About Tour
Perfectly suited for the ones looking to become one with nature, this kayaking tour will separate you from the earthly pleasure and introduce you to the raw, rugged beauty of nature. A journey where you will get to have mother nature all by yourself. Join this kayaking trip to paddle through the silent yet mighty Solheimajokull glacier lagoon and glide through huge icebergs just like a pro. What you will get out of this trip is loads of serene alone time while you kayak in the peaceful, tranquil beauty of the lagoon, looking upon the mighty Solheimajokull glacier – a glacial tongue of Mýrdalsjökull glacier which is also home to one of the rowdiest volcanoes in Iceland – Katla.
Solheimajokull Glacier
Also, known as ‘the shrinking glacier’, Solheimajokull glacier is one the easiest glaciers to access from the capital city. The electric blue ice of the glacier combined with the black lava veins creates a beautiful contrasting landscape to look upon when kayaking. This glacier was once known for its constantly growing size but has been retreating for over a decade now and has lost about 1 kilometer of share from its original size. The current size of the glacier is hard to compute but it is large and mighty enough to send chills down your spine and huge pieces of icebergs down to the lagoon.
Glacier Lagoon Kayaking
The trip will start at Solheimajokull glacier’s parking lot where your tour guide and the rest of the members of your group will meet with you. The lagoon is only a short walk up head from the parking lot. After everyone has arrived at the meeting point, the guide will direct you to the lagoon. You will receive your kayaking equipment upon arrival at the lagoon which will include a dry suit, the technical safety equipment, the kayaks, and the paddle as well. Your guide will give you a thorough rundown of the safety measures that should be taken when kayaking and a few paddling techniques so that you safely venture through the lagoon.
The glacier and its features are changing constantly which also includes the icebergs, so ensure that you follow the guide’s instructions and stay with the group when kayaking. The kayaks are stable Sit-On-Top types so, they will not wobble at all during the trip. One person travels on one kayak alone for the best of the experiences. The trip does not require kayaking experience so even beginners can hop on and see the glorious glacier from an angle which is seldom visible. The tour guides hold years of experience and know their way around the glacier very well. They will ensure that you pick up a skill or two for paddling and paddle like an expert through the lagoon.
It is advised to bring an extra set of clothing with you along with socks and a waterproof sealed cover for your gadgets like cameras and phones. There is a chance that you may get a little wet during your adventure and let’s face it, roaming around in Iceland in even slightly damp clothes is not a good idea. Rest assured, this trip that you will take will be different than any other kind of tour that is available for the Solheimajokull glacier and you will be able to gaze upon sites and a side of the glacier which are not visible when walking or hiking the glacier – an exclusive experience in itself.
Included
Experienced and qualified glacier guide
Kayak (single or double) & Paddle
Dry suit and all technical equipment
Tea, coffee, water and access to restrooms at Sólheimajökull
What to bring
Warm Clothing – read more below.
Waterproof bag for our phone / camera – optional
Headwear & Gloves
Extra pair of socks
Good to know
Clothing: It is best to wear long sleeve clothing and not to bulky. Basically just comfortable clothing. The long sleeve clothing separate the skin from the suite and provide nicer and warmer feeling. We recommend leaving watches and keys behind if possible. This makes it easier to put on the dry suite and less change of puncturing it. Even tho dry suits should keep you dry, it is best to expect to get wet feet. We do recommend to have extra spare socks to change after the tour.
Shoes: You will leave your shoes in our sales office. We provide you with special shoes in order to protect the dry suit.
- Dry Suit: Guests are provided with dry suit. Wearing this suite usually keeps guests warm enough, with the clothing mentioned before. It takes about 10 min to walk from our sales office to the starting point of the tour and guest usually warm up during this walk. In order to protect the suite special light shoes are provided that go over the suite.
- This tour is operated in small groups of 2-8 people.
- Total duration of the tour is 2,5 hours – you will be on the kayak for about 1,5 hours.
This tour is suitable for both single travelers, groups and families.
We recommend that you arrive at the meeting point at least 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
Would you like to add a glacier hike to your tour? Check out the Glacier Walk & Glacier Kayaking tour.
Would you like to join a more advanced glacier kayaking tour? Check out the Glacier Kayaking Adventure.
- Would you like to go kayaking on Jökulsarlon Glacier lagoon? It is possible! Check out the tour.
- Would you like to skip the kayaking part of the tour and only go glacier hiking on Sólheimajökull? Check it out!
- Would you like to go ice climbing on Sólheimajökull. It’s awesome!
Map
Gallery
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
We kindly ask you to be at the meeting point on time. We recommend arriving at least 20 min before the scheduled departure time. Late arrivals unfortunately will miss out on their reservation and it will result in the cancellation of your booking and a full forfeiture of your booking fee.
Driving time to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon from Reykjavík is around 2 hours and 15 minutes in good road conditions.
Before we head to the glacier for the tour we need to get everyone fitted with the equipment, crampons and harnesses. The crampons need to be adjusted to each persons shoe size so it is important that people arrive 20 minutes before so everyone is ready at the departure time.
We always recommend to book as soon as you are ready especially if you have a strict travel schedule or a large group. This is a small group tour so it gets fully booked pretty quickly. It is easy to change or cancel 24 hours before departure by emailing us. Tours can also be purchased the day of as long as there are spaces available.
This tour is operated in small groups of 2-8 people. If you are traveling with a larger group, you can send us an email and we will see what we can do so that you can all travel together.
You will leave your shoes in our sales office. We provide you with special shoes in order to protect the dry suit.
Best is to wear long sleeve clothing and not to bulky. Basically just comfortable clothing. The long sleeve clothing separate the skin from the suite and provide nicer and warmer feeling. We recommend leaving watches and keys behind if possible. This makes it easier to put on the dry suite and less change of puncturing it. Even tho dry suits should keep you dry, it is best to expect to get wet feet. We do recommend to have extra spare socks to change after the tour.
Check out our Summer Packing List for more details.
Unfortunately it is not possible to go on a glacier lagoon kayaking tour during the winter time, this tour is only operated from May – September. It is however possible to go on a glacier hike on Sólheimajökull all year.
If the tour gets cancelled, for example due to weather, we will let you know as soon as possible and you can choose between rescheduling the tour or receiving a full refund.
The walk from the meeting point to the glacier is around 10 minutes.
There is a maximum to how many kayaks can be on each tour per guide. The guide will for each tour find out the best solution according to the ability and interest of the group.
