Skaftafell Blue Ice Winter Wonderland | 5-Hour Hike
Prepare yourself for an unforgettable and frozen adventure from Skaftafell National Park. This is the perfect opportunity for those who want to experience a long hiking adventure on Falljökull, "The Falling Glacier". We will use different techniques to explore far into the glacier to make sure you let the ice fall amaze you and the breathtaking scenery leave you speechless.
Duration
~ 5 Hours
Highlights
✓ Views of Ice Formations, ✓ Small Group Experience, ✓ Hike on Vatnajokull, Europe’s Largest Glacier, ✓ A taste of pure glacial water, … and more
Included
✓ Free parking ✓ Guided Glacier Tour, ✓ All Necessary Equipment, ✓ English-speaking Certified Glacier Guide, … and more.
Tour Description
Come with a glacier guide on a half-a-day adventure in Skaftafell Nature Reserve and explore the hidden areas of the glacier. Learn about the mysterious nature and geology of Iceland and make your vacation unforgettable with this glacier hiking tour.
Your adventure will begin at our meeting point at Skaftafell Terminal where you will meet your highly qualified and friendly glacier hiking guide. They will give a short safety briefing and provide you with all of the equipment necessary for your hiking adventure, including helmets, crampons, harness, and ice axes.
After a short ride on the famous “Tröll Bus”, you’ll immerse yourself in the glacier and begin a short hike to the ice cap. Once there, your guide will explain how to get geared up and what the safest practices to walk on a glacial surface. Once you have your crampons and all necessary equipment on it’s time to take to the ice and begin this once-in-a-life-time adventure.
As you get into the glacier outlet, the majestic features of the natural world amaze you. Falljökull is a glacial tongue from Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier and its name translate to “The falling glacier”. The icefall in the area is unique on earth and the further you get, the more it will blow your mind. The out-worldly scenery is comprised the ice formations in the area: deep crevasses, pale moulins, and even ice sculptures.
The further we continue exploring, the more the beautiful will the view get. Since we’re going to be so high up, we will be able to observe panoramas over Skaftafell National Park, that has gained fame in the last years for being the location for many films and shows. During your expedition, your glacier guide will let you know how glaciers are formed and what are the dangers. You will also learn about the consequences of global warming and their future.
Since this is a more demanding hike than usual, along with the basics of ice climbing you might have the chance to learn more about intermediate techniques of glacier hiking such as via ferrata, among others. When this 5-hour tour is over, we head back to Skaftafell Information Centre filled with a head full of all the lessons learned in this ultimate ice experience.
Never been in an ice cave before? No worries! Our certified guides will teach you all you need to know and have you walking safely in this environment. Safety equipment and briefings are provided before each tour.
Don’t over think it! Book this tour by selecting a date.
General Information
✓ 10:30
✓ 14:30
✓ Moderate to Demanding
~ 5 Hours
✓ All year
✓ Certified Glacier Guide
✓ Small Group (10 people max)
✓ Glacier Equipment: helmet, harness, crampons, and ice axe
• Hiking boots (available for rent online and on location)
• Warm clothes (first layer)
• Waterproof clothing (second layer)
• Gloves and hat
• 12 years
• Jeans are not encouraged for glacier tours as they take too long to dry. Please use waterproof clothing as over layer
• If you are driving in the area, check Hotel Skaftafell for accommodation and/or dinner. You can also try flying over the glacier with Atlantsflug/Flightseeing
Photos
Meeting Point
We will see you 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 can’t 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 4 hours and 30 minutes. 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.
FAQ
What should I wear on the tours?
Weather in Iceland is very unpredictable. For tours during winter: warm clothing as first layer, waterproof jacket with a hoodie, hiking boots with ankle protection and hard sole, a hat and gloves are ideal. For tours during summer, bringing a light rain jacket or a soft shell with a hoodie is in most cases enough protection. Icelanders often say, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes”. Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.
Do I need hiking boots?
We encourage bringing hiking boots for glacier tours. They have to hard on the sole and tight around the ankle. If you don’t have them, we have them for rent in all sizes in Skaftafell or Sólheimajökull. You can add them to your reservation at the time of booking or rent them on location pay with cash or card. The price is ISK 1,500 per pair. For ice climbing tours, boots are included in the price.
How difficult are glacier hikes?
We offer glacier hiking tours in Skaftafell and one in Sólheimajökull. Both locations either easy or moderate in difficulty. Our tours are considered to be safe for anyone in good physical condition. If you are fit to walk for about an hour on an uneven surface a glacier hike is for you. Longer tours, such as the 5-hour glacier hiking, will be more challenging in endurance and some areas of the glacier. We also recommend you remember that we offer all the safety equipment necessary and you will be hiking with a professional and certified glacier guide. If you have specific questions regarding one of our glacier tours, feel free to email us.
If I am pregnant, can I join a glacier hike?
This is a personal choice. We have had pregnant women on our glacier hikes and we always recommend you read the description of the activity to get a better idea. In any case, feel free to contact our Service Team for further questions and concerns.
What if it’s raining?
It rains a lot in Iceland, but we do not let rain stop us from going out and enjoy nature. All we need to do is choose our clothing wisely, which is why we recommend wearing waterproof clothing as the second layer. Of course, safety is our #1 priority. In case of extreme weather conditions, we will cancel our tours and do our best to reschedule. In these cases, you’ll receive a full refund.
Skaftafell
~ 4 Hours
6
All Year
