Are the Glacier Hikes for everyone?

Not all of our trips are suited for any ability we do however offer trips that are within anyone's reach and if you have any concerns with your ability do not hesitate to contact ,or come in and ask, us and we will give you our honest opinion.

For our easiest glacier hikes from Skaftafell National Park check out: Glacer Wonders and Blue Ice & Black Sands.
Moderate to more challanging trips from Skaftafell: Glacier Grand Slam, Glacier Explorer, Wall of Ice (Ice climbing tailored to your ability).
And last but not least our Alpine Program where along with an experienced guide you will scale some of Icelands most majestic peaks - Hvannadalshnjukur - Icelands highest or any other peak of your choosing.

 See Trip Difficulty Rating here.

From Reykjavik our easiest hike is Blue Ice on Sólheimajökull Glacier and our Alpine Program includes Snæfellsjökull Glacier and Eyjafjallajökull Glacier along with, on special request, Hvannadalshnjúkur and Hrútfjallstindar.

Please feel free to contact us for special requests.

What equipment should I bring?

Please refer to our checklists:
Alpine Treks Checklist
Glacier hike Checklist

  

Why should I not wear Jeans on the longer trips?

We ask our clients not to wear jeans on our longer trips, but instead to wear lightweight trousers, as jeans get very cold and uncomfortable when wet. If jeans are all you have then we can provide you with waterproof over-trousers to wear instead.

Do I need to bring a lunch?

A packed lunch is provided on the Blue Ice & Black Sands, Glacier Grand Slam and the Glacier Explorer morning trip.  We recommend you bring your own snacks and a bottle for water (which you will find plenty of on the glacier) for the Glacier Wonders and Ice-climbing trips.  For trips to Hvannadalshnúkur and other alpine trips please refer to the Alpine Equipment list for food you will need.

Do I need to bring a backpack?

We recommend bringing your own backpack when on one of our full day or 1/2 day tours. We have a limited number of backpacks for hire if you don’t have one of your own.For Alpine trips we recommend a 30-50L pack.

Do I get my money back if it is raining or the weather is bad?

We do not give refunds if it is raining. It is the high annual rainfall in the glacier region (6-8 meters per year) that allows the glaciers to grow and without the rain these magnificent glaciers would not be here. We can rent you the best in rain protection including waterproof jackets and waterproof over trousers. However if we feel that at any point that conditions are not appropriate for travel we will make the call and cancel or reschedule the trip and in the case of cancellation we will refund you the trip.

Is the glacier there all year round?

Yes! This is due to the fact that snow falls up the top of the glacier and it is this snow that feeds the river of ice, otherwise known as the glacier.

Although the glaciers are subjected to advances and retreats it takes a long time to witness any noticeable changes in the glacier's size. Even though we can guarantee that the ice is present all year round, specific ice features cannot be guaranteed. These features come and go very quickly due to the movement of the glacier, however there are new features constantly forming.

What is the difference between the 2 1/2 and 5 hour trips?

The main difference between these trips is that they take you to different locations on the glacier. The All Day trip spends approximately 4 hours on the ice, exploring the magnificent ice-fall where it falls down from the Öræfajökull caldera. The Half Day trips explores the easier lower part of the glacier and you will spend approximately 1 hour on the ice, giving you a fantastic but brief encounter to the highlights of the Falljökull glacier. Both trips are a 15 minute drive from Skaftafell base camp. After the drive we continue on foot following the retreat of the glacier for another 20 - 25 minutes where we access the ice, and once there the 2 1/2 hour walkers spend their time exploring the features of the lower glacier and seeing spectacular views of an icefall. The 5 hour walkers explore the glacier more thoroughly and experience majestic pinnacles and deep crevasses. Both trips often offer spectacular ice-caves but due to the nature of glaciers this is not always the case.  

The 5 hour walk requires a higher level of fitness and agility as you will be on your feet for a longer period of time and the terrain is more challenging.

What should we wear on our glacier trip?

Iceland´s weather is noted for its ability to deliver 4 seasons in one day at any time of the year. Dressing for this sort of weather can be challenging and as a general rule it is wise to use the layer approach. 3 or 4 upper layers such as a light t-shirt (or similar) next to the skin, then a fleecy or heavy wool garment, topped off with a water proof wind-breaker is ideal. Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when wet. Trackpants or long cotton pants are best. We also recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy due to the high UV and sunlight reflection off of the glacier.
We can rent out good hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and over trousers for all of our trips. All Day walkers are also given woolen mittens and hats. If you feel that you have not got enough warm clothing on the day of your glacier adventure, please check with your guide, as we can rent you a fleece jacket.

 How do I get to Skaftafell, and how do I find you there?

 

 

You can get to Skaftafell either by car or by bus. Check out our Vatnajökull Voyager trip departing from Reykjavík to Skaftafell, making it all the way to the Glacier Lagoon and back to Reykjavík in a day. Further details on the location here.

 

Driving Directions:

Skaftafell National Park is located 327Km from Reykjavik, it is about 4 hours drive always on main road nr 1, if you come trough the south coast after you pass the town of  Kirkjubæjarklaustur you have to drive for about an hour until you reach a sign on the road to your left that says Skaftafell National Park. If you come the north route you will find Skaftafell about 130Km after you pass the town of Höfn, on your right hand side. Easy as that! After you get into the National Park you can find us right away in our house with the turf roof at the edge of the parking lot.

 

Bus Information:

There are two bus companies going to Skaftafell, the quickest way is Iceland Excursions that operates Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10th of June to 10th of September, and the other one is Reykjavik Excursions that operates daily from 15th  of June to 13th of September.

The Vatnajökull Voyager is a great tour if you are considering coming to Skaftafell via bus or have limited resources and time while in Iceland.

 

Day trips from Reykjavik:

You can also opt to take one of our day tours from Reykjavik that include the bus transfer to and from Reykjavik and a glacier tour. The Vatnajökull Voyager is a great tour if you are considering doing this.

Do I have to book the tour in advance or is it enough to book it when I arrive in Skaftafell?

It is always better to book the tour in advance to guarantee you will have place available in the tour you want at the time you want. If you don't book in advance we can not guarantee you will get a place.

How do I book and what information do you need from me?

There are a few different ways you can book our trips. First of all you can book almost all our trips right here on our website. There is a booking window on each trip page and we do recommend that you book and pay for your trip there with some time to spare as we keep our groups small and frequently sell out.

If the trip you would like to book is not bookable online then you can call us directly at our office, the phone number is +354 571-2100. Another way is to send us an e-mail with an inquiry, our e-mail address is info@glacierguides.is . What we need to have is your name, how many people are in your party, where you are staying and some way of contacting you either an e-mail or a phone number.

How do I pay?

There are three ways in which you can pay for the trips that you book with us.

1. You can pay through the internet, through our booking website. This is by far the easiest and fastest way to reserve and pay for your adventure. If you choose this way then you will receive a voucher via e-mail which you will need to print and bring along on your trips. If you are going on a multi day trip then you will receive one voucher for all of the trips via e-mail and we will make you separate vouchers for each of your trips, which will be waiting your arrival in Iceland at our office at Laugavegur 11.

2. You can pay via phone, the booking office in Reykjavík +354 571-2100 or directly in our office in Skaftafell +354 659-7000. If you choose to pay through phone then your vouchers will be waiting for you when you come to Iceland, either at our office at Laugavegur 11 or at your hotel.

3. Sometimes you can pay when you arrive to start your trip, but this is only possible in special circumstance.

Please Note: However you pay, you will always get a voucher: REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR VOUCHER ALONG FOR YOUR TRIP!

 

Where is your Reykjavík Office located and when are you open?

Our office is at Laugavegur 11, the main shopping street in Reykjavík, see map here. There you can get all the information that you need, be it about the trips that you want to go to or just general information about Reykjavík. You can also book and pay for various day trips. Over the summer season (June-August) we are open from 08:00-21:00 Monday-Saturday and 10:00-18:00 on Sundays. All other times of year we are open 10:00-18:00 Mondays-Fridays, 11:00-16:00 Saturdays and closed on Sundays. But you can reach on our emergency cell phone line: +354-898-0410.

 

What currency do you accept?

We only accept the Icelandic króna (ISK). Our website presents prices is ISK and in EURO, the EURO price is obtained by converting it with the currency exchange rate of the Icelandic Federal Bank. If you would like to calculate the price of our tours in some other currency you can do so here.

How many people are in each group?

It depends on the trip you are taking. Our guest to guide ratio is based on years of experience with group management, each trip has a set number of guests per guide that we do not exceed and takes into consideration the terrain and general average group ability´s along with satisfaction. Due to ever changing conditions on the glaciers we do take the liberty to change guest to guide ratio without notice only to increase client care. If and when that has happened we add on to our staff of qualified guides so that no one will missed out on the fun.

Do you take private tours?

Yes, we can make a private tours. If you are thinking of a private tour please send us an email (info@glacierguides.is) or give us a phone call so we can give you further information as prices and planning are highly dependent on the situation.

 

Where can I stay overnight in Skaftafell?

Because we know how are it can be to get information about accommodation in this area we have made a special page about it.
Click here for list of accommodation in Skaftafell.

What is the minimum age to participate on the tours?

For the Glacier Grand Slam, and Glacier Explorer tour the minimum age to participate is of 15 years.
For the Black and Blue, and Glacier Wonders tour the minimum age to participate is of 10 years.
For the White Giant, Hvannadalshnúkur, the minimum age to participate is 18 years, and this applies for the other alpine tours.
For the Wall of Ice the minimum age to participate is 14 years old.

 

Can I take my camera on the glacier?

Yes, you can and you should! The glacier is absolutely amazing and you don’t want to miss the chance to take a bit of its beauty home in your pictures.

 

Do I need insurance before I go on a glacier?

We recommend that you have personal health insurance coverage when participating in adventure activities in Iceland, we actually recommend that when ever and wherever you travel you take out a good travel insurance. As world travellers our selves it has saved us money and aggravation many times.