Iceland 2026 - Gaia Photo Expeditions

Iceland

embark with us on an unforgettable journey to

Step off the beaten path. Focused on the remote heart of Iceland's Highlands, this is a voyage into the elemental soul of ice, fire, rivers, and sky. With Dani's local insights, we'll traverse geothermal ridges, braided glacial rivers, painted mountains, crater lakes, and the raw southern coastline. 2026 was a huge success, so we're coming back. This time under the midnight sun.

Hosted by Ricardo Braz, Leo Cavazzana and Dani Guindo

July 14th to 23rd, 2027

The trip

This trip is designed for people who want to experience Iceland beyond the tourist routes. We’ll venture deep into the Highlands: crossing rivers, exploring geothermal valleys, and hiking through dramatic volcanic landscapes — before heading south to iconic waterfalls, black sand beaches, and glacier lagoons.

Led by Gaia and our local co-host Dani Guindo, founder of Arctic Journeys, we’ll combine epic locations with hands-on photography guidance, meaningful connections, and time to create at your own pace.

We'll stay in comfortable hotels and guesthouses throughout, on a twin-share basis, with breakfast included in Reykjavik and in the South. Our trip is adventure-focused, so we'll do what we need to in terms of food along the way, according to the best light. During our five days at the highland guesthouse near Hella, we'll we cook for ourselves - more on that below.

For this adventure, we'll be traveling in a Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 35" – 16-seater, fully equipped to take on the wild Icelandic terrain in comfort and safety. This beast of a van gives us full access to the most remote highland roads, river crossings, and mountain passes, while keeping things spacious and smooth. It's the perfect vehicle for a creative road trip: enough space for your gear, your crew, and your ideas.

Who is this trip for?

This trip is for creators, adventurers, and nature lovers who want to experience Iceland with intention. Whether you’re into photography, filmmaking, or just love stunning landscapes and raw nature, this journey is crafted to give you access to places that inspire and space to create freely.

Itinerary

Day 1 – July 13th - Arrival in Reykjavík

Settle into Iceland’s capital and explore at your own pace. In the evening, we’ll gather for a welcome dinner and talk through the days ahead.

Overnight: Fosshotel Reykjavík

Day 2 – July 14th – Into the Highlands

We leave Reykjavík behind and head toward our highland base, a guesthouse just outside Hella. This is home for the next five days: a big house with no food service, where we'll cook our own meals (we'll stock up before heading in, and we'll have the chance to eat out for a lunch or dinner on a couple of days). Everyone has their own private room, with shared bathrooms and a shared kitchen. It's the perfect base to explore the Highlands from, and to get to know each other, edit, and cook together.

Days 3 -6 – July 16th-19th – Exploring the Highlands

Four days based out of our guesthouse near Hella, dedicated to exploring the wild heart of the Highlands. Depending on conditions, this may include the geothermal wonderland of Kerlingarfjöll, the waterfalls and canyons of Þjórsárdalur Valley (Hjálparfoss, Háifoss, Gjáin), the colorful rhyolite mountains and hot springs of Landmannalaugar and the Hekla region, and the otherworldly crater lakes of Veiðivötn. We'll also build in free mornings and afternoons to slow down: rest, edit your photos and footage, and cook together as a group.

Day 7 – July 20th – Highlands to Southeast

We make our way south, with stops along the way - maybe Eldgjá and Fjaðrárgljúfur canyons, or black sand beaches and glaciers, depending on conditions and time.

Day 8 – July 21st – South Coast Highlights

We drive around the southeast Iceland for a full day exploring glaciers, icebergs, and black sand shores, including Jökulsárlón, Diamond Beach, Skaftafell, and Stokness.

Day 9 – Back to Reykjavik.

On the drive back, we stop at Iceland's greatest hits: Reynisfjara beach, Dyrhólaey cliffs, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, and also at some glacial rivers for droning. Return to the city in the evening.

Day 10 – July 23rd – Departure

Check out at 10am and transfer to the airport. Add extra nights if you want to stay and explore more on your own.

Photographic equipment

There is no mandatory equipment - what you have is enough! That said, below is a list of equipment and accessories that, if you have them, will provide a better photographic experience. Remember that, on trips like this, we can always share material and equipment so that we all have an incredible experience!

Camera body;
Lenses: a 24-70 or equivalent will get you covered for most of the trip, but also wide-angle lenses for night photography, and tele lenses for compressed shots work well in Iceland - we recommend taking all you have!
Drone (use is permitted in most places we will visit);
Tripod;
Extra batteries;
Memory Cards;
Cables and chargers;
Polarizing/ND filter;
HD or SSD for storage;
Laptop (preferably with Lightroom, Photoshop and DaVinci or Premiere Pro installed);
External battery.

Investment

The price of the trip is 5740 USD.

5% discount for Early Bird bookings (until December 31st, 2026)

Use code "ICELAND5" when checking out.

Payment options:

Deposit of 1500$ to secure reservations and monthly installments until the date of travel.

What's included:
- All accommodations with Wi-Fi in double rooms (for single rooms, there will be an extra fee if available).
- All tours, activities and entrance fees; (unless listed as optional)
- Transportation within Iceland;
- Photography guidance with Ricardo, Leo and Dani.

What's not included:
- Flight tickets;
- Airport transfers (can be arranged)
- Health insurance;
- Equipment insurance;
- Drinks;
- Personal expenses such as laundry, souvenirs, SIM cards, snacks, etc.
- Optional tours and activities.

*We advise you not to don't buy your flight ticket until the trip is confirmed by us, or buy it with a flexible fare!*

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