Jökulsárlón boat tours

What boat tours are there on Jökulsárlón?

Three: the operator's amphibian boat (30 to 40 minutes), its Zodiac (about 1 hour 15) and a guided sit-on-top kayak tour (1.5 hours) run by a separate company, Ice Guide Glacier Tours.

The amphibian is the classic one. It rolls down from the shore into the water and cruises among the icebergs with an English-speaking guide who explains the geology. The operator runs four of them and calls it its most popular tour. The Zodiac is a small, fast inflatable that covers far more of the lagoon and, when it is safe, goes almost all the way up to the glacier.

The kayak is the quiet option: you paddle yourself, in a suit, with a guide on the water. It is the only trip that takes place on Jökulsárlón itself that you can book on GetYourGuide as a stand-alone tour. Details are on the kayak tour page.

Can you book the Jökulsárlón boat tour on GetYourGuide?

Not as a stand-alone ticket. On GetYourGuide the lagoon's boat comes inside day trips from Reykjavík, either included in the price or as an option you add.

If you drive yourself, buy the boat from the operator for the day you will be there. The operator recommends buying before you arrive, and in summer that is good advice. If you come without a car, the boat is easiest to get as part of a tour:

• Boat included: the day tour with the boat ride included has the 30-minute boat ticket in the price, with hotel pickup. It is the only day trip where the ticket is always included.
• Boat as an option: the most booked day tour and the day trip with the 40-minute boat option let you add the ride when you book, in season. The two-day South Coast tour offers the amphibian as an option too.
• Boat at extra cost: the small-group lagoon and canyon day stops at the lagoon and you pay for the amphibian on top.
• Your own paddle: the kayak tour meets at the lagoon.

The Zodiac on Jökulsárlón is not part of any GetYourGuide trip. The nearest thing is the Zodiac on Fjallsárlón, 10 km west, which you can book as a Zodiac ride with a glacier hike.

How much does a boat tour on Jökulsárlón cost in 2026?

On the operator's 2026 price list the amphibian costs 7,100 ISK for adults and 3,500 ISK for children aged 6 to 12; children under 6 ride free. The Zodiac costs 16,600 ISK for adults and 8,300 ISK for children aged 10 to 12.

Looking at the lagoon is free: there is no entry ticket. Vatnajökull National Park charges a parking fee of 1,110 ISK per car (2026, up to 5 seats), paid through the Parka app or at the machines in the car park. Cameras read your plate, and the fee is valid until midnight. Fjallsárlón, next door, has free parking. The main car park at Jökulsárlón was resurfaced in early October 2026 and is open again.

When do the boats run, and are they running now?

Amphibian tours run from May to about mid-November and Zodiac tours from May to the end of October, weather and ice permitting (operator's 2026 schedule). In late October 2026 the amphibian is still sailing and the Zodiac is in its last days.

The operator's tour hours are 10am to 5pm in May, 9am to 7pm from June to September and 10am to 5pm from October to 15 November. The last amphibian leaves about an hour before closing. In July and August the amphibian makes about 40 trips a day, and in summer one leaves at least every 30 minutes. The Zodiac runs to a fixed schedule with limited seats, about 10 departures a day in high season.

Weather and ice decide the rest. If the operator cancels for wind or ice you get a full refund. For direct bookings, the operator refunds in full up to 24 hours before and 50% inside 24 hours. GetYourGuide trips have their own terms: free cancellation up to 24 hours before. In winter, when the boats are parked, the plan changes to an ice cave tour from the lagoon. There is no ice cave in the lagoon itself: the caves are in Breiðamerkurjökull, reached by 4x4. More in our 2026 boat season post.

The day tour most people book: Reykjavík to the lagoon and Diamond Beach, waterfalls on the way, and the boat ride as an option in season.

★ 4.7 · 14 hours · from $213

Explore the Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach day tour → Tour details

What happens on the amphibian boat tour?

You check in at the ticket office, put on a life jacket, roll down the shore into the lagoon and cruise among the icebergs for 30 to 40 minutes with a guide.

1. At the ticket office. An online booking gets you an e-mailed voucher, not a fixed time. Swap it at the ticket office for a boarding ticket with a departure time. For the last boat of the day, check in at least 30 minutes before.
2. Life jackets on. They are provided and every passenger wears one.
3. Into the water. The boat drives off the shore and floats. It is a strange moment, and a fun one.
4. Among the ice. The guide explains how the lagoon formed and why some icebergs are white and others bright blue or striped with ash. Seals are often on the ice or in the water. Not always.
5. A taste of the ice. The crew fishes out a piece of glacier ice for you to try.

The amphibian suits all ages, and a wheelchair can be taken on board: tell the operator in advance about any mobility needs. The full comparison with the Zodiac is in our amphibian or Zodiac guide.

★★★★★

The stops are spectacular, and even though it's a long day, it's absolutely worth the time spent. The view of the lagoon from the amphibious boat is also highly recommended!

Is Jökulsárlón worth it, and what else is there to do?

Yes. It is Iceland's deepest lake, full of floating icebergs, with seals and Diamond Beach across the road. A boat trip is the best part, but the shore alone fills an hour or two.

Even without a boat, there is plenty to do:

• Diamond Beach: the black beach where ice from the lagoon washes up, about 500 m away. Walk under the road bridge, never over it. Never climb on the ice there. Our Diamond Beach guide has the safety side.
• Trail B1: a 1.2 km loop of about 20 minutes from the main car park up to the ridge Helguhóll, with a view over the lagoon and the glacier.
• The café: sandwiches, cakes and the lobster soup, open all year apart from a few days around Christmas and New Year.
• Seals: often seen on the ice or near the river mouth. Never promised.

The name, by the way, means 'glacial river lagoon' (Wikipedia), after the short Jökulsá river that runs from the lagoon to the sea. Wikipedia gives the pronunciation as [ˈjœːkʏlsˌaurˌlouːn]. The lagoon only appeared in the 1930s as the glacier pulled back, and it is still growing: about 25 km² today, roughly four times its size in the 1970s (Wikipedia, citing RÚV).

★★★★★

boat ride totally worth it experience to be in lake with glaciers and we saw some seals swimming between was amazing, also diamond beach was very beautiful

How long should you spend at Jökulsárlón?

Allow at least 2 hours for the lagoon and Diamond Beach, half a day with a Zodiac tour.

The amphibian takes 30 to 40 minutes, plus the wait for your departure. The Zodiac takes about 1 hour 15, and you check in 30 minutes before. Add the walk to Diamond Beach and back, a coffee and a look from the ridge, and two to three hours go fast.

Day trips from Reykjavík give you about 1 to 1.5 hours at the lagoon: 1.5 hours on the most booked day tour, and an hour at the lagoon plus 30 minutes at the beach on the tour with the boat included. That is enough for the amphibian and the beach, not for a Zodiac. The days are long, around 14 hours. If you want more time, the two-day tour sleeps in the south. Distances and driving are in the guide to getting here from Reykjavík.

What should you wear, and is a boat tour on the lagoon safe?

Dress for winter even in summer: warm layers, a hat, gloves and a waterproof jacket. The tours are run with life jackets for all, and the Zodiac adds a flotation suit.

The operator says it is cold on the water in every season. Wind comes straight off the ice, and the Zodiac moves fast, which makes it colder still. Bring gloves you can take photos in.

The guided boats are the safe way onto the water. The operator advises against private boats and kayaks on the lagoon because icebergs 'can shift, break apart, and roll unexpectedly', and Arctic Adventures warns that the water can cause hypothermia within minutes. Do not step onto the ice from the shore, and do not swim. The kayak tour is run with a guide, suits and gear; you must be able to swim, and it is for age 14 and up. Drones need the national park's permission at Jökulsárlón.

★★★★★

It was my first time to kayak and it was easy to understand [...] the glacier, the icebergs, the seals....do not hesitate. it was perfect!

A guided paddle on Jökulsárlón itself: sit-on-top kayaks, two-piece suit and all gear, 1.5 hours among the icebergs. Meet at the lagoon.

★ 4.7 · 1.5 hours · from $154

Explore the kayak tour on Jökulsárlón → Tour details

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