no alt text

Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 16 December, 2022
Expert travel writer: Oliver Berry

If you’re after icy adventures, you won’t want to miss a visit to this immense ice sheet – the largest in Iceland, so huge that it stretches all the way from the south coast to the north.

A weird world of glaciers, crevasses, aretes, canyons and volcanoes, it offers a wealth of activities from glacier walks to snowmobiling, hiking, wildlife spotting, ice climbing and sightseeing flights.

Most visitors visit the southern part of the park around Skaftafell, where most of the activity providers are based.

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
Frequency: monthly
When: All year around
Duration: 1 night

Getting there & doing it

Skaftafell is about 325km east of Reykjavik. Many public buses en route to Hofn stop here, and you can also hitch a lift with summer services to nearby Jokulsarlon lagoon and Landmannalaugar.

There is a good visitor centre that provides general information on the national park.

When to do it

Some activity providers only offer expeditions during the summer months, as it’s simply too cold and snowy at other times of year. Inevitably, this means it can get busy in the high season, so it’s worth booking ahead if there’s a particular trip you’d like to do.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Small-Group 3.5 Hour Blue Ice Experience in Vatnajökull National Park

Skaftafell

Small-Group 3.5 Hour Blue Ice Experience in Vatnajökull National Park
Explore a spectacular outlet glacier of Vatnajökull on this family-friendly 3-hour glacier group tour, limited to 15 people. Your certified glacier guide will provide you with crampons and ice axes and ensure you are informed on their use before stepping onto the ice. During your tour, learn about the behavior and history of the glacier while your guide safely leads you through an icy wonderland with deep crevasses, narrow ridges, and ice sculptures. Due to its nearby location, expect to spend up to 2 full hours on the ice. This glacier walk is an easy excursion and requires no prior experience to enjoy.

Price: $102

Rating 4.91 / 5 [145 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Vatnajokull Small Group Glacier Hike From Skaftafell

Skaftafell

Vatnajokull Small Group Glacier Hike From Skaftafell
A 5 hour glacier hiking adventure with a certified glacier guide. Hike on one of the outlet glacier connected to the massive Vatnajokull glacier, while your certified glacier guide will provide you with interesting information about the formation and history of the glacier. The Tour is operated in a small group setting guaranteeing personalized experience.

Price: €124

Rating 4.79 / 5 [89 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Vatnajökull Glacier Walk from Hali

Hofn

Vatnajökull Glacier Walk from Hali
In this glacier walk with a local guide from Hali you experience the wonders of Vatnajökull glacier. Our guide takes you on an unforgettable journey on Breiðamerkurjökull, one of Vatnajökull’s biggest outlet glacier.  The trip starts at Glacier Adventures headquarters in Hali, where your guide drives you to the glacier area, away from the crowds and off the beaten path where you can breathe in the fresh glacier air. The tour can take between 3,5 and 4 hours (1 – 1,5 hour on the glacier), including drive back and forth from our headquarters.  This tour is moderated and can be done by most children and adults.

Price: €124

Rating 4.89 / 5 [315 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Small Group Glacier Hiking & Ice Caving Tour Inside Vatnajokull Glacier

Skaftafell

Small Group Glacier Hiking & Ice Caving Tour Inside Vatnajokull Glacier
Experience this exciting hiking and ice caving adventure of the Vatnajökull Glacier in Skaftafell National Park! As you arrive at the park, you will meet your professional glacier guide who will lead the way to some of Vatnajökull Glacier‘s spectacular ice caves and tell you all there is to know about the area. This tour includes hiking for approximately 3 hours up on the glacier visiting multiple, relatively small ice caves along the way. You will be provided with crampons for walking on the ice as well as helmets and ice axes. Waterproof clothing and hiking boots are available for rent but it is highly recommend that you bring these items with you on the tour, also food and drinks are not included.

Price: €146

Rating 4.24 / 5 [69 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Half-Day Vatnajokull Glacier Small Group Tour from Skaftafell

Skaftafell

Half-Day Vatnajokull Glacier Small Group Tour from Skaftafell
• Certified guides Our guides have certification from AIMG (Association of Icelandic Mountain Guides). • Small groups The group size for our trips never exceeds 8 people. • 4x4 drive We will drive you all the way to the glacier. That means more time we can spend on ice. • Evening departure (June - August) If you want to avoid the crowds join us for our evening tour and enjoy the complete silence.

Price: $150

Rating 4.99 / 5 [103 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Ice Cave Tour in the National Park of Vatnajökull

Hofn

Ice Cave Tour in the National Park of Vatnajökull
Ice caves in Iceland are unpredictable and you never know when, if, where or how many will form. But in the last few years, they have consistently formed by Vatnajökull glacier, which is the largest glacier in Europe. They are beautiful to see and a popular photo opportunity for many travelers. This tour will take you on an exploration of an ice cave inside the National Park of Vatnajökull. Ice caves are a rare phenomena that form naturally, so this tour is a once in a life time experience.

Price: $155

Rating 4.35 / 5 [103 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Natural Blue Ice Cave Tour of Vatnajökull Glacier from Jökulsárlón

Skaftafell

Natural Blue Ice Cave Tour of Vatnajökull Glacier from Jökulsárlón
Depart from the Glacier Lagoon-Jökulsárlón cafeteria on a 2.5-hour adventure inside the glacier Vatnajökull. While your driver manages the adventurous roads, your tour guide will delight you with their wide knowledge about glaciers and the surroundings. Once you arrive at the glacier, enter the natural glacier cave and admire the spectacular spectrum of blue colors of the ice and take photographs. 

Price: $165

Rating 4.73 / 5 [192 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Iceland

Iceland

Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland

From volcanoes and glaciers to black beaches, geothermal pools and the Northern Lights, Iceland is one of the world’s wildest, weirdest destinations. A paradise for adventurous travellers.