Meet us by Solheimajokull Glacier and join our certified glacier guides on an easy glacier walk. Located in South Iceland, suitable for those who have rental car.
Duration: 3 hours (1 - 1.5 on ice)
Pick-up: Meet us at Solheimajokull*
Group maximum: 15 participants per guide
Available: All year
Age limit: 8 years
Difficulty: Easy
Map: (click here)
Tour Highlights:
- Easy glacier hike
- Solheimajokull Glacier
- Glacier tongue from Myrdsalsjokull
- Certified Glacier Guide
- Small group experience
- South Iceland
*Meeting point:
Meet us at our glacier base on the parking lot by Solheimajokull glacier in South Iceland. GPS: 63.530431, -19.370416
Click here for the meeting location map. Look for a big yellow vehicle marked Arctic Adventures.
Included: Easy glacier hike, certified glacier guide and all necessary glacier equipment.
Bring with you: Warm clothing, waterproof outer layers and good hiking boots with ankle support. Please see the full equipment list here below.
Transfer from Reykjavik: If you need transportation then have a look at our Glacier Experience tour from Reykjavik.
Note： For all of our glacier tours Glacier Guides will provide guests with crampons for walking on the ice, helmets and ice axes. Waterproof clothing and hiking boots are available for rent, see booking engine.
Tour Description
Easy glacier hike with an expert guide
The tour starts with an introduction to the equipment and safety rules needed to explore the glacier. Then you will take a short walk across the pitch black volcanic ash and sands towards the frozen glacier tongue that is Sólheimajökull, an outlet glacier from Myrdalsjokull Ice Cap. As you walk along the valley which the glacier filled only a few years ago, your certified glacier guide will show you how the glacier is retreating at an alarming rate, almost before your very eyes. At the glacier edge you lace up your crampons and with your guide you will explore this otherworldly natural wonder, a rugged, raw and ever changing hub of ancient frozen water.
Experience the glacier up close on Solheimajokull
The glacier hike is an adventure like no other, and with the rapid rate of global climate change an adventure now only available in very few parts of the world. You will see how the primal elements shape and affect glacier, creating mesmerizing labyrinths of ice ridges and deep v-shaped crevasses that criss cross and scar the surface of the ice. Not to mention the big sink holes, called "moulins", that sometimes have drilled their way through the glacier, all the way to the black sands below, draining the melt water of the ice in water slides and little waterfalls. The glacier also carries with it the ashes of volcanic eruptions from the distant and not so distant past, you might even be lucky enough to be able to collect a little sample of the Eyjafjalljökull volcanic ash from 2010.
Driving directions
Be careful when driving during winter: In the winter the roads in Iceland can be very difficult and especially the road in towards the Sólheimajökull glacier. During this time we strongly recommend you buy a pick up and transfer from Reykjavík.
If you are driving from Reykjavík follow the signs for Selfoss on road no. 1, you drive road no. 1 south for around 2 hours, passing the following towns without making any turns: Hveragerði, Selfoss, Hella and Hvollsvöllur. Keep driving until you see the Skógarfoss waterfall on your left hand side. After you pass Skógarfoss you drive for around 5 minutes, you pass a bridge over the Jökulsá river, then you take the first turn on the left (Road 221) towards the glacier and you stop at the 2nd parking lot by the glacier.
If you are driving from the East (for example Höfn) continue west on Road no.1, after passing through the coastal town of Vík, continue for approximately 25 minutes until you see the yellow sign for road 221 on the right. This will be immediately before a bridge crossing the Jökulsá river. Take a right and continue towards the glacer (4km) and stop at the 2nd parking lot by the glacier.
Do you need transportation from Reykjavik? Have a look at Glacier Experience - with pick up from Reykjavik
Recommended equipment list
The recommended equipment list for Glacier Experience:
- Waterproof jacket and pants (We do have rental clothing available in the booking process)
- Hiking boots (Available for rent, 1000 isk. We advise against runners or any type of shoe that comes up below the ankle bone as the straps on the crampons can get a bit painful during the walk)
- Light sweater, wool or fleece
- Light synthetic or quick dry pants (Try and stay clear of jeans on the longer trips as they get wet & cold quick and dry slow)
- Thin Gloves
- Hat
- Small Backpack (Can be handy to carry camera, rain gear and all extras)
- Sunglasses and sun protection (It can get quite bright on the ice with the reflection)
- Food and drinks (Lunch is not provided on any of our trips. June - September there is plenty of fresh water on the glacier so bring a bottle)
- Camera (If you forget everything else don´t forget that)
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Map: -
click to enlarge
Disclaimer: Glacier Guides does not assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its customers or can be traced to their own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherit risk.
