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Best glacier trekking tour in Iceland
One of the best and most unforgettable activities One of the best things to do in Iceland is to hike on one of its glaciers. Iceland, known as the land of ice and fire, has more than 10 glaciers. The most famous is Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in all of Europe. Since there are several glaciers and some of them are so large, there are many different tours and it is difficult to know which one to choose, so in this article I will explain which one is the best. The best glacier trekking tour in Iceland depending on your interests.
Trekking on a glacier in Iceland, Best Options
Trekking on a glacier is a very special activity that cannot be practicedcar in too many destinations. Furthermore If you do it in winter you can book an excursion that includes a visit to an ice cave.
We normally recommend the longer tours to have more time to explore the glacier, but if you are not in very good physical condition it is better to opt for a 3-hour tour to experience it but not go too far into the glacier. The same applies if you want to do the glacier tour in the winter months, as the climate is very harsh, it is better to do it later. 3 hour activities, unless you have very good warm clothes and a lot of desire.
Please note that for these excursions technical equipment such as crampons is used, which they provide you with at the starting point. Crampons can only be used with hiking boots, so you either bring your own or rent them there. Some companies provide them for free and others charge around 8 euros.
Trekking on the Sólheimajökull glacier
This glacier is next to the town of Vik and is one of the closest to the capital. The activity starts at the Solheimajokull parking lot and includes all the necessary equipment and a good guide who will liven up the tour and help you with whatever you need. It is approximately a 10-minute walk. 1 hour and a half one way to a viewpoint over the glacier and half an hour back.
Glacier trekking on Vatnajökull
Skaftafell National Park is located at the foot of the famous Vatnajökull glacier, the largest in Europe, covering just over 8% of Iceland's surface area. Some of the best glacier trekking tours in Iceland start from here.In addition, during the winter months you can combine the experience of walking on the glacier with a visit to a beautiful ice cave.
Since Skaftafell National Park is located very close to several glacier tongues, many of the agencies offering the excursion start their tours from there. Depending on the experience you are looking for, I recommend choosing one tour or another.
Cheapest tour for a glacier trekking excursion in Iceland
One of the main drawbacks of doing activities in Iceland is the price. The same is true for glacier walks, although it is a truly spectacular activity the price can be prohibitive for the traveller. travel budget of many people.
That's why I bring you the best glacier trekking excursion in Iceland for less than € 100. Let's face it, the price is still high but it is lower than the average cost you can find when doing this activity.
The tour also starts in Skaftafell National Park where your guide helps you prepare the necessary equipment. Then you take a bus to a glacier tongue about 20 to 30 minutes from there and you start walking for another 30 minutes towards the glacier. Once you reach the ice, you take a break to put on your crampons and start walking on the ice. The total time you will spend on the ice is XNUMX minutes. The walk on the glacier takes 1 hour and a half approximately, you don't go too far into the glacier but you still live the experience.
It is also the activity we recommend most if you are not used to walking or are traveling with children.
Long excursion to trek on the glacier
Are you in average physical condition and keen to walk on a glacier? Then you might be interested in a glacier hike of around 5 hours. This will allow you to explore more remote areas of the glacier and spend much more time on the ice.
Please note that regardless of the tour chosen, you will spend almost 1 hour between the transfer to the starting point of the excursion, the approach to the glacier and putting on the crampons. And the same happens on the way back, so The actual time on the glacier is much shorter than the announced duration In the activity, in the 5-hour glacier trekking the actual time is between 3 and 3:30 hours.
The agency I recommend for this activity is Artic Adventures, which is based in Skaftafell Park. There you will meet your guide who will give you the necessary technical equipment for the activity. Then a bus takes you to the Falljökull glacier tongue, known as the icefall.
Tour + climbing on the glacier
If walking on the glacier isn't enough for you and you're looking for a bit more excitement, I invite you to try ice climbing. It doesn't matter if you've never done it before; the guides are experienced.cargan de explicar how it all works and give safety tips. What better place to try it for the first time than in the great Vatnajökull!
The tour begins at the Arctic Adventures offices inside Skaftafell National Park, where your guide will help you try on the equipment and give you some safety instructions. Due to the carThe characteristics and physical demands of the activity are carried out in small groups of a maximum of 6 people.
Once carOnce all the equipment is loaded into the vehicle, you're taken to the glacier and the hike begins, following a glacial tongue until you find a safe wall or cave to climb. Depending on the group's physical condition and skill, you'll climb walls of varying difficulty.
Trekking and visit to the ice cave
This tour run by the well-known Icelandic company Troll Expedition is usually only available in the winter months when the ice caves are completely frozen and safer. The activity combines the two best things about the glacier, first you will walk for 1 hour on the glacier until you reach at the entrance to the famous blue ice cave that goes into the glacier.
The activity starts at the Troll company's facilities next to the Hofskirkja church. From there you drive to the beginning of the glacier tongue where you put on all your equipment before starting the best glacier trekking excursion in Iceland.
I hope this guide to finding the best glacier trekking excursion in Iceland helps you decide which excursions to take and how to enjoy this amazing country to the fullest.
To continue organizing your trip you can read our guides for travel to iceland Get inspired by featured stories from Instagram.
