Kayak River Ride - from Reykjavik

by Arctic Rafting · Boat tours · Reykjavík

4.90· 139 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Works in the rain

from €286.22 per person

No published departures in the coming months — ask us

Check dates & book Other dates

Kayak River Ride - from Reykjavik — Arctic Rafting

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13 photos from Arctic Rafting. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
3 hours
Difficulty
Challenging
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
13:00
Minimum age
18
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

Brave down a glacier river in a small inflatable kayak. Then enjoy a sauna to warm up.

Difficulty: 3/5 challenging

Trip details: This tour is also available with pick up from Reykjavík.

Time of departure from Drumbó: 15:00. Pick-up time in Reykjavík is between 12:30 and 13:00, please specify your pick-up location when booking.

Sailing down Hvítá River in an inflatable kayak is a magnificent way become more acquainted with Icelandic nature. Hvítá River means the ‘White River’, the name referring to the roaring white water you will encounter. Once seated in a smaller boat, the waves all of a sudden become huge and therefore extra exhilarating. This trip is only recommend to people who are looking for action and are in good physical condition, maybe with some previous white water experience.

Hvítá river originates from Langjökull glacier, the second largest glacier in Iceland. We begin our journey a few kilometres downstream from Gullfoss Waterfall and travel down 7 kilometres. On route we experience a beautiful view that can only be seen from a boat. The first few kilometres are filled with whitewater rapids and action and the latter kilometres feature serene beautiful canyons. You will sail by Brúarhlöð, a stunning canyon.

The inflatable kayaks are designed so they do not fill up with water and are rather easy to manoeuvre. However, chances are that you flip your kayak will need to brave the mighty glacial waters. In any case, our expert guides will be there to give you a helping hand. No need to worry about the cold water, we provide wetsuits to keep you from freezing and a life-jacket to keep you afloat.

The River Ride is our ultimate ride, one you are not likely to forget. See you out on the rapids.

Disclaimer: All rafting trips are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Rafting does not assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its customers or can be traced to their own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherent risk.

Description from the operator, Arctic Rafting. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

Drumboddsstaðir Rafting Base

Included

Pick- up from Reykjavik
Inflatable kayak trip down the scenic Hvítá with trained river safety team
All necessary river equipment; wetsuit, life-jacket, neoprene shoes, helmet and paddle
Visit to the famous Brúarhlöð canyon via the river
Hot sauna after to warm up
Extra small group experience, the boat fits 2 people.

Not included

Towels, food and beverages are not included.

Good to know

Warm wool or fleece sweater and thermal underwear (pants) to wear underneath the wetsuit. This might get wet during your tour. Don’t wear cotton as it will not keep you warm when wet.
Change of clothing.
Towel and bathing suit for the hot tub and sauna afterwards.

Although you don't need to swim while on an inflatable kayak we recommend that you can. You have to be comfortable with floating in water.

All of our tours begin from Drumbó and we get geared up for rafting. At Drumbó you find:

Changing rooms
Showers
Sauna
Bar and coffee
Restaurant

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours 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 sea state — the skipper decides an hour or two before departure. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1Arctic Rafting 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 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.

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

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Harbor Cruise with Three Course Dinner from Reykjavik from Sea Trips Reykjavík is €124 — €162 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Arctic Rafting · €286	Sea Trips Reykjavík · €124
How long it runs	3 hours	1.8 hours
Getting there	Picks you up	You make your own way
How hard it is	Challenging	Easy

The €162 buys you 1.3 more hours out and hotel pickup. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Who this is not for

Not for families with children under 18 — the operator will not take them, even with a parent.
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

Arctic Rafting 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 Arctic Rafting

Read all 139 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Alan Cammack
★★★★★ · a month ago
Very accommodating and welcoming in every way! The guides are highly trained, engaging, and clearly enjoy being on the river. There are nice showers, hot tubs, and a sauna for after the trip. The restaurant and bar were excellent as well and I had the best hamburger for my entire trip in Iceland. Highly recommend!
Ahmed Almonsouri
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
I come to the rafting experience twice a year because I LOVE IT SO MUCH. What makes this experience fun are not only the rapids, but the guides on this trip. Victoria was our guide this year, and she was PHENOMENAL. She really made our trip unforgettable, she is hilarious, witty, easy going, and made sure everyone was safe all the time. I still remember her sense of humor in the middle of the day, and laugh a little. The other guides are also amazing, like Arjun. Very kind man, fun on the rafting, and super professional and overall fun. I have done rafting experiences all over the world, but I always look forward to our rafting experience in Iceland with Arctic Rafting because of the guides and how fun they make it. I rarely write reviews, but I only do so when the experience is above and beyond, and Arctic Adventures, you deserve 10 stars!
Tim R
★★★★★ · 4 months ago
Wonderful group of people. Our guide Victoria was very knowledgeable, patient, and professional. She and Armon (safety staff) gave our group a great time. The landscape was breathtaking. Our favorite part was the cliff jump. Unforgettable!!
Zita Zaikauske
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
One of the best Adventure👌Well organized, perfect atmosphere, amaizing guides. Fun is all the time. After the boat trip you can enjoy hot tubs, sauna and meal👌🤩

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Boat tours in Iceland: the five kinds explainedWhale boats, aurora cruises, glacier-lagoon zodiacs, island ferries and sea angling. What each one actually is, what it costs, and which are worth a slot.
Northern lights tour: bus, boat or super-jeep?Bus, boat and super-jeep lights hunts from Reykjavík compared on real odds, comfort and price, with the one we'd book first.

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.

Boat tours — questions people ask

Where do boat tours leave from in Reykjavík?

The Old Harbour, on Ægisgarður pier, about five minutes' walk from most downtown hotels and ten from Hallgrímskirkja. Elding and Reykjavik Sailors both have ticket offices there. Whale, puffin, sea-angling and northern-lights boats all use the same area. Arrive thirty minutes before departure to check in. The Viðey ferry (/experience/1539/) leaves from the same harbour in summer and from Skarfabakki the rest of the year.

Is the Jökulsárlón boat tour worth it?

Yes, if you are already at the lagoon. A Zodiac gets you among the icebergs and close to the glacier edge in a way the shore cannot, and the combined glacier hike and Zodiac day (/experience/716547/) is the best full day in the southeast. Boats run in the warmer months only; check the tour page for dates. It is not worth a fourteen-hour day trip from Reykjavík just for the boat.

What is the difference between a Zodiac and an amphibian boat at Jökulsárlón?

A Zodiac is a fast rigid inflatable seating around ten, with a guide who can nose it near the glacier face and into iceberg fields; you wear a flotation suit and get a bit wet. The amphibian is a slow duck boat carrying larger groups on a fixed loop. The Zodiac is the better trip and the one we list. It has a minimum age and is bumpier; the tour page has details.

Will a boat tour be cancelled if it is windy?

Quite possibly. Operators cancel whale, puffin and lagoon boats when the wind or swell makes them unsafe or pointless, and Iceland is windy. The decision usually comes the evening before or early on the day, by email or text. You get a full refund or a new date. Book boat trips early in your stay rather than on your last day so a cancellation can be rebooked.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

One checkout, any number of operators
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203 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €13 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.