Eyjafjallajökull tour: super jeep, snowmobile or hike
Most people should take the five-hour super jeep from Hvolsvöllur, from €360. Snowmobile if you want speed; hike to the 1,666 m summit only if you are fit.
The short version
- Eyjafjallajökull is the ice cap that erupted in 2010. You can reach it by super jeep, snowmobile or on foot.
- Super jeep: five hours from Hvolsvöllur, from €360, with a short walk on the ice. Minimum age 6.
- Snowmobile: three hours, from €265 riding two to a sled, departing 10:00 or 14:00. Minimum age 6.
- The summit hike is eight and a half hours to 1,666 m with crampons and rope, from €279. Minimum age 13.
- All three meet in the south, about 90 minutes from Reykjavík. None include pickup, and all depend on the weather on the ice.
For most people the answer is the Eyjafjallajökull super jeep tour, from €360 for five hours out of Hvolsvöllur. It gets you onto the glacier, gives you a short walk on the ice and a long view over the south coast, and asks nothing of your legs. Take the snowmobile if you want the ice and the speed in three hours. Take the summit hike only if you are fit, over thirteen, and want a proper mountain day.
This is the volcano that stopped European flights in April 2010. The ice cap sits right above Route 1, so you drive under it on any south coast day. The question is whether you want to go up.
Getting there first
All three tours meet on location, not in Reykjavík. The super jeep and snowmobile trips both run from Southcoast Adventure’s base near Hvolsvöllur, roughly 90 minutes’ drive from the city. The hike starts from a farm road below the mountain, near Seljavellir, a little further east. You need a car, or you need to be staying in the south already.
That makes these a good fit for a night in Hvolsvöllur, Hella or Vík, and a poor fit for a day trip from Reykjavík with no car.
Super jeep — the default
A modified 4×4 on huge tyres drives up the lower slopes, over snow and through the gravel and floodplain the 2010 meltwater left behind. At the top you get out and walk on the glacier for a while. On a clear day the view runs along the whole south coast to Vestmannaeyjar. Lunch is not included; order a lunchbox a day ahead or bring your own.
It is five hours, it starts at 10:00, and the minimum age is six. Cancellation is free until 48 hours before. This is the one to book with grandparents, with children, or if you simply want to see the glacier without committing to anything.
The downside is that it is a lot of sitting in a vehicle for the price. If the jeep is the thrill for you, good. If you want to move, look below.
Snowmobile — the fast one
The snowmobile tour is from €265 a person when two of you share a sled. Riding alone is a separate, higher price. It is three hours in total, with a 10:00 and a 14:00 departure, and the operator supplies an insulated overall, helmet and balaclava. Bring your own boots and gloves.
You do not need experience. Speeds are set by the guide, and it is more about the ride and the space than any particular sight. In poor visibility you see the sled in front of you and white. Operators will cancel if it is unsafe, and you get a refund or a new date.
Minimum age is six. If you are choosing between this and the jeep, pick on temperament: jeep for the view, snowmobile for the fun.
The summit hike — for fit walkers only
North Ice’s Eyjafjallajökull hike is from €279 and takes eight and a half hours. You climb two to three hours on gravel and moss, steep at first, then rope up with harness and crampons and walk the ice to Goðasteinn, the 1,666 m summit. On a clear day you see the crater from above. The same path takes you down.
Glacier gear, a guide and coffee are included. Food is not, and the kit list is serious: waterproofs, a warm layer, proper boots, a 20 to 30 litre pack. Minimum age is thirteen. Note the cancellation terms too: 20% is charged within six days of the date, which is stricter than most day tours.
Or look at it from Þórsmörk
If you would rather see the glacier than stand on it, a summer day in Þórsmörk does that. Kalman Tours’ private Þórsmörk hike with super jeep is from €1,689 for the whole vehicle, with Reykjavík pickup, river crossings, the Gígjökull outlet glacier and a 90-minute walk up Valahnúkur. Split between a family of five it is less alarming than it looks. Cancelling within 15 days costs 30%.
Our honest take
Book the super jeep if you are unsure, and pair it with a night in the south so you are not driving three hours for a five-hour tour. Book the snowmobile if you have done a glacier walk before and want something different. Book the summit only if an eight-hour mountain day sounds like a holiday to you, not a test.
Whichever you pick, keep a spare day. Glacier tours are called off for wind and cloud more often than lowland ones, and the ice will be there tomorrow.
