Private Ice climbing tour

by Southcoast Adventure · Glacier hiking · private · Reykjavík

4.70(299) · operator on Google
Private Ice climbing tour — Southcoast Adventure

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Southcoast Adventure's own price and take our commission from them, not from you. What you get here is one checkout across operators, one confirmation, and one place to change or cancel it. If you ever find it cheaper on their own site, tell us and we will match it or explain why we cannot.

More photos of Private Ice climbing tour

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18 photos from Southcoast Adventure. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    5 hours

  • Difficulty

    Challenging

  • Season

    All year

  • Meeting

    Meet on location

  • Languages

    EN, DE, NO, FI, RU, SV, IS, FR, DA, ES

  • Start time

    Time agreed after booking

  • Minimum age

    6

  • Cancellation

    Free until 2 days before

About this experience

Explore Iceland in a unique way on our private ice climbing tour. It is an adventure you will never forget.

We start the day with a lovely walk up towards Sólheimajökull glacier. The outlet glacier is a rugged, raw and an ever changing environment of ancient frozen water.
Why take a private tour in Iceland? One reason is to enjoy open space and go to places that very few people visit. To enjoy the peace and silence. It is also an opportunity to define your small group of people to travel together with a professional guide, someone who knows Iceland in and out, landscape, places, geology, history, folklore, and current affairs.

After a short but very important demonstration on how to properly use the glacier equipment we head up the riddled outlet glacier; walking between deep crevasses, amazing ice formations, jagged ridges and spine-tingling sinkholes.

Up there each day is different and the ever changing environment gives our experienced glacier guide a challenge. He'll carefully evaluate the conditions and pick the best places for you to climb.

We then spend a good amount of time trying out various ways of ice climbing in a fun and educating way.

And let's not forget the amazing scenery surrounding you the entire time. This gives you the perfect opportunity to get that one 'me climbing a glacier' photo you've always wanted.

This private tour is ideal for those who want to experience a first hand adventure on a moving glacier.

The whole tour will last about 4.5 hours in total: 3 hours of which will be spent on the ice, including the time spent climbing Sólheimajökull glacier. So don’t delay, book this tour today, for an experience that you will never forget.

Perfect tour for beginners or more experienced.

Description from the operator, Southcoast Adventure. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Private Ice climbing tour

Included

– Helmet
– Crampons
– Ice axe
– Other safety equipment

Good to know

Warm outdoor clothing

waterproof jacket and pants,

head-wear, 

gloves 

Good hiking shoes are recommended.
and lunch. 

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 2 days before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

If the weather cancels this tour

Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is high wind or rain on the ice — the guide decides at the meeting point, sometimes after you have set off. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1Southcoast Adventure decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
  2. 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
  3. 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.

What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 2 days before departure, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

Sold out on your date?

Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.

Who this is not for

  • Children under 6 cannot join this one.
  • Not for anyone unsure on their feet or carrying an injury — the operator rates this as physically demanding, and there is no easy version of the day.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

Southcoast Adventure is one of 154 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about Southcoast Adventure

Read all 299 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.7/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Andreea Avaşi

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    The super jeep tour in Thorsmörck delivered exactly what was promised and was worth every penny. Our guide, Jakob, was fantastic—super nice, easy to talk to, and he made the hours pass by so quickly. The lunch provided was also delicious. Thank you for a memorable day!

  • Runar Sigurdsson

    ★★★★★ · 5 months ago

    Our tour guide Alejandro took us to experience glaciers in Vík, where we got to hike in the glaciers which was an amazing experience. We got told about how the glaciers move, how a small hole can turn into a big pile of snow, stones and ice. Later on we went on buggy rides where we went off road and drove to Eyjafjallajökull. We drove through fields, stones, snow and ice, we got told “you can get as wet as you want” as we drove through the lakes. Alejandro always made sure we were safe and comfortable, he would turn around to check on us if we got stuck. Waited for us if we lacked behind. And even though we drove through dark fields with very little visibility, we still felt safe. It was a great experience, and Alejandro made the experience even better. I would highly recomend Southcost Adventure.

  • Joshua Kost

    ★★★★★ · 4 months ago

    We did the 5hr buggy buggy tour today, by far the best day in Iceland so far. Alejandro was an absolute amazing guide, seen waterfalls, caves, and a glacier that we would have never seen otherwise. Alejandro also took us on an incredible hike to one of the falls. He’s knowledge of the area was superb. Highly recommended over all the other tours.

  • David Graybeal

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    Absolute number 1 excursion we have ever done! Our Eyjafjallajökull Snowmobiling Tour with Southcoast Adventures was an absolute highlight of our trip to Iceland—and we travel a lot! We spent about 2 hours on the snowmobiles and covered a huge portion of the glacier. Riding all the way to the top to experience the intense wind and the breathtaking views was unforgettable. Our guides, Ale and Martin, were phenomenal. Ale was incredibly patient and helpful while teaching us how to operate the machines. Even when we managed to tip our snowmobile over, they handled it perfectly. Their attitudes throughout the entire tour were tremendous. This truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime outing. I cannot recommend this adventure and this team highly enough!

Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026

Read before you book

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

No reviews yet from our travellers on this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Glacier hiking — questions people ask

Which glacier is best for a first glacier hike?

Sólheimajökull on the South Coast, about two and a half hours from Reykjavík. It is the most accessible glacier tongue, the walk from the car park is short and the three-to-four-hour tours (/experience/6853/ or /experience/914990/) suit beginners. Skaftafell in the southeast has bigger ice and fewer people, with tours like Glacier Wonders (/experience/17340/), but it is a five-hour drive each way, so it only works if you are staying out there.

Can you hike on a glacier in Iceland in summer?

Yes. Glacier hiking runs all year. In June to August the ice is grey and gritty on the surface with blue crevasses and meltwater channels, and the weather is milder. In November to March the ice is whiter and you may see ice formations, but daylight is short and the wind bites. Neither is better; summer is easier, winter is prettier. The one thing you cannot do in summer is visit a natural blue ice cave.

How fit do I need to be for a glacier hike?

Moderately. You walk two to three hours on uneven ice in crampons, with some short steep sections. Anyone who can manage a hilly day walk will be fine; the pace is slow because the guide is checking the route. It is not for anyone with knee or balance problems, and most operators set a minimum age of eight to ten. Check the tour page. Longer tours like Glacier Explorer (/experience/17338/) push further onto the ice and need more stamina.

What do I need to bring on a glacier hike?

Sturdy boots with ankle support, waterproof jacket and trousers, warm layers, gloves and a hat, plus water and a snack. The operator provides crampons, a harness, a helmet and an ice axe. Jeans and trainers are not allowed on the ice, and guides do turn people away. Most meeting points rent boots and rain gear for a small fee; check the tour page and book them in advance in summer.

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  • If it falls short, we fix it

Pairs well with

Everything here goes into the same basket and the same single payment, however many operators it comes from.

from

€353 per person

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