MILKY WAY AND LA PALMA PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR
Discover the magic of the night sky in La Palma, a designated Starlight Reserve within the Canary Islands. Renowned as the best place in Europe for photographing the Milky Way in crystal clear skies, the island has superb mountain viewpoints and dramatic foregrounds. With expert tuition from two experienced leaders, you will have the opportunity to capture the galactic core high above the horizon, the whole arch of the Milky Way across the sky and learn how to get the most out of your images with effective processing.
Embark on an unforgettable journey beneath one of the clearest night skies on Earth.
Discover the magic of the night sky on our new landscape astrophotography tour in La Palma, a breathtaking island renowned as a designated Starlight Reserve.
• Five nights photographing the Milky Way in all its splendour from what is widely considered the finest location in Europe.
• Watch the Milky Way unfurl across the night sky, its radiant arch creating breathtaking panoramas you’ll be proud to capture.
• Guided by two expert astrophotographers, you’ll receive hands-on support — from perfecting your shots beneath the stars to refining them during post-processing.
• En-suite hotel accommodation, hearty breakfasts, delicious evening meals and transport on La Palma all included, leaving you free to focus entirely on the magic above.
Step beneath the cosmos. Witness the universe like never before.
With crystal-clear skies, low humidity, minimal light pollution and a commitment to preserving its dark sky status, La Palma has some of the most dazzling skies in Europe. Because of this, the island is home to the world-renowned Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, the second largest astronomical observatory in the Northern Hemisphere. This unique combination of factors makes La Palma an ideal location for capturing stunning celestial images; truly an astrophotographer’s dream.
Thanks to the southerly latitude of La Palma (29°N ), the Milky Way core rises much higher in the sky than in Britain and there are seven hours of darkness in midsummer to photograph it — an incredible opportunity to capture breathtaking celestial images. Over five unforgettable nights, we’ll photograph the Milky Way rising in its full splendour, framed by a diverse range of stunning foregrounds — from volcanic ridges and dramatic cloud inversions to blooming tajinaste flowers and the silhouettes of world-class telescopes.
A particular aim of this tour is enabling you to capture the whole arch of the Milky Way from north to south as it rises across the eastern half of the sky. This requires stitching together a wide panorama of overlapping, stacked images, so it is technically more complex and cannot be achieved on most group tours. To make it possible, we’ll divide into small groups each night, with two expert leaders guiding you step by step. While some focus on the full arch, others will work on the Milky Way core, star trails, and other night-sky compositions — ensuring everyone gets the most from their time beneath the stars.
By day, we’ll hold hands-on classroom sessions to refine your skills in image processing. You’ll learn how to stack Milky Way shots, enhance fine details, reduce noise, and process panoramas for maximum impact. Bring your laptop with Lightroom and Photoshop to follow along and work on your own images under personalised guidance. We will cover techniques such as selecting and illuminating foregrounds, mastering night focusing, and optimising exposure for astrophotography. As well as the Milky Way, we will cover topics such as star trails. Our small group to leader ratio will enable a personalised approach to post-processing, so we can assist you in getting the best out of your images with one to two or one to three guidance in the classroom. We aim to ensure you leave not just with stunning photos, but with the skills to recreate them anywhere in the world.
This tour will take place from 13 to 18 June 2026 when the Moon is out of the night sky. This is the ideal time of year, with the Milky Way core at its most vivid throughout seven hours of astronomical darkness each night. Expect long but rewarding evenings, starting with sunsets high in the mountains, followed by hours under one of the darkest skies on Earth. We expect to be out from roughly 6.30pm to 4am each night, then returning to our hotel to sleep until 10am. This schedule will enable us to capture some of the spectacular endemic flora of La Palma, before moving on to our astrophotography viewpoints as darkness falls.
Most of our astrophotography will be done in the outstanding Caldera de Taburiente National Park, at elevations around 2,400m above sea level. This is the location of several major international astronomical observatories, which enjoy around 300 cloud free nights per year. To give you the best possible opportunities, we plan to drive to this area on all five nights of the tour. We can expect around 75% of nights to be clear in June, plus partly clear skies on another 15%. It is therefore likely that all or most nights on the tour will be clear, though this cannot be guaranteed. In the event of cloudy nights we will return at midnight to the hotel to sleep and instead photograph spectacular coastal locations around La Palma the following day.
An interesting feature of the night-time climate is the frequency of temperature inversions trapping cloud near sea level, whilst high elevations remain clear. These cloud inversions create spectacular foregrounds viewed from above. Other intriguing foregrounds include the observatories, telescopes, reflections, flowering tajinastes (giant bugloss) and even your tour leaders!
Accommodation and meals will be in spacious, well-appointed en suite rooms with kitchenette at Hacienda San Jorge. The hotel has a beautiful garden, large pool and is located next to a quiet beach (perfect for relaxation after a long night out under the stars), just five minutes’ drive from the airport. With breakfast and evening meals included, you can simply savour the experience and let us take care of the rest.
This isn’t just a photography tour — it’s an astro adventure. With world-class guidance, unrivalled conditions, and access to one of the finest night skies on the planet, you’ll capture images — and memories — that will stay with you forever.
What Will You Need?
• Digital single lens reflex camera or mirrorless camera capable of producing acceptable quality images at ISO 3200 or 6400 (a full-frame camera is recommended; a micro 4/3 camera is not recommended).
• Wide angle lens (ideally 14 to 16mm minimum focal length) with a maximum aperture of F/2.8 or faster (F/2 is ideal) for capturing the Milky Way in all its detail.
• Other lenses ranging from wide angle (ideally 16mm on full frame) to short telephoto (200mm+) for day-time landscapes, sunsets and creative compositions.
• Sturdy tripod - essential.
• Lockable remote cable release - to shoot continuous sequences without touching the camera.
• Neutral density filters - useful for capturing silky daytime seascapes and sunsets.
• Head torch and hand torch for navigating at night.
• Warm clothes and sturdy hiking boots. Even in summer, nights at 2,400m can be cold and windy. Hiking boots with good grip are a must.
You will need to be familiar with operating your camera in manual exposure and bulb modes at night. Previous experience of night sky photography is recommended for attendees on this workshop. We can advise on this if needed and recommend prior courses you can attend to build your knowledge in advance.
Fitness & Safety
● Expect to walk several miles in the dark along a mix of roads and mountain footpaths to reach the best shooting positions.
● Our schedule runs roughly 6.30 pm to 4.00 am each night — long but unforgettable sessions under pristine skies.
● We’ll be working at high elevations, where it can feel surprisingly cold despite La Palma’s subtropical latitude.
● Some locations feature steep drops nearby. All sites have been carefully scouted, but it’s essential that you only shoot where you feel comfortable, follow the guidance of your leaders and never wander off alone.
● Once the torches go off in Caldera de Taburiente National Park, you’ll experience true, pitch-black darkness — magical but requiring care.
Your safety and enjoyment are our priority. Come prepared, and you’ll be ready to capture the night sky at its most breathtaking.
Getting to La Palma
Reaching La Palma is straightforward, with several convenient flight options:
● Direct flights from Manchester or Gatwick with Tui
● Via Madrid with Iberia
● Via Tenerife with various airlines
You’ll need to book your own flights, and we recommend doing so as soon as we confirm the tour to secure the best fares and routes. You may also wish to arrive a day early to settle in and be fully rested before our first late-night shoot.
Group Size: Maximum of seven participants, with two leaders highly experienced in astrophotography: Robert Harvey and Abby Moule.
Your Leaders
This tour is led by Robert Harvey and Abby Moule, two highly experienced astrophotographers who share a deep passion for capturing the wonders of the night sky. Together, they bring a perfect blend of creative vision, technical expertise, and practical guidance, helping you refine your skills both in the field and during post-processing. With their support, you’ll make the most of La Palma’s extraordinary dark skies and return home with unforgettable images — and the knowledge to create them again and again.
Dates: 13 to 18 June 2026
Start at 1pm on Day 1, Finish at midday on Day 6
Six day tour, cost £2,300 (double/twin occupancy). Single supplement £230.
Included: Accommodation, breakfast (10.15am) and evening meal (6pm), guiding and comprehensive tuition.
Excluded: Lunches (if required), drinks, travel to and from La Palma.
To secure your place, simply complete the form below to receive further details and a booking form. We will hold a place for you for 24 hours to enable you to return the completed booking form and a deposit of £900. The remaining balance of £1,400 (plus any single supplement) will be due by 28 February 2026.