
What is a Self-drive Tour?
Self-drive tours in Iceland are a great way to see the country independently and make your own schedule. What we mean by Self Drive Tours is that you are not with a tour group and can explore at your own pace. You will have to have a car, so rent a car before you come or look into getting a rental car while you are here.
You can choose from a variety of different activities to make your journey memorable and exciting. These can include snorkeling in Silfra, taking a Glacier Hike or visiting an Ice Cave to name a few. Here we have ideas on how you can make your Self Drive Tour adventurous and unforgettable:
Self Drive Tours
You will need a car to join this activity. Silfra Fissure is located in the Thingvellir National Park – around 50 minutes away from Reykjavik. If you do not have a car, you can book this tour here with a transfer.
Once you get to the location, it is important to give your snorkeling guide a filled medical form (it is important to read the medical form before booking the tour). Your guide will then give you all the equipment – a thermal undersuit to keep you warm, a dry suit to keep you dry, fins to swim, and other necessary snorkeling equipment.
Once you get warm and ready, your guide will teach you how to snorkel, what to do if you get tired in the water, and other important information.
You can leave all your clothes and other items in our Tröll bags, which are kept securely at all times. You will then start walking towards Silfra with your dry suit on. The walk to Silfra is short, roughly 5 minutes long.
Are you ready to turn into an adventurous "Ice-cave Explorer Troll" 🧌 ? Come join our Tröll Expeditions team on an extraordinary journey to the majestic Katla Ice Cave. This unique experience is perfect for those who are seeking an off-the-beaten-path adventure away from the crowds and looking forward to being lost in the wild, breathtaking landscapes of Icelandic nature. Our experienced glacier guides will lead you through the mysterious wilderness in a Super-jeep from Vik, sharing fascinating tales about the area, interesting facts related to the Katla volcano, and geological insights along the way. Safety is always our priority: our guides will provide you with helmets, headlamps, and crampons to ensure a smooth journey. Witness the awe-inspiring combination of fire and ice as you explore the volcanic glacier outlets of Mýrdalsjökull glacier, a remote location inaccessible to most. With panoramic views, stunning ice formations and tunnels, and the chance to see real Game of Thrones Dragon-Glass, this tour is one of Iceland's best-kept secrets.
Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience at the foot of the powerful Katla Volcano. Book your once-in-a-lifetime adventure: book the Katla Volcano Ice Cave Tour today!
Explore the unique ice formations of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier, on a guided walk. This tour offers a direct experience with a constantly changing landscape. You will see deep crevasses, vertical shafts known as moulins, and potentially an ice cave. Your guide will also point out rare features like glacier mice, a type of moss found on the ice. This hike provides an opportunity to witness the immense scale of the glacier and its uniquely carved landscapes up close.
Join a guided glacier hike on Falljökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull National Park. The tour begins at our comfortable meeting point in Hof, located very close to the glacier. Our indoor facility is cozy and offers free parking, which allows you to avoid the parking fees charged at the Skaftafell Visitor Centre. Please arrive 20 minutes before departure to meet your highly qualified English glacier guide. All essential safety gear is provided, including a helmet, crampons, harness, and ice axe.
After a short ride on the "Tröll Bus," you will walk a short distance to the edge of the glacier. Your guide will demonstrate how to use the equipment and how to safely walk on the ice. During the walk, you'll observe how the receding ice has shaped the surrounding landscape, noting visible marks on the bedrock and a lagoon formed by meltwater.
The tour guarantees 1 hour and 30 minutes on the ice, with an additional 10-minute shuttle ride each way. The remaining time is allocated for a safety briefing and a 20-minute walk on a gravel path to the glacier tongue. Your guide will provide information about the glacier's geology and its impact on the Icelandic environment. This tour is designed to be an educational experience, offering a factual look at a natural phenomenon.
This hike is suitable for most individuals with a reasonable fitness level. Participants should wear warm, layered clothing and sturdy footwear.After returning to the meeting point, enjoy a complimentary hot drink (coffee/hot chocolate) and a candy bar.
Embark on a long hiking adventure on Falljökull, an outlet of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier. This tour is an opportunity to explore deep into the ice and witness magnificent features. The higher elevation provides panoramic views over Skaftafell National Park, known for its spectacular scenery featured in major movies and TV shows such as such as James Bond, Interstellar, Batman, and Game of Thrones. This extended experience allows you approximately 3 hours on the ice itself for a truly immersive and unforgettable exploration.
Join our advanced guided hike on Falljökull ("The Falling Glacier") in Skaftafell National Park, Southeast Iceland. This 5-hour tour is designed for guests with a good fitness level who want a longer, more detailed, and demanding adventure on the ice.
Why choose this 5-hour tour? This option is for the adventurous traveler with more time, as it includes extra time on the ice, grants access to wilder terrain, and provides a deeper insight into the glacier’s unique features compared to shorter tours.
The tour begins at our comfortable meeting point in Hof, located very close to the glacier. Our indoor facility is cozy and offers free parking, which allows you to avoid the parking fees charged at the Skaftafell Visitor Centre. Please arrive 20 minutes before departure to meet your highly qualified English glacier guide. All essential safety gear is provided, including a helmet, crampons, harness, and ice axe.
The total tour time includes a guaranteed 3 hours of hiking on the glacier, a 10-minute shuttle ride each way on the “Tröll Bus,” and approximately 20 minutes for the walk on a gravel path to the glacier’s edge, which covers the safety briefing time. Your guide will demonstrate how to safely use the equipment and walk on the ice.
As you hike your guide will explain the geology of Falljökull. You will encounter dramatic ice formations like deep cracks (crevasses) and vertical shafts (moulins). In winter, you may even look into small ice tunnels. From the highest point, you will get to observe, panoramic views of the Skaftafell National Park. Your guide will provide a factual and educational overview of how glaciers are formed, discuss safety, and explain the current impacts of global warming. After returning to the meeting point, enjoy a complimentary hot drink (coffee/hot chocolate) and a candy bar.
Join an adventure tour to experience the majestic features of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier, in the Skaftafell area. The highlight of this tour is the chance to enter a naturally formed blue ice cave, offering a stunning view of crystalized ice. During the guided glacier walk on Falljökull, you will also explore other breathtaking ice formations, including deep crevasses (cracks in the ice) and vertical shafts known as moulins. This expedition allows you to witness the dramatic, carved landscapes of the glacier and learn about its continuous change.
This adventure offers a direct encounter with one of Iceland's most spectacular natural phenomena: a glacier and its crystal blue ice cave. The tour takes place on Falljökull, an accessible outlet glacier of Vatnajökull National Park in Southeast Iceland.
The tour begins at our comfortable meeting point in Hof, located very close to the glacier. Our indoor facility is cozy and offers free parking, which allows you to avoid the parking fees charged at the Skaftafell Visitor Centre. Please arrive 20 minutes before departure to meet your highly qualified English glacier guide. All essential safety gear is provided, including a helmet, crampons, harness, and ice axe.
After gearing up, you will walk for approximately 20 minutes toward the glacier's edge. Along the way, your guide will point out the visible effects of the receding ice, such as marks on the bedrock and a meltwater lagoon. Once at the ice, your guide will provide a full safety briefing and instruct you on how to walk safely with your equipment.
You will spend about 3 hours hiking on the glacier, exploring the uniquely carved landscapes of the Falljökull outlet. Your guide will lead you to the most magnificent parts of the ice, including fascinating geological formations like deep crevasses and moulins. The most memorable part of the tour is the opportunity to walk inside the naturally formed blue ice cave, giving you an up-close look at the dazzling blue ice. Throughout the excursion, you will learn about the formation and geology of glaciers and their constant change.After returning to the meeting point, enjoy a complimentary hot drink (coffee/hot chocolate) and a candy bar.
Come on this comprehensive ice climbing and glacier hiking tour, perfect for those seeking that extra bit of thrill. The only thing you need to bring is patience and endurance to climb to the top of a glacial ice wall on Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. Your glacier guide will introduce you to the basics of ice climbing and much more!
We will take you to an outlet glacier part of the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull glacier, where you will be able to experience the breathtaking views to the ice covered highest peaks of Iceland rising more than 2,000 metres (6,500 ft) over your helmet. These glaciers and their spectacular landscape has been scenery for dozens of movies like James Bond, Interstellar and Game of Thrones.
Your highly qualified glacier guide will provide you with all the equipment you need: hiking boots, crampons, ice axes, harnesses and helmets. Then you will enter the troll bus and drive for about 10 minutes to the parking of the glacier. From there it’s only a 15 minutes walk to the edge of the ice where your guide will show you how to put on the crampons.
Since the glacier is impermanent and ever changing your guide often has to scout out each time a new crevasse or moulin for your climbing session, avoiding the potential crowds on the glacier as well. Your guide will install massive ice screw and attach a safety rope before you climb up the ice wall or rappel into a crevasse and climb up again. This will be an adventure of a lifetime.
You will also spend some time hiking on the glacier to see the ice formations in the area such as crevasses, deep cracks in the surface of the glacier, and so called moulins, often vertical shafts in the ice which are formed by melting water finding it’s way into fissures and cracks. In the wintertime, it is often possible to peek into small ice tunnels and capture the beautiful blue heart of the ice.
You will stay about 3 hours on the glacier itself.
Get ready for an unforgettable adventure exploring Iceland’s breathtaking natural wonders! On this tour, you’ll ride in a powerful 4x4 Super Jeep across rugged terrain, venture deep into a glacier, and step inside a stunning Blue Ice Cave — also known as the Crystal Ice Cave. Marvel at the shimmering shades of blue ice, unique formations, and ever-changing tunnels and crevasses that make each visit a one-of-a-kind experience.
Your journey begins at the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon parking lot, where you’ll meet your expert guides and hop aboard a specially designed Super Jeep built to tackle Iceland’s challenging landscape. As you make your way up the glacier, prepare for a thrilling, bumpy ride while learning fascinating facts about the region from your friendly and knowledgeable guide.
Once you arrive at the glacier, you’ll step into a magical world of glittering blue ice. The caves are natural formations that shift and change each year, so the exact cave visited will depend on the day’s weather and safety conditions. Inside, you’ll be surrounded by otherworldly ice walls, stunning formations, and possibly even intricate tunnels or crevasses to explore.
To fully enjoy the experience, be sure to dress warmly in layers and bring a waterproof jacket, as this adventure takes place in the heart of winter. This tour offers an authentic Icelandic glacier experience that combines excitement, natural beauty, and unforgettable memories. Book today and step into the magical world beneath Iceland’s glaciers!
We will meet at Sólheimajökull parking lot, where you will find our bus. On the location we will handle all the necessary glacier equipment – such as a harness, helmet, crampons & ice axes. It is important to bring good ankle support shoes with you (which are also possible to rent for a good price). Once everyone is ready to go, we will start our unforgettable hike to the glacier!
On the way to the glacier we will see a glacier lagoon – a lagoon formed from the melting ice. It is also pretty common to see huge chunks of icebergs floating in the lagoon, if winds do not push them into the Atlantic Ocean.
Once we reach the glacier, we will stop to secure our crampons & other glacier gear. We will then start our hike onto one of Iceland’s most panoramic glaciers. We will be greeted by scenic crevasses, which are huge cracks on a glacier caused by movement of different blocks of ice.
On the top of the glacier we will be able to experience the world like never before:
- Moulins – the glacial tunnels
- Crevasses – chucks of splitting ice
- Volcanic remains from a volcano under the glacier
- And so much more.
Unfortunately, like all other glaciers in Iceland, Sólheimajökull is melting at a rapid pace. It is believed that the glacier will completely disappear within the next few decades.
The top of the glacier offers extremely beautiful views, and if the weather is nice, we will be able to see Iceland’s beautiful South Coast, fading away into the North Atlantic Ocean.
This unforgettable glacier hike is relatively easy and can be done by almost anybody. It is also possible to go ice climbing during the tour, however this must be booked on Sólheimajökull Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike tour.
It is important to know that glaciers change constantly as huge amounts of ice melt each day. Therefore some new ice formations might appear, and some may disappear within hours.
Tie your hiking boots and put on your adventure hat because Sólheimajökull glacier will blow your mind. You'll feel like you have landed on the moon walking on ice and volcanic ash. We'll provide you with ice axes and basic ice climbing techniques for you to climb up as you rise from the ice wall of a glacier crevasse.
Spend your afternoon hiking & ice climbing on one of Iceland’s most iconic glaciers!
This unforgettable adventure will test your strength skills, as you’ll be climbing an ice wall on the 4th largest glacier in Iceland. This activity is for enthusiasts, who would like to explore the Icelandic glaciers to the fullest.
Overview
Sólheimajökull is one of the most visited glaciers in Iceland by ice climbing enthusiasts & professionals, as it offers spectacular ice walls, in a super location – just a few hours away from Reykjavík.
This fun activity will definitely leave you with tons of adrenaline & unforgettable experiences.
We will meet near our meeting point in Sólheimajökull parking lot, where we will hand you all essential glacier gear – a harness, a helmet, an ice axe, & crampons (which are special equipment that go on your boots to prevent you from slipping on ice). During this tour we will also give you some extremely stiff climbing boots, which are necessary for ice climbing.
Once everyone is geared up and ready to go, we will start our unforgettable adventure towards the mighty glacier. We will instantly be greeted by a large glacier lagoon, which has formed due to melting ice; together with some large icebergs, which can frequently be seen in the lagoon.
At the edge of the glacier, we will secure our gear, have a quick safety talk, and make our first steps on the ice. The first part of the hike on the glacier will be the most difficult yet exciting one, as we make our way through the large crevasses. After crevasses, we will be welcomed by absolutely phenomenal views from the top of the glacier.
Once we get used to using crampons, we will continue our hike to an ice wall, where we will set up the climbing ropes. We will attach the ropes to your harness, which will guarantee your safety at all times. With two climbing ice axes in your hands, you will be able to beat gravity & climb the greatest ice wall of all.
After climbing, we will go for a short hike around the glacier to explore:
- Moulins – the glacial tunnels
- Crevasses – chunks of splitting ice
- Volcanic ash from a volcano under the glacier and the beautiful sceneries from the top of the glacier, into the wild Iceland.
This fun & thrilling activity is suitable for everybody, however it is recommended to be in good shape. There is no need to have any previous experience in ice climbing – we will take care of you, and give each individual on this tour a chance to shine.
A volcano under the glacier
An active Katla volcano can be found under the glacier, which has been sleeping since 1918. It is expected that the volcano will erupt within the next few decades, however it is completely safe to be in the area, as volcanoes in Iceland are closely monitored at all times.