Glacier Ice Climbing

by Local Guide of Vatnajökull · Glacier hiking · Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón

4.90· 518 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own

from €234.18 per person

Next departure: Tue 15 Jun

Book Tue 15 Jun · €234.18 Other dates

Glacier Ice Climbing — Local Guide of Vatnajökull

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8 photos from Local Guide of Vatnajökull. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
4 hours
Difficulty
Challenging
Season
All year
Starts in
Skaftafell
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Söluskálinn í Freysnesi
Freysnes, Skaftafell
Guide
Guided in Icelandic, English
Departs
09:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30
Minimum age
16
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

Our ice climbing tour is perfect for those looking for a half-day out on the glacier, leaving no ice crystal unturned. Our most adventurous tour is suitable for those looking for both a challenge and a unique experience in Iceland. A good level of fitness and enthusiasm is recommended but no prior experience is necessary.

The Glacier Ice Climbing tour goes beyond standard top-roping ice climbing and teaches you new hard ice skills. We can incorporate hiking, ice climbing, via ferrata, rope work and safety techniques for glacier travel. Our public ice climbing tour focuses on a small group experience with a maximum of 6 people in the group only. We value your time and we make sure to maximize your experience on ice, providing as many opportunities for climbing the glacier walls as possible. With just you and our highly skilled glacier guide, we make sure this tour will be the highlight of your holidays in Iceland.

What to expect on the tour?

First climb is a teaching climb. The guide will pick an appropriate wall and go over some ice climbing techniques. Whether the guests are beginners or experienced climbers, going over the technique is always a good way to start the day. Then we moved on to a more challenging climb and built up with more interesting climbs until the guest reached their energy limits or simply we ran out of time. Having this size of group makes every trip easily adjustable to the participants. For example, if you are a keen group of climbers you will be able to experience up to 2 climbs but if the participants want to walk more and climb less this would be also possible.

Please keep in mind that walking time will change a lot as the glacier changes and the guide has to find the right challenge for his guests. It is also worth mentioning that the walk between climbing spots is a good time to rest up for the next climb. :)

What to bring: Outdoor clothing appropriate to the weather as well as a hat, gloves (sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended if sunny) as well as food and water for the day carried in a small backpack.

Included: Ice climbing boots, climbing crampons, Ice climbing axes, all the other safety equipment.

Cancellation policy as for our public tours. Read more

Description from the operator, Local Guide of Vatnajökull. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

4 hours tour with 3h on the ice
Ice hiking, ice climbing and rope work on the glacier
Professional trained adventure glacier guide
We will choose the best glacier in the area close to Skaftafell
4×4 transfer from our base to the glacier
Small group size (max 6 persons per guide)
Supporting a small local family company
All our tours are carbon neutralized

Not included

- food and drinks are not included

- rain gear

- hat and gloves

Good to know

Outdoor clothing as according to weather, hat, gloves, sunglasses if sunny and a small backpack with a packed lunch, drinks and snacks for the day.

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 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.

1Local Guide of Vatnajökull 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 Glacier Wonders from Arctic Adventures is €101 — €133 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Local Guide of Vatnajökull · €234	Arctic Adventures · €101
How long it runs	4 hours	4.2 hours
How hard it is	Challenging	Easy

On everything we can measure, the Arctic Adventures tour is the better buy. The €133 is not buying anything we can point to, so unless you want this operator in particular, take the cheaper one.

Who this is not for

Not for families with children under 16 — 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

Local Guide of Vatnajökull 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 Local Guide of Vatnajökull

Read all 518 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.

Jana Ulrichová
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
We had a chance to try Glacier Discovery Tour with Polish guide Michael. It is our favourite memory from Iceland, truly the best experience. Michael is a very good guide and we were just sad that the tour wasn’t longer because the views up were stunning. I recommend trying Local Guide!!!
Valerie Kramer
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
Outstanding experience - saw many other companies on the glacier... Felt our tour best - drove right to the glacier in a heavy duty 4WD vehicle. Took the most interesting route - though challenging glacial terrain - minimizing time on scree. Never stopped moving. Taught techniques; emphasis on safety without babying us. Loved it!
Mara Lee Oleson
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
If you’re considering a glacier hike in Iceland, I can’t recommend Claudia with Local Guide highly enough! She guided our group of 11, ranging in age from an 8-year-old to grandparents, and somehow made the experience perfect for every single one of us. Claudia struck the perfect balance between being incredibly fun and making everyone feel completely safe and confident on the glacier. She was patient, knowledgeable, encouraging, and genuinely one of the friendliest people we met during our entire trip. It was obvious how much she loves what she does, and her enthusiasm made the experience even more memorable. Our glacier hike ended up being one of the absolute highlights of our Iceland vacation, and that’s largely because of Claudia. She made every member of our family feel included, comfortable, and excited from start to finish. Thank you, Claudia, for giving us such an unforgettable adventure. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide!
JiaOng ong
★★★★★ · 11 months ago
We joined a glacier hike tour, and it was an unforgettable experience! There were so many great things about it, but here are a few highlights: 1. Booking Process: The online booking was simple and straightforward. We received reminder emails with clear details and the exact meeting point, which was easy to find. 2. Equipment & Preparation: Hiking boots were provided for those who didn’t have suitable footwear for crampons. The guides were very helpful in getting everyone ready and making sure the equipment fit properly. 3. Our Guide – Sam: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and beyond! Sam was absolutely amazing. Our parents weren’t very comfortable walking on the glacier, and she personally assisted them the entire way, ensuring their safety and comfort. We are incredibly thankful for her kindness and care. She also shared fascinating glacier facts throughout the hike, kept the group engaged with her humor, and even found a natural spring so we could try drinking fresh glacier water — such a special touch! Overall, it was a fantastic and well-organized tour with a truly exceptional guide. Highly recommended!

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Ice climbing in Iceland for first-timersNo experience needed. Book a hike-and-climb on Sólheimajökull from €182 if you're on the South Coast; Skaftafell from €234 if you want quieter ice and more climbing.
Best Glacier Hike in Iceland (2026): 5 PicksThe glacier hikes we would book ourselves in Iceland, on Sólheimajökull and in Skaftafell, with real adult prices, departure points and who each one is not for.
Glacier hike in Iceland: which glacier to bookThree glaciers sell almost the same walk at different prices and distances. Which one fits your route, what 'easy' means, and what blue ice really requires.

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 Skaftafell, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón →

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

from

€234.18 per person

Local Guide of Vatnajökull'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.

Departs09:0013:3014:0014:30

Skaftafell: light 02:41–23:35, 20 h 53 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Local Guide of Vatnajökull 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: Local Guide of Vatnajökull'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 €13 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.