Skaftafell Blue Ice Cave & Glacier Hike

Glacier Hike Self Drive

Join this adventure tour where you will experience all the fantastic features of a glacier; you will hike up an outlet of Vatnajökull glacier, Europe’s largest glacier, where you’ll have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enter a crystal blue ice cave.

Price from 13,900 ISK

Price from 99 EUR

Duration

4 hours

Highlights

✓ Visit to a natural ice cave
✓ Hike on Vatnajökull glacier
✓ Small group experience

Included

✓ Free parking
✓ Guided ice cave tour
✓ All necessary glacier equipment
✓ English speaking certified glacier guide

Tour Description

Skaftafell is a beautiful nature reserve in south-east Iceland, filled with spectacular natural wonders. You will explore one of these wonders on a glacier outlet of Vatnajökull glacier.

Vatnajökull is not only Europe’s largest glacier, but it is also home of the highest mountain range in Iceland. During the glacier walk, you will be exploring breathtaking ice formations and moulins while learning how glaciers are formed and how they constantly change. The most breathtaking feature you will see is undoubtedly the naturally formed ice cave. You will be able to walk inside this dazzling structure to see the fantastic blue ice found within.

Lace up your hiking boots and get ready for an incredible journey up and inside a glacier with a fantastic Ice Cave!

General Information

Available

All year

Departures

• 10:00
• 14:00

Duration

About 3 hours

Difficulty

Easy to moderate

Group size

Minimum age

8 years old

Included

✓ Certified Glacier Guide
✓ Small Group
✓ Glacier equipment: helmet, ice axe, headlamp, and crampons

What you need to bring

• Warm clothes (first layer)
• Waterproof outdoor clothing (second layer)
• Hiking boots (available for rent on booking)
• Gloves and hat
• Joy and happiness!

Good to know

• Jeans are not recommended for glacier activities. Once it gets wet, it takes a long time to dry, leaving you cold.
• Ice caves are a dynamic ever-changing natural phenomenon only accessible during winter time when temperatures drop below zero. Each year new unique caves are formed in different areas of the glacier. We visit a naturally formed ice cave during this tour. The photos on our website and social medias are from this winter season, but the ice cave we visit might have changed due to the dynamic nature of these formations.

Cancellation policy

• All day tours can be cancelled up to 24 hours from the departure time with the full price refunded by sending an email to info@troll.is. All cancellations requested less than 24 hours from the departure time are non refundable.
• In the case of cancellation of the tour by the operator because of extreme weather, road conditions or other factors, we will assist you with rebooking to another date or booking other activities when possible, or provide a full refund.

Meeting Point

We highly recommend that you arrive 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 cannot 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 5 hours in good road conditions. 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.

Gallery

Meeting Point

FAQ

What should I wear for glacier tours?

Weather in Iceland is very unpredictable. For tours during winter: warm clothing as first layer, waterproof outdoor jacket and pants, hiking boots with high ankle protection, a hat and gloves are ideal. For tours during summer, bringing a light rain jacket and pants 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 outdoor trips as they become very heavy and cold when they get wet.

Do I need hiking boots?

We encourage bringing hiking boots for glacier tours. They have to have hard on the sole and be tight around the ankle. If you don’t have them, we have them available for rent in all sizes while booking or at the glacier hike location for ISK 1,500 per pair with cash or card.

How difficult are glacier hikes?

Our tours are considered to be safe for anyone in good physical condition. You have to be able to walk for about an hour up and down on slopes and uneven surface. Longer tours will be more challenging in endurance for 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.

How does weather affect my tour?

Wind and rain are common in Iceland, in addition to snow in the winter, but we do not let challenging weather 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 jacket and pants as the second layer. Of course, safety is our #1 priority, in case of extreme weather or road conditions, we will cancel our tours and do our best to reschedule your booking at a further date or provide a full refund.