Grimsey – 2027/28

Tours

Midnight Sun Puffins, Arctic Seabirds and a Private Humpback Whale Watching Tour

Join award-winning photographers David Gibbon and Kevin Morgans for a truly unique expedition to the Land of the Midnight Sun. Our trip focuses on Grimsey Island, the only part of Iceland that lies within the Arctic Circle. This is a land of 24-hour daylight during the height of summer, a rare phenomenon that provides endless hours of exquisite light for photography.

This tour is timed to coincide with the peak of the seabird season, and Grimsey is home to over 200,000 Atlantic Puffins. Although puffin populations are in decline across Europe, they are increasing on Grimsey, making it one of the best locations to photograph them.

Beyond the puffins, the island is a dream for wildlife photographers, with Northern Fulmars, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Snow Buntings, Razorbills, Red-necked Phalaropes, Waders and nesting Arctic Terns. You will even find native Icelandic horses roaming the island’s interior.

Exclusive to this adventure is a privately chartered RIB to explore a beautiful fjord in search of Humpback Whales in their summer feeding grounds. This is arguably the best location in Iceland to photograph these majestic animals, and previous trips have consistently delivered awe-inspiring encounters. Humpback Whales are also likely to appear on the private boat crossing for our Arctic Fox Cubs expedition on Hornstrandir, which runs in the same midsummer window.

Do not miss this incredible spectacle – climb aboard for an unforgettable adventure in 2027 & 2028!

Tour Info

  • Key Locations: Grimsey, Akureyri, Dalvik
  • Start/End Point: The trip starts and ends in Akureyri, Iceland
  • Photography Targets:
  • Atlantic Puffin
  • Humpback Whale
  • Midnight Sun
  • Red-necked Phalarope
  • Wader
  • Target Audience: Beginner and Pro Photographers, Non Photographers, Adventurers
  • Fitness Level: Reasonably Fit: Involves longer days, potentially uneven terrain, and comfort with being active in varying conditions
  • Coolest Temperature Rating: 7°C (Note: coastal winds can make it feel much colder)
  • Clothing: Iceland is not as cold as many imagine, but we will advise you on what clothing you need to bring once you book the trip
  • Group Size: Max 5
A group of seven smiling clients and guides sitting around a long dining table, raising their glasses and drinks for a toast.

Your Accommodation

Our home for five days on Grimsey Island will be a comfortable and clean guesthouse. Each guest will have their own room, or guests travelling together can share a larger room. The guesthouse is booked exclusively for our group, providing a flexible and excellent base for our workshop. Breakfast and lunch will be enjoyed in the guesthouse kitchen, while evening meals – renowned for their quality and freshly caught Icelandic cod – will be served at Grimsey’s only restaurant. Various diets can be catered for.

Pricing Overview

  • Price: £4,250 per person
  • What’s Included:
  • Two nights in Akureyri – hotel accommodation at the start and end of the expedition
  • Five nights accommodation on Grimsey Island
  • All meals included – from the first evening to the final breakfast
  • Return ferry crossing from Dalvik to Grimsey
  • Taxi transportation
  • Privately chartered Midnight Sun Humpback Whale Tour
  • Photography tuition
  • Expert knowledge of Iceland and the logistics needed to find its beautiful wildlife and landscapes
  • What’s Not Included:
  • Personal expenses
  • International flights (we will advise you on what to book)
  • Alcohol and snacks
  • Photography gear
  • Travel insurance (you must take this out before travelling with us)
  • Tour Date: July 6 – July 13, 2027 (Spaces Left: Sold Out)
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  • Tour Date 2: June 22 – June 29, 2028 (Spaces Left: 3)
An Atlantic Puffin bathed in glowing, golden-orange light, holding a large mouthful of small, silver sand eels in its colourful beak.
A silhouette of a single puffin standing on a grassy ridge against the massive, glowing orb of a midnight sun in an orange-and-black sky.
The dark silhouette of an Atlantic Puffin perched against a dramatic, out-of-focus background of fiery orange sunset circles.

Secure Your Place in the Wild Today

With spaces extremely limited, don’t miss your chance to capture iconic wildlife and breathtaking landscapes.

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Tour Co-Leader: David Gibbon

David Gibbon, owner of Wild Lens Nature Tours Ltd., brings extensive High Arctic experience, having ventured to Ellesmere Island twice – the closest landmass to the North Pole – living in temperatures below -50 degrees to photograph iconic Arctic wildlife. An acclaimed photographer, he has been awarded twice in the prestigious Nature Photographer of the Year and in Travel Photographer of the Year for his Arctic images.

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Tour leader David Gibbon, wearing a white knitted beanie, a black neck warmer, a brown puffer jacket, and a black backpack on his shoulders, stands in a snowy mountain valley, looking to the left. The sun casts shadows on the rocky slopes behind him.
Tour guide Kevin Morgans lies on his stomach on a rocky landscape admiring a puffin that is standing in front of him.

Tour Co-Leader: Kevin Morgans

Kevin Morgans is an award-winning wildlife photographer and author of the book Puffins: Life on the Atlantic Edge. He recently won the prestigious portfolio prize in Bird Photographer of the Year for his work with Atlantic Puffins.

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Grimsey – 2027/28 Gallery

  • The silhouette of a puffin perched on a dark, grassy ridge, framed directly in front of a bright, glowing sun and a vivid orange sky.
  • An Atlantic puffin standing on green grass with its wings outstretched and flapping against a clear blue sky.
  • A small, fluffy brown and white bird chick with wide black eyes, standing low to the ground on dark pebbles against a soft, out-of-focus green background.
  • A puffin in mid-flight with its wings fully extended, dramatically back-lit by a warm, golden sunset, causing the feathers to glow against the dark, blurred background of a cliff face.
  • Two Atlantic Puffins facing each other about to touch beaks, framed by a soft, bright yellow foreground of out-of-focus flowers against a dark background.
  • A macro close-up of dense, dark black puffin feathers beaded with heavy, clear water droplets.
  • The dark silhouette of an Atlantic Puffin holding a beak full of sand eels, set against a dramatic background of large, glowing orange bokeh circles.
  • Tour guide Kevin Morgans sits on a grassy slope with a colony of Atlantic puffins.
  • An Atlantic Puffin resting on a patch of autumn-colored grass during a rainstorm, looking to the side against a soft green background.
  • An Atlantic Puffin completely immersed in an intense, hazy golden-orange light.
  • An Atlantic puffin standing in green grass with several small silver fish in its brightly colored beak.
  • An Atlantic Puffin standing on sunlit golden grass with its wings spread wide, sharply backlit by the sun against a dark, contrasting background.
  • An Atlantic Puffin vigorously shaking its head in the rain, sending a distinct, circular spray of water droplets spinning into the air.
  • An Atlantic puffin looking forward, partially obscured by a blurred, warm golden foreground.
  • A Red-Necked Phalarope with a dark grey head, white cheeks, and a reddish-orange neck band, floats in calm blue water, looking directly forward.
  • An Arctic Tern in flight, viewed from below, with its white wings spread wide against a bright blue sky with white clouds. Its red beak is open.

Tour FAQs

It starts and ends in Akureyri, northern Iceland.

Yes, we book a single hotel room for you and take you out for dinner.

Very likely - we have 100% success rate so far.

You book a flight from Reykjavik Domestic Airport via the Icelandair website at www.icelandair.com.

When you land at Keflavik airport and collect your luggage in arrivals, you will walk through an Exit into Iceland. You will then see a kiosk for the Flybus. You go there and tell the cashier you want to buy a ticket to the domestic airport. The bus takes 45 minutes to reach the BSI Bus Terminal in Reykjavik. When you arrive here, you change onto a mini bus. If you have a pink ticket, get on board the mini bus showing pink in its window. If it’s blue, get on the bus showing blue etc. You will then be dropped off at the domestic airport.

Yes, when you reach the BSI Bus Terminal there are luggage lockers there. You can also walk into Reykjavik centre from there - it takes around 10 to 15 minutes.

Even in summer, Grimsey is cold often dropping below 0°C. As such, you need to take a warm waterproof jacket, jumpers, t-shirts (sometimes it is warmer), waterproof trousers and a warm waterproof hat and gloves.

The ideal lens is something like a 100-500mm lens on a full frame camera, as this allows you to capture both close-ups and environment shots.

Yes, there are three shops on Grimsey Island. One sells snacks and groceries, one sells beautiful handmade souvenirs and one sells handmade ceramics. All accept credit cards for payment.

You can check in one bag up to 23kg, take one bag on board up to 10kg and also carry a personal item. We have taken 12kg on board without any problem, but it depends on who checks you in. One trick is to take out your camera and lens and carry it as a personal item to lower the weight of your bag.

Your Money is in Safe Hands

Wild Lens Nature Tours Ltd. safeguards your trip deposits and balances in a dedicated trust account with Protected Trust Services (PTS), a leading provider of financial protection for UK travel companies.

Additionally, our comprehensive supplier failure insurance protects your investment if any of the ground agents or service providers we partner with fail to deliver the services you’ve paid for.

Financial Protection
Protected Trust Services logo for Wild Lens Nature Tours Ltd, Member No 6239.
Read reviews for Wild Lens Nature Tours on Trustpilot.
  • “The scenery, wildlife and company were all exceptional and without doubt has been one of the highlights of my photography journey. It was a tour I will never forget and would thoroughly recommend.”
    Miles
    Mongolia Tour

See what our clients are saying

  • “Overall, an excellent holiday which we shared with an amazing group of fellow photographers – well organised and very enjoyable. We have returned home with a wealth of photographs and many happy memories.”
    Peter Wyles
    Iceland Tour
  • “I came back home with lots of incredible shots, lots of great memories and new friends. I would definitely recommend everyone to join Wild Lens Nature Tours for any of their very well tailored trips for nature photographers.”
    Mohammad Murad
    Mongolia Tour
  • “You truly are in the hands of a professional world class team who take zero short cuts and always look after the group. I would not trust anyone else with my safety and security on an epic adventure expedition like this.”
    Brian Brooking
    Greenland Tour
  • “It was a truly special experience. We saw Arctic foxes regularly, and importantly there is no baiting, so we observed and photographed natural behaviours which made the experience far more authentic and rewarding.”
    F Stevens
    Iceland Tour
Read All Reviews

Booking & Logistics FAQs

To secure your place on any of our expeditions, please get in touch via our Book Tour page or email us directly. We require a 25% non-refundable deposit to secure your booking. The remaining balance is due 90 days before the tour departure date.

Yes, completely. In strict accordance with UK travel law, all client payments are securely held in a dedicated trust account. Furthermore, all bookings are protected by supplier failure insurance. Should any of our partners be unable to fulfil their obligations due to unforeseen circumstances, you will be reimbursed for all prepaid services.

Wildlife photography often requires operating in unpredictable environments. If severe weather or transport disruptions alter our itinerary, our guides are highly experienced at adapting logistics on the fly to ensure your safety and maximise your photographic opportunities. We always recommend reviewing our booking terms for specific policy details regarding major weather events.

Not at all. Our expeditions are designed for beginner and professional photographers alike, as well as adventurous non-photographers. You will have access to highly tailored, one-to-one tuition in the field regardless of your current skill level.

No, travel insurance is not included. Due to the remote nature of our destinations, it is a mandatory condition of booking that you take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy before departing with us.

Simply visit our Contact page and follow the instructions. You can also contact us directly by phone or email, and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.

A black camera backpack is open on a rocky, snow-covered ground, revealing a professional camera body and telephoto lens inside. The background is a rocky mountain valley under a partly cloudy blue sky.

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