Arctic Adventures · Skaftafell base camp
A four-hour guided glacier hike on Falljökull with Arctic Adventures, starting at its Skaftafell base camp about 45 minutes west of Jökulsárlón. Pick it to stand on the ice you have just seen from the lagoon shore, at the lowest price of any tour on this site.
This is not a lagoon tour, and there is no boat. It is a walk on Falljökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull named for its icefall. At the Skaftafell base camp the guides hand out crampons, an ice axe, a helmet and a harness. A 4x4 bus takes you to the glacier tongue in about 20 minutes, you walk about 30 minutes to the ice, then spend around 1.5 hours on it among crevasses and blue ice. The total walking is about 3 km over uneven ground, rated easy.
Boots are the one thing to sort out. Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support are mandatory; you can rent them for 1,500 ISK. The crampons fit shoe sizes 35 to 50 EU, and the minimum age is 8, with a minimum shoe size of 35. Sandals and open-toed shoes are not allowed. Food and drinks are not included. The listing includes the Vatnajökull National Park fee.
It pairs well with the lagoon. Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón sit on the same stretch of Route 1, and the park's regional parking fee covers both areas: 1,110 ISK per car (2026), with 50% off the second area on the same day. Hike in the morning and you still have the afternoon for the icebergs, a kayak trip or the amphibian boat in season. The lagoon's own boats belong to its boat operator (Jökulsárlón ehf / Glacier Lagoon): 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).
Check-in, details and gear handed out: crampons, ice axe, helmet and harness. About 30 minutes.
A short ride from the base camp to the edge of the glacier.
A walk of about 1.2 km to the glacier, then crampons on.
Blue ice, crevasses and the icefall, with your guide on how the glacier moves.
Walk off the ice, bus back, about four hours after you started.
★★★★★Wonderful! A good guide who shared a lot of information. First, explanation, registration of details and distribution of equipment (30 mins), by bus to the glacier tongue (20 mins), 1.2 km (20 mins) hike to the ice, short climb onto the ice, trek on the ice (2 km, about 1.5 hrs), hike back to the bus. At exactly 4:00 PM, we were back at base camp.
★★★★★An easy, leisurely walk on the glacier [...] a good way to get your first experience.
★★★★★A fantastic day trip. Our guide, Pepe, was excellent [...] We could have stayed a few more hours on this glacier; it was extraordinary.
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About 45 minutes' drive west on Route 1. Skaftafell and the lagoon are both in Vatnajökull National Park.
You need sturdy hiking boots with ankle support. If you have none, you can rent a pair for 1,500 ISK.
Eight, with a minimum shoe size of EU 35 so the crampons fit.
No. It is a glacier walk on Falljökull. For the water, book a boat or kayak at Jökulsárlón; for caves, the winter ice cave tour from the lagoon.
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Crampons on blue ice on Falljökull with a certified guide, about an hour west of the lagoon.
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