mind that it is an active church with regular religious and ceremonial activities and sometimes concerts. So sometimes the church closes at short notice, as does the tower.

Dynkur is a beautiful, unique waterfall in the southwest of the Icelandic Highland. Although it is one of our most exciting waterfalls in Iceland, few have visited this stunning natural wonder. It has been well-known to Icelanders for decades, so it can hardly be labeled a hidden gem. It is difficult to visit because it is situated at a high altitude in the Highland. To visit Dynkur you would need an excellent 4×4 Jeep, and it is only accessible in the summer, between mid-June and mid-September. The road to Dynkur is an F-road and is difficult to traverse even in summer, but the tour is like a small adventure that adds to the experience. Dynkur is part of the longest river in Iceland Dynkur is part of the river Þjórsá, which is the longest river in Iceland at 230 kilometers (143 miles) and has the second largest volume of water out of all rivers in Iceland. Since the river begins in many branches high in the Icelandic Highland, the fall of the water is considerable. This made the river an early candidate for electricity production. Both the Þjórsá river and some of its tributaries provide water to many of the hydroelectric power plants in Iceland. In recent decades, the river Þjórsá has become one of Iceland's primary power sources, providing water to many medium-sized power plants. Þjórsá has many waterfalls other than Dynkur along its 230-kilometer-long path and a 700-meter drop. However, Dynkur is perhaps the most beautiful and interesting one. Dynkur found its way into popular culture in The Last Kingdom Season 5 of the popular Netflix series ‘The Last Kingdom’ starts with a shot from Dynkur. No wonder it is a great and novel view, as the waterfall is rather beautiful and has rarely, if ever, been used as a shooting location for a film. It shows the time when Brida moved to Iceland and stayed there for a few years, the heathen Dane fleeing the Christian Saxons. The other location that appears in the series is Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, which is altered a bit. Given its place in the Highland, it is doubtful that anyone came anywhere close to Dynkur whether in Brida's time, during settlement, or at any other time before the 18th century. But being an admirer of the series, I was pleasantly surprised to see this extraordinary natural wonder at the beginning of its Season 5 . Like many natural wonders in Iceland, it has two names A river like Þjórsá often divided neighbors in the lowlands of Iceland for many centuries, as the rivers were difficult to cross. This often led to places getting names from both sides of the rivers. And the only people who entered the Highland were the people who collected the sheep. For centuries, the group on the west side never met the group on the east. No one dared cross the mighty river. On the other hand, both groups saw the beautiful waterfall and named it. The people on the west side named it Dynkur, and the people on the east named it Búðarhálsfoss. Why Dynkur? The term that has survived as the primary name of this beautiful waterfall is Dynkur. It has become the name that is most often used. The river has craved the basalt layers that have defined the waterfall for hundreds of thousands of years. The water is still engraving the path through the layers, defining the ledges and cracks on the shelves of basalt and tuff that end in the magnificent display of the waterfall. How to visit Dynkur It would be best to start at the intersection of road 26 and road 1, the Ring Road. Road 26 is the road that takes you to Landmannalaugar, and the Sprengisandur highland road goes through the middle of the Highland. On road 26, you can drive for 68 kilometers (42 miles), turn left, and cross a small bridge leading to the Búðarháls ridge. You can travel the F-road to the ridge and follow the signs that take you to Dynkur. The drive is on a rough road that is fit only for good 4×4 Jeeps and is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) long. The drive might take about an hour since the road is slow. In the end, you come to a parking lot with a great view of the waterfall and the surrounding area. The parking lot is about 650 meters (2130 ft) in altitude and, like the Búðarháls ridge, gives a great view of the Highland in many directions. From the parking lot, you also have a great view of the river Þjórsá, so the drive and the tour are much more than a visit to Dynkur. From the parking lot, it is a good idea to take a stroll north by the riverbank to enjoy this spectacular visit to one of the wonders of Mother Nature. Then, you can walk two to three kilometers to get closer to the Dynkur waterfall.

Hengifoss waterfall is one of the best-known landmarks in the East Region of Iceland. At 118 meters high, it is the island’s third-highest waterfall and certainly one of the most picturesque. Cutting through steep walls of Tertiary lava strata, you will find layers of red scoria and ash pressed between the basaltic lava displaying horizontal stripes in the cliff. From the landscape surrounding Hengifoss, you can practically read the geological history. The layers are like a cake baked for millions of years. The iron-rich red layer is a former soil on the surface millions of years ago in a different climate. On top of the lowest red stripe is a layer of lava that flooded over the soil just like the lava you see in Geldingadalir at the Reykjanes Peninsulanew lava sitting on top of a pasture. Many eruptions occurred after the new layer of soil formed on top of the lava and nurtured vegetation for hundreds of thousands of years. But a newer series of eruptions came, and the lava drowned the fertile soil, forming another red stripe. This continued for millions of years until the cake was prepared and cooked. Then water broke its way through the layers. And, with the help of other erosion forces, the ravine was formed, giving us this spectacular snapshot of the geological activity and development over millions of years. Two for one on the Hengifoss trail Hengifoss is part of the Hengifossá river and runs into the Lake Lagarfljót in the Fljótsdalur valley. The river is a typical direct runoff stream originating in surface water, small streams, and lakes in the mountains above the waterfall. A little further downriver, you will find another fascinating waterfall, Litlanesfoss, impressive but with a totally different geological history, surrounded by beautiful, long, vertical basalt columns formed around 6 million years ago. Along the trail from the parking lot to Hengifoss, there is a beautiful small canyon that the river runs through, which gives the walk an additional enjoyment. The hike up to the waterfall is a great way to understand and experience nature. It is also a scenic place to take photos, with multiple motives, right from when you leave the parking lot to the ravine where the waterfalls are, right in front of the cliff. A rewarding walk The hike from the parking lot to the falls is approximately 2.5 km long and will only take you about an hour to an hour and a half. You will reach Litlanesfoss waterfall 1 km into the hike, making it a perfect resting stop on your way up. The elevation is approximately 400 meters, but with no steep slopes along the way, it is just a comfortable, steady walk upwards. But that’s not allthere are multiple other advantages. It is a relatively light walk and well worth your time as the view of the Fljótsdalur valley is also spectacular along the way. Even the Icelanders consider Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss to be absolute treasures, and that’s saying a lot in a country peppered with natural wonders like waterfalls, canyons, and loads of natural phenomena like ice fire. The best way to drive to Hengifoss is to take Road 95 south from the town of Egilsstaðir. You should then turn right on Road 931, pass the bridge on Lagarfljót, and turn right again. At this point, you definitely can’t miss the parking lot. Hengifoss is, by any definition, one of the most exciting places to visit in the East Region.

Skálholt, the former Episcopal see and farm in the Southern Region of Iceland is one of the most important historical places in the country. For ages, Iceland was a rural agricultural society with almost no form of a noteworthy urban area. The Church was a powerful social and economic institution in addition to its central spiritual and religious role. Accordingly, Skálholt became an administrative center and played the role of the capital of Iceland for centuries. It was a center of religion, learning, culture, and, in many aspects, leadership and decision-making. Today Skálholt is primarily a farm and a historical place worth visiting. The Church was designed by Hörður Bjarnason, who was the "state's housemaster" at the time, and it was consecrated in 1963. Altogether ten churches have stood at this place since the 10th century, and many ended in flames as they burned down. Skálholt is a place of many historical events Icelanders have twice changed their official religion, and both times relatively peacefully. First, around the year 1000 when Christianity became our official religion, and paganism was abolished. When the head of our new Church, Bishop Ísleifur Gissurarson, decided to build the Episcopal see, his choice was Skálholt. The location was central at the time, near Þingvellir, where Alþingi was held, with a vast and magnificent view that suited the new Church. From that time, Skálholt became an important place in Iceland for centuries. Then, again in the 16th century, Icelanders took another drastic decision regarding religion and their religious life and converted to Lutheranism. At that time, there were two bishops, one in Skálhot and one in the north at Hólar. To make a long story short, the Catholic bishop at Hólar was apprehended and transported to Skálholt, where he was beheaded. It was a symbolic act that finalized the transformation and created a new religious consensus, Lutheranism. As a center of substantial political power and owner of many farms around the county, the Church had a meaningful role, as did Skálholt. Natural forces and an inch of urban development forced the church to move Today Skálholt is a religious and cultural center, a museum, and a farm. It is an interesting place to visit for people curious about history, especially religious history. In the early 18th century, Iceland had developed a step from being an entirely urban and agricultural society with a small administrative village in Reykjavík. However, due to consistent natural disasters from volcanos and earthquakes, it was decided to move the Church headquarters to Reykjavík. As Skálholt is not far from the popular tourist attractions Gullfoss and Geysir, it is worth it to visit Skálholt when driving around the southeast part of Þingvellir and Almannagjá.

I often come across articles by photographers or photo-bloggers listing the most exciting places to capture landscape photos. The articles usually list sites that are already popular among photographers and tourists alike. More often than not, every single place is miles away from other places on the list, in different regions, states, countries, or even continents. Of course, the places are, without exception, unique and enjoyable for photographers, but to visit them all, you need to travel extensively. For example, if you want to photograph hot springs and glaciers in the US, you need to travel to Yosemite in California and then to Matanuska Glacier in Alaska. However, if you wish to photograph a hot spring and a glacier in Iceland, you need to drive for five hours between Geysir and Jökulsárlón. For those who don’t want to be in the most touristy places, there are many other geothermal photo locations and impressive glaciers, outlet glaciers, and glacier tongues in Iceland. The same also applies to many other natural wonders like waterfalls, canyons, or interesting basalt column sites. The short distance between impressive natural wonders in Iceland is only one factor of many that should put Iceland on your list for a photographic tour. Another one is the wide variety of colorful landforms and places to visit. Why are there so many places for photo opportunities in Iceland? Landscape photography is not simply about the gear and configuration of the camera. It is more about conveying your experience in front of a beautiful natural wonder and how you capture it with your camera. So, when you devote the time and resources and travel to focus on landscape photography, you want to ensure that you have many places of interest to choose from. And you can rest assured that you will find that in Iceland. Iceland is often described as the land of ice and fire. This is actually an old slogan aimed at tourists in the past and a very successful one. I always think of my country as an island of magma, water, wind, and ocean forces—a small volcanic island up north by the Arctic Circle, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and its destructive forces. Regarding size, the island is similar to Kentucky in the US and a bit larger than Portugal in Europe, which makes it easy to travel from one region to another in a short time. Geologically, it is one of the youngest landforms on the planet. As a volcanic island, it is continuously reformed and reshaped by the forces below the crust: magma and water. Above the surface, the wind and the ocean play a significant role. For thousands of years, the magma has been regularly crawling to the surface (every five years or so) as an eruption, lava, or tephra. Water appears through rain, steam, snow, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and glaciers throughout the island. Throughout its short geological history (16 million years or so), this small island has formed and produced some fascinating landforms of infinite complexity. The terrain is highly interesting for photographers in every corner, from the shoreline to mountain tops, from boiling angry mud pools to white glaciers that live and breathe deep in the highland—marvels that are often quite different from one place to another and clustered into a spectacular natural wonder. The interaction between these forces has created a variety of beautiful, colorful, exotic, and unusual landscapes that are highly interesting to photograph. The possibilities are endless if you know where to look and how to go there. So, what kind of places are we talking about? What kind of natural wonders and landforms for photography do you find in Iceland? When you visit the landscape section of any online photo community, you get to witness some spectacular work by talented photographers—photos of mountains, shoreline, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and cliffs, to name a few themes. Often, the pictures are enhanced with stunning foreground items or contributions from calm wind or interesting weather. Sometimes, you see a combination of interesting things, like a mountain with a waterfall in the foreground or a large peak reflected in a calm lake. In many populated areas, interesting places for landscape photography nearby are often scarce and many photographers concentrate on the same locations and limited variety of landforms. But this does not apply to Iceland, as you will see if you visit my personal photographic website. The small island offers a great variety of places and interesting landforms. It has been estimated that Iceland has more than 1600 waterfalls of all shapes and forms that are higher than two meters. You will find interesting calderas and hundreds of craters around the island with colorful rock formations, some with turquoise blue lakes at the bottom—craters that erupted thousands of years ago and those that erupted less than a decade ago. Accordingly, the island houses large carpets of lava fields from various eruptions spanning from new, raw, edgy, and sharp rocks to soft lava fields covered with green, brown, and yellow moss. If you like glaciers, you will find many spreading and stunning outlet glaciers attached to the main ice cap, glacier tongues falling down more than 1600 meters and breaking apart along the way often with lagoons filled with icebergs at the bottom. There are many exciting high-temperature and colorful geothermal places around the island, some that surprisingly few people visit. An infinitive number of small and large canyons, ravines, and fissures can be found in every region of the island. Large basalt column stacks placed in spectacular landform contexts are more than you can count on the fingers of your hands. The same goes for colorful rhyolite mountains. I could also add the unique black sand by the beaches and large areas of “black deserts” in the highland. Here, we also have lava caves, ice caves, glacial rivers, spring-fed rivers, creeks, fjords, mountains, spectacular shoreline, interesting cliffs, sea stacks, and lakes. The opportunities are endless, and here, you will find almost every type of landform deemed attractive for landscape photography. The only major exception is a forest or expanses of trees. Iceland is more about vast open space. So, when you combine the short distance between places with an enormous variety of places to photograph, the island starts to sound irresistible for photographers. But believe it or not, there is more that makes Iceland appealing for photographers. The natural light and the many different versions of the golden hour in Iceland The term “golden hour” among photographers and its relevance to photography is a reminder of the role of the sun in landscape photography. Many photographers organize all their photography around the morning light at sunrise and evening light at sunset. This is when the sunrays are more horizontal than vertical, the shadows are long, the rays are softer, and the color is yellow or pink. In most populated places in the south part of the northern hemisphere, the morning and the afternoon golden hours occur more or less at a similar time throughout the year and the sun rises and sets in a similar place on the horizon. This is not the case in Iceland where we have golden hours rather than the golden hour. In summer, at the end of June, sunrise is in the north, around 12:30 AM and slightly to the east, and sunset is also in the north, a bit to the west, about 23 hours later. In some places up north, the sun doesn’t even dip below the horizon and only swings down to the horizon and up again. On the other hand, in winter at the end of December, sunrise is in the much farther to the east, around 10:00 AM, and sunset is about 6 hours later around 4:00 PM, slightly southwest. This may be confusing for most people, so I will explain it in greater detail as it is crucial for photographers visiting Iceland. Let’s consider the Skógafoss waterfall. It is located near the south shore in Iceland and its position is useful to explain the changeable nature of the golden hour in Iceland. When you stand in front of the waterfall, you stand south of Skógafoss, facing north. The waterfall is a beautiful square form and on its right is the east cliff or shoulder and on the left is the west shoulder. In summer, sunrise is in front of you, behind the waterfall, slightly to the east, and sunset, 23 hours later, somewhat to the west. Around 2:00 PM, when the sun shines straight on the waterfall, it is very high behind you casting a vertical bright light on the waterfall. Consequently, the golden hour at this time of year is around 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM or around midnight behind the waterfall. And just like in the north, the golden hour at sunrise and at sunset merge into a period of three to four hours of spectacular light, forming the golden hours. In winter, specifically in December, sunrise is behind you, casting a horizontal light on the waterfall and the cliffs on both sides, often creating stunning colors at an almost continuous golden hour from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Around 2:00 PM, the sun is relatively low, pointing its rays straight at the waterfall, often creating beautiful colors and a rainbow in the drizzle from the falling water. This irregularity of the golden hour in Iceland is in every respect complicated for photographers but extremely important. Continuing with the Skógafoss waterfall, you might, as a photographer, plan to take a photo similar to something you saw in a photo community. When you arrive, the golden hour might be nowhere to be found and you might realize that it would appear in the middle of the night when you are supposed to be sleeping in your next hotel about 100 miles from Skógafoss. You might also discover that the light is different from what you anticipated. The upside though is that the golden hour lasts much longer in Iceland than in most other places farther south in the northern hemisphere. Both sunrise and sunset are slower, giving photographers more elbow space when working on their shot. Accordingly, when you plan a photo tour to Iceland, you need to look carefully into the time of sunrise and sunset around the location you have chosen. In summer, you might have to stay awake during the bright night and take a nap during the day; in winter, you only have about six hours, but every minute more or less would fit within the definition of the golden hour. The downside, and to make matters more complicated, is that everything is also seriously affected by the sharp difference between seasons and the unpredictable weather. How are the seasons important factors in photography in Iceland? Like most places on the planet, Iceland has four seasons and each season has its distinct character. Compared to many other places, there is a considerable difference between seasons regarding temperature and precipitation. Factors that affect nature and natural wonders change the momentum of many places from one month to the next. For photography, this means that any location of interest in Iceland is quite different from one season to another. Consequently, when you aim for a particular place when organizing your photo tour, it is vital to choose the right season depending on the outcome you aim for. The most extreme difference regarding seasons for photography is seen in the Highland. This is important as the Highland covers almost one-third of the island and has many unique places within its boundaries, like the colorful rhyolite mountains at Landmannalaugar or the geothermal high-temperature wonderland at Hveradalir valley. It is a significant part of the country and being developed into the largest national park in Europe. Many writers with limited knowledge of Iceland tend to name this area “Highlands,” confusing with the term that describes the Highlands in Scotland. However, Icelanders have always, without exception, used the term “Highland.” There is only one Highland in Iceland. In summer, both Landmannalaugar and Hveradalir are places of a feast for photographers due to the variety in color, vegetation, snowflakes, steam, light, and alternative subjects in landform. In winter, everything is white, covered with a thick layer of snow. This applies to every corner of the Highland in Iceland. It is more or less only accessible in summer and into early autumn and only from the end of June to the end of September. If you intend to take beautiful photos of places in the Highland, your window is only about four months. You need a right 4X4 vehicle as most of the roads are rough dirt roads, which makes the tour more exciting and adventurous. To better understand all the four seasons in Iceland and how they affect photography, we can consider an example of an interesting place, Gjáin, a small valley at the edge of the Icelandic Highland. It is a beautiful place often referred to as an oasis and is loaded with photo opportunities. It is a typical product of magma, spring-fed water, and severe weather throughout thousands of years and where you can spend hours to take interesting photos. At the same time, it is highly sensitive to minor changes between seasons. As you can see in the photos above, Gjáin flourishes with color, vegetation, clean springs, and small beautiful waterfalls during summer. In autumn, the small valley changes color, and some of the flowers fade. The trees enhance the photogenic nature of Gjáin as autumn ushers in new colors. In winter, everything is frozen and most of the time covered with snow. As spring kicks in and the snow from winter starts to melt, everything kind of becomes muddy, brownish, and dirty. From the end of March to the beginning of May, the early spring in Iceland is probably the least interesting time to visit Iceland and a time of limited value to photographers. So, when you plan a photo tour to Iceland, you need to be aware of how the different seasons affect the landscape and places you plan to photograph. It dramatically affects all areas and subjects you plan to shoot and how accessible the sites are. It is a crucial factor when it comes to determining how beautiful your photos will be. The weather is in control and cannot be ignored In Iceland, the weather is an essential factor in not only landscape photography but also the daily life of all Icelanders. It is a force that continually molds and shapes the landform and sits in the heart and mind of every Icelander from an early age. It is one of the first things we see in the morning and the last thing we think about before we go to bed. It is also the most common conversational topic in Iceland. So, if you ever find yourself in an embarrassing moment with an Icelander with nothing to talk about, just ask if they know how the weather is going to be tomorrow and you are in for a long conversation. For landscape photography, the weather is essential. The reason is that the weather is a bulky and unpredictable force. One aspect that surprises many visitors, though, is how narrow the temperature spectrum is. The temperature rarely drops below - 5°Celsius (23°F) in Reykjavík or by the shoreline around the island in winter. In summer, the temperature seldom goes above 16°Celsius (60°F). But it is not the temperature that dominates the climate conditions but the wind. In winter, chilly winds often make - 5°Celsius (23°F) feel like - 15°Celsius (5°F). The wind also affects the temperature in summer in a similar way, although it is always warmer in summer than in winter. Therefore, in addition to temperature, the speed of the wind is essential for landscape photography and photo tours. A regular spectrum of the wind speed in all seasons in Iceland varies from 0 m/s (meters per second) or 0 mph (miles per hour) to high winds of 24 m/s (52 mph). What does this mean for photography? The wind always drops the temperature and makes outdoor activities inconvenient, which everyone needs to be aware of. Moreover, most places are convenient for photography when the wind speed does not exceed 8 m/s or 18 mph. Wind speed that is 9 to 18 m/s or 20 to 40 mph makes photography a bit difficult and anything above that makes it almost impossible. To make things worse, the wind is never steady but fluctuates most of the time from constant speed to hectic high gusts. The wind speed also affects the photo if the subject is a lake with a spectacular reflection or any item like flowers or trees that move when using long exposure. When you arrive in Iceland, you need to check the weather in the morning and the next day. You can find fair and relatively accurate information about the weather in Iceland and the wind speed and direction at the Icelandic Met Office. Clothing and shoes, be prepared Needless to say, considering the unpredictable nature of the weather in Iceland, the right clothing is essential. There is no season in Iceland when you can don shorts and a t-shirt, except occasionally on random days during summer. If landscape photography is your primary purpose, you invariably need suitable clothing. If you plan to take photos in the Highland in the summer, you need to bear in mind that the altitude in the Highland is much higher than that by the coastline and the temperature is lower. To be secure and prepared for the unpredictable weather, you need to dress like you are going on a hike. You need at least two layers of clothing and reasonably good hiking shoes in summer and three layers plus a good, warm winter coat in autumn and winter. You always want to have an excellent rain-resistant coat handy. Crampons are also something you don’t want to forget in winter. Many places, especially those around waterfalls, become too slippery from late autumn through winter. Hiking is often required to visit interesting places It isn’t easy to take full advantage of all the great selections of landscape photography in Iceland unless you can walk with your gear a distance of at least 2–3 kilometers (1–2 miles). Good physical condition greatly enhances your selection of places to photograph because there are many fascinating natural wonders with no possibility of any motor vehicle transportation. This doesn’t mean that you need to be specifically athletic, but being in an average healthy condition for moderate walks and hikes increases your selection of interesting places. I could consider the example of Múlagljúfur canyon, which is an excellent place for photography with great foreground, background, and small waterfalls and a place that requires a hike of 3–4 miles, about 5 kilometers, and an elevation of 200 meters. A similar walk is needed when you visit Landmannalaugar and Hveradalir or a beautiful waterfall like Hengifoss. If you can’t opt for the short hikes, you still have a lot of options in Iceland, but mostly in the most common touristy places—places where you can take a photo almost when you step out of the car. If we observe the most popular photo communities like 500PX and Flickr, the largest number of pictures of any given place in Iceland is from one that does not require hiking. This includes places like Mt. Kirkjufell, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, Gullfoss, and Seljalandsfoss. This also means that there is a large selection of spectacular options for those who want to devote the extra time and effort to find spectacular places on the beaten path. Popular places in Iceland for landscape photography It is undoubtedly unique for a small island to have such a large selection of places to visit for photography. It is especially true when you add the short distance between many breathtaking locations and the variety of natural wonders available. Many of the most exciting places are also easily accessible, which is one reason they are popular. Most photographers that have published a list of interesting places to visit and photograph in Iceland limit their selection to those places. Places like Gullfoss (approximately 6000 photos on 500PX), Kirkjufell waterfall (approximately 9000 photos on 500PX), Seljalandsfoss (approximately 6000 photos on 500PX), and Skógafoss (approximately 9000 photos on 500PX) are probably the most renowned waterfalls in Iceland and almost always appear on such lists. They are within a comfortable driving range from Reykjavík, the capital, and part of a convenient day tour. All of them are spectacular natural wonders and a joy to visit and photograph. The waterfalls are part of two of the most popular day tours from Reykjavík, the Golden Circle, and the south shore. Other interesting places on these routes are the geyser Strokkur that erupts every 10 to 15 minutes and Þingvellir National Park, part of the Golden Circle and the Reynisfjara beach, Dyrhólaey arch, and Sólheimajökull glacier tongue, part of the south shore drive. Almost none of them requires any walking or hiking and you can start taking spectacular photos minutes after you step out of the car. These places also have multiple angles, as inventive and good photographers have shown. Although highly popular and often crowded with people, all of them have one thing in common: they are unique and spectacular and a good and creative photographer always delivers excellent shots. So, even for those who have limited time and resources, the most popular and touristy places are a good option. Here, you must remember that, in summer, we have daylight almost for 24 hours and the golden hour is between 11 PM and 1 AM, at a time when you can potentially have the most popular attractions to yourself. For photographers with time and resources, visiting many of the spectacular and unique places that few people visit is of course rewarding. But here is where your choice of season plays an important part when you visit Iceland for photography. Spring photography in Iceland Of all the four seasons, spring is probably the least interesting time to visit Iceland. This is the time from the end of March to the beginning of June when the temperature rises and snow from winter melts. Access to the Highland is closed and most dirt roads and gravel roads are muddy and difficult to drive along. The whole terrain soaks in water with the color of the landscape a monotonous brownish and gray. Despite all the downsides, there are many places you can visit and take interesting photos during spring. This is where the diversity of the Icelandic landscape kicks in. In addition to the Golden Circle and the south shore, which are available places to visit in spring and all year round, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Reykjanes Peninsula are both areas that offer a good selection of natural wonders during spring. You have a selection of waterfalls, spectacular places by the shoreline, towns and villages, glacier lagoons, glacier tongues, icebergs, geothermal hot springs, sometimes eruptions, and scenic drives in spring. Spring is when the golden hour befalls at a manageable time, early morning and early evening, and coincides with what most people would define as a regular 24-hour cycle. For example, there are many interesting places by the coast, both the south shore and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, where you can take incredible sunrise and sunset photos and fantastic long exposure shots. The weather is usually more stable with fewer storms and high winds. It is an overall convenient time to travel and take photos and more attractive compared to many places to visit for photography outside Iceland but less impressive than other seasons. Summer photography in Iceland All regions in Iceland around the coastline start blooming at the end of May as the days get longer and the weather warmer. The Highland, the spectacular center of the island, begins to open up with the highland roads opening up one after another from the middle of June to the middle of July. Summer is always an exciting time of year for landscape photographers in Iceland and remains highly rewarding until the end of August. The selection and diversity of places to visit and photograph and spots to enjoy nature are almost unlimited. The colors appear in a broad spectrum where nature offers almost all available hues in mountains, vegetation, rocks, lava, water, or any other form in the terrain. The sun adds to the light, the golden hours as described above open up great opportunities, overall weather conditions are much better, and all the roads are in good condition. You can easily travel between interesting places for 15 hours a day and always find a lot of interesting places to photograph for days and even weeks. It is a time when photographers hate to go to sleep. You can drive the spectacular scenic drive in the Westfjords and the East fjords. This is the time to visit places like Landmannalaugar, Hveradalir, Laki, Langisjór lake, and Askja in the Highland, places that offer unlimited photo opportunities, and many other unique sites that few people visit. It is a time when the positive effects of the season, the weather, the light, the long hours, and the road access are not only an adventure but also a challenge. It is a season of an overflow of opportunities and an enriching time of year for photographers to visit Iceland. The only downside is the intense light during the day that can best be overcome with filters or merely turning the night into day and vice versa. Autumn photography in Iceland I personally think autumn, the time between the end of August and the beginning of November, is the most interesting time for photography in Iceland. When a slight drop in temperature makes the sky much clearer, everything becomes crisp and the color contrast is more intense. Like spring, you have a manageable golden hour in the evening and early morning, making it an excellent time for sunrise and sunset photos. In many vegetated areas, the beautiful autumn colors enhance many sites in late September and October, adding to the color intensity. All fascinating places are easily accessible and even the most popular areas are not as crowded compared to summer. Most importantly, many interesting and beautiful places in the Highland are simply stunning in autumn, not to mention the thin layer of snow that appears on the mountaintops. It is a very photogenic period in Iceland and therefore a perfect time for photographers. Besides, other things make this time of year adventurous. From late August to September, we experience some of the most fascinating and powerful Northern Lights. Over many years, I have taken some of my favorite photos in the Highland at this time of the year. Anyone who is seriously aiming at photography in Iceland should visit the island in autumn. Winter photography in Iceland Several aspects make winter an attractive option for photographers to visit Iceland for a photo tour. First, if you live in a country or an area where you never experienced winter with snow, storms, and challenging weather, Iceland is the perfect place where you can find out how this feels and looks. Accordingly, a considerable portion of the photo work will deliver photos that are a bit dark and gloomy. Winter is not the time where shining, colorful images can be expected. It would help if you also remember that the days are short and the weather utterly unpredictable. It is even possible for you to get locked up in a hotel somewhere in any region for a few days without being able to take a single shot. But there is an advantage, although not flourishing with opportunities like summer. In winter, you have the possibility to see the spectacular Northern Lights, shoot many fascinating frozen waterfalls with out-of-this-world icicle formation, take a walk into unique ice caves to photograph, and explore the bottom of glaciers and frozen lakes. From late November to early February, the sun only shines for a few hours and crawls very low over the horizon, casting a phenomenal light on the landform. In some ways, it is an advantage as the light is quite colorful with yellows, purples, and pinks. This is particularly interesting if there is a layer of snow. If you plan to visit Iceland for a photo tour or photography work in the middle of the winter, you need to fully understand what to expect in daylight and in that weather. Otherwise, you are most likely up for major disappointment. Best photo gear for overall preparation, lenses, configuration, and filters Landscape photography is basically the art of combining a spectacular landform into “the rule of thirds” and adding an item in the foreground. Sounds simple, but it’s not. Most of the time when taking a landscape photo, you want to get close to the subject. At the same time, you want to capture an image with depth and sharpness. You want to place some exciting item in the foreground as a starting point for the eye. So, a good option when it comes to gear is a wide-angle lens of 14 mm to 18 mm. It is also convenient to have the opportunity to narrow the angle to 35 mm when maneuvering the shot. Besides, you also want to have your gear as light as possible as landscape photographers often hike or do a bit of walking to capture a particular subject. My recommendation for the best lens to put on your camera for overall landscape photography is a zoom lens of 14–24 mm or 16–35 mm (like the Nikon lens that is my favorite and probably the best lens Nikon has ever made). The lens aperture doesn’t necessarily need to be larger than f3.5 or f4 since you don’t need a fast lens in landscape photography. If you are shooting at a 125 or slower speed, try to use a tripod to enhance the sharpness. To capture a sharp photo, put the aperture at f/16 to f/22 and shoot on a tripod. You can set the configuration on aperture priority and shoot. Preferably use a manual setting and take several photos from s1/15 to s2 to 4 seconds. Most cameras and lenses would deliver good sharp images with this configuration. However, you might require a tripod and sometimes a three-stop filter, especially when you are in strong sunlight, less when in low light. You can go back home from a photo tour in Iceland with many great photos by only using any good camera by brands like Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Sony, or others, a 14–35 mm lens, a tripod, and a three- and a six-stop filleter. This applies to landscape photography and those who want to keep things simple or light and inspiring results beyond the average photographer. Many landscape photographers prefer the 24–70 mm lenses, but I always feel the need for a bit wider than 24 mm when standing in front of a spectacular landscape. The more I embrace with the lens, the better the story. Sometimes you see interesting things that require a better zoom than 35 mm or even 70 mm. So the other lens you should carry is 70 mm to 200 mm. Since photography in Iceland often requires hiking, fitting your gear in a 20–30-liter backpack is a good choice. With this gear, you can go a long way by taking great landscape photos in every corner of Iceland. Organizing your landscape photography tour is important Although a small island, Iceland is probably the most exciting country in the world for landscape photographers. Even though the weather is unpredictable, the sunlight often unavailable, and seasons might prevent you from visiting places of interest, the variety and number of natural wonders surpass those of all other countries. If you are interested in landscape photography, Iceland is probably already on your bucket list or at least on your radar. As you can see from this article, when organizing a photographic tour to Iceland, it is vital to understand all the forces that wake over the natural wonders and beautiful places, that affect your visit and how they define your options. One of the main premises is understanding the seasons and how each season defines and affects access to places you wish to visit. Another is to prepare for a different kind of weather and temperature. Studying the sites you want to visit and how to get there is also a good plan, especially since each stop for photography takes more time than just stepping out and taking a selfie like a regular tourist. A stop for a photographer usually takes about 30–60 minutes, deciding the angle, configuration, setting up a tripod, etc. The bottom line is that the better you organize your photographic tour in Iceland, the better the results will be.

Háifoss is one of the highest and most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland. It is not only a waterfall but a natural wonder with many features. Placed in a magnificent but relatively narrow gorge leading into the Icelandic Highland from the valley Þjórsárdalur, it is one of the major waterfall attractions in Iceland. It is fed by and is part of the river Fossá or ‘Waterfall River’. The volume is relatively steady but naturally varies between seasons. The height is impressive as it falls 122 meters down a two million-year-old cliff that displays layers of geological activity dating back millions of years. It is a beautiful sight from top to bottom. It is not a lonely waterfall as it has lived in the gorge with its dear friend and companion for thousands of years, the waterfall Granni or ‘Neighbor’. When you come to the parking lot, you see the waterfall from above: a spectacular display as the river falls into the canyon in two waterfalls. You can also hike down and view the waterfall and the canyon from below. When discovered, it was thought to be the highest waterfall in Europe The waterfall wasn't discovered until the first decade of the 20th century and was believed to be not only the highest waterfall in Iceland but also the highest in Europe. A natural scientist and geologist, Dr. Helgi Pjeturss, the first Icelander to obtain a Ph.D. in geology, wrote an article about the waterfall in the local paper Ísafold in July 1910 and named the waterfall Háifoss. Since then, the name has stuck. There were not many tourists traveling to view natural wonders at that time; the local people knew about the waterfall, but it was never a big deal for them, just another waterfall among a few others close by. Háifoss in winter In the winter, the waterfall is also a sculptor changing its appearance dramatically and building icicles and extraordinary ice forms around the cliffs for decoration only. Visiting Háifoss in winter is a different experience. Both the vapor and the water contribute to forming beautiful ice sculptures that pile up from bottom to top. It isn't easy to distinguish the water from the ice, and you will see many interesting forms. Visiting the waterfall in winter can be tricky as the road is packed with snow, and a modified 4X4 vehicle is needed. If you are interested in viewing the waterfall in winter, make sure to check the conditions of the road or find a tour company that specializes in Highland winter tours and remember that traveling in winter is much more complicated than in summer. Háifoss from below A totally different viewpoint for Háifoss and Granni is from below. The gorge and both waterfalls become completely different when you see them from that angle. There is a marked trail from the parking lot to the bottom of the canyon, and if you have time during your visit in the summer, from June until the middle of September, this is highly recommended. Even though Háifoss is defined as one natural wonder and as one waterfall, it can convey a different experience based on the time of the visit, how you view it, and like always in Iceland, how the weather is during your visit. Access is not complicated but might take some effort Access to this beautiful natural wonder is relatively easy, considering the location on the edge of the Highland. If you are traveling from Reykjavík, you take the Ring Road no. 1 east. After passing the town of Selfoss, you turn left onto Road no. 30 after approximately 16 kilometers. After 17 kilometers on Road no. 30, you turn right and east onto Road no. 32 and enter the great valley Þjórsárdalur, a place that is both rich in natural wonders and history. Ahead of you is a 45-kilometer drive to the 7-kilometer gravel road that leads to Háifoss. A road that is fine for any car during summer. Read my review I wrote as a Local Guide for Háifoss Waterfall

In recent years, Höfði House in the district of Laugardalur has become one of the significant landmarks in Reykjavík city, the capital of Iceland. And not without reason. It is famous for its history in Iceland and also internationally as a symbol referring to the end of the cold war after Ronald Reagan, president of the United States, and Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, had their famous meeting in the house in 1986. It is a meeting that many views as the end of the cold war and the fall of the Soviet Union but of course, that interpretation have come into question in recent years. Connected to the poet Mr. Einar Benediktsson In the minds of Icelanders, though, it is often linked to the poet and entrepreneur Einar Benediktsson (1864 -1940), although he only lived in the house for a few years. Mr. Benediktsson moved into the house with his family in 1914 and named the house, Höfði. He was a grand-scale entrepreneur who dreamed of things larger than life and, during his lifetime, filled his bag of experience with success stories, failures, and bankruptcy. But he was a person that Icelanders loved and admired. Einar was probably one of the first businesspeople in Iceland to find international funding for many of his failed enterprises. And most of the time lived like a King both in Iceland and abroad. But it was first and foremost the poet. The statue of Mr. Benediktsson Less than three decades after Mr. Benediktsson passed away in 1964, a statue of him was placed in a new small park by Klambratún in the district of Hlíðar. The statue was the work of Ásmundur Sveinsson, one of our most beloved sculptors. In 2015, the statue was moved to the lot by Höfði House and stood by the house near the ocean, where many Icelanders feel he belongs. The sculpture expresses a character that is larger than life and deserves a vast space and should be placed near a house that is connected to his life and name. A bit of a history The house was built in 1909 for the French Consul Jean Paul Brillouin, who the French government appointed at that time to look after the interest of French seamen fishing in Iceland. It was designed and built in Norway and assembled in Reykjavík. Rumor has it that the reason was that Brillouin's wife was Norwegian. This was at the same time all the newly renovated houses, the French hospital, and other houses were built in Fáskrúðsfjörður in the Eastern Region. At that point, the extravagant house was far from the main center and other places in the small town of Reykjavík. The house was also the home of a physician, Mr. Matthías Einarsson, father of one of the first female artists in Iceland with international recognition, Louisa Matthíasdóttir. During the second world war, it was the residence of the British consulate visited by Winston Churchill. After occupying the house for a few years, the consul sold it because of a ghost, "the woman in white," continually disturbing the people living there. The city of Reykjavík purchased the house in 1958. Since 1967 after a significant renovation, it has been the official reception for the city of Reykjavík. Find you way to Höfði house on the map above