Solheimajokull is the most popular glacier for glacier hiking in Iceland!
Highlights
About Tour
The Solheimajokull Glacier Hike is a thrilling adventure that takes you on a journey through one of Iceland’s most spectacular natural wonders. The guided hike allows you to explore the stunning beauty of the Solheimajokull glacier, which is a part of the larger Myrdalsjokull glacier. The glacier hike takes you through a labyrinth of ice formations, where you can witness the glacier’s unique texture and stunning blue ice caves. Your experienced guide will share their knowledge about the glacier’s history, geology, and ecology, making the experience both informative and exciting. The hike is suitable for people of all fitness levels, and you’ll be provided with the necessary gear, including crampons and ice axes, to ensure your safety on the icy terrain. Hiking on the Solheimajokull glacier is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you will never forget, and it is a must-do activity for anyone visiting the south of Iceland.
If you are wondering that you have probably seen the view somewhere before then you are right. Sólheimajökull was one of the first glacial locations to have appeared in the popular HBO TV series Game of Thrones. This is the first place where Jon Snow and his raiding party were spotted “beyond the wall” and had their first encounter with the White Walkers. You must recognize it as the long stretched white glacier with black lava veins and blue ice. The black veins are the result of the underlying volcano, Katla, one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland. It is evident by now that this tour will be much more than just a simple 3-hour hiking expedition.
Itinerary
The tour will start with meeting up with the guide in the Sólheimajökull parking lot. You will get all necessary equipment for the hike: crampons, ice axes, harnesses and helmets. When you are ready, we will hike for about 15 minutes to the ice itself, to get the blood flowing and warm up for the hike.
Arriving at the glacier your guide will explain to you how to put on the crampons, and he will talk about safety and a few important rules for the tour.
The actual hike will last anywhere between 60 to 90 minutes. You will see the infamous black veins on the ice at the very start of the hike. Later during the journey, you can expect to see crevasses – cracks developed among the body of the glacier and moulins – shafts in the glacier, generally vertical, formed as the melting water seeps into the fissure and cracks of the glacier. Your guide will keep you updated with interesting facts and figures about the glacier as well as the history of the formation along the hike. You will learn about the formation of ice, the factors which are affecting the glacier health both positive and negative. Your lack of experience with hiking and ice caving will not affect your experience as our experienced tour guides will train you well to perfectly to conquer every bit of the glacier with grace.
Included
- Professional & Certified Glacier Guide
- English Speaking Tour Guide
- Glacier Hike on Solheimajokull glacier.
- Glacier Equipment: helmet, harness, crampons & ice axe.
Highlights
What to bring
- Hiking boots (available for rent when booking)
- Warm & Waterproof clothes.
- Gloves
- Hat
Good to know
- This tour is operated in small groups – maximum 12 persons per guide
- No glacier hiking experience is required for this tour – it is perfect for beginners as well as those with experience.
- This tour is suitable for both single travelers, groups and families.
- This tour is also available with a pick up from Reykjavik. Check out Glacier Hike & South Coast for detailed information.
Meeting Point
Gallery
Interesting locations in the area
Locations
Hotels & Restaurants
- Black Beach Suites
- Hotel Vík
- Smiðjan Brugghús
- Suður Vík
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
The meeting point is at our trailer in the parking lot of Sólheimajökull where our glacier guides will meet you. You can look up Sólheimajökull glacier parking lot” on Google Maps to find the exact location and driving directions click here.
We will see you at our meeting point, 30 minutes before departure time at our meeting point. Please note that if you arrive after departure time, your place on the tour can’t be guaranteed or refunded.
Driving time to Sólheimajökull from Reykjavík is around 2,5 hours in good road conditions. If you arrive early, you can use the restrooms.
Weather in Iceland is very unpredictable. For tours during winter: warm clothing as first layer, waterproof jacket with a hoodie, hiking boots with ankle protection and hard sole, a hat and gloves are ideal. For tours during summer, bringing a light rain jacket or a soft shell with a hoodie is in most cases enough protection. Icelanders often say, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes”. Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.
We encourage bringing hiking boots for glacier tours. They have to hard on the sole and tight around the ankle. If you don’t have them, we have them for rent in all sizes in Skaftafell or Sólheimajökull. You can add them to your reservation at the time of booking or rent them on location pay with cash or card. The price is ISK 1,500 per pair. For ice climbing tours, boots are included in the price.
This is a personal choice. We have had pregnant women on our glacier hikes and we always recommend you read the description of the activity to get a better idea. In any case, feel free to contact our Service Team for further questions and concerns.
We offer glacier hiking tours in Skaftafell and one in Sólheimajökull. Both locations either easy or moderate in difficulty. Our tours are considered to be safe for anyone in good physical condition. If you are fit to walk for about an hour on an uneven surface a glacier hike is for you. Longer tours will be more challenging in endurance and some areas of the glacier. We also recommend you remember that we offer all the safety equipment necessary and you will be hiking with a professional and certified glacier guide. If you have specific questions regarding one of our glacier tours, feel free to email us.
It rains a lot in Iceland, but we do not let rain stop us from going out and enjoy nature. All we need to do is choose our clothing wisely, which is why we recommend wearing waterproof clothing as the second layer. Of course, safety is our #1 priority. In case of extreme weather conditions, we will cancel our tours and do our best to reschedule. In these cases, you’ll receive a full refund.
