man doing rappel skaftafell glacier
woman ice climbing in skaftafell
guide helping ice climbing skaftafell glacier
man ice climbing with axe scaftafell
guide ice climbing in skaftafell glacier
woman ice climbing in vatnajökull glacier
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Skaftafell National Park Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing

Tour one of the areas of Vatnajökull Park

Skaftafell
1 day
English
Starts: At the meeting point at Skaftafell terminal (20 minutes before the start of the activity)
Ends: At the same meeting point, approximately 4 hours after the start of the activity
Free cancellation!

Briefing

Venture into Vatnajökull National Park for a Skaftafell glacier hiking and ice climbing experience. Unlike the popular Skaftafell Glacier hike tour, the ice walk will be shorter so that you have time for ice climbing. 

Accompanied by an expert guide and equipped with crampons, ropes and ice axe, your adventure will take you to climb the glacier and then enjoy the spectacular scenery of an ever-changing glacier. Still have doubts? Continue reading

Tour details

Included

  • Professional glacier guide
  • Small group (maximum 6 people)
  • Glacier equipment: boots + helmet + harness + ice axe + crampons

Not included

  • Food and drinks

Important information

The difficulty of the tour is moderate

You must be at least 12 years old to do this tour.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation! If you cancel at least 24 hours before the tour starts, you will receive 100% of the amount paid. After this time, or in case of no-show, no refunds will be given.

Tour itinerary

Skaftafell Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing - Vatnajökull Park

Difficulty: moderate
Group size: max. 6 travelers

📍 Meeting point

Our adventure starts at the meeting point at Skaftafell Terminal, where we will meet our guide. Once with the group, we will be provided with all the necessary equipment for the Skaftafell ice climbing: boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet. We will also be taught how to walk safely on the ice and around the environment. Is everything ready?

With the whole group ready, a minibus will take us to the glacier car park in around 10 minutes. From there it's only a 15 minute walk to the ice, where we will start walking with the crampons.

vatnajokull glacier national park landscape

Skaftafell ice climbing

On a constantly changing glacier and in order to avoid crowds, our guide will lead us to an ice wall ready for climbing. The guide will set up the necessary hitches to be able to climb on the ice or to rappel into a crevasse and then climb up again.

man ice climbing skaftafell glacier

Skaftafell glacier hike

Once we have finished climbing, we will continue with the Skaftafell National Park glacier hike. For about 3 hours, we will explore the shafts, crevasses and deep cracks that the glacier has to offer.

guide helping in skaftafell glaciar hike

Return

After exploring all this frozen terrain, we will return to where we started. We will finish our hike at the glacier car park, where the bus will take us back to the Skaftafell terminal. After dropping off all the equipment and saying goodbye to our guide, our adventure on the Skaftafell glacier will come to an end.

landscape reykjavik city

What to bring to Skaftafell National Park Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing

  • Warm clothes (first layer)
  • Waterproof outdoor clothing (second layer)
  • Gloves and hat
  • Food and drinks

Where does the tour Skaftafell National Park Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing start

From Reykjavík it will take you 5 hours to reach Skaftafell. The roads along the route are in good condition. Once at the Skaftafell terminal (the meeting point), you can park your vehicle in the free car park and there are also toilets available.

Questions & Answers

  • How many people are in the group?

    On this tour, the groups are small, with a maximum of 6 travelers.

  • Do I need hiking boots?

    Hiking boots for ice climbing are included. Please remember to provide us with your foot size so that we have boots ready for you.

  • What is the minimum age for the activity?

    Travelers must be at least 12 years old to do this activity.

  • How difficult is it to climb the glacier?

    Our glacier tour is considered to be of moderate difficulty. If you are able to walk for about 1 hour up and 1 hour down on uneven surfaces, there would not be any problem. Also, let us remind you that you will hike with safety equipment and a professional and certified glacier guide who will help you at any time. If you still have specific questions regarding this glacier hike, contact us.

  • What should I wear during the glacier hike?

    During winter, we recommend you wear: warm clothing as the first layer, waterproof outdoor jacket and pants, hiking boots with ankle protection, hat and gloves. During summer, we recommend you to wear: waterproof outdoor jacket and pants. Make sure you do not wear jeans for glacier hike activities. Once it gets wet, it will take a long time to dry, and therefore it will leave you cold.

  • Can my tour be canceled due to weather conditions?

    Wind, rain, and snow are characteristic of Iceland, so the tour will not be canceled due to this. In case of extreme weather conditions that prevent the tour from taking place, an alternative date or a full refund will be offered.

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