Snæfellsjökull

by North Ice · Glacier hiking · Snæfellsnes

5.0· 35 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Self-guided

from €412 per person

Next departure: Thu 1 Apr

Book Thu 1 Apr · €412 Other dates

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11 photos from North Ice. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
6 hours
Difficulty
Moderate
Season
All year
Starts in
Snæfellsbær
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Snæfellsjökull
Arnarstapavegur, Arnarstapi
Departs
10:00
Minimum age
10
Cancellation
Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 6 days of departure.

About this experience

One of the most famus glacier hikes in Iceland.

If you are just starting out glacier hiking and want to try out a day of mountaineering this is the tour for you.

You are going to meet your guide at Arnarstapi center. From the town is about 10-15minutes drive to the glacier.

At the parking lot we are going to prep you with the right gear for the hike. This hike takes from 4 to 6 hours, approach to the glacier takes 40-60min. When we get to the edge of the glacier, we’ll put on the glacier gear; crampons, harness and ropes. It takes about 3-4hours to go from the base to the summit. The summit of Snæfellsjökull is at 1446m above sea level. Usually we stop in 1418meters, but we can go to the true summit 1446m, but it is a steep slope on top of rock and ice peak.

This is a snow coverd glacier, so our guides will bring you safely over and around cravassess on the glacier.

Lunch brake on the summit is nice to enjoy the view while you eat something, on a clear day the view of the peninsula is stunning, but of course we can’t promise a clear day. After the lunch we have to start the descent from the summit and back to the car, that will take us about 3 hours.

Description from the operator, North Ice. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Snæfellsjökull

Included

Glacier gear:

Crampons

Harness

Ice axe

Ropes

Carabiners

Glacier guide

Not included

Transport

food

boots

hiking poles

Good to know

waterproof jacket and pants

Warm Clothes

gloves & hat

hiking boots

drinks,

camera

sunglasses

lunce and snacks

You can rent boots, hiking poles, rain gear , gloves and hats from us :)

Cancellation for this tour

Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 6 days of departure. 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.

1North Ice 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.
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.
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 the cutoff shown above, the operator's policy after that.

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

Who this is not for

Children under 10 cannot join this one.

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

Why we list it

North Ice is one of 204 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 North Ice

Read all 35 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 5.0/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Gert Pauwels
★★★★★ · 4 years ago
If you ever visit Iceland, you should definitely try ice climbing. If you prefer to do this with a small group with a very personal approach and very experienced guides, then you should definitely contact North Ice Expeditions. Our guide Bergur was really great and gave us a wonderful experience to take home with us. The scenery and the views on the Sólheimajökull glacier were unreal.
Hannah Hingston
★★★★★ · 4 years ago
We booked a summit hike of Hvannadalshnukur and a day of ice climbing with North ice expeditions and were not disappointed! Bergur, our guide, was extremely experienced and professional. For us, the summit hike was our first summit on the top of a glacier and he provided all the equipment and advice and we felt very safe. Bergur recommended the ice climbing - and we had a awesome time exploring the glacier and it's crevasses! 10/10 - would recommend.
Lori Mac
★★★★★ · 2 years ago
Bergur was absolutely fantastic! A different company cancelled on us and North Ice stepped up and took us on an unforgettable adventure. They actually opened up on a day they were closed! We enjoyed the views at the summit and were very lucky as the sun came out as soon as we hit the glacier 😁 but you should prepare for wind, rain and cold as it is Iceland. This company is professional and deserves your business. Also, thank you Bergur for driving over two hours to meet us.
Alyssa Sismaet
★★★★★ · 4 years ago
100% highly recommend this tour company! They are a small business which I liked. Our tour guide Bergur was great! We did the ice climb/glacier walk 4 hour tour and it ended up just being us two with our guide which was nice, but they do pretty small groups either way for a more personalized experience. We asked Bergur tons of questions and he made sure we felt safe and secure on the ice and while ice climbing - for someone with a fear of heights it was really relieving! 4 hours felt like a perfect amount, we had three different places to try ice climbing if we wanted. We got to see a lot of the glacier. Don’t hesitate to book a tour with them, they’re great!! I wish more people wrote reviews for them to make it easier to find.

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Snæfellsjökull: snowcat, summit hike or ATV?The snowcat is the easy way onto Snæfellsjökull, March to early July. The summit hike is the real thing. ATVs and buggies stay below the ice.

Reviews from our travellers

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

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for 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.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Snæfellsnes, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site. Ourhotels is our sister company — the same people, a different business — so we list it first and say so.

All hotels in Snæfellsnes →

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from

€412 per person

North Ice's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

The next departure we can see — change it if this tour is for another day.

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs10:00

Snæfellsnes: light 06:53–20:21, 13 h 28 min of daylight.

· Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 6 days of departure.
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If North Ice cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: North Ice's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €16 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.