Day 1 – Travel to the Lofoten

You travel individually to Leknes in the Lofoten Islands. There are good flight connections from Oslo with SAS or Wideroe. You should arrive at Leknes airport no later than 14:00. You will then travel by minivan to your accommodation in Reine. Reine is a very picturesque village and one of the most beautiful places in Norway. If the light is good on the journey, we will stop for the first photo stops and visit the beaches of Myrland and Storsandnes.

We check into our Rorbuer in the late afternoon.

Day 2 and 3 – Out and about in the west of the Lofoten

We spend two full days in the west of Lofoten. We visit and photograph picturesque villages and landscapes and of course some of the well-known beautiful beaches. If the weather is nice, we will take you to a beautiful spot in Reine every morning to photograph the sunrise. Reine is known for its fantastic photo opportunities, such as the distinctive mountain peak Olstind, which rises steeply out of the fjord. We spend the day looking for great locations to photograph the wintry Lofoten in the best light. Among other things, you will visit the last village in Lofoten, Å, at sunset. Here you will photograph the sun setting behind the distant mountain range. You will also visit the fantastic beaches of Flakstadøy, which are known for their great photo opportunities, such as Skagsanden beach with its structures and patterns in the black sand.

Since our professional photo guide Cody Duncan has been travelling the Lofoten for many years and has been living there recently, we can guarantee you that you will be able to visit the very best photo spots in the area.

After each dinner we drive – providing good weather forecasts – to one of the superb beaches and wait for the sparkling Northern Lights to appear in the night sky.

Day 4 to 6 – Let’s go East

After a last early morning photo shooting in the area of Reine, we head into the eastern part of the Lofoten Islands. You check in to your new accommodation. During the next few days, we visit and capture images of various very scenic and photogenic beaches. These beaches are in the area of Vestvågøy. We travel for example to the beaches of Haukland, Vik, Uttakleiv and Unstad, which are all located in the most spectacular area.

Due to the small size of the group, we are able to focus on your individual needs and requirements in the best possible way. You have the opportunity to discuss with us photographic topics of your personal choice and immediately put them into practice. These topics could be for example the technique of long exposure photography, the use of photographic filters and/or night-time photography. We also have time for individual image discussion and photo feedback.

On short hiking trails we reach the best locations in the late afternoon for the best view of the glowing sun setting behind the magnificent mountain range.

Upon return to our accommodation and after dinner we are of course looking out further for more Northern Lights.

Day 7 – End of the photo tour

After a last photo session in the morning you are transferred to the airport of Leknes for your journey back home. The flights to Oslo leave around midday or early afternoon.

Accommodation

The rooms are located in rorbuer cabins with 1 to 4 rooms (1 to max. 4 guests per cabin). Each cabin has a shared kitchen, seating area, dining area and bathroom.

Language

The photo tour guide speaks English and German (from 6 guests).

Participants

On this trip you will be travelling with like-minded people who love nature and photography and want to deepen their own photography skills.

Travel by airplane

Leknes on the Lofoten Islands can be reached very well from Oslo by air travel with SAS or Wideroe. The flights, which are best coordinated with the photo tour, will be communicated as soon as they are available for booking. For these flights the transfer to and from the airport is included in the price. If requested, we are more than happy to assist you with the booking of the flights.

Weather

Due to the warm Gulf stream, the climate of the Lofoten is a lot milder than in other regions on the same latitude, like for example Alaska or Greenland. The coastal climate on the Lofoten is responsible for mild winters. In winter, the weather can be very inconsistent as well. During this time of the year, storms and a lot of clouds are often possible. But especially these changing weather conditions can be very thrilling for photographing landscapes. Fantastic light situations come into life and the images immediately obtain a more dramatic mood.

Northern Lights

The winter, especially January and February, is the best time to see famous Aurora Borealis. In order to be able to photograph the Northern Lights, the sky needs to be clear. We will continuously follow the weather forecasts and in good weather conditions we will look out for the dazzling lights. The polar lights can appear at any time, but most likely between 20:00 and 01:00. The best chances are between approx. 22:00 and 23:00 (autumn/winter).

Clothing

The weather conditions on the Lofoten can be very inconsistent also in winter. The average temperature in February is around -1 degree. Prefer to pack clothing made of cotton instead of polyester and remember to protect yourself from rain, snow and wind. We therefore recommend warm, breathable and functional clothing in various layers „onion style“. The clothing should dry quickly, transport humidity and sweat to the outside and keep you dry and comfortable inside without losing the warmth of the body. Equally important are well worn winter or hiking boots with a good sole. To protect yourself against snow, wind and rain, it is important in any case that the most outside clothing layer (top and bottom) is waterproof. At this time of the year, it is absolute essential to pack long underwear, gloves, beanie, scarf and woollen/warm socks (best to wear 2 socks on top of each other).

Fitness level

The trip does not require any special physical requirements. However, you should be fit enough to take part in short hikes to the photo locations (approx. 5 – 45 minutes depending on the location). In winter, the photo locations are sometimes reached via frozen ground and/or stones. We recommend using spikes or ice claws on your shoes.

Photo tour itinerary

We will put together the exact daily programme on site at short notice in order to be able to deal with the respective weather and light conditions. To make sure you can capture shots at the right time with the right light in the golden and blue hours, we will be outside especially during the sunrise and sunset times. In between, during lunch or in the afternoon, you will have free time to take a rest, explore the surroundings or take part in photo discussions and tutorials. If fantastic weather and lighting conditions arises, we can also add another photo session in the afternoon. During the photo tour, sunrise is approximately between 7:10 am and 7:40 am and sunset is approximately between 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm.

Half double room

Single travellers can book half of a double room. If there is no other guest who wants to share the room, the single room surcharge will apply.

Insurance

We strongly advise you to purchase insurance for cancellation and return journey costs, which will be needed in the event of a secluded region being evacuated, a local hospital stay or return travel costs to your home country.

Travel information FDFA

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) regularly publishes information on countries where there are potential security or other risks. The FDFA’s travel advice is based on its own sources of information that are considered to be trustworthy. This travel advice can be found on the FDFA website: www.eda.admin.ch

The Terms and Conditions

TCs of Amazing Views Adventure Tours apply, as well as all other conditions which are listed in the descriptions for the respective trips.

Prices

Prices are subject to change (in particular due to exchange rate fluctuations).