Included: An experienced, certified local glacier guide for each tour Full glacier safety gear—crampons, ice axe, harness, and helmet—fitted and demonstrated by your guide Glacier tour of your choice Glacier Wonders: a 4-hour easy glacier hike, including about 1.5 hours on the ice Glacier Explorer: a 5.5-hour moderate glacier hike, including about 3 hours on the ice Crevasse Labyrinth: a 4-hour easy glacier hike through an exclusive crevasse track, including more than 1.5 hours on the ice Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout): Equipment rental Not included: Transportation to Skaftafell — there’s no pickup, so you’ll need your own way to the meeting point Parking at Skaftafell — a fee applies (from around 1,040 ISK for a standard car) Food and water Accommodation Anything not mentioned in the “Included” section above Insurance — recommended, available to add at checkout Guide gratuities — optional

What's the difference between the three half-day tours?

The main difference is how far you go and how much time you spend on the ice. Glacier Wonders (4 hours) is ideal if you want a shorter experience. You’ll hike to the lower part of Falljökull and spend about an hour on the glacier. It’s easier, less physically demanding, and still gives you great views of the icefall. Glacier Explorer (5.5 hours) goes deeper into the glacier and includes around 3 hours on the ice. You’ll explore more dramatic terrain, including crevasses and ice formations near the Öræfajökull icefall. Crevasse Labyrinth (4 hours) covers similarly easy ground, but instead of a broad overview of the glacier, it heads into an exclusive stretch of Falljökull shaped by narrow, twisting crevasses and hidden blue-ice corridors—choose this one if striking ice formations matter more to you than distance covered. All three tours include a short drive from Skaftafell and a 25–30-minute hike to the glacier. Ice caves are sometimes seen on the tours, but never guaranteed. If you’re up for more walking and a tougher trail, go with Glacier Explorer. For a quicker but still stunning experience, Glacier Wonders is a great pick. And if it’s dramatic ice formations you’re after, Crevasse Labyrinth is worth a look.

How fit do I need to be?

Depends on the glacier hike you select. Glacier Wonders: Basic fitness is enough—this is an easy hike suitable for most people in fair condition. You’ll walk around 3 km (1.8 mi), with 200–250 m (650–820 ft) of elevation gain, over about an hour on the ice. Glacier Explorer: Good fitness is required—you’ll cover up to 8 km (5 mi) with up to 400 m (1,300 ft) of elevation gain, over about 3 hours on the ice. Crevasse Labyrinth: Also an easy hike, open to most people in fair condition, with more than an hour and a half spent navigating the crevasse track. All three tours include full safety gear, and your guide will demonstrate how to use crampons and an ice axe before you set out—no glacier experience is necessary on any of them. Icelandic weather can change quickly, and rain doesn’t cancel a tour—only unsafe conditions do. Want to see what else is there in the area? Discover more Iceland adventures here !

What do I need to bring?

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring: Warm outdoor clothing and layers Waterproof jacket and pants rental — rental available Warm gloves and a hat Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support — rental available Sunglasses A small backpack (recommended) Personal food, snacks, and water — lunch isn’t provided A camera — optional (but recommended) Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

Do I need my own glacier equipment?

No experience or personal glacier gear is necessary —crampons, an ice axe, a harness, and a helmet are provided and fitted by your guide before you set out, and all of it is included in the tour price. Crampons matter because Vatnajökull’s ice is often slippery and uneven; they’re metal spikes that attach to the sole of your boot and bite into the ice, giving you the grip you need to walk safely. One thing to note: crampons are only available from EU shoe size 35 upward , so if yours is smaller, you’ll need to bring appropriate backup footwear. All gear gets returned to your guide at the end of the tour.

Group sizes and age requirements

Group sizes and pricing: For Glacier Wonders, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 15:1 . For Crevasse Labyrinth and Glacier Explorer, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 12:1 . These run as scheduled small-group departures rather than private bookings, so there’s no fixed minimum or maximum headcount beyond the guide ratio above. Min. age requirements: If you’re older than 18, you’re good to go. Glacier Wonders and Crevasse Labyrinth are open to hikers 8 years and older , with adult supervision. Glacier Explorer requires a minimum age of 14 , also with adult accompaniment. If your group has younger children, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Are glacier tours in Iceland family-friendly?

Yes—Glacier Wonders and Crevasse Labyrinth are both open to hikers 8 years and older with adult supervision, which makes them the better choice for families with younger kids. Glacier Explorer requires a minimum age of 14, given its longer distance and elevation gain. All three tours are guided, include full safety gear, and don’t require any prior glacier experience.

Getting there and meeting location

The starting point of all three tours is the Skaftafell Booking Center, inside Vatnajökull National Park, about 327 km (203 mi)—roughly a 4.5- to 5-hour drive—east of Reykjavík. To get there, most people fly into Keflavík International Airport (KEF) , then rent a car or take a bus toward Skaftafell. There’s no pickup included, so you’ll need your own transportation to the meeting point. Parking at Skaftafell isn’t included—a fee applies (from around 1,040 ISK for a standard car, payable online or on-site), valid until midnight the same day. You will meet your guide at the booking center, a wooden hut at the edge of the Skaftafell parking area, at the departure time confirmed with your booking.

Safety measures and insurance

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout. Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

SKAFTAFELL | ICELAND

Skaftafell Glacier Hikes: Guided Tours on Vatnajökull, Iceland

Name: Skaftafell Glacier Hikes: 3 Guided Tours, Vatnajökull
Brand: 57hours
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (12 reviews)

1 day | Easy to Moderate | 5.00

From $109 ()

Walking on a glacier sounds like something reserved for polar expeditions—until you’re actually doing it an hour from Iceland’s Ring Road. Skaftafell sits right at the edge of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest ice cap and one of the most iconic sights in the country, and it’s one of the very few places where you can step onto that ice on foot, any month of the year. We run three different routes here, each one taking you across real crevasses, past blue-tinted ice walls, and through terrain that’s still shifting and reshaping itself as you walk it. However far you want to go, this is glacier hiking at its most accessible, and among the most striking few hours you’ll spend in Iceland!

Adventure Highlights

Three routes, one ice cap: Pick the hike that fits your time and fitness, from an easy first glacier walk to a longer trek into the icefall
Full glacier gear included: Crampons, an ice axe, a harness, and a helmet are provided and fitted by your guide, so you’re set up safely from your first step on the ice
Vatnajökull, up close: Walk across crevasses, past towering icefalls, and—conditions permitting—into ice caves on Europe’s largest glacier

Duration

1 day

Season

Year-round

Group size

Up to 15 people

The adventure, day by day

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Glacier Wonders is our easiest and shortest way onto Vatnajökull, and the right pick if you're short on time or want a genuine glacier hike without needing any prior experience. In four hours, we drive from the Skaftafell booking center to Falljökull, gear up, and spend about an hour on the lower part of the glacier, walking among crevasses and icefalls with great views back over the outlet glacier. It's a small-group tour, with a maximum of 15 people per guide, and open to hikers as young as 8 when accompanied by an adult. If you want a taste of glacier hiking without the longer trek, this is the tour to book.

What the day looks like

We start at the Skaftafell booking center, where your guide fits your crampons, harness, and helmet before a 25-minute drive to Falljökull. From there, it’s about a 30-minute walk to the edge of the ice. Once on the glacier, we spend roughly an hour and a half winding through Falljökull’s crevasses and icefalls, covering around 3 km (1.8 mi) with 200–250 m (650–820 ft) of elevation gain, while your guide points out how the ice is shifting and reshaping the landscape. We’re back at the booking center about four hours after starting.

Duration: 4 hours
Meeting point: Skaftafell Booking Center, Vatnajökull National Park
Hiking: approx. 3 km (1.8 mi)
Elevation gain: approx. +200–250 m (+650–820 ft)
Min. age: 8 (with adult supervision)

Glacier Explorer is the longest and most demanding of our three Skaftafell glacier hikes, built for hikers who want to go further into the ice. Over five and a half hours, we cover around 8 km (5 mi) with up to 400 m (1,300 ft) of elevation gain, pushing deeper into Falljökull and toward the more dramatic terrain near the Öræfajökull icefall, with around three hours spent on the glacier itself. Good fitness is required, and hikers must be at least 14 years old. If Glacier Wonders is your first taste of glacier hiking, Explorer is the fuller, more demanding version of the same experience.

What the day looks like

We meet at the Skaftafell booking center at 11 am and gear up before the same short drive and roughly 25–30-minute walk to Falljökull. Once on the ice, we head further into the glacier than on our shorter tours, spending around three hours navigating crevasse systems and, conditions permitting, the rugged icefall itself. Along the way, your guide explains how Vatnajökull forms and changes day to day, with sweeping views over the surrounding mountains and outwash plain. We’re back at the booking center roughly five and a half hours after starting.

Duration: 5.5 hours
Meeting point: Skaftafell Booking Center, Vatnajökull National Park
Hiking: approx. 8 km (5 mi)
Elevation gain: approx. +350–400 m (+1,150–1,300 ft)
Min. age: 14 (with adult supervision)

Crevasse Labyrinth runs the same four hours and easy difficulty as Glacier Wonders, but it's a different kind of tour altogether. Rather than a broad overview of Falljökull, this route heads into a section of the glacier reserved for this tour—a genuine maze of twisting crevasses and hidden blue-ice corridors, with ice walls rising on either side as the path narrows and bends. It's beginner-friendly and open to hikers 8 and up, with more than an hour and a half spent exploring this stretch of ice. Choose this one if striking ice formations are what you're after, rather than covering more ground.

What the day looks like

After gearing up at the booking center, we take the same short drive and walk to Falljökull before turning off toward the exclusive Crevasse Track. From here, we thread our way through a genuine labyrinth of ice—crevasses that twist, narrow, and merge into tall, blue-tinted corridors—while your guide shares how the ice formed and continues to shift. We spend more than an hour and a half exploring this section before heading back to the booking center, about four hours after we started.

Duration: 4 hours
Meeting point: Skaftafell Booking Center, Vatnajökull National Park
Time on the ice: 1.5+ hours
Min. age: 8 (with adult supervision)

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Skaftafell Glacier Hikes: Guided Tours on Vatnajökull, Iceland

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What others say about this adventure

5.00 (12 reviews)

Anna S

Amazing experience. Highlight of Iceland. It was really fun hiking on the glacier. Our guide Christian was really nice and explained a lot of things. We always felt safe during the hike. Really recommend, it is so worth it.

Roxana Kröner

We booked a beginner glacier walk and it was absolutely fantastic, although you should have some level of basic fitness, because some parts of the hike can get a bit steep and/or slippery.
Our guide, Martyna, was very patient with the group and had a lot of interesting information to share about Falljökull (the outlet glacier we walked on) and Vatnajökull and the effect that climate change has on them.
We even got a little extra time in a blue ice crevasse, so anyone who wanted could take pictures.
Amazing experience which I highly recommend for anyone who would like to experience Europe’s biggest glacier.

Isabel Jordan

Did the 2 glaciers hike and it was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done, it truly felt magical being there, and the equipment made it easy and safe. Chris is an awesome guide, really went above and beyond to make the experience legendary! Super fun.

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Things to know

Included:
- - An experienced, certified local glacier guide for each tour
  - Full glacier safety gear—crampons, ice axe, harness, and helmet—fitted and demonstrated by your guide
  - Glacier tour of your choice
    
    Glacier Wonders: a 4-hour easy glacier hike, including about 1.5 hours on the ice
    
    Glacier Explorer: a 5.5-hour moderate glacier hike, including about 3 hours on the ice
    
    Crevasse Labyrinth: a 4-hour easy glacier hike through an exclusive crevasse track, including more than 1.5 hours on the ice
Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout):
- - Equipment rental
Not included:
- - Transportation to Skaftafell — there’s no pickup, so you’ll need your own way to the meeting point
  - Parking at Skaftafell — a fee applies (from around 1,040 ISK for a standard car)
  - Food and water
  - Accommodation
  - Anything not mentioned in the “Included” section above
  - Insurance — recommended, available to add at checkout
  - Guide gratuities — optional
The main difference is how far you go and how much time you spend on the ice.

Glacier Wonders (4 hours) is ideal if you want a shorter experience. You’ll hike to the lower part of Falljökull and spend about an hour on the glacier. It’s easier, less physically demanding, and still gives you great views of the icefall.

Glacier Explorer (5.5 hours) goes deeper into the glacier and includes around 3 hours on the ice. You’ll explore more dramatic terrain, including crevasses and ice formations near the Öræfajökull icefall.

Crevasse Labyrinth (4 hours) covers similarly easy ground, but instead of a broad overview of the glacier, it heads into an exclusive stretch of Falljökull shaped by narrow, twisting crevasses and hidden blue-ice corridors—choose this one if striking ice formations matter more to you than distance covered.

All three tours include a short drive from Skaftafell and a 25–30-minute hike to the glacier. Ice caves are sometimes seen on the tours, but never guaranteed. If you’re up for more walking and a tougher trail, go with Glacier Explorer. For a quicker but still stunning experience, Glacier Wonders is a great pick. And if it’s dramatic ice formations you’re after, Crevasse Labyrinth is worth a look.
Depends on the glacier hike you select.
- - Glacier Wonders: Basic fitness is enough—this is an easy hike suitable for most people in fair condition. You’ll walk around 3 km (1.8 mi), with 200–250 m (650–820 ft) of elevation gain, over about an hour on the ice.
  - Glacier Explorer: Good fitness is required—you’ll cover up to 8 km (5 mi) with up to 400 m (1,300 ft) of elevation gain, over about 3 hours on the ice.
  - Crevasse Labyrinth: Also an easy hike, open to most people in fair condition, with more than an hour and a half spent navigating the crevasse track.
All three tours include full safety gear, and your guide will demonstrate how to use crampons and an ice axe before you set out—no glacier experience is necessary on any of them. Icelandic weather can change quickly, and rain doesn’t cancel a tour—only unsafe conditions do.

Want to see what else is there in the area? Discover more Iceland adventures here!
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
- - Warm outdoor clothing and layers
  - Waterproof jacket and pants rental — rental available
  - Warm gloves and a hat
  - Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support — rental available
  - Sunglasses
  - A small backpack (recommended)
  - Personal food, snacks, and water — lunch isn’t provided
  - A camera — optional (but recommended)
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

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No experience or personal glacier gear is necessary—crampons, an ice axe, a harness, and a helmet are provided and fitted by your guide before you set out, and all of it is included in the tour price.

Crampons matter because Vatnajökull’s ice is often slippery and uneven; they’re metal spikes that attach to the sole of your boot and bite into the ice, giving you the grip you need to walk safely. One thing to note: crampons are only available from EU shoe size 35 upward, so if yours is smaller, you’ll need to bring appropriate backup footwear. All gear gets returned to your guide at the end of the tour.
Group sizes and pricing:
- - For Glacier Wonders, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 15:1.
  - For Crevasse Labyrinth and Glacier Explorer, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 12:1.
  - These run as scheduled small-group departures rather than private bookings, so there’s no fixed minimum or maximum headcount beyond the guide ratio above.
Min. age requirements:
- - If you’re older than 18, you’re good to go.
  - Glacier Wonders and Crevasse Labyrinth are open to hikers 8 years and older, with adult supervision.
  - Glacier Explorer requires a minimum age of 14, also with adult accompaniment.
If your group has younger children, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
Yes—Glacier Wonders and Crevasse Labyrinth are both open to hikers 8 years and older with adult supervision, which makes them the better choice for families with younger kids. Glacier Explorer requires a minimum age of 14, given its longer distance and elevation gain. All three tours are guided, include full safety gear, and don’t require any prior glacier experience.
The starting point of all three tours is the Skaftafell Booking Center, inside Vatnajökull National Park, about 327 km (203 mi)—roughly a 4.5- to 5-hour drive—east of Reykjavík. To get there, most people fly into Keflavík International Airport (KEF), then rent a car or take a bus toward Skaftafell. There’s no pickup included, so you’ll need your own transportation to the meeting point.

Parking at Skaftafell isn’t included—a fee applies (from around 1,040 ISK for a standard car, payable online or on-site), valid until midnight the same day.

You will meet your guide at the booking center, a wooden hut at the edge of the Skaftafell parking area, at the departure time confirmed with your booking.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.

Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
- Fully refundable within the initial 48 hours from booking, unless the trip date is less than 7 days from the time of the booking.
- Cancellations up to 7 days prior to the trip date are refundable 100%.
- Cancellations within 7 days prior to the trip date are non-refundable.

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