Glacier Experience
Easy Glacier Walking Tour suitable for beginners
Explore the incredible ice world of the Sólheimajökull glacier on a ravishing glacier walking tour right off the beautiful South Coast
Meet us at the Sólheimajökull parking lot right off the Ring Road for a fantastic glacier hiking experience. Put on your hiking boots and provided glacier gear and become a real adventurer when you join this memorable small group tour with an experienced glacier guide.
Sólheimajökull glacier is an outlet from the mighty Mýrdalsjökull and is surrounded by some of Iceland’s most grand volcanoes and during summertime, a glacier lagoon forms in front of the glacier only adding to the charm of the location. This popular day tour is the perfect way to get in real contact with the true reason behind the name Ice-land!
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Availability
All Year
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Duration
~ 3 hours
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Level
Easy
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Pickup
No
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Meet on location
Yes
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Min. Age
8 years
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Ratio
1:15
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Departs from
Sólheimajökull
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Price from
9.500 ISK
- Tour highlights
- Glacier hike
- Small group guarantee
- Sólheimajökull (Solheimajokull glacier)
- Included
- Guided glacier hike
- Certified glacier guide
- Specialized glacier gear
Your Glacier Experience tour starts with an introduction to the necessary glacier equipment provided in the tour and your expert guide going over the safety rules needed to explore the beautiful Sólheimajökull glacier. Then you will take off on a short but scenic walk across the pitch black volcanic ash and sands that lay in between the Sólheimajökull glacier and it’s parking lot. The ash and sand are from the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull stratovolcano that took place in the year 2010 and is a reminder of the closeness of volcanoes and glaciers in Iceland. Truly a fantastic and unique start!
The Sólheimajökull glacier tongue originates at Mýrdalsjökull which is famously also the home to the volcano Katla. There is no doubt that the glacier is exquisite and the surrounding area as well. Your knowledgeable glacier guide will point out to you how the glacier is retreating and give you an interesting history and geology lesson to get you to understand the true magic of the glacier.
Right at the foothills of the glacier you will lace up our crampons and follow your guide to explore this otherworldly natural wonder; a rugged, raw and ever changing hub of ancient frozen water. This glacier hike is an adventure like no other, and with the rapid rate of global climate change, this popular activity is only available in very few parts of the world. You will see how the primal elements shape and affect the glacier, creating mesmerizing labyrinths of ice ridges and deep V-shaped crevasses that crisscross and scar the surface of the ice. Not to mention the big sinkholes, called “moulins”, that sometimes have drilled their way through the glacier, draining the meltwater of the ice through little waterfalls and streams. The glacier also carries with it ashes of volcanic eruptions from the distant and not so distant past, you might even be lucky enough to be able to collect a little sample of the Eyjafjalljökull volcanic ash from 2010.
Add some adventure to your Iceland tour and explore an amazing crawling glacier, before it becomes inaccessible.
Remember to bring: Warm outdoor clothing, waterproof jacket and pants, headwear and gloves. Good hiking boots are recommended.
What if I don’t own all of these clothing necessaries?
Don’t worry, you can always rent sturdy hiking boots, waterproof jacket and pants in the booking process or on location. Booking these items in advance is recommended.
Please note
This tour is a meet on location only which means that you will have to meet us at Sólheimajökull Parking Lot. If you want a pick up from Reykjavík, please check out our Glacier Experience from Reykjavík or our Glacier & Waterfalls tour.
Departure from Sólheimajökull Parking Lot. Distance from Reykjavik approx. 164 km / 101 mi. GPS 63°31’00.48″N, 19°22’00.12W(WGS84).
How far from Reykjavik is the meet-up location for the tours at Solheimajokull?
We meet you at Sólheimajökull parking lot and the distance from Reykjavik is approx. 164 km / 101 mi. The drive takes around 2-2,5 hours.
For GPS: 63°31’00.48″N, 19°22’00.12W(WGS84).
How long is the tour?
The tour is about 3 hours with approx. 1.5 hours on ice.
How is it best to be ready for a pick-up for a tour with Arctic Adventures?
This is a great question. We would like to ask all participants to be ready from the start of the pick-up time as you could be our first pick-up.
Please be at your assigned pick-up location from the start time of your pick-up and wait for your guide to arrive.
Have your email and phone number listed with us so we can contact you if we run into any trouble finding you.
View our pick-up locations in Reykjavík.
Can I drink alcohol before or during Arctic Adventures tours?
No, absolutely not. Due to safety reasons, it is strictly prohibited. If we suspect that participants are intoxicated we will prohibit them from joining the tour.
Do you offer any family friendly tours, for younger children?
Yes, we do. Langjökull Ice Cave is a magical experience, the tour has no minimum age and is a wonderful option for the whole family. Whale Watching with our partner company Special Tours, has been a favorite with families traveling with young children, these guys have a great success rate in seeing whales (upwards of 98% in the summer time). Another option would be the Landmannalaugar Safari on this tour you get to explore parts of the Icelandic highlands and bathe in natural hot springs (the hot spring part is particularly popular with the kids:)). Most of our jeep tours are also suitable for children over the age of 6 years old. If you would like a nice and relaxing experience we would also recommend the Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon tour.
Do I need an insurance before going on an Arctic Adventures trip?
We recommend that you have personal health insurance coverage when participating in any adventure activities in Iceland, we actually recommend that whenever and whereever you travel you take out a good travel insurance, as world travelers ourselves it has saved us money and aggravation many times.
Can the itinerary for the tour change?
Your safety is our number one priority! Keeping this in mind, Arctic Adventures reserves the right to adjust the itinerary and/or take different routes depending on conditions. Please read more information in our cancellation policy.
Is there a guide on each Arctic Adventures tour?
Yes, there is a specially trained and certified guide on each of our tours. The only exception to this is for our self-drive tours.
All of our tours are guided in English.
What should we wear on our glacier trip in Iceland?
Iceland is known for colorful weather. It can sometimes show you all 4 seasons in one day.
Dressing for this sort of weather can be a challenge so we always recommend to dress in layers. Dress is 3 or 4 upper layers such as a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment, topped off with a waterproof wind-breaker. Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet. Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are best and then wind/waterproof pants over. We also recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy due to the high UV and sunlight reflection off of the glacier.
You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out good hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.
Do I need to bring a backpack on a glacier trip in Iceland?
We recommend bringing your own backpack on our full day or 1/2 day tours. It’s great to carry a small lunch or some extra clothing.
Can I bring my camera along on a glacier tour?
You can bring you camera along, and you should definitely bring one since the setting on the tour is full of amazing, scenic views.
I am pregnant, can I still join a glacier hike?
This is, of course, a personal choice, we have often had pregnant women on our trips. We recommend you take a close look at our trip description and difficulty rating, they will hopefully give you a better idea. It is also good to contact your physician, pregnant women’s health can be quite different. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions or concerns.
Do I need to bring a lunch with me on the glacier tours?
We do not provide lunch on any of our trips, so we recommend you bring your own lunch (for the longer trips), snacks and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip).
What are crampons?
Crampons are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes, these enable you to walk on the glacier ice without slipping.
Is there a guide on each Arctic Adventures glacier tour?
Yes, there is a specially trained and certified glacier guide on each trip glacier tour we offer.
Disclaimer
All our tours are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Adventures does not assume any responsibility for accidents that are caused by its customers or can be traced to their own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherent risk.
“Worth every cent”
We took part in the 90 minute glacier hike up Sólheimajökull and it was well worth every cent we paid! Well organized and they even had pants, shoes etc for rent for those who did not have it.
Very interactive and informative. One lady was not too confident and I witnessed them helping her which was very sweet.
"Great Glacier Trip, ideal for families"
Review of: Small Group Glacier Experience from Solheimajokull GlacierAs our son is 11, we chose a short glacier trip and booked with Artic Adventues as their prices seemed the lowest of the various companies who were offering walks on Sólheimajökull. The tour was well organised and offered excellent value for money. We were given full safety kit including helmets (saw other groups on the glacier bare headed). Josh, our guide, was excellent – he paced the group perfectly to ensure that we saw as much as possible without taking it too fast. He was able to share lots of knowledge about the glacier itself and the rest of the local area.
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