The Great Spain Eclipse Photo Tour
August 6 - 16, 2026
On August 12, 2026, a rare and dramatic total solar eclipse will be seen from northern Spain. It occurs roughly an hour before sunset when the sun is only 5 degrees above the horizon. A sunset eclipse is rare indeed. In this part of Spain in August, typical rainfall is only .6 inches for the entire month, and this means we are almost guaranteed clear skies. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!
In addition, the cities and villages in the northern part of Spain offer stunning architecture in a fascinating historical context. Medieval castles, fortresses, palaces, Roman masterpieces, and awe-inspiring cathedrals are great to photograph during the day and they are especially captivating at twilight and night. We will take advantage of artful lighting and capture amazing pictures every evening. The diversity of wonderful subject matter includes an entire city destroyed and abandoned in 1937 as a result of the Spanish Civil War. This is truly a phenomenal photo tour!
What you will learn on this photo tour:
-- How to photograph an eclipse
-- How to shoot a vertical panorama
-- Expand dynamic range at twilight with HDR
-- Balancing exposures in extreme contrast
-- Eliminating people with generative fill
-- 3 ways to eliminate keystoning with architecture
-- Advantages of shooting manual exposure mode
Itinerary
Day 1, Thursday, Aug. 6
Arrive this day in Madrid, Spain, and take the free airport shuttle to the hotel. Rest after the trans-Atlantic journey, and meet Jim and the group in the lobby of the hotel at 6pm to discuss the upcoming tour and to enjoy a welcome dinner. Overnight airport hotel, Madrid.
Day 2, Friday, Aug. 7
After breakfast we depart for the historic city of Segovia. Centuries of settlement have resulted in a rich architectural heritage that includes a fully intact 2000 year old Roman aqueduct in the heart of the city, medieval walls, Romanesque churches, and a stunning gothic cathedral. We spend the day
photographing these from various viewpoints. Sunset light on the western-facing Alcazar is especially beautiful. At twilight, we will explore the historic architecture with a cobalt blue sky as the ideal backdrop. Overnight Segovia.
Day 3, Saturday, Aug. 8
We head northwest this morning, and enroute to Leon we stop in Medina del Campo to photograph the 14th century Castle of La Mota, a beautiful and well-preserved medieval fortress built on a hill. From there, we head to Valencia de Don Juan to shoot another imposing medieval castle that sits high above the Esla River. It's a classic photograph! We then proceed a short distance to Leon, check into our hotel, and in the late afternoon and evening we focus our attention on the stunning 13th century gothic masterpiece, the Cathedral of Leon. Overnight Leon.
Day 4, Sunday, Aug. 9
This morning we photograph the interior of the gothic cathedral. It's overwhelming, and Jim will explain how to do vertical panorama images to uniquely interpret the stunning architecture. We then drive to a nearby town, Ponferrada, whose history goes back to Paleolithic times. The Templars Castle is particularly beautiful in design. The mission of the Spanish knights who lived here was to protect the town and to protect Christian travelers who visited the Holy Land. After lunch, we drive to Astorga, a 45 minute drive, to capture the Episcopal Palace of Gaudi. It is one of only three buildings built by Gaudi outside of Catalonia, and it is truly magnificent. Built between 1889 and 1913, it is one of Gaudi's greatest masterpieces. We also photograph the Cathedral of Santa María de Astorga begun in 1471. We have dinner in Astorga specifically so we can photograph the Gaudi Palace illuminated artfully at twilight, then we return to Leon. Overnight Leon.
Day 5, Monday, August 10
We spend this day photographing Leon, looking for beautiful perspectives and vantage points. The layers of history that have contributed to Leon's architecture make it particularly photogenic. This includes the Basilica de San Isidoro, Palacio De Los Guzmanes, and the Museo Catedralicio Diocesano de Leon. In the evening, we'll do more spectacular twilight photography. Overnight Leon.
Day 6, Tuesday, August 11
We leave Leon after breakfast and drive east to Carrion de los Condes to photograph the beautiful and historic Monastery of San Zoilo. This is a great opportunity to use a wide angle lens to create dramatic perspective. From here, we continue east and arrive in Burgos. In a country of outstanding architecture, Burgos stands out as being amazing.
Burgos was the capital city of the unified kingdom of Leon and Castilla for five centuries, and it boasts one of the great masterpieces of Spanish gothic architecture in its renowned cathedral of St. Mary. We spend the day photographing the old city from various perspectives including from an elevated road above the main plaza. We also shoot the interior of the cathedral which is overwhelming. Twilight photography is absolutely phenomenal here. Overnight Burgos.
Day 7, Wednesday, Aug. 12: Day of the eclipse
We continue to explore Burgos taking advantage of ideal lighting conditions and Jim's knowledge of the city. We also prepare for the big event --the total solar eclipse. The entire process when the moon first starts covering the sun will last one hour and 47 minutes, but totality -- when the entire moon covers the disc of the sun -- will be one minute and 44 seconds. Totality will occur at 8:29pm, while sunset
will occur at 9:20pm. The sun will be five degrees above the horizon. This is the golden hour when the landscape is imbued with red/yellow light, so this should be especially dramatic and beautiful. Overnight Burgos.
Day 8 - 9, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 13 - 14
Continuing east this morning, we stop in Sofia to photograph the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Mayor, a Romanesque stone structure dating from the 16th century. Part of the building has elements from an earlier church that date from the 12th century. It is artfully nestled into a mountain side, and it makes a great shot. We continue driving east and arrive in Zaragoza, another fabulous photo destination. The city overlooks the Ebro River, and in the city center is the stunning multi-domed baroque Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral, famous as
a pilgrimage site. Many of the famed architectural sites have both Islamic and Gothic aspects since the Moors conquered Spain and occupied it for 700 years from 711 to 1492. These include the Aljaferia, an 11th century Moorish palace, and the Cathedral of the Savior which was begun in the 12th century. Overnight Zaragoza.
Day 10, Saturday, Aug. 15
After breakfast we head south this morning toward Madrid. After a short drive we visit an abandoned town and spend the morning there. Belchite was totally destroyed in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. The entire ghost town is in ruins, and it makes for intriguing images. After lunch, we continue on to Madrid and arrive in the late afternoon. We check into our airport hotel and in the early evening enjoy a farewell dinner. Overnight Madrid.
Day 11, Sunday, Aug. 16
Depending on when your return flight departs, take the free shuttle to the terminal to connect with your homeward journey, knowing you've captured some of the best travel pictures -- and eclipse pictures -- ever.
Tour cost: $5950. Includes 10 nights lodging based on double occupancy, all breakfasts, welcome and farewell dinner, all ground transportation, all entrance fees, photo instruction, and critiques on demand.
Single room supplement: $1500
Not included: International airfare, trip cancellation insurance, medical evacuation insurance, items of a person nature, and alcoholic beverages.