GREENLAND PHOTO ADVENTURE, CO-LED BY MARK MCCOLL

IMPORTANT NOTE: Mark McColl is taking bookings for this trip. if you'd like a place, email Mark at markmccollphotography@gmail.com and he will send you details of how to book.

Join myself and Mark McColl on an unforgettable photography adventure in Western Greenland, where we will explore the UNESCO world heritage Ilulissat Ice fjord and Disko Bay areas.

Situated at a latitude of 69 degrees north, Ilulissat sits above the arctic circle, and is ice-bound for much of the winter months. The population is just under 5000, the town itself is relatively compact, and can largely be explored on foot. The neighbouring Sermeq Kujalleq glacier is one of the most active glaciers in the world and calves the enormous icebergs that transit into Disko bay. Some of these icebergs are up to 100m in height. Many of the buildings in Ilulissat are vividly coloured and make great photographic subjects against the backdrop of the adjacent icebergs. There are also numerous Greenlandic huskies on the outskirts of town that are very photogenic with a long lens. 

Exploring this area in summer means that the climate is generally milder, daylight is much longer, the huge ice bergs of Disko Bay are more readily accessible to photograph, and humpback whales are fairly abundant. As well as photographing the beautiful icebergs by boat as the evening light evolves, we also have a high chance of encountering humpback whales. We will incorporate a specific whale watching trip to try to capture the iconic humpback tail as the whale dives. It is also possible to see whales close to shore – on a recent trip, Mark was fortunate to get close to whales on 4 occasions, and was able to not only photograph them but also capture some aerial shots / video with a drone.

Outline itinerary (not fixed, and weather dependent) 

Day 1 – Arrive in Ilulissat, explore the town on foot, photographing the colourful buildings. Possible sunset at the Ice fjord (weather dependent). The light here at sunset can be really beautiful, and whales sometimes feed here. 

Day 2 – The main focus will be a private 3 hour evening ice berg tour by small boat in Disko bay. Our captain will try to get us to some beautiful photographic locations and we will have the boat to ourselves. The timing of the boat trip will coincide with golden hour, so that we can hopefully shoot with soft light and some colour in the sky 

Day 3 – OPossible evening boat trip to explore a neighbouring small village that was once used by whalers. There are lots of small colourful buildings set against a backdrop of icebergs that make great photographic subjects. 

Day 4 - We'll do some more exploring of Ilulissat by foot, and shoot sunset / sunrise locally depending on the weather conditions 

Day 5 – An evening 4 hour whale watching trip, again on a private boat tour. We will have the boat to ourselves, and our crew will endeavour to get us into position to not only see whales relatively close (but at a safe distance), but also photograph them against the best light. 

Day 6 – Another evening 3 hour private boat tour to photograph the icebergs of Disko bay at sunset. The light and weather conditions can change significantly (eg fog and mist) making a second ice berg trip extremely worthwhile. 

Day 7 – Free day – we will likely explore the town, and shoot sunset at the ice fjord. 

Day 8 – Depart Ilulissat to head home after breakfast. Note – in the main seas are relatively calm during summer, and it is possible to get great reflection shots of the icebergs.

Getting to Ilulissat: Flights to Ilulissat are either via Keflavik (Iceland) with Icelandair, or with Air Greenland from Copenhagen. Mark will recommend flights once the minimum number of participants have booked, and flight itineraries are available (usually about a year before the trip itself). You  need to fly to Keflavik airport the day before the flight to Ilulissat, and likely need to stay another night at Keflavik on the return journey.

Fitness level: Moderate – hikes to and around the ice fjord require a moderate fitness level (though those less fit can skip this if they wish, and participate in the boat trips and more leisurely walks around town). We will also either walk into the town (around 15 minutes) or use the local bus.

Use of Drones: If you have a drone bring it! This is one of the most spectacular places for drone imagery. Drone use at present is permitted from boats / hiking spots around the ice fjord, though not in the town itself (it is too close to the airport). Drone flights are restricted to 60m, but in practice this was fine for everything that I wanted to achieve.

• At A Glance...

• Deposit / Price

  £1.00 / £4,995.00

  Sharing Discount - £250.00

• Date

  10th - 17th August, 2026

• Included

  Hotel accommodation for 7 nights in Ilulissat – standard double room for single use, all breakfasts at the hotel, private boats tours as described above, tuition from Mark and Lee, particularly in relation to lens use / composition for the icebergs, lens use / techniques for capturing sharp whale images, use of drones etc, all transportation around Ilulisat, including airport transfers

• Excluded

  Meals / drinks not specified, travel to / from Ilulissat, insurance (to include medical / repatriation costs, personal effects)

• Fitness Level

  Moderate

• Location

  Greenland

• Max Group Size

  9