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Glacier Hike from Skaftafell - Extra Small Group

Recommended by 100% of travelers
Skaftafell, Iceland
High interest
Booked 3 times today.
  • 3 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

5.0
·
· Julie_B ·
Sep 2025
Best tour ever. Havi was such a good guide! We were safe, but also had fun and learned a lot. Small group.
· Melissa_B ·
Jun 2025
Wonderful tour with a terrific guide! Kate was delightful. The small group was perfect. Strongly recommend the first tour of the morning.

Overview

Many glacier tours in Vatnajökull National Park require travelers to walk from the parking lot to the glacier terminus, eating into their time on the ice. On this tour, maximize your time on Falljökull glacier by traveling as near as possible in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Explore moulins, crevasses, and other formations in the company of an Association of Icelandic Mountain Guides-certified guide.
  • Enjoy an exhilarating glacier hike in Vatnajökull National Park
  • Certified guides share safety information and insights
  • Avoid the crowds with an evening departure (June–August only)
  • A small group ensures personalized attention

What's Included

  • Helmets, Harness, Crampons & Ice Axe
  • Weather dependent clothing
  • Hiking boots (Minimum size needed for our crampons is size 34 EUR)
  • Sunglasses
  • Backpack with extra clothing layers, bottle of water and small snacks.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Skaftafell Terminal - Tour Center
    Flugvallarvegur 5, 785 Öræfi, Iceland

    The meeting point is at Skaftafell Terminal Tour Center (Skaftafell Airport). Skaftafell Terminal Tour Center is OUTSIDE of the National Park. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to starting time. Bring clothing according to weather.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

1

Falljökull

3 hours Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Matthew_B
Our tour began the morning after a bad storm of wind and rain all night. We arrived and found that my wife and I were the only two people going as the others had canceled from the bad weather with traveling. Our tour guide was Uri, and he was absolutely excellent. He gave us the rundown on the plan and was very efficient with getting all the gear sized and equipped. We drove in an old school Range Rover right to the base of the glacier, and we're the first ones to arrive. We got a very generous amount of time on the glacier by ourselves! And Uri was extremely happy to answer any and all of our questions about the glacier and the land formations around it. Though he told us he was not a glaciologist, he's definitely got an honorary title from us, because his knowledge and excitement to talk about it, and educate us had no bounds. He made sure to stop and give us tips on making it across some challenging stretches of terrain, keeping us confident and enjoying the beauty of Skaftafell. We were even lucky to get to climb through a small ice tunnel on our ascent, which he was more than happy to film for us! And before beginning our journey back down, we asked if there was a place to try that famous Icelandic Glacier Water. He took us to just the place and it was flawless, and quite refreshing. On top of knowledge about the glacier, Uri was overall an excellent conversationalist; and a very nice guy to get to know for the time we were there. We had the most amazing time, and I would recommend Uri to anyone hoping to see, and climb Skaftafell, we will never forget it!

Reviews

5.0
based on 476 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

The Best Unofficial Glaciologist Around!

Matthew_B, Apr 2026
Our tour began the morning after a bad storm of wind and rain all night. We arrived and found that my wife and I were the only two people going as the others had canceled from the bad weather with traveling. Our tour guide was Uri, and he was absolutely excellent. He gave us the rundown on the plan and was very efficient with getting all the gear sized and equipped. We drove in an old school Range Rover right to the base of the glacier, and we're the first ones to arrive. We got a very generous amount of time on the glacier by ourselves! And Uri was extremely happy to answer any and all of our questions about the glacier and the land formations around it. Though he told us he was not a glaciologist, he's definitely got an honorary title from us, because his knowledge and excitement to talk about it, and educate us had no bounds. He made sure to stop and give us tips on making it across some challenging stretches of terrain, keeping us confident and enjoying the beauty of Skaftafell. We were even lucky to get to climb through a small ice tunnel on our ascent, which he was more than happy to film for us! And before beginning our journey back down, we asked if there was a place to try that famous Icelandic Glacier Water. He took us to just the place and it was flawless, and quite refreshing. On top of knowledge about the glacier, Uri was overall an excellent conversationalist; and a very nice guy to get to know for the time we were there. We had the most amazing time, and I would recommend Uri to anyone hoping to see, and climb Skaftafell, we will never forget it!

Best tour ever. Havi was...

Julie_B, Sep 2025
Best tour ever. Havi was such a good guide! We were safe, but also had fun and learned a lot. Small group.

Once in lifetime adventure for me!

Debra_T, Sep 2025
I loved our small group! Only 4 of us with our guide. We went at our own pace. But what I am thankful for is that this company drives to the base of the glacier, where we saw other companies and everyone was hiking in to get to our starting point. After being at base, it is still a hike getting to the point of actually being on the ice. It is quite a steep hike at times. It was a great experience but you do need some physical capabilities... this hike is not for everyone. They say it's easy in advertisement but easy is different for everyone. I highly recommend - do the adventure!

Great experience!...

Steve_B, Aug 2025
Great experience! Everyone in our entire family enjoyed all aspects of the trip. Kate was a fabulous guide.

This was an incredible...

Rosanna_S, Jul 2025
This was an incredible experience. Our guide was knowledgeable, safety conscious, and connected really well with our child, making her feel welcome and kept her involved the whole tour.

Wonderful tour with a...

Melissa_B, Jun 2025
Wonderful tour with a terrific guide! Kate was delightful. The small group was perfect. Strongly recommend the first tour of the morning.

A Must Do! Didn't Dissappoint!

Michelle_M, Jun 2025
Amazing time and Javi was incredible! He was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor! The view was spectacular and it was so much fun! A must do! The jeep ride was a blast too!

One of a kind experience

Hana_K, Apr 2025
We had a great time in a small group, lead by Javi. It was not only stunning, but also very informative. Javi took us off the beaten path to show us a place where no one else goes. Slightly adventurous, but managable.

Great Adventure

Barbara_B, Oct 2024
We loved our hike. We got clear instructions on use of the crampons and what to expect on the glacier. We especially liked looking into the crevasse. One of our favorite activities in Iceland.

On top of the Glaciers

Ling_S, Sep 2024
Kallia was our guide for this tour. She was wonderful and gave us so much insight on the glaciers. We didn’t have a large group like the other tours we saw which gave us a more personalized experience. We had a great time exploring the beautiful glacier, taking time to take in the scenery, trying the refreshing glacial water. It was a memorable experience, highly recommend.

Love the guide , she was...

TAHEREH_F, Sep 2024
Love the guide , she was very knowledgeable, took her time to explain everything. Love the small groups. Unfortunately I’m not good with names 🫣 our guide she’s from Greece and her name starts with K.

Absolutely amazing experience

Denise_H, Sep 2024
Kate was an amazing guide. This small group tour is definitely the way to go. She chatted with all of us, gave super interesting facts, made sure we were super comfortable and gave us a "Viking" drinking experience if glacier water. Think push ups on ice ax over glacier water. It was an absolutely amazing experience. Highly recommend

Awesome experience

Ekaterina_B, Aug 2024
The hike is really worth it. We truly had a very small group comparing to other providers on the glacier. Small group means more attention and more tailored experience! Our guide Funny was really great too - informative, attentive and kind. We spent quite a lot of time on the ice and managed to do some entertaining stuff

Awesome glacier walk

Percy_B, Aug 2024
It was an awesome 3 hour hike. Kate, our guide was wonderful. Weather is very important and we were lucky to have a sunny TShirt day. The total members in group were seven. First you try the equipment. Then a small jeep ride all the way to the base of the glacier saving 20 minutes of additional hike each way. Then you begin the hike, put on the crampons a little further in. Kate helped with the pictures, made sure all in the group were doing fine and was very good. She took us to the right points on the glacier. There is a longer tour but we felt 3 hours was ideal for us. There is free WC at the checkin office. Their prices are fair.

Bucket List hike on glacier

Mandy_W, Aug 2024
Awesome tour of the glacier in Iceland! We had a great time together as 8 adults/family traveling together through Iceland. This was a bit intimidating to some members in our group, but our guide did a great job making everyone feel comfortable and created a memorable experience hiking on a glacier. 10/10 would recommend!

Amazing and wonderful experience

Kimman_L, Aug 2024
The coach is very professional and experienced, therefore I felt safe walking around. We had lots of fun reaching up the glacier. We all enjoyed tasting the glacier water and could see the amazing view of the glacier when standing there.

A spectacular experience!

Yuko_H, Aug 2024
What an amazing experience we had! Our guide, Javi, was a wonderful guide. He made sure that we feel safe, was knowledgeable, engaging, passionate, fun and kind. What a great tour we had! Thank you, Melrakki Adventures!

Highly Recommend!

Paul_A, Aug 2024
Had a fantastic time. Our guide was really friendly and knowledgeable. Would really recommend this experience.

Excellent Glacier Tour

Rob_Z, Aug 2024
Great tour and hike on the glacier! Jose was an excellent guide. This was our first time on a glacier and Jose was very in explaining how to equip and use our gear. It was also especially nice having a very small group (there were only 6 of us) and being able to drive so close to the glacier rather than hiking for 20 minutes from the bus parking area.

5 Stars

Tanya_S, Jul 2024
Just book it, no question! We had an amazing experience and a great time. Kallia was wonderful. She was very knowledgeable and educated us about the glaciers past and present day. Kept it lively. She also instructed us on how to be safe during our hiking adventure.

Informative and fun!

Christine_K, Jul 2024
Our guide, Kallia, was very informative and helpful. I learned so much about our surroundings. She made sure to show us many different features of a glacier, made sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying their time. The tour was pretty tame, so most folks with any physical ability could participate. I was on a 9am tour and highly recommend this since we were the first ones on the glacier. By the time we came down around 12, there were many tour groups on the glacier. I also appreciated the small-group experience because some groups are 12 or more people and having only 6 (our tour wasn’t full - that would be 8) was great!

Highly recommended

Marilag_F, Jun 2024
Our tour guide John (Spanish guy) was great. Very knowledgeable and nice. We only had 6 people in our group so we had more time for questions and we could take our time walking and taking photos

We had a great...

Nicole_R, Jun 2024
We had a great experience! It was us and one other couple, with our guide, Kallia. It was our first time glacier hiking, and Kallia did a great job of making us feel safe but also taking us to explore different parts of the glacier to see crevasses and moulins. We learned a lot about glacier formation and history. Highlight of our trip - 10/10!

Texans love Iceland

MariaE_A, May 2024
Javi Lopez was a great guide! Spoke multiple languages. Weather for this glacier hike was perfect. I absolutely recommended.

Highlight of our Iceland trip

Chenlu_T, May 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed this small group experience. Our guide Antoine was very professional, gave clear instructions, humorous, and most importantly kept us safe while challenging us with fundamental glacier hiking techniques. Highly recommend this tour!

Great tour and excellent...

Corinna_F, May 2024
Great tour and excellent tour guide. A highlight of our trip for sure. Lots of time actually spent on the glacier.

The highlight of our trip!

Julie_N, May 2024
The hike was fantastic and challenged us at an enjoyable level! Our guide took great care in explaining everything to us. It a perfect amount of time and we highly recommend this hike.

Excellent value for small group adventure

Pete_F, May 2024
Fani is a terrific guide and we had a very enjoyable morning walking in the ice, checking out crevasses, and hearing about glaciers in Iceland.

Unforgettable experience

Susanna_W, May 2024
I had the BEST time doing the glacier hike! Our guide was awesome! We had a really small group with 3 people but we had such a fun time. He asked if we wanted a gentle stroll or an adventure and we chose adventure! One of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve ever had! Definitely will never forget it.

Awesome!

Anna_S, Apr 2024
Incredible, once in a lifetime experience for the whole family. Our guide was awesome, knowledgeable and so great with kids.

From $156.00

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 72 days in advance.

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