April 5th to April 9th, 2025

  4 nights/5 inclusive days  |  Maximum of 8 participants, and a minimum of 4 participants

Photography Tour Overview:  Strong graphic compositions complimented by blazes of color will be a prominent feature of this trip. We’ll make the best of the early and late light at the best spots, and take in area highlights during the day. ‘Tulipomania’ was a term given to the craze over Tulips in Holland during the period from 1634-37. We now invite you to invest in your own colorful ‘Tulipomania’ via some striking and graphically strong photography of the Tulip fields that light up the Skagit Valley, Washington each April. In addition to the Tulip bonanza you’ll have the opportunity to photograph Fidalgo and Whidbey islands, and the Seattle's best spots including the skyline at dusk. As with all of our photography tours, early and late shooting is scheduled for each day.
 

Our itinerary . . .
But first things first! We suggest that you set your camera's clock to the local time, as your images will then synchronize with the times in our included photo tour field notes.

Day 1  |  Seattle and Skagit Valley
We'll gather at our gateway hotel at 10:30 am, and on our way north to the Skagit Valley we’ll detour into Seattle for photo-walks around the Space Needle and Pike Street Market which was featured in the movie ‘Sleepless in Seattle’. Lunch is included today. We'll then continue northwards for our first look at the vibrant swaths of color beyond the Skagit River.
Fidalgo Island, 3 nights

Days 2 + 3  |  Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and Anacortes
During the next two days we'll explore the many Skagit valley lanes for those striking images with good ‘compositional strength’.  Besides the Tulips . . . Daffodils and hopefully Iris’s will be present, though please note that all the blooms will be at the mercy of creation’s timetable. We’ll obviously pursue plenty of macro images, but for landscapes you’ll be able to include various old barns, and the Cascade mountain range to the east in your viewfinders.  We’ll also be on the look-out for workers out in the fields, who will afford us some ‘human interest’ perspectives as we add to our array of impressions of the region. We'll also spend time in the tulip fields of Tulip town and Roozengaarde, the region's largest tulip growers. In addition we’ll break away to photograph Anacortes on Fidalgo island. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is the photographer’s limitless palette of color, and you’re sure to return home with images beyond your expectations . . . guaranteed.

Day 4  |  Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Whidbey Island and Seattle
We’ll ‘mop-up’ our photography at the Tulip Festival this morning with a last early start for the warm light as it falls upon the dormant sentinels of a million flowers. You’d have to go to Holland to match the array in Skagit Valley. After breakfast we’ll set off south down Whidbey Island for shots of a lighthouse, windmill and the Deception Pass bridge. We then take a twenty minute ferry ride to Mukilteo . . . and on south to Seattle. We’ll check into our hotel, take a short break, shoot around the base of the Space needle, then following dinner we'll photograph Seattle’s skyline at twilight. The included dinner on the last night of our photography tour will feature an 'It's You!' presentation of clients in action on this tour by John.
Seattle, 1 night

Day 5  |  Departure day
To accommodate some early photography, mid to late morning flights onwards are recommended from SeaTac airport.

Photo Tour Photographer/Leader: John Baker, Travel Images Photography Tours
The preceding itinerary is a copyrighted work by John Baker Photographer LLC, and Travel Images Photography Tours

Enhancing Your Photography Skills
Describing the assistance you'll receive on one of our photography tours takes more than a few words, so for greater detail please go here.

Exertion level: This photography tour is classified as 'non strenuous'
A majority of images are found in close proximity to our vehicle
In every other respect this photography tour is considered non-strenuous to mildly strenuous

Do you need a Visa for travel to the United States?
Travelers from all countries can do a quick check of visa requirements here or here
Our international clients may need to contact the embassy of their intended destination in their own country for a visa. Go here or here
 

Photography Tour Cost, Deposit, Cancellation Policy and Enrollment Guidance

Trip Cost: $1,960 USD per person not including airfare. A 5% discount is applied to all double occupancies. A single room supplement is required for single occupancy

Single Supplement: 14% of the base cost of the trip

The deposit for this photography tour is $400. Make a deposit, or pay your tour balance here

Cancellation policy: Go here

Enrollment guidance: Go here
 

Included in the Trip Cost: The following items are included in the trip cost . . .

• Photography instruction throughout the trip by John

• All accommodations with private facilities [en-suite]

• All breakfasts

• Lunch on day one of the trip

• Dinner on the last night of the trip

• On-vehicle snacks and bottled water

• All ground transportation

• Airport pick-up on day 1, and drop-off on departure day. Arrival prior to day 1 is not included

• Entrance fees for sites and activities listed below under ‘Admissions Included’

• Following the trip you'll receive detailed field notes describing the time, place and subject of each photo stop, plus image uploads to a private web page of clients 'in action' on the trip

Not Included in the Trip Cost: The costs for these items are the responsibility of each participant . . .

• Airfare

• Travel costs between your home and the gateway airport and return

• Any transportation or travel costs incurred prior to or after the tour’s inclusive dates

• Pre-tour and/or post-tour accommodation

• Lunches and dinners except for lunch on day one of the trip, and dinner on the last night of the trip

• Alcoholic beverages

• Entrance fees or costs related to optional sites or activities not included in the itinerary

• Baggage fees

• Medical expenses

• Personal items such as the hotel mini-bar, laundry et cetera

• Incidental charges incurred at our accommodations such as movie rentals, internet and phone

• Travel insurance

• Passport or visa expenses

• Airport departure taxes, if applicable

Admissions Included in the Trip Cost:

• Entrance to the land owned by the prime tulip growers Tulip town and Roozengaarde, is included in the trip fees