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Vatnajökull National Park Hiking

Our most recommended Vatnajökull National Park Hiking

Vatnajokull Glacier: Ice Caving and Glacier Hiking

1. Vatnajokull Glacier: Ice Caving and Glacier Hiking

Begin in Skaftafell before heading to the Falljökull glacier tongue. Gear up and get safety instructions from your skilled guide before setting foot on the ice. Start by hiking to the ice cave while soaking up the magnificent scenery and spend approximately 30 minutes exploring. Afterwards, hike back over the glacier through an adventurous landscape of rugged ice. Ice caves are only accessible during winter when the temperature drops well below zero –  the water from the rivers that run underneath the glacier freezes and leaves this phenomena to explore. Each year new caves are formed in different locations.

Skaftafell National Park: Glacier Hike

2. Skaftafell National Park: Glacier Hike

Discover what it feels like to walk on impacted ice on an amazing hike across the outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. Get breathtaking views of the ice-covered peaks of Skaftafell National Park in the epic wilderness of Iceland. Meet your guide at the meeting point to pick up your crampons, ice axes, harnesses, and helmets. Then, drive by bus to the start of your hike and put on your crampons and steel frames tied to your hiking boots for the amazing adventure ahead. Spend around 60 to 90 minutes on the ice to see crevasses and deep cracks on the surface. Learn about the vertical shafts known as moulins, formed when melting water finds its way into the fissures and cracks. Look into small ice tunnels and capture the beautiful blue heart of the ice in the winter. Learn the history of the glacier from your English-speaking guide.

Skaftafell: Ice Cave Tour and Glacier Hike

3. Skaftafell: Ice Cave Tour and Glacier Hike

Explore breathtaking ice formations and glacier mills on this guided tour in Skaftafell. Marvel at a naturally-formed, blue ice cave and learn how glaciers are formed. A professional hiking guide will take you to the base of Falljökull, an outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull ice cap, and lead you up to the cave. On a clear day, be sure to look out for Hvannadalshnúkur in the distance.

Skaftafell: Guided Glacier Hike Day Trip

4. Skaftafell: Guided Glacier Hike Day Trip

Enjoy a frozen adventure in the wilderness of Skaftafell and hike across a stunning outlet glacier of Vatnajökull in the company of an expert guide. Get a short safety briefing and collect all the necessary equipment at the meeting point. Then, marvel at the majesty of the landscape on the short hike to the ice cap. Put on your crampons for security out on the ice. See different formations, including deep crevasses and ice sculptures, and get panoramic views over Skaftafell National Park. Learn how glaciers are formed and hear how their future is under threat as a result of global warming. Get an introduction to more advanced stages of glacier hiking before heading back to the meeting point.

Skaftafell: Blue Ice Experience with 2.5-Hour Glacier Walk

5. Skaftafell: Blue Ice Experience with 2.5-Hour Glacier Walk

You will meet your qualified glacier guide in Skaftafell National Park, where you will be outfitted with crampons and an ice ax. When everyone is ready, a short bus ride will take us to the foot of the glacier. During the tour, you will explore one of Vatnajökull National Park's many outlet glaciers, extending from the mighty Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. After a short lesson on how to use the crampons and ice ax, you will step onto the glacier and be transported to an icy, foreign planet. The unique landscape truly seems out of this world, with white, clear and deep blue ice, deep crevasses, ice ridges and stunning scenery as far as the eye can see. We will take our time and make sure there are plenty of photo opportunities while your guide explains the inner workings of these white giants. Glacier walks are one of the most popular outdoor activities in Iceland and this is where it all started. Operating since 1994, this easy and safe tour made the Icelandic glaciers accessible to everyone, and today, you can't really visit Iceland without going on a glacier walk.

Skaftafell: Extra-Small Group Glacier Hike

6. Skaftafell: Extra-Small Group Glacier Hike

Embark on a small-group tour of Vatnajökull glacier and benefit from an intimate experience with a maximum of 8 participants. After meeting your guide at the meeting point in Skaftatell Airport, get geared up and prepare for your 20-minute 4x4 drive to the base of the Falljökull outlet glacier. At the base, step onto the glacier and listen to a quick briefing on how to wear your ice crampons. Then, it's time to begin your glacier hike. Follow your experienced guide through stunning ice formations, moulins, crevasses, and crystal-clear blue pools. Spend up to 120 minutes exploring the unique landscape of the glacier. Witness breathtaking views, listen to interest local anecdotes, and have your photo taken against this stunning natural landscape before heading back to the 4x4. Get dropped off back at the meeting point at the end of your hike.

Skaftafell: Vatnajökull Glacier Explorer Tour

7. Skaftafell: Vatnajökull Glacier Explorer Tour

Take a walking tour of the Vatnajökull Glacier, the largest in Europe, with a certified guide. Head with your group to the ice fall on a scenic and exhilarating walk and enjoy artful ice sculptures formed by the frozen waters of Falljokul Glacier along the way. Follow your guide on a scenic walk, during which you can appreciate the dramatic landscape carved by the glacier. Once at the tongue of the glacier, put crampons on, undergo a safety briefing, and then make your way to the real adventure. Head up towards the incredible ice fall (from which Falljokull derives its name), where you will explore a dramatic terrain, full of frozen ice formations and ice sculptures. Get plenty of photo opportunities while witnessing the rugged and majestic ice fall. Learn how the glacier was formed and how it keeps changing its shape day after day from your guide.

Vatnajökull Glacier: Ice Cave Tour

8. Vatnajökull Glacier: Ice Cave Tour

Seize the opportunity to experience one of the stunning blue ice caves within Vatnajökull Glacier, the largest glacier in Europe. This tour is rated as easy, as the Superjeeps allow participants to get very close to the entrance of the cave without exerting much effort. Head into the more easily accessed ice caves for an encounter with the stunning blue ice and the beautiful views for which Vatnajökull is famous. In the warmer summer months, the glacier melts and forms holes and crevasses. After they freeze, get an up-close look at what nature has created. The winter months are all different and the glacier and caves are constantly evolving, making the sites extra interesting. Each season, the best available cave is chosen for this tour. The tour begins from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in Southeast Iceland. Meet your professional glacier guide and climb on board a 4x4 Superjeep to begin the rugged journey towards the glacier. The drive is an experience in and of itself. Once there, you will have plenty of time to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the icy blue caves of Vatnajökull.

Iceland: 3-Day Golden Circle, South Coast, & Glacier Tour

9. Iceland: 3-Day Golden Circle, South Coast, & Glacier Tour

Experience the beauty of southern Iceland on this 3-day guided tour from Reykjavik. Explore the Golden Circle, sleep in Hveragerði Village, and marvel at the power of Geysir Strokkur. Watch the waves crash against Reynisfjara black sand beach and relax with an optional cruise on Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Day 1:Start your tour by visiting the highlights of the Golden Circle. Visit Thingvellir National Park where you can stand with one foot in Europe and one in America. Next, see Gullfoss, one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, and marvel at the Geysir Strokkur as it erupts every 5-10 minutes. Discover the Mars-like landscape of Kerið, a magical crater lake of brilliant blue-green water surrounded by bright red soil. Spend the night in Hveragerði Village before starting the next day on the south coast. Visit the geothermal park and try bread baked in the hot ground, boil eggs, or simply relax in the mud baths. Day 2: Visit the two great waterfalls of the south coast, Seljalandsfoss, and Skógafoss, as well as the lesser-known waterfall of Glufrabui. Drive under the great Eyjafjallajökull glacier volcano to the Mýrdalsjökull glacier cap where you'll can enjoy an optional glacier hike. Finish your second day at the iconic Reynisfjara beach, where the sea crashes on the black sands. Admire the great, hexagonal basalt columns and black rock sea stacks. Rest at an overnight stay in the remote Suðursveit County. Day 3: Spend time gazing at majestic glaciers and lagoons before heading to the amazing Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Immerse yourself in the scenery with an optional boat tour and have the chance to see seals swimming around the huge icebergs. Finally, the last stop is at Fjáðrárgljúfur River Canyon. At the end of your tour experience, head back to Reykjavik with an estimated arrival time of 9:15 PM.

South Coast Iceland: 2-Day Blue Ice Cave & Jokulsarlon Tour

10. South Coast Iceland: 2-Day Blue Ice Cave & Jokulsarlon Tour

You adventure begins with you being picked up in Reykjavík in a small and comfortable minibus before heading straight to the south. Your first stop will be the almighty Seljalandsfoss waterfall, bring a raincoat and you’ll be able to make the short hike behind the falls. Following this, you will progress onward to the Skógafoss waterfall. Tucked in a little gorge, the river Skógá tumbles down a 60-meter cliff before continuing down the landscape towards the Atlantic Ocean. You will then reach a blue ice cave, where you will have the opportunity to hike through this natural phenomenon Following the ice cave, you will hike an outlet glacier spawning from the one of the largest glaciers in the country. After meeting your highly trained glacier guides you will hike on the ice for 1.5 hours, a truly spectacular experience and opportunity to learn more about this breathtaking and increasingly rare natural phenomena. In the evening you will arrive at your hotel in the southeast, where you will have dinner before meeting your guide for further information about the Northern Lights. If the sky is clear and the forecast is good your guide will find a good spot to hunt the famous Aurora Borealis. You will then visit a black sand beach, home to many types of Iceland birds and other wildlife, before retiring back to your accommodation for the night. Day 2 will begin with a venture to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, a 200m deep glacial lagoon fed by Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet glacier of Europe’s largest glacier. You will be able to witness icebergs floating from this glacier lagoon out into the Atlantic Ocean where they are quickly thrown back to shore by the tide and winds. This black sand beach is full of smaller ice rocks in all shapes and sizes, sparkling like diamonds in the daylight. The ice itself comes in all shades of white and blue forming beautiful contrasts. Your day will conclude with your return to Reykjavík.

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What people are saying about Vatnajökull National Park

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 222 reviews

One of the best experience ever! It’s just spectacular and our guide Fabian did an excellent job looking after us and taking a group where there’s not much crowd so we can take awesome photos. He was also very fun and motivating! The view itself is just so surreal! Definitely a must thing to do when in South of Iceland! If you miss it, you miss Iceland! Thanks Troll expeditions for a wonderful tour!

I highly recommend this incredible experience! I can’t believe how far we were able to go onto the glacier. Being in a small group was special and allowed us to experience activities and parts of the glacier larger groups were unable to. Our guide was knowledgeable, charismatic, and made us feel safe.

It was a nice experience and I will give about 10000 out of 10 . Thanks to our tour guide (Vega) for the nice experience

Adam was great and a bit crazy guide. It was amazing trip, really worth it

This excursion was fun, informative and worth the money.