Glacier Hiking on Virkisjökull and a
sightseeing and wildlife trip to the historic Ingólfshöfði cape
departing from Skaftafell National Park
Trip difficulty 2 out of 5 possible
Our adventure begins with an introduction to the enchanting world of Icelandic glaciers. You can choose between
a short glacier walk (Glacier Wonders, GW) or our longer hike (Glacier Explorer, GE).
Walking on the glacier ice
with crampons, we will see unique ice formations and deep blue moulins, learning about how they are formed
and how the glacier reshapes itself continuously. You will enjoy sweeping, panoramic views of the surrounding
mountains as you walk towards the icefall.
The adventure continues when we go for a wildlife exploration of the
historic Ingólfshöfði cape, an isolated island caught between the black
sands of the south coast and the North-Atlantic Ocean. This is where, in
the year 874, Ingólfur Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland, jumped
ashore and spent his first winter in Iceland. The adorable Puffins,
Razorbills, Fulmars, Guillemots, and Skuas amongst other species now
inhabit the cape numbering in the thousands.
To get there we will cross six km of waters, marshes and sands in a
tractor pulled hay trolley. After arriving at the cape we will go for a
short hike (2-3 km) so we can take a closer look at the sea cliffs where
the majestic seabirds, so characteristic for Iceland, nest during the
very short arctic summer.
Disclaimer:
Clients are advised that all activities are undertaken entirely at their own risk and they must behave in a fit and proper manner at all times in accordance with Glacier Guides guidelines and must take proper responsibility for their own safety. Glacier hiking and related activities carry inherent risks and guests may be requested by Glacier Guides to sign a liability release and assumption of risk prior to certain excursions.
Add 4.000 ISK to upgrade to Glacier Explorer.
Guaranteed departures:
Everyday (except Sundays) from the 16th of June to the 8th of August for minimum 2 persons.
Pick-up from Skaftafell campsite, Hotel Skaftafell and Svínafell campsite, glacier hike (Glacier Wonders
or Glacier Explorer), glacier gear, and packed lunch.
Warm outdoor clothing, waterproof jacket and pants, headwear and gloves. Good hiking shoes are recommended.
You can rent hiking shoes for 1.000 ISK and waterproof clothing for 500 ISK per item in Skaftafell.
Please refer to our
Equipment List for further details.
GW Option: Approx. 6.5 hours, GE Option: Approx. 8 hours.
10 years for Glacier Wonders and 15 years for Glacier Explorer.
2 persons.
330 km / 205 miles
Disclaimer:
Clients are advised that all activities are undertaken entirely at their own risk and they must behave in a fit and proper manner at all times in accordance with Glacier Guides guidelines and must take proper responsibility for their own safety. Glacier hiking and related activities carry inherent risks and guests may be requested by Glacier Guides to sign a liability release and assumption of risk prior to certain excursions.
I have never been on a glacier before, which tour is suitable for me?
Our tours are designed for people with absolutely no background glacier experience. The guide will teach you all you need to know regarding the use of crampons and walking on ice. You just have to chose a tour that adapts to your fitness level.
What equipment should I bring?
Please refer to our checklists:
Alpine Treks Checklist
Glacier hike Checklist
The Glacier Grand Slam tour includes a boat tour on the Jökulsárlon Glacier Lagoon. Is it dangerous to cruise on the lake?
The safety of the passengers is insured by well trained staff on each boat. No accidents every happened since they started cruising on the lagoon 15 years ago. The boat drivers have a lot of experience and good knowledge about the lake. They know exactly where to drive with the boats without taking any risk. Each of the large amphibian boats is followed by a quick lifeboat for your safety.
Why can't I wear Jeans?
We ask our clients not to wear jeans on the glacier, but instead to wear lightweight trousers, as jeans get very cold and uncomfortable when wet. If jeans are all you have then we can provide you with waterproof over-trousers to wear instead.
Do I need to bring a lunch?
A packed lunch is provided on the Blue Ice & Black Sands, Glacier Grand Slam and Glacier Explorer trips. We recommend you bring your own snacks and a bottle for water (which you will find plenty of on the glacier) for the Glacier Wonders and Ice-climbing trips. For trips to Hvannadalshnukur please refer to the equipment list for food you will need.
Do I need to bring a backpack?
We recommend bringing your own backpack when on one of our full day or 1/2 day tours. We have a limited number of backpacks for hire if you don’t have one of your own.
Do I get my money back if it is raining?
We do not give refunds if it is raining. It is the high annual rainfall in the glacier region (6-8 meters per year) that allows the glaciers to grow and without the rain these magnificent glaciers would not be here. We can rent you the best in rain protection including Goretex rain jackets and waterproof over trousers.
Is the glacier there all year round?
Yes! This is due to the fact that snow falls up the top of the glacier and it is this snow that feeds the river of ice, otherwise known as the glacier.
Although the glaciers are subjected to advances and retreats it takes a long time to witness any noticeable changes in the glacier's size. Even though we can guarantee that the ice is present all year round, specific ice features cannot be guaranteed. These features come and go very quickly due to the movement of the glacier, however there are new features constantly forming.
What is the difference between the Half Day and All Day trips?
The main difference between these trips is that they take you to two different glaciers. The All Day trip spends approximately 4-5 hours on the ice, exploring the shores of the Fjallsjökull glacier lagoon and taking you to the vertical terminal edge of the glacier where the ice walls descend into the abyss. The Half Day trips go to Virkisjokull and spend approximately 1 hour on the ice, giving you a fantastic but brief encounter to the highlights of the Virkisjökull glacier. Both trips take about 30 minutes to access the ice, and once there the Half Day walkers spend their time exploring the features of the lower glacier and seeing spectacular views of an icefall. The All Day walkers explore the glacier more thoroughly and experience majestic pinnacles and deep crevasses.
The All Day 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.
How do I get to Skaftafell, and how do I find you there?
You can get to Skaftafell either by car or by bus.
Driving Directions:
Skaftafell National Park is located 327Km from Reykjavik, it is about 4 hours drive always on main road nr 1, if you come trough the south coast after you pass the town of Kyrkjubærklaustur you have to drive for about an hour until you reach a sign on the road to your left that says Skaftafell National Park. If you come the north route you will find Skaftafell about 130Km after you pass the town of Höfn, on your right hand side. Easy as that! After you get into the National Park you can find us right away in our house in the parking lot.
Bus Information:
There are two bus companies going to Skaftafell, one is
Reykjavik Excursions that operates daily from 15th of June to 13th of September, and the other one is
Iceland Excursions that operates Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10th of June to 10th of September.
Day trips from Reykjavik:
You can also opt to take one of our day tours from Reykjavik that include the bus transfer to and from Reykjavik and a glacier tour. The
Vatnajökull Voyager is a great tour if you are considering doing this.
Do I have to book the tour in advance or is it enough to book it when I arrive in Skaftafell?
It is always better to book the tour in advance to guarantee you will have place available in the tour you want at the time you want. If you don't book in advance we can not guarantee you will get a place.
How do I book and what information do you need from me?
There are a few different ways you can book our trips. First of all you can book almost all our trips right here on our website. There is a booking window on each trip page and we do recommend that you book and pay for your trip there with some time to spare as we keep our groups small and frequently sell out.
If the trip you would like to book is not bookable online then you can call us directly at our office, the phone number is 00354 562 7000. Another way is to send us an e-mail with an inquiry, our e-mail address is info@adventures.is . What we need to have is your name, how many people are in your party, where you are staying and some way of contacting you either an e-mail or a phone number.
How do I pay?
There are three ways in which you can pay for the trips that you book with us.
1. You can pay through the internet, through our booking website. This is by far the easiest, safest and fastest way to reserve and pay for your adventure. If you choose this way then you will receive a voucher via e-mail which you will need to print and bring along on your trips. If you are going on a multi day trip then you will receive one voucher for all of the trips via e-mail and we will make you separate vouchers for each of your trips, which will be waiting your arrival in Iceland at our office at Laugavegur 11.
2. You can pay via phone, the phone number is +354 562 7000. If you choose to pay through phone then your vouchers will be waiting for you when you come to Iceland, either at our office at Laugavegur 11 or at your hotel.
3. Sometimes you can pay when you arrive to start your trip, but this is only possible in special circumstance.
Please Note: However you pay, you will always get a voucher: REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR VOUCHER ALONG FOR YOUR TRIP!
Where is your Reykjavík Office located and when are you open?
Our office is at Laugavegur 11, the main shopping street in Reykjavík. There you can get all the information that you need, be it about the trips that you want to go to or just general information about Reykjavík. You can also book and pay for various day trips. Over the summer season (June-August) we are open from 08:00-21:00 Monday-Saturday and 10:00-18:00 on Sundays. All other times of year we are open 10:00-18:00 Mondays-Fridays, 11:00-16:00 Saturdays and closed on Sundays. But you can reach on our emergency cell phone line: +354-898-0410.
What currency do you accept?
We only accept the Icelandic króna. Our website presents prices is ISK and in EURO, the EURO price is obtained by converting it with the currency exchange rate of the Icelandic Federal Bank. If you would like to calculate the price of our tours in some other currency you can do so here.
How many people are in each group?
For the Glacier Grand Slam tour the maximum is 8 people per group. For the other glacier walks the maximum is 15 people per group. For Alpine style tour, like the highest summit Hvannadalshnúkur , the maximum is of 8 people per group.
Do you take private tours?
Yes, we can make a private tours. If you are thinking of a private tour please send us an email (info@glacierguides.is) so we can give you further information.
Where can I stay overnight in Skaftafell?
What is the minimum age to participate on the tours?
For the Glacier Grand Slam, and Glacier Explorer tour the minimum age to participate is of 15 years.
For the Black and Blue, and Glacier Wonders tour the minimum age to participate is of 10 years.
For the White Giant, Hvannadalshnúkur, the minimum age to participate is 18 years, and this applies for the other alpine tours.
For the Wall of Ice the minimum age to participate is 14 years old.
Can I take my camera on the glacier?
Yes, you can and you should! The glacier is absolutely amazing and you don’t want to miss the chance to take a bit of its beauty home in your pictures.
Do I need insurance before I go on a glacier?
We recommend that you have personal health insurance coverage when participating in adventure activities in Iceland, we actually recommend that when ever and wherever you travel you take out a good travel insurance. As world travellers our selves it has saved us money and aggravation many times.