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About Tour

Get up close to the floating icebergs in Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon and take a picturesque glacier hike on Iceland’s largest glacier!

Highlights

  • Vatnajökull National Park
  • Glacier Hiking
  • Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon
  • Zodiac Boat Ride

Get ready to explore icebergs and glaciers on this adventurous day tour. First, the Zodiac boat tour on the iceberg-filled Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon awaits you. Zodiac boats are the type of boats that are made to operate under harsh Arctic conditions. That’s why you’ll get as close to the floating ice as possible!

Next on, you’ll travel to the Vatnajökull National Park, where another adventure awaits you. Vatnajökull glacier is the largest glacier in Iceland, covering an area of around 7,900 square kilometers. During the glacier hike, you’ll have an opportunity to explore one of its most scenic outlets.

Availability May - Oct
Duration ~9 hours
Departs From Glacier Lagoon Parking Lot
Level Easy Suitable for most people in fair condition.
Minimum age 8 years
Ratio 1:15 Guide to client ratio
Meet on Location Yes
Pick Up No

From

156
Per
Adult
  • Expert Guides
  • Small Group Experience
  • Best Price Guarantee
  • No Booking Fees
  • Fast & Secure Payment
  • Operated with our trusted partner

What's included

Included

  • Guided Glacier Hike
  • Certified Glacier Guide
  • Specialized Glacier Gear
  • Glacier Lagoon Boat Ride

What to bring

  • Warm outdoor clothing
  • Waterproof jacket and pants
  • Headwear
  • Gloves
  • Good hiking boots are recommended

Not Included

  • Meals

Contact us for more Information about this tour

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Itinerary

Information

tour in glacier lagoon by zodiac boat

Located close to the other famous glacier lagoon, Jökulsárlón, Fjallsárlón glacier lake belongs to the Fjallsjökull outlet glacier. It is filled with shimmering icebergs that float in the water. What’s unique about Fjallsárlón is that the background of this glacier lagoon is very steep and you can get much closer to the lakeshore than, for example, in Jökulsárlón. Also, you can admire a view of Iceland’s tallest mountain, Öræfajökull volcano, towering above the lake.

By being less popular than Jökulsárlón, Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon has the advantage of having smaller crowds. Here you can really appreciate the scenery and not get distracted by anything else.

After a boat ride, you’ll need to drive independently to Skaftafell Nature Reserve for a thrilling glacier hike. You’ll step onto Falljökull, an outlet glacier for Iceland’s largest ice cap, Vatnajökull. Falljökull translates from Icelandic as the “falling glacier,” and you’ll be able to see why during the glacier hike tour. The massive icefall drops impressively down the mountains towards the ocean.

Arriving at the glacier’s edge, we’ll strap our crampons on and prepare for a glacier hike. Your professional glacier guide will take care of you every step of the way and tell you more about the ice formations and crevasses you’re seeing. Finally, you’ll approach the awe-inspiring icefall from up close and see how the ancient ice falls hundreds of meters from the mountaintop and slowly moves toward the ocean. This is a sight you won’t forget for a long time!

You’ll have to travel between meeting locations at Fjallsárlón and Skaftafell independently, as transport isn’t provided. Upon booking, you’ll receive all the important information, such as your meeting points and exact meeting times.

Reviews

5
Based on 7 reviews

Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour & Glacier Hike

1- of 7 reviews

Easy initiation to hiking on ice-glazier and

Reviewed on August 15, 2022 by Alfonso Zamanillo Review from Tripadvisor

We did the Glacier Grand Slam Combo and it was great!!!. Seeing the glacier and the iceberg from the lagoon was amazing and later the hike to the glazier was magic!!. Our kids and ourselves will remember for ever. Big thanks to our polish guide Hanna.

Glacier grand slam

Reviewed on June 12, 2021 by Brittany m Review from Tripadvisor

We did the Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour and Glacier Hike. We went to Fjallsarlon lagoon for the boat tour. Our guide was amazing, he was from Iceland (his name started with a Y but I cannot remember it).

We had a few hours in between which we spent at glacier lagoon and diamond beach. I am glad that we had that time.

Then we drove to Skaftafell. Mark and Klaudia were our tour guides. The tour was an hour delayed due to lots of rain and a small problem with the bridge. We drove our own car with the supplies to the Glacier. Then, we hiked about 1.5 miles to the Glacier. Then we started to hike. It has hard. It wasn't too cold. I was tired. But, it was worth it. I would do it again in a heart beat.
Our guides were great, built up our confidence, took it slow, didn't rush anyone, and we're all around amazing.

Great time, great guides

Reviewed on August 28, 2019 by Mariya Smit From our post-trip system

Our group of 7 friends was very happy with the tour with Arctic Adventures, both Zodiac boat ride, and glacier walk. The itinerary was busy and interesting, and the guides were very professional, friendly and entertaining. Thank you very much, and we hope to be back!

Glacier Grand Slam Tour

Reviewed on October 03, 2018 by lynchtlcl Review from Tripadvisor

We had a great time experiencing both the glacial lagoon zodiac boat tour and the the afternoon glacier walk. The lagoon tour was spectacular and bright blue since the morning had brought a little now and rain to the area. The guide kept saying how lucky we were that it had rained/snowed because we got to experience the real beauty of the icebergs, and he was absolutely right! We were provided with clean waterproof/floatation coats as well as rain pants (they are technically 500 ISK, but they didn’t charge us) We were taken right up to the face of the glacier and all of the icebergs and the local guide was super knowledgeable. I appreciate that the guide didn’t have a set script and instead let us ask questions which he was very well equipped to answer in great detail. This is not a tour on the big lagoon, but instead is on the Fjallsárlón Lagoon, which to us was perfect. We saw the big tourist lagoon the day before and snapped photos, but we were able to enjoy this lagoon tour in privacy. We were the only boat on the lagoon and our boat only had 6 passengers! This is outsourced to a small local tour operator and they were fantastic.

Then in the afternoon we did the Glacier hike at Skaftafell with Arctic Adventures. Again the tour was wonderful and well organized. We were quickly fitted with ice crampons and off we went. It was a little challenging at first because it’s a 20-30 minute uphill hike to get to the actual glacier, but I think most of the struggle is learning to trust the crampons and to loosen up your body. Advice..... just relax and walk like normal on the ice and let them do the work! Once I was able to relax the tour was very enjoyable. I’d say if you are in moderate shape this is doable and not to difficult. If you are more mature in age or severely overweight/ out of shape, you might want to reconsider. Even though they say it’s for all ages and easy, they are talking relative to the other tours and not in general. My husband and I are 45 and in ok shape, not avid exercisers, but not not grossly out of shape either and it was fine for us( a little more challenging for me than my husband, but I’m not athletic at all, lol)

Overall, my only critique is the long gap (about 3.5 hours) between the morning and afternoon tours. We were able to go grab a quick bite and gas up the car in a nearby cafe/fuel station, but then we had to just sit and wait. If you are staying in the area it might be nice to get a quick rest, etc. but we were driving back to KEF after the tour for a morning flight the next day, so the long gap was a bummer.

Overall, excellent tour though!!!

Glacier Grand Slam

Reviewed on October 03, 2018 by lynchtlcl Review from Tripadvisor

We had a great time experiencing both the glacial lagoon zodiac boat tour and the the afternoon glacier walk. The lagoon tour was spectacular and bright blue since the morning had brought a little now and rain to the area. The guide kept saying how lucky we were that it had rained/snowed because we got to experience the real beauty of the icebergs, and he was absolutely right! We were provided with clean waterproof/floatation coats as well as rain pants (they are technically 500 ISK, but they didn’t charge us) We were taken right up to the face of the glacier and all of the icebergs and the local guide was super knowledgeable. I appreciate that the guide didn’t have a set script and instead let us ask questions which he was very well equipped to answer in great detail. This is not a tour on the big lagoon, but instead is on the Fjallsárlón Lagoon, which to us was perfect. We saw the big tourist lagoon the day before and snapped photos, but we were able to enjoy this lagoon tour in privacy. We were the only boat on the lagoon and our boat only had 6 passengers! This is outsourced to a small local tour operator and they were fantastic.

Then in the afternoon we did the Glacier hike at Skaftafell with Arctic Adventures. Again the tour was wonderful and well organized. We were quickly fitted with ice crampons and off we went. It was a little challenging at first because it’s a 20-30 minute uphill hike to get to the actual glacier, but I think most of the struggle is learning to trust the crampons and to loosen up your body. Advice..... just relax and walk like normal on the ice and let them do the work! Once I was able to relax the tour was very enjoyable. I’d say if you are in moderate shape this is doable and not to difficult. If you are more mature in age or severely overweight/ out of shape, you might want to reconsider. Even though they say it’s for all ages and easy, they are talking relative to the other tours and not in general. My husband and I are 45 and in ok shape, not avid exercisers, but not not grossly out of shape either and it was fine for us( a little more challenging for me than my husband, but I’m not athletic at all, lol)

Overall, my only critique is the long gap (about 3.5 hours) between the morning and afternoon tours. We were able to go grab a quick bite and gas up the car in a nearby cafe/fuel station, but then we had to just sit and wait. If you are staying in the area it might be nice to get a quick rest, etc. but we were driving back to KEF after the tour for a morning flight the next day, so the long gap was a bummer.

Overall, excellent tour though!!!

Glacier Grand Slam Tour

Reviewed on May 16, 2018 by amp132 Review from Tripadvisor

I booked the Glacier Grand Slam tour for my husband and I, and it was incredible. First we arrived at the glacier lagoon for our boat tour. The tour takes place on a smaller lagoon than a lot of boat tours, but it meant it was a much smaller group. At the big lagoon, there are 30+ people per boat. Our boat was 4 people. We spent about an hour on the water and got to get up close to icebergs and the glaciers. Our guide Hokan was very knowledgeable and kept us safe and informed on the boat!

Then we had a 3 hour break and had to transport ourselves to the second part of the tour. The second part was a glacier hike, at a very easy level. We spent about 20 minutes hiking to the glacier, a little over an hour on the glacier itself with crampons, and 20 minutes hiking back. Our guide was Kuba, and he was very knowledgeable as well. He said he has hiked over 20 glaciers in his life. He taught us how to put on and safely walk using the crampons. We got to see so much of the glacier, including it's streams, where ash is inside it, and the "glacier mice" that are rocks completely covered in moss. This was my first glacier hike, and it made me want to do even more. Highly recommend!

A must do but be prepared!

Reviewed on July 10, 2015 by Skyla99 Review from Tripadvisor

My husband and I did the Glacial Grand Slam. This is made up of a 5 hour hike followed by a tour of Iceberg Lagoon. The hike was wonderful and the views are unforgettable but I strongly suggest that you read the descriptions carefully before making your choice. These hikes are extremely challenging and the longer excursions are not for the part-time hiker. Unless you are in very good physical condition, consider taking one of the shorter hikes. Out of the ten people in our group there was only one who seemed to take the hike with ease. Before you even get on to the ice you must hike for about 45 minutes up the muddy, slushy volcanic dunes. And then from there it's three hours on the ice itself. And you are climbing for the most part of that. Before you undertake this trek I suggest you spend a quality month with your Stairmaster! ;) I had never hiked on ice before or with crampons and I found it very treacherous and slippery. Our guide Sara was very good and took care to make sure everyone was together and doing fine. She took breaks very often to give us a chance to recover. We had many opportunities to take pictures and enjoy our surroundings. As we walked up she gave us more and more information about the glacier. It was very interesting. As for how to dress, I was very surprised at how many layers I took off. I started off with a Burton winter jacket and two thin sweaters underneath. I was also wearing my tuque, scarf and gloves. This was perfect at the base of Skaftafell because it was freezing and very windy. When we started hiking though I couldn't wait to start peeling layers off. When you're on the glacier it's less windy and the exertion makes you very hot, very fast. By our second stop I had taken off a sweater, my hat and scarf and I still felt that my coat was way too hot. I think the temperature on the glacier was between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius to give you an idea. You also have to wear helmets on the hike so that keeps in some heat as well. This is a great adventure to undertake and I recommend it completely but I strongly suggest you prepare yourself beforehand.

FAQ

Skaftafell is located about 330 kilometers from Reykjavík. See map for directions.

The main difference between these trips is that they take you to different locations on the glacier.

Our Glacier Explorer (5.5 hours) trip spends approximately 3 hours on the ice, exploring the magnificent ice-fall where it falls down from the Öræfajökull caldera.

The Glacier Wonders (4 hours) trip explores the easier part of the glacier which is lower and you will spend approximately 1 hour on the ice, giving you a fantastic but brief encounter to the highlights of Falljökull glacier.

Both trips start about 15 min driving away from our Skaftafell base camp. After the drive, we continue on foot following the retreat of the glacier for about 25-30 minutes where we set foot on the ice. Once there the 3.5-hour walkers spend their time exploring the features of the lower glacier and seeing spectacular views of the icefall. The 5.5-hour walkers explore the glacier more thoroughly and experience majestic pinnacles and deep crevasses. Both trips sometimes come across spectacular ice-caves but due to the nature of glaciers, this is not always the case.  

The 5.5-hour walk requires a higher level of fitness and agility as you will be on your feet for a longer period of time and the terrain is more challenging.

Meet on location means traveling to the location of the tour yourself and then meeting our tour guides rather than being picked up and taken to the location.

Iceland is known for its 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 dressing in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended such as a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment, topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.

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 reflecting 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.

We recommend bringing your own backpack on our full day or 1/2 day tours. It’s great to carry a small lunch and some extra clothing.

You can bring your camera along, and you should definitely bring one since the setting on the tour is full of amazing, scenic views.

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.

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).

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. Get to know how to put crampons.

Yes, there is a specially trained and certified glacier guide on every glacier tour that we offer.

When glacier hiking you will be provided with an ice axe, crampons, harness and helmet. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.

When snow stays long enough in one place it turns to ice. Over long periods of time, the ice layers up becoming huge blocks called glaciers. As there is a lot of snow in Iceland,  it forms to create ginormous glaciers that sweep across huge masses of land. Iceland is home to Europe’s largest glacier named Vatnajökull. This Glacier Guide will also tell you everything you may want to know about Glaciers.

Rain is not uncommon in Iceland. However, we do not let the rain stop our tours. This is why having appropriate clothing is very important to keep you warm and dry. Nature is not something that we can control and therefore we need to adapt to the weather. If your safety is compromised by going on the tour, we will cancel and you will be fully refunded.

This guide to Glacier Hiking includes all the information you might need when preparing for a glacier hike.

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