Glacier Hiking Tours in Iceland

Sometimes, the most breathtaking sites can only be reached on foot! With tours for every skill level, you’ll experience Iceland’s glaciers up close… gaze into moulins, explore glacier tongues, challenge yourself as you scale icy formations, and marvel at the power of Iceland’s glaciers, volcanos, and unique climate.

Glacier Hiking & Climbing Tours in Iceland

Sometimes, the most breathtaking sites can only be reached on foot! With tours for every skill level, you’ll experience Iceland’s glaciers up close… gaze into moulins, explore glacier tongues, challenge yourself as you scale icy formations, and marvel at the power of Iceland’s glaciers, volcanos, and unique climate.
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Fantastic Reviews


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Thousands of reviews from happy customers all over the world.

Flexible Cancellations


Flexible cancellations

You can cancel most tours up to 24-hours in advance at no charge. 

Most popular glacier hiking tours in Iceland

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Explore the glaciers up close

Learn more about the hidden life of these giants… see magnificent features like deep cracks and crevasses, moulins, ash deposits, and more.

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Climb the ice
Are you up for the challenge of scaling a vertical wall of ice? Trust us, it’s worth it…you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views when you get to the top!
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Tours for every skill level
Whether you’re an experienced trailblazer or a total beginner, you’ll find the ideal tour for you. And each tour begins with a short briefing to help you feel comfortable on the ice.
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Experienced guides & safety gear

You’ll have a skilled guide and be given all the gear you need, like crampons, a helmet, a harness, and an ice axe. It’s the only safe way to explore the glaciers!

Classic glacier hiking & climbing tours

Glacier hiking tours with transfers from Reykjavik

Over 1000+ 5-star reviews

See what other travellers like yourself have to say about glacier hiking tours in Iceland

"Blue So Blue!"

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Excellent
Our experience hiking in the blue ice cave and black ice cave was incredible! Our guide, Halli, was the best! He was informative, interesting, funny, and made this an unforgettable experience. I learned so much about the nature of glaciers and ice caves and what makes them so blue. Kudos to Halli for taking the Great Splits Challenge with my daughter, Charlotte! For a mountain of a guy he can sure get low!
Lisa G
Brooklyn, New York
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"Must do on Iceland"

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Excellent
I had a wonderful trip, what you see on the website is what you get in reality. A wonderful experience, a guide who know where to go to see the beautiful thing on Skaftafell, assisting all the time and very friendly. You first get the equipment, than you go by bus to the area, than you have to walk 30 minutes and then you get where you came for, unforgettable!!! My group was 8 people.
Heine1966
Emmeloord, The Netherlands
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"INCREDIBLE!"

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Excellent
First off - VALA is the best tour guide!! She was super fun and very knowledgeable about the area! The tour was incredible - the black sand beach with an amazing cliff and cave - if you go in the summer, you’ll see puffins because they make their nests there in the rocks! The glacier hike was one of my favorite things, I can’t recommend it enough! The views from the top were breathtaking and VALA was always there to answer questions with fun stories and facts! Definitely add this tour to your list!!
sswitch
Hunt Valley, Maryland
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Breathtaking Beauty

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Excellent
My family did the 3 hour glacier hike with Troll Tours today and we all had a wonderful experience. The guide, Helgi, was knowledgeable and patient, making sure everyone was properly geared up and safe. He is also very experienced and passionate about glaciers. Speaking of glaciers, the entire area is stunningly gorgeous. I mean, Iceland is beautiful to begin with, but the glaciers set it apart from anywhere else I’ve been.
JoekimRiley
Forest Hills, New York
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An incredible tour with an amazing tour guide!

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Excellent
We did ice climbing and glacier hike in Skaftafell with our tour guide Franzy. We were blessed and we were blessed to have Franzy as our tour guide - the hike was beautiful and learning about the glacier was really cool! The ice climbing was a great experience, I was nervous at the start, but with Franzys guidance and encouragement we were able to get the hang of it and had a great day! I would definitely recommend this tour for someone who wants to see the glacier but also add a little extra adventure to the experience! Franzy also gave us plenty of tips of what we should do for the rest of our trip and we ended up doing most of them, the insider tips were invaluable!
jeannespill
Dublin, Ireland
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"Ice Climbing and Glacier Hike with Gisli"

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Excellent
We had an incredible time on the ice climbing and glacier hike tour with our guide Gisli! He is a very qualified guide and made our group feel comfortable and have tons of fun! Ice climbing was a blast, if anyone had doubts in the beginning they definitely didn’t by the end! Next was the glacier hike, which was also amazing. He took us far up the glacier as we were all so keen, and shared some of his mountaineering knowledge and stories with us. Would 10/10 recommend this as the tour to do for anyone who comes to Iceland. If you can only do one thing, make it this one!
MichelleB6523
Perth, Canada
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TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2018
TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2019

Frequently asked questions

All you need to know about glacier hiking tours in Iceland

Please do not attempt to hike on a glacier by yourself! Tragically, tourists have gotten seriously injured and even died trying to do just this. It’s all too easy to get lost, get stuck in unexpected bad weather, or even fall into a crevasse. Certified glacier guides know the safe routes to hike, and how to scan the ice for unsafe conditions and keep you out of harm’s way. You also need proper equipment for a glacier hike, so sign up for a glacier hiking tour that appeals to you and get ready for some fun!

Yes, if you go on a tour with a qualified guide, hiking on the glaciers is very safe—they have plenty of knowledge and years of experience navigating Iceland’s glaciers. Your tour guide will also provide you with all the necessary safety equipment. Please remember to never attempt a glacier hike by yourself, as the glaciers have many hidden features and hiking by yourself can easily become a fatal endeavor.

There are many different glacier hiking and climbing tours of varying lengths and difficulty levels, including tours designed for beginners. You can find the approximate difficulty level and details about a specific tour on the tour’s main page.

Yes! On some tours, like this one on the Sólheimajökull glacier and this one from Skaftafell, you’ll get to do an exciting glacier climb, where you’ll ascend a vertical glacier wall.

As you probably know, Iceland has hundreds of named glaciers. So how do you choose which one to hike? Many people decide on beautiful Sólheimajökull, which is close to Reykjavík and convenient if you’re staying at a hotel in the city. The Skaftafell Nature Reserve is in the south-east, and is farther from Reykjavík, but is home to some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery. Here, you can hike on an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull like Falljökull. If you’re visiting the picturesque Snaefellsnes peninsula, you might love a hike on Snaefellsjökull! You really have lots of options for glacier hikes in Iceland, so browse through the different tours to find the one that’s right for you.

During summer glacier tours, dressing in warm, light layers including a waterproof/windproof outer layer is a good idea. In the winter, you’ll want to dress in very warm layers (fleece and wool are great materials) with a waterproof/windproof coat and pants, as well as a hat and gloves. For any glacier hike, sturdy waterproof hiking boots that cover your ankles are a smart choice.

Yes, you’ll be given all necessary safety equipment and gear, like crampons, (metal spikes that attach to your hiking boots, which allow you to walk on the ice without slipping) a helmet, a harness, an ice axe, etc.

Please check the main tour page for the glacier hike you’re interested in, as age requirements vary by tour. Some glacier hikes are appropriate for children as young as 8! Older adults can also participate, as long as they’re comfortable walking on an uneven surface and are in good physical condition.

You should discuss your plans with your doctor to get personalized advice about which activities are safe for you and baby. Each tour lists an approximate difficulty level as well as a description of the hike, which can help you make your decision.

Your glacier hike will most likely proceed “rain or shine.” We get a lot of rain in Iceland, and in many cases it passes quickly. Just be sure to dress in warm, waterproof layers, and you should be fine! In the event that we get very severe or dangerous weather like a large storm or blizzard, your tour might be cancelled for safety reasons. If this happens, you’ll receive an email to alert you, and you’ll be offered a refund or a chance to reschedule for another day.

Why book a glacier hike?

If there’s one thing Iceland is famous for, it’s our glaciers! When you explore on foot, you’ll gain a unique perspective and satisfy your curiosity about all the unique features. Get a good workout and feel the power of these massive, constantly moving bodies of ice- tours available during any season!

Browse other popular things to do in Iceland