Vatnajökull · Falljökull · Breiðamerkurjökull
Glacier hiking is what to do when the caves are shut — and for many visitors it is the better half of the day anyway. These walks cross the outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull in crampons, and a handful of them add a natural ice cave when conditions allow.
Choose your trip
The first group adds a natural ice cave to the walk, which makes it weather-dependent; the second is pure glacier hiking and runs all year. All of these use crampons and a guide, and no previous experience is needed. Prices are per person in US dollars with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
The most reviewed of the cave-and-hike combinations, walking onto Falljökull from Skaftafell before entering a natural cave. Worth knowing the cave is conditions-dependent rather than guaranteed — the hike runs either way.
Free cancellation up to 24h
A four-hour trip from Skaftafell that treats the crevasses and blue ice as the main event and the cave as the finish. Small groups of up to twelve, with all glacier gear supplied.
Free cancellation up to 24h
A longer ice-caving and hiking combination for anyone who wants proper time on the ice as well as inside it. Highly rated, and capped at a small group.
Free cancellation up to 24h
The top-rated option here, a small-group cave and glacier walk on Vatnajökull run by Icelandic Mountain Guides. The priciest of the combinations, and the one reviewers rate most highly.
Free cancellation up to 24h
The most reviewed glacier walk in Iceland and an easy first step onto the ice, crossing the blue ice of Falljökull from Skaftafell with crampons and an axe provided.
Free cancellation up to 24h
A gentle, family-friendly walk on Falljökull rated easy, with well over a thousand reviews behind it. A good pick for anyone unsure about footing on ice.
Free cancellation up to 24h
The cheapest way onto Vatnajökull, leaving from the Jökulsárlón lagoon car park and spending around two hours walking among crevasses and blue-ice ridges.
Free cancellation up to 24h
An extended trek that goes further onto the ice than the standard walks, for anyone who wants a real half-day on the glacier rather than a taster.
Free cancellation up to 24h
Threads a labyrinth of blue-ice walls and crevasses on Falljökull, giving something close to a cave feel without depending on a seasonal cave.
Free cancellation up to 24h
The highest-rated hike on this page, run by a local owner-guide with groups capped at eight so more of the time is spent actually on the ice.
Free cancellation up to 24h
The small-group version of the crevasse maze, beginner-friendly at around four kilometres with all gear included and snacks along the way.
Free cancellation up to 24h
The lowest price of any glacier hike listed here, a straightforward guided walk on the Skaftafell ice with the essentials covered.
Free cancellation up to 24h
Another budget option from Skaftafell onto Vatnajökull, short and simple, and a reasonable choice if the cost of the longer treks is off-putting.
Free cancellation up to 24h
Nearly all of it is on the outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier by volume, in the south east. Skaftafell is the hub — the Falljökull tongue sits close to the visitor centre and carries most of the traffic — while the Jökulsárlón lagoon car park is the starting point for walks onto Breiðamerkurjökull further east.
Both are a long way from Reykjavik: Skaftafell is roughly 327 km and Jökulsárlón about 380 km, which is four and a half to five hours of driving. Most people fold a hike into a South Coast trip rather than attempting it as a day return.
A handful of these tours add a natural ice cave to the walk. It is a genuinely good combination, but it comes with a caveat worth stating plainly: the cave is conditions-dependent. Caves flood after heavy rain and close when the ice softens, so operators swap to a crevasse or a longer walk when the cave is unsafe, and the tour still runs.
Pure glacier hikes have no such dependency. They run year-round, including through the summer when every natural cave in the country has melted shut, which makes them the reliable option outside the winter months.
Most are graded easy to moderate. You walk on uneven ice in crampons, usually for two to four kilometres, and no previous experience is expected — the majority of people on any given tour have never been on a glacier. Operators fit crampons, a helmet and a harness at the ice edge and brief the group before setting off.
The longer treks and the extended explorer routes ask for a moderate fitness level and more time on your feet. Where a tour requires it, the operator says so, and the minimum age is typically between 8 and 10.
Crampons need stiff hiking boots that cover the ankle. Soft trainers, wellingtons and low shoes will not take a crampon binding, and this is the single most common problem at meeting points — reviewers mention being sent to rent boots more often than any other complaint.
Most operators rent boots at the meeting point for a small fee, and some require it if your footwear is unsuitable. Bringing warm layers, a waterproof jacket and trousers is on you; the technical gear is not.
Hikes start around $96 for a short guided walk and run to roughly $221 for the top-rated small-group cave-and-walk combination. Group size explains most of the difference: the cheapest walks run larger groups, while the highest-rated tours cap at eight to twelve.
For a first time on ice, the easy Falljökull walks from Skaftafell are the obvious start. For the most time on the glacier, look at the extended treks or the small-group half-day. To combine a walk with a cave, take one of the first group above — in winter, when the caves are actually open.
Location & access
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