01 / THE PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY
Go beyond the view.
Iceland's Highlands are acclaimed as an ultimate once-in-a-lifetime destination for photographers: an exceptionally remote and rare place whose extraordinary landscapes seem beyond Earth itself. At the transition from summer to autumn in 2027, instructor Ou Haichun will lead you into this 'otherworldly sanctuary' to capture an epic of light and shadow unique to the Highlands. Most people associate Iceland with the busy Golden Circle, unaware that the Highlands are the country's soul. There are no crowded tour groups here, only immense tundra, colorful volcanic rock, solitary waterfalls, and tranquil glacial lakes. Every step reveals raw scenery untouched by excessive development. More unusually, the Highlands open only briefly at the transition from summer to autumn, approximately August–September; miss it and you must wait a full year. This limited seasonal access makes every photograph taken here a unique treasure.
About the route
Iceland's Highlands are acclaimed as an ultimate once-in-a-lifetime destination for photographers: an exceptionally remote and rare place whose extraordinary landscapes seem beyond Earth itself. At the transition from summer to autumn in 2027, instructor Ou Haichun will lead you into this 'otherworldly sanctuary' to capture an epic of light and shadow unique to the Highlands. PART A rare itinerary timed for the prime access season Most people associate Iceland with the busy Golden Circle, unaware that the Highlands are the country's soul. There are no crowded tour groups here, only immense tundra, colorful volcanic rock, solitary waterfalls, and tranquil glacial lakes. Every step reveals raw scenery untouched by excessive development. More unusually, the Highlands open only briefly at the transition from summer to autumn, approximately August–September; miss it and you must wait a full year. This limited seasonal access makes every photograph taken here a unique treasure. PART Specialist off-road vehicles open up hidden landscapes Travel by off-road vehicle throughout. Iceland's Highlands can only be entered in off-road vehicles and include several water crossings. To make the most of photography opportunities, each vehicle carries 3 participants, providing comfort, agility, and flexibility to stop and shoot whenever a golden moment appears.
The journey in pictures
Leading photographers: OWEN ou →
Destination illustrations · select a photo to explore
02 / IN GOOD COMPANY
A different way of seeing.
Leading photographers
OWEN ou · View photographer profile →
OWEN ou
Graduated from the Photography Department of South China Normal University in 2009. Specializes in landscapes, property environments and commercial portraiture. He has worked with the Shenzhen procuratorate, land bureau, Shenzhen Library, cultural centres, China Merchants Bank, Standard Chartered, Agricultural Bank of China, China Telecom, China Mobile, Guosen Securities, Topway Video, and BMW and Porsche owners' clubs. Photography journeys He regularly leads organizations and photography schools on trips to the Balkans, Iceland, Germany, Greenland, Cuba, South Korea, Canada, Kenya, Laos, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Morocco, Mexico, Namibia, Nepal, Japan, Chiang Mai, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, Semporna and New Zealand. Chinese destinations include Anhui, Beijing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Sichuan, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Yunnan and Zhejiang. Selected awards Outstanding Work award at the 2009 Pingyao International Photography Festival; silver in the art category of the 2014 Guangdong provincial exhibition; gold in the monochrome category of the 2014 Al-Thani International Photography Competition; Zeyida Photography Club's 2022 Outstanding Instructor award and a 2023 instructor appointment issued in 2022; Fujifilm's 2022–23 Club Gardener Award, received in 2023.
03 / THE DAYS AHEAD
A rhythm shaped by light.
Shooting locations, accommodation and transport are subject to confirmation before departure and may change with the weather.
Note: this itinerary is for reference only. Actual arrangements may be adjusted according to local weather, transport and other conditions.
Itinerary dates and text times without their own zone use: Atlantic/Reykjavik。Exact times use your selected timezone; dates alone and descriptions such as “morning” are not converted.
DAY 01Jul 7 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 1: July 7 — Depart from China
Reference flights: July 7: Hong Kong–Helsinki AY100/20:55/05:35+1 day
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 02Jul 8 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 2: July 8
Arrive in Reykjavík, airport pickup, and check-in Reference flights: July 8: Helsinki–Reykjavík AY991/07:10/07:50
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 03Jul 9 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 3: July 9
Photograph Gullfoss, then enter Kerlingarfjöll (the steaming mountains) for photography
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 04Jul 10 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 4: July 10
Photograph the inland Highlands' volcanic group at Jila volcano (Apple Crater, Landmannalaugar, braided waterways, Háifoss)
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 05Jul 11 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 5: July 11
Venture deeper into the Highlands to photograph Langisjór lake
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 06Jul 12 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 6: July 12
Photography deep in the Highlands: Ófærufoss waterfall and tundra
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 07Jul 13 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 7: July 13
Photograph Þórsmörk in the inland Highlands and the Mælifell circuit
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 08Jul 14 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 8: July 14
Photograph the Laki volcanic group
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 09Jul 15 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 9: July 15
Photograph spectacular braided rivers and dreamlike colorful waterways
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 10Jul 16 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 10: July 16
Puffins, black-sand beach, and return to Reykjavík
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 11Jul 17 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 11: July 17 — Airport transfer in Reykjavík
Reference flights: July 17: Reykjavík–Helsinki AY994/17:15/23:40
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 12Jul 18 · Atlantic/ReykjavikDay 12: July 18 — Arrive home
Reference flights: July 18: Helsinki–Hong Kong AY099/00:35/17:40
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefWhere we stay
To be confirmed by the operator
Getting there
The instructor's outbound and return flights are: [Outbound] July 7: Hong Kong–Helsinki AY100/20:55/05:35+1 day July 8: Helsinki–Reykjavík AY991/07:10/07:50 [Return] July 17: Reykjavík–Helsinki AY994/17:15/23:40 July 18: Helsinki–Hong Kong AY099/00:35/17:40 Before booking transport, please confirm the departure and travel arrangements through this website.
04 / A CLEAR PICTURE
Know what is included.
Platform service fee to be confirmed
Deposit USD 5,972.25 Original CNY 40,000 · Reference rates 2026-09-18 · Frankfurter / person
Included
1. Standard twin rooms at four-star hotels or the highest-rated local hotels throughout
2. All meals throughout;
3. Off-road vehicle transportation throughout, 3 participants per vehicle;
4. All overtime charges throughout;
5. Driver and guide tips throughout;
6. Mobile power supplied in vehicles throughout the Highlands (one 2 kWh portable power unit per vehicle);
7. Services of excellent local Chinese- and English-speaking driver-guides throughout;
8. Photography instruction and service fees for the accompanying instructor throughout;
9. International travel insurance with high coverage;
10. Drinking water supplied daily for each person; waste is not permitted.
Not included
1. Round-trip international airfare and taxes between participants' departure points and Iceland;
2. Tourist visa and visa service fees (the organizing team can handle applications on your behalf);
3. A single-room supplement for the whole trip is required if a male or female participant has no roommate, or requests a single room;
5. Any other additional expenses not expressly listed under inclusions;
Service fees, supplements, taxes and the final total are subject to written confirmation.
05 / BEFORE YOU GO
Clarity before departure.
Availability and registration
This website accepts expressions of interest in this trip and does not synchronize the operator's remaining places in real time. Please contact us to confirm group departure, availability, the final quotation and booking conditions.
Cancellation and breach provisions (source text)
Before departure, participants and the organizing team may sign a written travel contract or give notice terminating the trip agreement. The contract is legally binding. If termination is requested more than 120 days before departure, excluding day 90, neither party is liable for breach. Days are calculated by subtracting the date the termination notice is received from the departure date; the same calculation applies below. If the organizing team terminates, all travel fees must be refunded without deducting visa or entry-permit fees. If a participant terminates after a visa or entry permit has been processed or a flight purchased, the relevant visa, entry-permit and flight cancellation charges are deducted. The organizing team must refund the travel fees within 5 working days of receiving the termination notice. If either party terminates within 120 days of departure, including day 120, the terminating party bears liability for breach. [Participant liability] Participants terminating the agreement within 120 days of departure must pay the organizing team a business-loss charge according to the following schedule: 119 to 90 days before departure: 10% of the total trip fee; 89 to 60 days before departure: 40% of the total trip fee; 59 to 30 days before departure: 70% of the total trip fee; 29 to 1 days before departure: 100% of the total trip fee; Failure to pay the agreed deposit percentage by the deadline is treated as voluntarily relinquishing the charter of this vessel; If these percentages do not cover the organizing team's actual losses, the participant must compensate the actual losses, up to the total trip fee. After deducting the business-loss charge, the organizing team must refund the remaining travel fees within 5 working days of receiving the participant's cancellation notice.
Fitness, equipment and conditions
Equipment and fitness requirements will be provided by the operator.