Day 1 – Arrival

You travel individually to Leknes in the Lofoten Islands. We will be happy to inform you in good time about suitable flight connections. You will be met at the airport and 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, you will make your first photo stops en route and take pictures of unspoilt, secluded beaches in the most beautiful winter landscape.

In the late afternoon, you check into a rorbu in Reine.

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

We spend two full days in the west of Lofoten. You will visit and photograph picturesque villages and landscapes and of course some of the well-known beautiful beaches. If the weather is good, we will take you to a beautiful spot in Reine every morning to photograph the sunrise. Reine is known for its fantastic photo opportunities and breathtaking scenery with the mountain peak rising steeply out of the fjord.

You will spend the day looking for great locations to photograph the wintry Lofoten in the best light. Among other things, you will photograph fantastic beaches with structures and patterns in the black sand. At sunset, we will take you to another beautiful location where the last rays of the sun behind the distant mountain range provide a perfect photo motif.

As our photo guide Cody Duncan lives in Lofoten himself, we are guaranteed to take you to the best photo spots at the right time.

After dinner you will drive to one of the beautiful beaches – if the forecast is favourable – to take spectacular pictures of the Northern Lights.

Day 4 to 6 – Let’s go East

After a final early morning shoot around Reine, we head east. You move into another charming rorbu. Over the next few days, you will visit and photograph a number of fantastic beaches. All of them are beautifully situated and extremely photogenic.

Thanks to the small group size, we can cater to your individual needs and discuss photographic topics of your choice and put them into practice straight away (e.g. long exposures, use of filters, photography at night, etc.).

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

The photo tour ends today. Depending on the weather and departure times, there will be one last photo session. You will be driven to the airport in Leknes in good time for your onward or homeward journey.

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 (depending on Rorbu).

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.

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). Our guests receive extensive travel documents with detailed recommendations on equipment and clothing before the trip.

Fitness level

You have a good basic level of fitness to be able to undertake short hikes to the photo locations (approx. 5 – 45 minutes depending on the location). In winter, the photo locations are sometimes reached over 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 program on site at short notice in order to be able to deal with the respective weather and light conditions. In order to capture images at the right time and with the best light during the golden and blue hour, we will be out and about especially during the times of sunrise and sunset. In between, during noon or in the afternoon, you will have free time to rest a little, explore the surroundings or, if you wish, take part in picture reviews and tutorials. If you wish or if fantastic weather and light moods arise, we can also include another photo session in the afternoon.

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).