Name: Winter Arctic Fox Photography in Kvíar Lodge
Price: 383000 ISK

The Arctic fox is the only original land mammal in Iceland, having survived here for at least 12.000 years since the end of the last Ice Age. The fox has been aggressively hunted through the centuries, since it’s a powerful predator that the farmers didn’t get along with very well.

The Arctic fox is totally protected in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve and the area has the highest density of Arctic foxes in the world. They are also pretty relaxed around humans and can easily be seen both in summer and winter. They are definitely more beautiful in the winter, with their thick fur, minding their own business of hunting and survival in the harsh climate of the North Atlantic. There are both white and blue morph in the valley, though the blue morph is more common.

The tour in a nutshell, includes boat rides out to Kviar Lodge and back, with accommodation in made up beds and delicious food the whole time. During the day, you can wander around the valley and you don’t need to venture far to spot tracks and eventually see them up close to get the perfect shot. There are few dens in the valley and in the surrounding area of Kviar and we often spot them fighting and playing around in the snow and on the beach.

Borea has built a hide that is perfect to use when it’s stormy and you need a shelter to take photos and store gear away from the elements.

This time of the year is also perfect to photograph the northern lights. The sky is big around Kviar and there is absolutely no light pollution. Kviar is the only house that is occupied in at least 40 km. radius.

What's included

Included:

One way boat transportation to Kvíar Lodge at the start and end of the trip.
All food in Kvíar Lodge
Accommodation in made up beds
One caretaker/cook from Borea
Full use of the house facilities

What's not included

Not Included:

Alcohol beverages
Personal insurances
Travel to and from Ísafjörður

What do I need to bring

Here is is a brief list of things to have. Of course you might have your own preferences but it’s a good starting point so you will fully enjoy your tour.

You DON'T need to bring a sleeping bag. There are made up beds.
Thermal underwear, at least two sets of shirts.
Wool or synthetic. No cotton!
Wool or fleece thermal mid layer.
Take two thin layers instead of one thick one.
Waterproof and breathable pants and jacket.
Thermal jacket (down or fiber).
Wool / fleece hat.
Two pairs of gloves and one pair of mittens.
2 to 3 pairs thick wool / synthetic socks.
Casual clothes to wear in the evenings.
Slippers to wear inside the house.
Good winter boots that can stand up to the Icelandic winter. Something like insulated Sorel boots or similar.
Rubber boots are really good to have for the beach landings, unless you have waterproof boots similar like the one in the link above.
Soft travel bag (no hard suitcases) that is easy to carry. This is important. We might not be able to land on the beach beneath the house and then we have to walk about 20 minutes from a different drop off point that is sheltered from the surf. So soft bags, preferably with shoulder straps, are very good to have. The standard in these bags are The North Face duffels but there are other manufacturers.
Make sure that you can carry your camera gear in a waterproof bag for the beach landings. A simple thick plastic bag suits fine.
Swim suit and towel for the sauna.