If you read nothing else
- Guided glacier walks on Vatnajökull leave from Skaftafell and put crampons on your feet after a short walk from the activity huts. No experience is needed.
- Skaftafell is about 327 km (203 miles) from Reykjavík by car via Route 1, a drive that takes approximately 4.5 hours.[1]
- Ice caves in Vatnajökull are only accessible during winter months, from November and usually throughout March, depending on the weather.[2]
- A Skaftafell glacier hike is from US$106, and the Blue Ice Cave and Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull is from US$167.[3][4]
- Bring waterproof outer layers, warm gloves and a hat, plus stiff boots that take crampons. The guide supplies the technical gear.
- Top choice Blue Ice Cave Glacier Hike from US$167 Duration4 hours[4]Rating4.62 from 848 reviews[4]GuideLive tour guide: English[4]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[4] Check availability
- Blue Ice Glacier Hike from US$106 Duration4 hours[3]Rating4.71 from 1,357 reviews[3]GuideLive tour guide: English[3]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[3] See this tour
- Ice Cave and Glacier Hike from US$162 Duration4 hours[5]Rating4.53 from 1,962 reviews[5]GuideLive tour guide: English[5]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[5] See this tour
The ice caves are only accessible during winter months, from November and usually throughout March, depending on the weather.
Is the Vatnajökull glacier hike worth it?
Know this first
- Reserve ahead if you want a specific date or start time
- Small groups mean a calmer walk and more time with your guide
- The easier glacier walks suit most fitness levels and need no experience
- Check the meeting point and arrival time on your booking confirmation
On the day
- Wear waterproof layers and gloves, glacier ice is cold and wet
- Pack a warm hat and a buff, the wind on the ice bites
- Take sunglasses, snow and ice reflect a lot of light
- Allow extra driving time in winter when roads can be icy
What a Vatnajokull glacier hike is like
A glacier hike here means walking onto Falljökull, a striking outlet glacier of the vast Vatnajökull ice cap.[6] It is not a stroll past a viewpoint. You meet your guide, collect a harness and crampons, spend a few minutes learning how to move on ice, and then step onto the glacier itself. The surface is a mix of white snow, grey ash bands and ice that glows deep blue where the weight above has squeezed the air out of it. The pace is steady rather than fast, with plenty of stops for photos and questions.
The scale is hard to take in from the road. Vatnajökull glacier has a surface area of approximately 8,100 square kilometers (3,127 square miles) and is the largest glacier in both Iceland and Europe.[7] Its ice cap averages about 380 metres thick, though in places it is almost a kilometre deep.[8] Beneath it all sits a hidden volcanic landscape, including the three most famous subglacial volcanoes under Vatnajökull, Grímsvötn, Öraefajökull and Bardarbunga.[9] What you walk on is a frayed edge of something far bigger, and walking here is a reminder that Iceland is still being built and rewritten each year by ice and fire.
Where the hikes start: Skaftafell
Almost all of the glacier walks in this part of Iceland leave from Skaftafell, on the southern edge of Vatnajökull National Park. There is a visitor centre, a campsite, a small shop and a cluster of activity huts where the guiding companies meet their groups. Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre opens 10-17 in January and February, 9-17 in March to May, 9-19 in June to August, 9-18 in September and October, 9-17 in November and 10-17 in December.[10] Parking at Skaftafell is subject to a regional fee, with a passenger car of 5 or fewer seats charged 1,110 ISK.[11]
Skaftafell is about 327 km (203 miles) from Reykjavík by car via Route 1, a drive that takes approximately 4.5 hours.[1] Many people break the journey with a night on the south coast rather than doing it in one go, especially in winter when daylight is short. From the east, the direct drive from Skaftafell to Jökulsárlón is 35.4 miles (57 km) and takes about 50 minutes in normal traffic.[12] Whichever direction you come from, fill the tank before the last stretch, because services are thin along this road. In winter, check the road conditions and the forecast before you set off.
Crampons bite into blue ice on Falljökull, an outlet glacier of the huge Vatnajökull ice cap.
Blue ice caves and when they open
The blue ice cave is the part most people come for. Ice caves in Vatnajökull are only accessible during winter months, from November and usually throughout March, depending on the weather.[2] Guides watch conditions through the season and pick a safe cave on the day, so what you crawl into one day may not be the cave anyone photographed earlier in the season. That uncertainty is part of the appeal. You get a helmet and crampons, walk in a small line behind your guide, and spend a spell inside the ice before heading back down to the bus.
If you are travelling outside winter, there is one well-known alternative. The Katla Ice Cave is a natural ice cave in the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier, formed by the volcanic glacier that sits above the Katla volcano, and it is one of the few ice caves in Iceland that can be visited year-round.[13] It is a different glacier and a different drive, but it means a summer trip does not have to miss out on ice altogether. Either way, the light inside a cave shifts through the day, and a quiet moment away from the group is often when the colour looks best.
The Skaftafell glacier hiking tour on Vatnajökull
For the classic glacier hike Vatnajökull is known for, this is the tour most people start with. The Skaftafell: Blue Ice Cave and Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull lasts 4 hours with a live guide in English, and the group is limited to 12 participants.[4] The itinerary runs by bus or coach to Vatnajökull and Falljökull and back the same way.[4] It is from US$167.[4]
In practice that means a briefing and kit fitting at Skaftafell, a short transfer, a walk up onto the ice, time inside a blue cave, and the drive back. You can reserve now and pay later, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[4] Travellers rate it 4.62 from 848 reviews.[4] Start times vary through the season, so check availability for your date before you plan the rest of the day.
from US$167
The Blue Ice Cave and Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull lasts 4 hours and is limited to 12 participants with an English-speaking guide.[4]
Glacier hikes and ice cave tours compared
If a full cave tour is not for you, book a glacier walk Vatnajökull guides lead onto Falljökull instead. The Skaftafell: Blue Ice Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull lasts 4 hours and is from US$106.[3] It is rated 4.71 from 1,357 reviews.[3] The Skaftafell: Ice Cave Tour and Glacier Hike combines cave and ice in 4 hours and is from US$162, with groups limited to 12 participants, and it is rated 4.53 from 1,962 reviews.[5]
From the Jökulsárlón side, the Vatnajökull Ice Cave Guided Tour takes 3 hours and is from US$164.[14] If you want a longer, tougher day out, the Falljokull Glacier Advanced Hike runs 5 hours, is limited to 10 participants, and is from US$164.[15] The walking is steady on all of them, and guides set a pace that suits the group rather than racing ahead. Families with younger children should read the age limits on each listing before choosing.
What to wear on a glacier walk
Icelandic weather changes fast, and the glacier has its own wind. Dress in layers: a warm base layer, a fleece or light down jacket, and a waterproof outer shell that will not soak through when you kneel on wet ice. Waterproof trousers are worth the suitcase space, and gloves, a hat and a buff make a bigger difference than most people expect. Sunglasses cut the glare off the snow. Stiff boots with ankle support are the one thing not to compromise on, because crampons have to fit over them.
The guiding company supplies the technical equipment, so you do not need to buy crampons or a harness. Bring a small backpack you can move in, a water bottle and a snack, and keep a phone or camera in a waterproof pouch rather than a coat pocket. If you are travelling with children, note that for Mountain Guides' easy glacier hikes in Iceland the minimum age is 8 years old, while more difficult glacier walks may have a higher minimum age.[16]
When to go and how to plan your day
Winter is ice cave season, but glacier walks run in other months too, on snow and bare ice rather than inside a cave. Long summer days make the drive from Reykjavík easier, and the south coast is busy but manageable. Autumn and spring often mean fewer people on the ice and a bit of everything in the forecast, from fresh snow to clear blue crevasses. Whatever the month, the glacier is at its quietest early in the morning.
Do not expect the glacier to look the same next time. Since the year 2000, Icelandic outlet glaciers have retreated exceptionally fast, and their mass loss is among the highest recorded in the world.[17] Vatnajökull National Park was inscribed on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites on 5 July 2019.[18] Not far away, Hvannadalshnúkur reaches 2110 meters, or 6900 feet.[19]
It is easy to pair the glacier with Jökulsárlón, the iceberg lagoon east along the south coast. The Jökulsárlón amphibian boat tour lasts 30-40 minutes.[20] If you would rather sleep close to the ice, Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon is a four-star superior hotel located a stone's throw from Skaftafell.[21] Build slack into the day for weather and road conditions, and leave room to change plans if the forecast turns.
How long guided glacier and ice cave tours last
Durations as listed for these tours on GetYourGuide:[3][4][5][14][15]
Vatnajökull glacier hike prices
From prices in US dollars for these GetYourGuide listings:[3][4][5][15]
When to book your glacier hike
Plan your glacier hike
Pick a base
Stay a night near Skaftafell or on the south coast so you are not driving for hours before you step onto the ice.
Choose your tour
Decide between a plain glacier walk and a hike that includes a blue ice cave, and check how long you want to be out.
Book ahead
Winter cave dates fill up quickly, so reserve early and note the free cancellation window in case plans shift.
Check the kit list
Bring waterproof layers and stiff boots. The guide supplies crampons, a harness and any technical gear.
Arrive early
Meet at the activity area in Skaftafell well before departure so there is time for fitting and a briefing.
Walk on Vatnajökull and step inside a blue ice cave
from US$167Reserve now & pay later
