Small-Group 8-Hour Glacier Hiking Tour in Vatnajokull from Hotel Skaftafell

Explore a glacier outlet at the famous Vatnajokull glacier on this epic day of hiking. Those eager for an exciting adventure who want to discover one of Iceland’s most spectacular natural sights should book this small-group tour now.

The tour starts at the meeting point, the Freysnes Gas Station, a black and pink building across from Hotel Skaftafell. You’ll meet your expert glacier hiking guide and the rest of your tour group.

This tour has a low guest-to-guide ratio, with a maximum of four participants to one guide. This ratio means that your day of glacier hiking will involve focused, high-quality instruction, so you’ll have plenty of time to ask your guide questions.

The tour starts with a safety briefing to ensure you know how to stay safe on the ice. Your guide will also give you all the equipment you need for the hike, including helmets, harnesses, crampons, and axes.

Make sure you wear warm, waterproof clothing for the tour. You should also bring a beanie or buff to wear under your helmet. Good-quality sunglasses are also recommended, as reflections from the ice can be very bright.

The hike takes place on an outlet glacier of the mighty Vatnajokull. The Vatnajokull glacier is the central feature of the national park of the same name in Southwest Iceland. Vatnajokull National Park is the second-largest national park in Europe, covering a vast area of 5,460 square miles (approximately 14,141 square kilometers).

The glacier has a surface area of over 3,000 square miles (roughly 8,100 square kilometers). Its average thickness is 1,500 feet (about 500 meters).

There are over 30 outlet glaciers at Vatnajokull, and you’ll explore one on your tour. Outlet glaciers are streams of ice that flow from an ice cap, ice sheet, or ice field. They then follow depressions in the earth, such as valleys.

Glaciers constantly change, so you’ll get a one-of-a-kind experience during your tour. You could discover temporary features that no one has seen before you and will ever see again. Because of the small group ratios, your group can get into tight places where larger groups can’t enter.

Along the way, your highly experienced and knowledgeable guide will tell you about the landscapes and nature of the glacier. Glaciers in Iceland are rapidly shrinking due to climate change, and the guides will explain how this is affecting Vatnajokull. This commentary will help you understand and appreciate your terrain even more.

You’ll have the chance to take fantastic photos during your glacier hike, so make sure you bring your camera. 

Don’t miss this exciting seven-hour experience exploring an outlet glacier of Vatnajokull on a glacier hike. Check availability now by choosing a date.