When you visit Iceland, you should definitely have at least one ice related activity on your itinerary. Right? What about going on a glacier hike? I went on my first glacier hike ever this summer when I hiked Falljökull Glacier which is located in South East Iceland. I had a great time and definitely recommend this unique activity.
Glacier hiking is, unlike some of the other glacier activities, available year round. Which is a huge plus. It’s also a family friendly activity if you’re travelling with older kids as everybody over 12 years old is welcome to participate.
The two most popular locations for glacier hikes are Falljökull Glacier and Sólheimajökull Glacier. Sólheimajökull is closer to Reykjavík or in about 2 hours and 15 min drive from there. On the other hand it takes about 4,5 hours to drive from Reykjavík to Falljökull.
The Scenic Drive from Reykjavík to Falljökull Glacier
The drive from Reykjavík to Falljökull is quite long but also unbelievably scenic. The diversity in the landscape is uncanny. You’ll drive through green fields (given you’re here in summer!), pass spectacular mountains and countless waterfalls. Drive through huge black sand fields, see glaciers in the far and at one point be surrounded by moss covered lava fields. If you take this drive sometime between Mid-June and the start of July, you’ll also drive through enormous blue lupine fields. Absolutely amazing.
It’s impossible to get bored during this drive. There’s a very good reason for this part of the country being the most popular among our visitors. This area is packed with noteworthy places. Each one even more beautiful than the last. So by all means, don’t drive all this way in a hurry. You have to give yourself plenty of time to explore it and take it all in.
As the drive from Reykjavík is about 4,5 hours (may take longer in winter), I would recommend staying the night somewhere on the way. That way you get a chance to explore some of the highlights along the way.
Glacier Hike on Falljökull Glacier
Falljökull Glacier is an outlet glacier from Vatnajökull Glacier which is the largest glacier in Iceland and actually in all of Europe. It’s located within the Skaftafell Nature Reserve on the South Coast, just under an hour drive from the famous Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
Different Variations of Glacier Hikes Available
When I booked the hike, I could choose between a 3 and 5 hours hike. I chose the shorter one as I wasn’t sure what I was going into and if I’d like it. I thought if I’d love it, I’d always be able to come back later and do the longer one. Which I will for sure. (Update: I already did and I absolutely loved it! Read all about it here.)
Our meeting point was a few minutes drive away from the glacier itself. There, all the participants got their necessary gear and then drove to the hike’s starting point. Our guide drove first and the group followed her, everybody in their own car. This isn’t always the case though. At the parking lot by the glacier I saw some cars from other companies that obviously had transported their customers from their meeting point to the glacier. So this seems to differ from company to company.
Bring Warm Clothes and some Hiking Boots for your Glacier Hike
You’ll get all the necessary equipment from the company you book your hike with. You just need to wear some warm clothes and some good hiking shoes. Actually I think you don’t even need to bring some hiking boots as you can rent a pair. But honestly, who travels to Iceland without some hiking shoes? I mean, that’s THE most important thing to bring here if you ask me. If the plan isn’t to go on hikes you will miss out on so much. Sooo much. Trust me, your biggest packing mistake would be leaving your hiking boots back home.
Anyways, you’ll get some crampons and a helmet along with some safety equipment. Then you’re good to go. The crampons really do their job. You’ll never feel unsafe or that the ice is slippery. Not for a second. You don’t need to know how to use them beforehand. Your guide will tell you all you need to know.
Our guide was a young Spanish, very enthusiastic woman, who seemed to know everything there is to know about glaciers. She was actually a geologist and called herself a geology nerd. I wish I could remember half of what she told us but unfortunately I don’t remember much. At least not clear enough to repeat it here. But I can assure you it was all very interesting.
What Surprised Me on this Glacier Hike
There were three things that especially surprised me on this first glacier hike of mine.
Dirty Glacier
First of all, it surprised me how dirty the glacier was in some places. I knew some glaciers are more dirty than others. I’d heard that Solheimajokull is a bit dirty due to its proximity to some volcanoes. But for some reason I had expected there to be less dirt on Falljökull. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t diminish the experience in any way. Not at all. It’s not like the glacier was covered in dirt and sand. Far from it. I just had for some reason pictured it more clean and white.
Water Streams All over the Ice
Another thing that surprised me was how many small and actually some quite big water streams were all over the ice. Streams that suddenly disappeared into very deep holes that the water had drilled into the ice. Quite cool actually. And, something that perhaps shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me. I mean, I know the glaciers are melting and getting smaller and smaller each year. Where there is melting ice there is unavoidably some water running. So yeah, I should have thought of that beforehand. But you know, I didn’t. I figured the lake down below would be the only water there. But now I know!
Rapid Changes
The third thing that surprised me during this hike was how fast these glaciers change. Our guide told us they change so fast that it’s actually a bit annoying for the guides. They constantly need to find new routes to take their groups on. She said Falljökull looked a whole lot different the day we were there compared to only two weeks prior. I didn’t realise the changes were so fast. Very interesting I think.
These rapid changes also make it very dangerous for people to hike without a guide. You may never hike a glacier by yourself. This is no ordinary hike and shall ALWAYS be done with a guide who knows the area. Safety first. No exceptions.
Are You Going on a Glacier Hike in Iceland?
I loved the hike but actually thought it was too short. Next time I will book a longer one (5 hours in stead of 3) to be able to see more of the glacier. (Update: I already did! Read all about it here). Get a bit higher up and even try a little ice climbing.
I’d love to do a longer hike on Falljökull but I’d also like to explore Sólheimajökull. For you as an experienced hiker I recommend the longer version of a glacier hike for sure. By experienced I don’t mean advanced, just that you are used to hiking about 5km/3mi or more at a time and not only on a flat surface. What I’m trying to say is, don’t take the longer version if you don’t hike on a regular basis.
I hike on a regular basis and in my opinion this 3 hours hike was simply too short. I felt a little bit like we had to turn around before we actually got to the best part. Not a big deal in my case as I can always go back. It could on the other hand be a bit frustrating for someone like you who is only here for a short visit. So keep that in mind when booking the hike. You might want to book the longer version. Of course you might have to take in account who you are travelling and then hiking with, how much time you have and so forth. But still, something to consider.
Just to be clear though. This hike was great and I really enjoyed it. Just think the longer version will be even better. Look forward to testing it out and tell you all about it (Update: I already did and I loved it! Read all about it here).
If you are interested in booking a glacier hike in Iceland, here is a link to the company I used:
Troll Expeditions – Passion for Adventure in IcelandA good friend of mine has also been on a glacier hike. She booked with another company and was also very pleased with her tour. This is the company she went with:
Local Guide of Vatnajökull – Generations of Glacier ExplorersThere are plenty of other companies that offer this service and I’m sure they are all doing a great job. This is just the ones I (or somebody I trust) have tried.
You Think Any of Your Friends Could Be Interested in a Glacier Hike?
Do you have any questions? Or do you possibly have something you’d like to add to the post? I’d love to hear from you in the comment section down below.
Well, that’s it for now. If you liked this post and think some of your friends might be interested in reading it too, please help me spread the word. I’d really appreciate it if you’d share it on social media or just send it directly to a friend.
Until next time!
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