Up close and personal with the largest glacier in Europe!
Get out of everyday life and into the crampons. The seemingly smooth surface of a glacier from a distance turns out to be an infinite variety of ups and downs up close. Vatnajökull is the name of the largest glacier in Europe. Vatnajökull National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around 8% of Iceland is covered by this glacier. Falljökull in Skaftafell National Park is one of its glacier arms. There, with crampons on, the adventurous can explore the wonders of this icy landscape. The glacier is moving. Every day the conditions are different, the ice formations and the routes of the meltwater streams change. A deep blue crevasse, a small ice cave or a meltwater waterfall – nature always has a surprise in store. Every day is different and your glacier adventure unique.
Glacier hiking with Troll Expeditions in Vatnajökull National Park.
Small ice cave in the glacial ice of Falljökull near Skaftafell.
Icy water from the Vatnajökull glacier strengthens the hikers.
Glacier hike with crampons. Ice claws are mandatory.
The ice on the Falljökul glacier is impressive.
Well secured, everyone can venture to the edge of the Gletschermühle.
"Stack - stack - stack... After the first unsteady steps, I get a feeling for moving on ice. Stack stack stack… Black and white alternate layers under my feet and what can only be guessed at from afar becomes fantastic reality here. Faults are piling up, sharp walls of ice are stretching and delicate streams of meltwater are licking the white. Stack stack stack... it goes on and with every step the glacier comes to life before my eyes. Crystal clear water glitters in deep blue channels and I look down in amazement into a mighty, endless shaft."
AGE ™
Europe • to Iceland • Vatnajökull • Skaftafell National Park • Glacier hike in Iceland
Experience a glacier hike in Iceland
Offers for glacier hiking in Iceland
Glacier hikes in the Skaftafell National Park are offered by several organizers. Duration, group size and equipment differ. Of course, every tour guide has his own style. It makes sense to read reviews beforehand and compare the offers.
AGE ™ did the Skaftafell Glacier Hike with Troll Expeditions:
Organization and equipment were very good. The five-hour tour was ideal for delving deep into the glacier world and exploring different ice formations. The group size was 10 people, which proved to be very comfortable during the hike. Our guide "Franzy" was brimming with enthusiasm for the glacier and never tired of tracking down new wonders for us. There was little bits of interesting information and funny anecdotes in between. At the end, each participant, individually roped up, was allowed to look into a glacier mill (Mulan). All in all, a more than just successful day with many wonderful impressions.
Europe • to Iceland • Vatnajökull • Skaftafell National Park • Glacier hike in Iceland
Glacier hiking experiences in Skaftafell
A special experience!
You've never strapped on your ice claws and explored a glacier? Then let's go! Treat yourself to a sip of glacier water and plunge into adventure. The living breath of the glacier will amaze you!
How much does a guided glacier hike cost?
For a five-hour glacier tour in Iceland with Troll Expeditions, you should budget around 15.000 ISK per person. Crampons, helmet and ice ax are included. You can rent hiking boots for a fee if required. Please note possible changes.
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• 3 hour tour (of which approx. 1 hour on the ice) – 10500 ISK per person • 5 hour tour (of which approx. 3 hours on the ice) – 15500 ISK per person • Rental fee for hiking boots (if required) – 1500 ISK per person • Prices as a guide. Price increases and special offers possible.
A three-hour and a five-hour tour is offered. The time includes fitting the equipment, safety briefing, arrival, the short walk to the glacier, and putting on and taking off the spikes. The pure time on the glacier was about 5 hours for the 3 hour tour. Analogously, the time on the ice for the 3-hour tour would be about 1 hour. To experience the unique diversity of the glacier and immerse yourself in this fascinating world, AGE™ definitely recommends the five-hour tour.
Is there food and toilets?
Nature makes fresh glacier water freely available. Your guide will also show you how you can use the ice ax to cut out a piece of glacier ice as a water substitute. Meals are not included. It is recommended to bring a small snack that will be consumed during a short break in the middle of the glacier. Toilets are available at the meeting point.
Where does the glacier hike take place in Iceland?
The Skaftafell Glacier Hike takes place in the south-east of Iceland on a foothill of the Vatnajökull. The foothill of the glacier is called Falljökull and is located in Skaftafell National Park. The meeting point for the ice hike is Skaftafell Terminal, approx. 2km from the entrance of the national park. Skaftafell is on the Ring Road about 4 hours east of Reykjavik or 1 hour and 45 minutes from Vik.
Open map route planner
Map route planner
Which sights are nearby?
Sightseeing flights over Iceland are offered at the Skaftafell Terminal, the meeting point for the Glacier Tour. The entrance to the Skaftafell National Park. From short hiking trails to a demanding all-day hike, this has a lot to offer. Also the well-known one Svartifoss waterfall with basalt columns is located in the national park. About 50km further east the beautiful ones are waiting Fjallsárlón and Jökulsarlon glacial lakes to you of you.
Exciting background information
Why is the arm of the glacier called Falljökull?
Falljökull is translated into English as "The falling glacier" and means something like "ice fall". The arm of the glacier stretches towards the sky with sharp ice formations and pushes its way towards the valley at an impressive speed of 4 to 8 meters every day. Figuratively speaking, the glacier arm becomes a kind of slow motion ice fall.
Good to know
What can I expect from a glacier hike?
First you will learn to walk with crampons on your feet. A little technique and some time are needed to get used to this special type of locomotion. Then you can explore the glacier. It is absolutely impossible to predict which wonders will be visible on the exact day you climb the glacier. There are crevasses and deep shafts into which the meltwater flows, shimmering blue water-filled cracks, powerful black-and-white patterned faults, small streams of meltwater on the surface, ice sinks and pointed ice walls rising vertically into the sky.
No hike is like the other - how can that be?
With each glacier hike, different ice formations are found or accessible. Falljökull's ice moves several meters a day, weather conditions change and meltwater flows change. "There was no water here yesterday," explains our guide, and we have to move on to find another shaft we can look down into. But today there is a small ice cave as a bonus. With any luck, it will be visible for a week or two before collapsing.
Then we marvel at our personal highlight: an approximately 3 meter high waterfall made of melt water in the depths of an ice depression. Three days ago this waterfall didn't exist and yesterday there was still too much water in the valley to climb down. Wow what luck. The conditions change daily and nature has other wonders in store for every hike.
Magical view into a small ice cave in the glacial ice of Falljökull.
Europe • to Iceland • Vatnajökull • Skaftafell National Park • Glacier hike in Iceland
This editorial contribution received external support
Disclosure: AGE™ were given discounted or gratuitous services from Troll Expeditions as part of the report. The content of the contribution remains unaffected. The press code applies.
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Liability
If the content of this article does not match your personal experience, we assume no liability. The contents of the article have been carefully researched and are based on personal experience. However, if information is misleading or incorrect, we assume no liability. Furthermore, circumstances can change. AGE™ does not guarantee topicality or completeness.
Source reference for text research
Information on site and personal experiences on a glacier hike in July 2020.
Troll Expeditions: Homepage of Troll Expeditions. [online] Retrieved on April 06.04.2021th, XNUMX, from URL: https://troll.is/
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A special experience!
A special experience!
How much does a guided glacier hike cost?
How much does a guided glacier hike cost?
How much time should I plan?
Is there food and toilets?
Where does the glacier hike take place in Iceland?
Which sights are nearby?
Why is the arm of the glacier called Falljökull?
What can I expect from a glacier hike?
