Add dates

Vatnajökull

Vatnajökull: Our most recommended tours and activities

Skaftafell: Guided Glacier Hike Day Trip

1. Skaftafell: Guided Glacier Hike Day Trip

Enjoy a frozen adventure in the wilderness of Skaftafell and hike across a stunning outlet glacier of Vatnajökull in the company of an expert guide. Get a short safety briefing and collect all the necessary equipment at the meeting point. Then, marvel at the majesty of the landscape on the short hike to the ice cap. Put on your crampons for security out on the ice. See different formations, including deep crevasses and ice sculptures, and get panoramic views over Skaftafell National Park. Learn how glaciers are formed and hear how their future is under threat as a result of global warming. Get an introduction to more advanced stages of glacier hiking before heading back to the meeting point.

South Iceland: Vatnajökull Glacier Blue Ice Cave Tour

2. South Iceland: Vatnajökull Glacier Blue Ice Cave Tour

Meet at the Café by Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, about 40 minutes east of Skaftafell, for the start of a unique winter activity and look at an extraordinary natural phenomenon. Go inside some of the ice caves that form after water runs beneath the Vatnajökull Glacier during the summer. Every fall, local guides hunt for new ice caves, as their location can change each year. The structure and condition can also vary from year to year, but rest assured your guide will decide which is the best cave to visit, depending on the safety and weather conditions. Drive for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to the ice cave chosen by your guide, and then walk for 5 to 15 minutes to the mouth of the cave. Upon arrival, enjoy between 1 and 1.5 hours to look inside at the miraculous blue ice of the cave, and take in the natural beauty of the surrounding area.

Skaftafell National Park: Glacier Hike

3. Skaftafell National Park: Glacier Hike

Discover what it feels like to walk on impacted ice on an amazing hike across the outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. Get breathtaking views of the ice-covered peaks of Skaftafell National Park in the epic wilderness of Iceland. Meet your guide at the meeting point to pick up your crampons, ice axes, harnesses, and helmets. Then, drive by bus to the start of your hike and put on your crampons and steel frames tied to your hiking boots for the amazing adventure ahead. Spend around 60 to 90 minutes on the ice to see crevasses and deep cracks on the surface. Learn about the vertical shafts known as moulins, formed when melting water finds its way into the fissures and cracks. Look into small ice tunnels and capture the beautiful blue heart of the ice in the winter. Learn the history of the glacier from your English-speaking guide.

Skaftafell: Ice Cave Tour and Glacier Hike

4. Skaftafell: Ice Cave Tour and Glacier Hike

Explore breathtaking ice formations and glacier mills on this guided tour in Skaftafell. Marvel at a naturally-formed, blue ice cave and learn how glaciers are formed. A professional hiking guide will take you to the base of Falljökull, an outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull ice cap, and lead you up to the cave. On a clear day, be sure to look out for Hvannadalshnúkur in the distance.

Jökulsárlón: Vatnajökull Glacier Guided Hiking Tour

5. Jökulsárlón: Vatnajökull Glacier Guided Hiking Tour

On the Ice Exploration tour, you will spend around 2 hours hiking on Breiðamerkurjökull with one of our experienced guides. The glacier in question is an outlet glacier of the more prominent Vatnajökull and is best known for being the glacier overlooking the Glacier Lagoon. On the tour, your guide will share their knowledge of how the glacier forms, and how the constant change in glaciers affects the area and the glaciers themselves. On this tour, you will be able to experience the spectacular scenery on the ever-changing glacier, not only in the winter but during the summer months in Iceland. The tour is rated medium in terms of difficulty and you will be walking a total distance of about 6-10 km (depending on the group) on various terrains. You will be equipped with crampons, a helmet, and a safety harness. The guide will introduce you to the safety equipment and ensure that you are prepared before the journey begins. Once we hit the ice you will not only be amazed by the beauty but also mesmerized by the sound as the ice beneath your feet crunches. - meeting time is 30 min before departure at the glacier lagoon - we gear you up before the tour - we drive 30 minutes in our super jeep as close as possible to the glacier - walk 20 minutes to the glacier - explore the glacier for approximately 2 hours (6-10km depending on each group) It is highly advisable to take a camera, or at least a phone to capture the amazing moments because it will not be long before the glacial formations change or even disappear as they normally do.

Skaftafell: Extra-Small Group Glacier Hike

6. Skaftafell: Extra-Small Group Glacier Hike

Embark on a small-group tour of Vatnajökull glacier and benefit from an intimate experience with a maximum of 8 participants. After meeting your guide at the meeting point in Skaftatell Airport, get geared up and prepare for your 20-minute 4x4 drive to the base of the Falljökull outlet glacier. At the base, step onto the glacier and listen to a quick briefing on how to wear your ice crampons. Then, it's time to begin your glacier hike. Follow your experienced guide through stunning ice formations, moulins, crevasses, and crystal-clear blue pools. Spend up to 120 minutes exploring the unique landscape of the glacier. Witness breathtaking views, listen to interest local anecdotes, and have your photo taken against this stunning natural landscape before heading back to the 4x4. Get dropped off back at the meeting point at the end of your hike.

From Reykjavik: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Full-Day Trip

7. From Reykjavik: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Full-Day Trip

Explore the dramatic landscapes of the south of Iceland on a full-day sightseeing tour by bus. Go to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon outlet of the largest glacier in Europe, leaning about its history and formation from your local guide. Following a pickup from your hotel in Reykjavik, transfer to the southern coast and the dramatic Glacier Lagoon. Enjoy plenty of time to see the floating icebergs and enjoy the stunning scenery. During the season, make sure to reserve your ticket to the boat cruise on the Jökulsárlón and experience the unique Glacier Lagoon spectacle up close. When you prebook, your place is guaranteed. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is Iceland’s largest and deepest glacier lagoon. It branches from Breidamerkurjokull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest glacier. Return to Reykjavik, stopping at the gorgeous waterfall Seljalandsfoss. You will visit the Diamond beach with black sand, and there will be an additional stop in Iceland's southernmost village at Vík for dinner.

Vatnajökull: Short Glacier Encounter Walk

8. Vatnajökull: Short Glacier Encounter Walk

This glacier encounter tour is the perfect introduction to Icelandic glaciers, hiking on the picturesque Falljökull glacier, an outlet glacier of Europe's largest glacier, Vatnajökull. The meeting point is at Freysnes gas station in the South-East of Iceland. The tour begins with a transfer by a 4x4 SuperJeep through the glacier valley that gets you as close to the base of the glacier as possible, reducing the time spent on accessing the glacier and maximising the time exploring up on the ice. After a short walk to get to the ice, your guide will teach you how to put on your crampons and how to use your ice axe. After a short safety speech you are ready to go on the ice. The hike in total is around 1.5 km and you will spend around 1 hour on the ice. The total duration of the tour is 2.5 to 3 hours. Along the way, your guide will be pointing out some of the fascinating natural features of the ice, the crevasses, moulins and dirt cones, while also teaching you about some of the local geography and history of the area.

Vatnajokull Glacier: Ice Caving and Glacier Hiking

9. Vatnajokull Glacier: Ice Caving and Glacier Hiking

Begin in Skaftafell before heading to the Falljökull glacier tongue. Gear up and get safety instructions from your skilled guide before setting foot on the ice. Start by hiking to the ice cave while soaking up the magnificent scenery and spend approximately 30 minutes exploring. Afterwards, hike back over the glacier through an adventurous landscape of rugged ice. Ice caves are only accessible during winter when the temperature drops well below zero –  the water from the rivers that run underneath the glacier freezes and leaves this phenomena to explore. Each year new caves are formed in different locations.

Skaftafell: Blue Ice Experience with 2.5-Hour Glacier Walk

10. Skaftafell: Blue Ice Experience with 2.5-Hour Glacier Walk

You will meet your qualified glacier guide in Skaftafell National Park, where you will be outfitted with crampons and an ice ax. When everyone is ready, a short bus ride will take us to the foot of the glacier. During the tour, you will explore one of Vatnajökull National Park's many outlet glaciers, extending from the mighty Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. After a short lesson on how to use the crampons and ice ax, you will step onto the glacier and be transported to an icy, foreign planet. The unique landscape truly seems out of this world, with white, clear and deep blue ice, deep crevasses, ice ridges and stunning scenery as far as the eye can see. We will take our time and make sure there are plenty of photo opportunities while your guide explains the inner workings of these white giants. Glacier walks are one of the most popular outdoor activities in Iceland and this is where it all started. Operating since 1994, this easy and safe tour made the Icelandic glaciers accessible to everyone, and today, you can't really visit Iceland without going on a glacier walk.

Available activities

22 activities found
Sort by:
Page 1 of 2

Other Sightseeing Options in Vatnajökull

Want to discover all there is to do in Vatnajökull? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Vatnajökull

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 2,419 reviews

Our guide was fantastic and shared his adventures and the history of the glacier and ice caves. We were in a group of about 13 people including ourselves. The van ride was very crowded but getting to the ice caves relieved that experience. The hike to the caves was about 30 minutes and beautiful rocky and icy scenery. The ice caves were stunning. There were other groups but it wasn’t overly crowded. We were able to get photos with just the two of us and no one else in the background. I’d do it again, it was a great experience!

Monika and Tomek provided us with the most amazing experience that all who visit Iceland MUST book onto. I can’t thank either of them enough for the places we’ve seen and the memories made! Never a dull moment during Monikas sometimes comedic talks and interesting music choices!

Wonderful experience to walk on this beautiful glacier. The ice cave is not very big, but still impressive! It was great. The guides speak very good English.

The tour was amazing! Guna (not sure how to spell their name) was upbeat and so informative. If you have a chance to go on this adventure, don’t miss it!

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and we could tell how much he loved his job. The views and caves were spectacular and the hike was great!