Skaftafell Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike
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!
Duration
4 hours
Highlights
✓ Hike on Vatnajökull glacier ✓ Climbing an ice wall ✓ Views of ice formations ✓ Small Group Experience
Included
✓ Free parking ✓ All necessary glacier equipment ✓ Hiking boots ✓ English speaking certified glacier guide
Tour Description
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.
General Information
All year
14:00
About 4 hours
Moderate
6
12 years old
✓ Certified Glacier Guide
✓ Small Group
✓ Glacier equipment: hiking boots, helmet, ice axe, headlamp, and crampons
• Warm clothes (first layer)
• Waterproof outdoor clothing (second layer)
• Gloves and hat
• Joy and happiness!
• Jeans are not recommended for glacier activities. Once it gets wet, it takes a long time to dry, leaving you cold.
• All day tours can be cancelled up to 24 hours from the departure time with the full price refunded by sending an email to [email protected] All cancellations requested less than 24 hours from the departure time are non refundable.
• In the case of cancellation of the tour by the operator because of extreme weather, road conditions or other factors, we will assist you with rebooking to another date or booking other activities when possible, or provide a full refund.
Photos
Meeting Point
We highly recommend that you arrive at our meeting point 20 minutes before the departure time stated on your ticket. Please note that if you arrive after departure time, your place on the tour cannot be guaranteed or refunded.
The meeting point is Skaftafell Terminal by the main road. You can look up “Skaftafell Terminal” on Google Maps to find the exact location and driving directions.
Driving time to Skaftafell from Reykjavík is around 5 hours in good road conditions. If you arrive early, you can visit Skaftafell Terminal which offers free parking and has restrooms.
Click on the map for the exact location and directions.
Skaftafell
3 hours
12 
All Year
