🧊 Glacier Hike in Iceland: What To Wear & Firsthand Tips

Iceland is one of the few countries where glaciers are easily accessible, so hiking them is a unique experience.

I hiked Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier in Iceland, with a tour guide, and here, I share firsthand tips and lessons learned. This post covers:

• 💡 Glacier hike how-to
• 💰 Glacier hike costs
• 🎒 What to wear
• ⛑️ How to prepare
• 🍀 My honest review

Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about Iceland.

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Iceland Glacier Hike at a Glance

Before getting into what to wear and tips, here is some general information on hiking Iceland’s glaciers to help you plan your trip.

📍 Where Can You Glacier Hike in Iceland?

There are two main glaciers that you can hike, and both are located in the southern part of Iceland:

• Sólheimajökull – Sólheimajökull glacier is the smaller one. It’s a two-hour drive from Reykjavík and usually a shorter hike (about an hour on the glacier).

Sòlheimajökull is a popular glacier hike because of its proximity to Reykjavík. Most tour operators offer pick-up from the capital city.

• Vatnajökull – Vatnajökull is Europe’s biggest glacier. It’s a four-hour drive from Reykjavík and is usually a longer hike (about two hours on the glacier). Visitors tend to stay at the nearby Skaftafell town when hiking this glacier.

Being on the glacier for longer means you can go higher into it and see more of it. However, you won’t reach the top of the glacier, as that requires more expertise and time.

💪 How Difficult Is a Glacier Hike in Iceland?

It’s not difficult to hike a glacier in Iceland if you’re in decent physical shape. There is some incline, but the distance is short, and the walking pace is slow compared to regular hiking.

The pace of hiking a glacier is slow for several reasons:

• Crampon safety – You need to make sure you’re appropriately using your crampons with every step (e.g., intentionally stomping into the ice to prevent slips).
• Hiking safety – The glacier hike guide needs to constantly assess the path forward. Otherwise, someone can fall through a hollow glacier sheet.
• Built-in breaks – The group will take several breaks to admire the view and experience being surrounded by ice. The local guide will also use these opportunities to share interesting facts about the glaciers.

For a more relaxing activity in Iceland, enjoy its natural hot springs.

⛑️ Can You Hike a Glacier in Iceland Without a Guide?

It’s not illegal to hike a glacier without a certified glacier guide in Iceland. However, it’s not recommended to hike one alone for several reasons:

• Equipment – You need the necessary equipment (e.g., crampons, helmets, boots with appropriate ankle support) to hike on a glacier.
• Safety – More importantly, you need to know how to safely hike a glacier, which is different from a regular hike. For example, you need to know how to avoid falling through a hollow spot and what to do if you fall into a hole, especially if the weather turns stormy.

Like the rest of Iceland, weather conditions are highly volatile on a glacier, and conditions can change rapidly. It can start to hail even in the summer, which I experienced.

🚌 Recommended Iceland Glacier Hiking Tour Operators

There are several Iceland glacier hike tour operators, including Melrakki, Glacier Adventure, and Troll Expeditions, which all have positive reviews and different options.

All prices mentioned here are in USD 💵 .

🍀 My Glacier Hike Experience With Artic Adventures

For my Iceland glacier hike tour, I booked with Arctic Adventures because of how well-rated they were across several platforms. Here are some details on the tour I did:

• Tour Cost: Artic Adventure’s glacier hike cost $230 during the summer season when I visited, making it one of the most expensive tours I’ve ever taken.

The price of an Iceland glacier hike tour varies between the low and high seasons. The price of an Iceland glacier hike tour varies between the low and high seasons. During the winter months, it costs between $100 and $150, and during the summer months, it increases to over $200. Here are more tips on traveling Iceland during peak season.

• Tour Duration: Most glacier hiking tours are half-day trips. Artic Adventure’s morning hike started at 9:20 am and ended at 3 pm, so it lasted a little over five hours. This included time for transportation, getting ready, and hiking the glacier, which was about two hours long.

Different glacier hike tour operators offer different times, but there’s generally a morning and afternoon hike.

• Group Size: Iceland glacier hike tour groups are usually 8 to 12 people, not including the guide. Melrakki specializes in tours with small groups (max of 8 people). My group had 12 people, including the guide.

If you hope to do ice climbing on a glacier, that’s typically a separate tour from a purely glacier hiking tour.

Is an Iceland Glacier Hike Worth It?

To help you decide whether it’s worth hiking a glacier in Iceland, below are the experience’s highlights and lowlights.

👍🏻 Highlights of an Iceland Glacier Hike

Here are some of the best things about hiking a glacier in Iceland:

• It’s easy to access the glaciers in Iceland – Iceland is one of the few countries where glaciers are relatively accessible. For example, in New Zealand, you have to ride a helicopter to get on a glacier. In Iceland, you just need to take a short bus ride less than 30 minutes away from the Ring Road.
• Climate change is changing Iceland’s glaciers – Most glaciers are receding at an alarming rate due to climate change, so access will become harder in the future. Glacier experts say Vatnajökull may not be as accessible in four to six years.
• Hiking a glacier is a unique experience –  If you want to do something different than your typical hike, this is your chance. You’ll wear crampons, learn to walk on snow, and stare at an endless landscape of intensely blue and white ice.

Vatnajökull also has over 30 outlet glaciers, which are spectacular due to their “texture.”

See how to fit a glacier hike into your Iceland itinerary.

👎🏻 Lowlights of an Iceland Glacier Hike

Here are some of the worst things about hiking a glacier in Iceland:

• Glacier hiking is expensive – At more than $200 for five hours, an Iceland glacier hike is one of the most expensive tours in an already expensive country.
• Glaciers are not the only natural beauty around Iceland – Iceland is known for its breathtaking nature, so you can do many other amazing things besides hiking a glacier (in fact, the stunning Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is not too far from Vatnajökull). You can also look at the glacier from afar and still be amazed.

• The weather on a glacier is extremely volatile – Like all of Iceland, the weather on a glacier can change rapidly. If it storms badly enough, you might even have to turn around. You’ll also be miserable if you don’t dress correctly (see what to pack below). During my hike, we experienced sunny skies, cloudy moments, rain, and a miserable hail storm.

The best time to hike a glacier is during the summer when there is a higher chance of clear and sunny skies.

Glacier Hike Itinerary: What To Expect

A typical Vatnajökull hiking tour is a little under six hours long, which is perfect for a short day trip. The most surprising thing about these tours is that you’re on the glacier for only two hours.

Here’s how a glacier hike tour breaks down:

Timing	Glacier Hike Itinerary
40 mins	Gear up – At the Skaftafell meeting point near, you’ll put on the right helmet size, ensure you have acceptable hiking boots, etc.
15 mins	Educational introduction – Your tour guide will walk you through a quick introduction to Vatnajökull.
20 mins	Bus ride – You’ll take a quick, bumpy bus ride to the start of the glacier trail.
45 mins	Hike to the glacier – You’ll do an easy, flat hike to the glacier. Right before getting on the glacier, the guide will teach you how to use crampons.
2 hours	Glacier hike – The glacier is ever-changing, so the route you take on it varies. I walked through deep crevasses, saw a waterfall, peeked into deep holes, and drank glacier water (which was very refreshing!).
45 mins	Hike back – You’ll hike the same way back.
20 mins	Bus back – The bus takes you back to the tour’s meeting point.

The tour operator encouraged us to pack snacks and lunch. My group skipped lunch since it rained and hailed during lunchtime, and we could not find cover. Be prepared for that possibility.

What To Wear on an Iceland Glacier Hike

Wearing the right clothes on an Iceland glacier hike will ensure you don’t have a miserable experience if the weather doesn’t hold up.

The weather on an Iceland glacier is ever-changing; it can be warm and sunny for a few minutes and then turn cold and windy. My hike started sunny and turned into a hail storm.

You don’t need to buy crampons or other glacier hiking-specific gear, as the Iceland tour operators will provide them.

Here’s what to wear and pack to an Iceland glacier hike:

• Acceptable hiking boots – If you don’t want to rent boots, you need to bring ones that meet the glacier hike requirements. I was fine renting boots since I wanted to wear my comfortable and less intense hiking shoes for the other parts of my Iceland trip.

Acceptable hiking boots for a glacier hike need ankle protection, hard soles, and the right shape for the crampons. My Salomon boots didn’t meet the requirements, so I rented boots for 1000 ISK (roughly $7).

• Waterproof outer top – You want an outer waterproof jacket that you can remove if it gets too warm. I wore my regular rain jacket.
• Waterproof pants – My biggest regret was bringing water-resistant pants instead of waterproof ones. My legs were freezing during the hail storm, and having waterproof pants would have significantly lessened how cold I was.
• Layers for your upper body – If the weather stays sunny, you won’t want to wear your puffer jacket or warm clothing. Before the hail storm, I was warm in my sun hoodie, and some people wore short sleeves.
• Waterproof gloves – You’ll likely not want to hold your metal ice axe with your bare hands when it gets cold, so it’s good to pack some waterproof gloves.
• Hat or headband – It can get very gold, so you’ll want head protection.
• Day pack with rain cover – You’ll need a bag to hold your snacks and extra layers. My backpack had straps in the front that could carry my ice pick, which was great because I didn’t use them at all.
• Sunglasses (optional) – You might want sunglasses if your eyes are sensitive; glaciers can get very reflective. I didn’t feel like I needed them, but others had them.
• Reusable water bottle – Glacier water is safe to drink in Iceland, so you’ll want to bring something that can scoop water up. I brought my reusable water bottle.

Some glacier guides will proactively stop to taste the glacier water. I had to ask my guide if I could grab some, and it was the freshest water I’ve ever tasted.

• Snacks or lunch – My tour operator encouraged us to pack snacks and lunch. Since it rained and hailed during lunchtime and there was no cover, my group skipped lunch and ate later while waiting for the bus.

The Iceland trip planner below has the above glacier hike packing list in a downloadable Notion.

Iceland Trip Planner

To make your travel planning easier, download the trip planner below and use it as a starting point. The planner has country-specific travel information, an itinerary, a packing list, and a map with key places pinned.

The trip planner is built on Notion, which I use for all my travel planning (I genuinely love this tool). If you don’t have Notion, creating an account is free.

Thoughts? Questions? Leave a comment below.