Iceland sights off the beaten path?

[KeithLa]

Heading to Iceland Golden Circle (south) and Diamond Circle (north) next week. Any suggestions for easy to access, unpopulated (few/no tourists) areas permissible for drones? I don't expect to fly my MPP at any of the popular natural attractions, either by regulation and/or social etiquette, and almost certainly not the volcano, expecting lots of people at those viewpoints.

I've seen many nice posts here about Iceland, incl. the volcano, but not find many current posts regarding acceptable use and regulations.

 

[Robert Prior]

Heading to Iceland Golden Circle (south) and Diamond Circle (north) next week. Any suggestions for easy to access, unpopulated (few/no tourists) areas permissible for drones? I don't expect to fly my MPP at any of the popular natural attractions, either by regulation and/or social etiquette, and almost certainly not the volcano, expecting lots of people at those viewpoints.

I've seen many nice posts here about Iceland, incl. the volcano, but not find many current posts regarding acceptable use and regulations.

Two years ago the regulations were pretty simple. The biggest problem with those magnificent views is many of them are in parks, which are no-fly zones. You could even fly in Reykjavik near the airport as long as you are below the high of the buildings. (I didn't, because it was really windy and I didn't think it was safe.)

Iceland has apparently adopted EU regulations, so check those over:

Drone Laws in Iceland | UAV Coach (2023)

Want to learn more about drone laws in Iceland? Check out our list of links and regulations for people flying drones in Iceland.

uavcoach.com

I was mostly in the central highlands and unwilling to take any risks of crashing (as I had a trip to Greenland next which was really why I'd travelled to the arctic), so my south Iceland shots are pretty limited. You can get some nice shots which you can see from the highway which absolutely don't have tourists. See some of my panoramas here to get an idea:

Virtual Tours Made Simple

Roundme is a simple and beautiful online app that allows you to create, share and explore Spaces.

roundme.com

The famous Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon is a no-fly zone (and has loads of people). I found it disappointing and not terribly interesting.

The fjords of the east are supposed to be great (although I didn't get there myself). Flying there has no restrictions (except weather).

As you head from the east to the north you'll skirt the edge of the volcanic desert. Lots of opportunities for pulling to the side of the road and getting unworldly landscapes.

Mývatn has some amazing vistas for a drone (I've seen shots). Just east is the Hverfjall crater, an easy flight or hike from the road south of Reykjahlíð (which would make a decent base to explore the area).

Basically, it's hard to avoid amazing terrain in Iceland.

 

[RayOZ]

Yeah, I don’t think you can fly at the Golden Circle. There are signs around I think.
Besides, I when I was there, it was pretty windy.
I did manage to take photos of the northern lights with my MP a few years ago.

 

[Robert Prior]

Yeah, I don’t think you can fly at the Golden Circle. There are signs around I think.
Besides, I when I was there, it was pretty windy.
I did manage to take photos of the northern lights with my MP a few years ago.

You can't fly in part of the Golden Circle route that passes through Vatnajökull National Park. There's some nice stuff outside the park. There's also signs (or there was two years ago) at some of the popular waterfalls — but they are pretty crowded anyway. There are some not-so-popular waterfalls you can see from the highway that aren't tour bus stops — those could be flown to and recorded without disturbing people.

 

[RayOZ]

You can't fly in part of the Golden Circle route that passes through Vatnajökull National Park. There's some nice stuff outside the park. There's also signs (or there was two years ago) at some of the popular waterfalls — but they are pretty crowded anyway. There are some not-so-popular waterfalls you can see from the highway that aren't tour bus stops — those could be flown to and recorded without disturbing people.

I was with a tour group, so I couldn’t go anywhere I want. But the tour guide was pretty accommodating. He lets me know when and where I might be able to fly my drone. And I shared my photos and videos with the tour group. It keeps them happy if they have to wait for me to pack up my gear after a flight.

 

[Robert Prior]

One additional thought: because it's high latitude Iceland's Golden Hour is a lot longer that you're used to closer to the equator. So you get that lovely raking light for 2-3 hours after/before sunrise/sunset.

Might be worth using a took like the Photographer's Ephemeris to plan your shots:

Photo Ephemeris

Photo Ephemeris helps you plan outdoor photography in natural light. See how the light will fall on the land, day or night, for any location on earth.

photoephemeris.com

Some exploring the satellite view around places you think worth stopping at would probably pay off.