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Skaftafell Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike Tour
Experience the wild with this exhilarating expeditionary hike and ice climbing tour on an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull glacier, one of Skaftafell Nature Reserve's most intriguing wonders.
At the car park by the Skaftafell Visitor Center, you will meet your certified glacier guide, who will quickly proceed to teach you the basics of glacier safety, the usage of crampons and ice climbing techniques.
Your guide will be quick to distribute all of the necessary equipment for the journey, including crampons, helmets, harnesses, and ice axes. They will also be eager to teach you more details about both the National Park and the glacier itself, its geological makeup and centuries' old formation.
When you're ready to begin the adventure, you will go to a glacier tongue, just one of the many glacier tongues that make up Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. As soon as you step onto the ice cap, you will have an incredible perspective of the surrounding mountains, including the country's tallest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur, instantly recognisable to fans of HBO's Game of Thrones.
The journey continues on foot, and you will soon be trekking through the majesty of a white blanketed wilderness; the silence is only broken by the sounds of your boots treading the snow and ice.
You will be surrounded by fascinating natural phenomena, such as a glacier moulin—best described as a vertical canyon that cuts deep into the ice cap—and age-old ice sculptures, turned electric blue due to the ancient oxygen trapped inside.
Throughout your hike, you will have the opportunity to try climbing with ice axes, adding an extreme edge to this largely picturesque tour.
Hurry now and you too can experience the incredible thrill of scaling one of nature's most magnificent giants, the mighty glaciers. Check availability now by choosing a date.
Quick facts
- Available: All year
- Duration: 4 hours
- Activities: Glacier Hiking, Ice Climbing, Sightseeing
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Minimum age: 12 years.
- Languages: English
- Highlights: Vatnajökull,
Vatnajökull glacier is the largest glacier in Europe, covering 8% of Iceland’s landmass.
It is the central feature of the Vatnajökull National park, found in the south west of Iceland, a popular spot for activities like glacier hiking from Skaftafell, boat tours in the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, and ice caving tours between November and March.
Facts about Vatnajokull
Vatnajökull has a surface area of approximately 8,100 square kilometres (3127 square miles); though it is rapidly shrinking due to climate change, its recession is not quite as advanced as at other glaciers, such as Langjökull and Mýrdalsjökull. In parts, it is a kilometre deep (over three thousand feet), and its average thickness is around half of that.
Vatnajökull also holds the tallest peak in Iceland beneath its ice; Hvannadalshnjúkur is 2,200 metres tall (7,218 feet). It also conceals some of the most active volcanoes in the country, the most notable being Grímsvötn, Öræfajökull and Bárðarbunga.
Volcanic activity in the region has occurred on and off throughout the centuries, and many geologists believe that several eruptions are overdue. If their calculations are correct, it would mean significant volcanic activity for Vatnajökull over the scope of the next half-century.
Depending on winds, this could result in worldwide consequences in terms of air-travel, agriculture and the general climate.
The glacier boasts over 30 outlet glaciers, which are channels of ice that flow out of ice caps but remain constrained on the sides of the valley. The major outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull include Dyngjujökull in the north, Breiðamerkurjökull, and Skeiðarárjökull to the south. To the west, one can find the outlet glaciers Síðujökull, Skaftárjökull and Tungnaárjökull.
Numerous rivers run out of Vatnajökull, making up some of the greatest glacial rivers in Iceland. The most notable are:
Tungnaá (west)
Köldukvísl (west)
Þjórsá (west)
Jökulsá á Fjöllum (north)
Skjálfandafljót (north)
Jökulsá á Brú (northeast)
Jökulsá í Fljótsdal (northeast)
Jökulsá í Lóni (south)
Hornafjarðarfljót (south)
Jökulsá á Breiðamerkursandi (south)
Skeiðará (south)
Núpsvötn (south)
Hverfisfljót (south)
Skaftá (south)
Vatnajokull National Park
Vatnajökull National Park was established in June 2008 and has slowly grown to include more and more areas. The park now covers an area of 14,141 square kilometres (5,460 square miles), 14% of the country. It is the second largest national park in Europe.
Rivers divide the highland plateau to the north of the park. The volcanic table mountain Herðubreið towers over this particular region, along with volcanoes Askja, Snæfell and Kverkfjöll.
The canyon Jökulsárgljúfur was carved out by glacial floods centuries ago. At the upper end of the canyon, you'll find Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Further north, the horseshoe-shaped canyon Ásbyrgi is believed to have formed when Óðinn's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, stepped his foot down from the heavens.
East around Snæfell, one can find wetlands and ranges, home to roaming herds of wild reindeer and abundant birdlife. Steep mountain ridges make up the south side of Vatnajökull, where outlet glaciers crawl onto the lowlands. The sandy plains of Skeiðarársandur also lie to the south, and the glacial river Skeiðará runs through this vast desert.
One of Iceland's most visited landmarks in the National Park is the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, which sits at the base of the outlet glacier Breiðamerkurjökull. Here, large icebergs that have broken off the glacier float across a vast lake before ending up in the Atlantic Ocean, or washed ashore on the nearby Diamond Beach.
This is one of the best seal-watching spots in the country.
The Future of Vatnajokull
The volume of Vatnajökull reached its peak around 1930 but has since been in a steady process of decline. Because of rising levels of global temperature, Vatnajökull has on average lost about a metre (three feet) of its thickness annually over the past 15 years.
If temperature levels continue to rise, the glacier could be all but gone nearing the end of the next century, leaving only small ice caps on top of the highest mountain summits.
Efforts are being made to prevent what some say is the inevitable, with reforestation projects going on all around the glacier, a proven method of cooling the area. Time will tell how successful they are.
Vatnajokull and Jokulsarlon in Popular Culture
The beauty of Vatnajökull National Park has not gone unnoticed by those in film or television. Many famous scenes have been shot here, starting with James Bond: A View to Kill in 1985. Other notable films with scenes here include Batman Begins, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and James Bond: Die Another Day.
Most famously, however, many places in Vatnajökull have been used in the HBO Series Game of Thrones, north of the Wall. The Wall itself is constructed with CGI using shots of the glacier.
Hvannadalshnúkur,Wikimedia, Creative Commons, Photo Credit: Matias ÄrjeHvannadalshnúkur, or Hvannadalshnjúkur, is the highest peak of Öræfajökull volcanic glacier in Vatnajökull National Park and the tallest mountain in Iceland. Its latest measurement finds it to be 2,109.6 meters (6952 feet) tall.
Due to the fact Iceland is located over a rift valley, where the tectonic plates are pulling apart rather that crushing together, most mountains do not reach over a thousand metres, making it a remarkable sight.
Geography of Hvannadalshnúkur
Hvannadalshnúkur is a pyramid-shaped peak, that is covered in ice throughout the year. It can be seen from many parts of the country, particularly from the area between the towns of Höfn and Vík on the Ring Road that encircles the country.
It forms part of the crater around Öræfajökull, which conceals a particularly violent volcano. It had a massive eruption in 1362, destroying many farms and killing an unknown number of people. The lava wiped out every settlement around it, all the way to the shore, and pumice was so thick that it posed a huge risk to sailors.
The area was unsettleable for decades. When people finally returned to it, forty years later, it was named Öræfi, which meant ‘the area without a harbour’. Now, it is synonymous with ‘wasteland’.
It had another, although less dramatic, eruption in the year 1727. Even if the consequences were not so widespread, glacial floods pouring from the meltwater of the ice were known to have killed at least three people and destroyed one farm.
Wikimedia, Creative Commons, photo credit: GummaoHiking on Hvannadalshnúkur
Hvannadalshnúkur can be hiked near, by taking routes in all different parts of the South Coast, but hiking on it requires experienced mountain guides.
The path up the mountain goes through many crevasses, and involves steep inclines over icy ground, both of which pose some dangers to those unfamiliar with the area. Though you do not need to be an expert hiker, a good level of fitness is required.
The views from the top are well worth the effort.
Other sites in Vatnajökull National Park
Vatnajökull National Park is a vast area in Iceland, and Hvannadalshnúkur is just one site that should be visited if heading to the area.
Incredibly close by are two of the country’s most popular destinations. One of these is the Skaftafell Nature Reserve. This beautiful oasis is a wonderland of glacial tongues and lagoons, crystal clear streams, waterfalls, mountains and lava landscapes.
This reserve was once an independent National Park, before the creation of the greater Vatnajökull park.
The second major site is Jökulsárlón, a vast glacier lagoon and Iceland’s deepest lake. This lagoon fills with enormous icebergs, which break from the glacial tongue of Breiðamerkurjökull and slowly cruise their way over to the ocean. This was only enveloped into the park in 2017, but now is entirely protected.
While here, it is worth walking to the nearby shoreline, called the Diamond Beach after the icebergs that wash up here.
In this area, it is very important not to climb on the ice. When afloat, it is constantly rotating, and the lagoon has shockingly strong currents. When on the beach, they are melting and unstable.
Skaftafell,Skaftafell is a nature reserve located in Vatnajökull National Park in the south-east of Iceland. It is an oasis of this nation’s diverse landscapes and features, so beautiful it was once a national park in its own right.
Nature of Skaftafell
Skaftafell is notable for its rich flora, growing between sands and glaciers, and for its amazing, contrasting scenery. Visitors will find a wealth of natural attractions, from cascading waterfalls to glacier lagoons, geological formations to black sand deserts.
The rugged region is known for its fantastic photo opportunities, with many awe-inspiring panoramic views.
Like many areas along the South Coast of Iceland, Skaftafell Nature Reserve is known for its glorious hiking trails, often called a ‘hiking paradise’. Unlike in the Highlands, where hikes tend to go on for multiple days, here there are far shorter. There are easy treks that lead to diverse sites such as the waterfall Svartifoss which is surrounded by bizarre and beautiful basalt columns, as well as to glaciers such as Svínafellsjökull.
With a qualified guide, it is an excellent region to try your hand at a spot of either ice climbing or glacier hiking; both activities are two of the most authentically Icelandic experiences you can partake in whilst in the country.
The nature reserve is also the perfect base camp for those seeking to climb Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur, or for those wishing to spend a number of days exploring the region's attractions, including Vatnajökull glacier, Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon and the nearby Diamond Beach.
Getting to Skaftafell
Just off the Ring Road in the south-east of the country, it takes approximately four hours to reach Skaftafell from Reykjavík. The South Coast, however, is one of the regions most popular sightseeing routes, so the journey usually takes much longer, as visitors will want to make several stops along the way.
Examples of the beautiful natural features found en route to Skaftafell include the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, the glaciers Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull, the black sand deserts of Sólheimasandur and Skeiðarársandur, as well as the dramatic coastal rock formations at Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar. The villages of Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur are also along Route 1 if you need to stop and refuel on refreshments.
Those who have made it all the way to Skaftafell will want be sure to check out the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, a giant lake filled with enormous icebergs breaking from a glacial tongue, and slowly drifting to sea. At the nearby Diamond Beach you can watch them wash upon the shore, and in both the sea and lagoon are many seals which can routinely be spotted.
Skaftafell Visitor Center
You will find a Visitors Centre at Skaftafell which acts as the main information and meeting point for tour operators and independent travellers. At the Skaftafell Visitor Centre, you will find answers to virtually any questions you might have about the greater Skaftafell area, including its history and geology. The Visitors Centre also contains information about nearby hiking trails, recreational options and accommodation.
There is also a hotel at Skaftafell, though it tends to book up very early. Luckily, the south-east is dotted with hotels, cabins and cottages in which you can stay, and the area is not far from the settlements of Höfn or Kirkjubæklaustur.
South CoastThe South Coast of Iceland is the country's most visited sightseeing route, along with the Golden Circle.
This incredible shoreline stretches from the greater Reykjavík area in the west to the magnificent Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in the east and is lined with countless natural wonders such as cascading waterfalls, volcanoes, black sand beaches and glaciers.
Geography, Nature & Wildlife
The South Coast is the most easily accessible part of the country’s southern region, found along the Route 1 highway (the Ring Road), which encircles Iceland. The area consists of a diverse lowland that transitions between, marshlands, bays, cultivated pastures, estuaries and black sand deserts.
Underneath the soil rests a vast lava field, known as Þjórsárhraun. Its edges reach several hundred metres offshore where the ocean waves crash upon them, thereby protecting the lowland from the invasion of the sea. This results in the South Coast being unusually lacking in the deep fjords that so distinctly characterise the rest of Iceland's shoreline.
The region boasts vibrant bird life during all seasons. Freshwater birds nest in the marshlands and around the estuaries, while seabirds flock around the cliffs of Reynisdrangar and Dyrhólaey, including the North Atlantic puffin between May and August. Some species stay throughout the harsh Icelandic winter, including the northern diver, the loom and various species of gulls and ducks.
Seals are often found along the shore, particularly around the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach. As with everywhere in Iceland, you should always keep an eye out to sea, as whales and dolphins reside all along its coastline.
Highlights of the South Coast
The South Coast offers an unprecedented array of natural wonders that draw thousands of visitors each day.
When driving the route from Reykjavík city, the first major features are the two great waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, which sit beneath the notorious subglacial volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. On clear days from these beautiful cascades, the Westman Islands can be seen across the ocean.
A little further down the route is the glacier Mýrdalsjökull, which covers one of Iceland’s most explosive volcanoes, Katla. Many glacier hikes are taken here upon the outlet of Sólheimajökull.
The aforementioned Dyrhólaey cliffs are next, home to many seabirds. Even if you come outside of puffin season, they are well worth a visit; jutting out to sea is an enormous rock arch of the same name, which you can marvel at from many angles.
Adjacent to the village of Vík is the famous black-sand beach, Reynisfjara, home to the rock pillars of Reynisdrangar, said to be two trolls frozen by the light of the sun. Though beautiful, this area is gaining notoriety for its dangerous sneaker waves, so visitors should be sure to stay well away from the edge of the water, even on a calm, still day.
There are no landmasses between Reynisfjara beach and the continent of Antarctica, so you can imagine how the waves can build momentum.
After passing through Vík, you will cross the glacial sand plain of Skeiðarársandur, before entering Vatnajökull National Park, home to the largest ice cap in Europe, Vatnajökull itself, dozens of glacial outlets and the magnificent Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.
While almost all of these sites can be seen from Route 1, they make up a fraction of what the South Coast has to offer. The vast sand plains of Sólheimasandur are home to a crashed DC-3 Plane Wreck, and within the Vatnajökull National Park is the dramatic Skaftafell Nature Reserve.
Less than a kilometre from Seljalandsfoss is the hidden gem of Gljúfrabúi waterfall, and short distances from Jökulsárlón you will find the Diamond Beach, where icebergs wash on the black-sand shore, and another glacier lagoon, Fjallsárlón.
Departure time : 12:00, 13:00.
Skaftafell
Certified Glacier Guide
Ice Climbing Boots
Glacier Equipment (harness, crampons, ice axes, helmet)
What to bring:
Warm clothing (first layer)
Waterproof clothing (second layer)
Gloves to protect your hands from the hard ice during the climb
Good to know:
The difficulty of the Ice Climb is tailored to each individual. Your personal abilities and physical condition will be taken into account when the ice wall, which you will climb, is selected.
The glacier guides are wearing green jackets and marked by the provider. You need to be at the meeting point 30 minutes before the departure time of the tour.
Map
Video
Reviews
English
Eduardo Arellano
It was an incredible experience. There were 12 persons in my tour but fortunately, every one was skillful and mastered the climbing technique easily which left time for a hike through a random route (always led and assessed by the guides) which made the tour more fun. The guides were very knowledgable and friendly. Steff in particular has a great vibe and is very friendly. I think this tour is much more worth than doing only the glacier hiking.
Tina Huynh
This was my favorite activity in Iceland. I would highly recommend this tour. The tour guides were accommodating, informative, allowed us to take pictures, and made the tour really fun. This is a tour that is totally doable. So I would highly recommend it for those who are even scared or having second guesses, because it was a blast.
Dongmei Gu
We did the four-hour “Skaftafell Ice Climbing and Glacier Hike Tour” with Troll Expedition on August 14, 2018. It was a wonderful experience! There were six people in our group coming from different parts of the world with one guide. Our guide Vincenzo was great! He was patient, knowledgeable, and helpful. He gave us the basic knowledge about glaciers and detailed instructions about how to put on the crampons, how to use ice axes, how to walk on the glacier, and how to climb up and down a glacier wall. The ice climbing was fun and is not that hard if you follow the instructions well. But it does take away a pretty long time from your tour, because the guide has to climb up the wall setting up the safety rope first and you have to wait for everyone climbing up and coming down the wall one at a time. Our group did one climbing and decided to spend rest of the time on glacier walk and sightseeing instead of a second climb. Our guide took us for a long walk on the glacier to an amazing moulin. He set up the safety rope and held us one by one to the edge of this deep moulin. The wall of the moulin from hundreds of years ago was pure electric blue, with the water running on the bottom. That was very pretty! He told us about the formation of moulins. It was way over four hours before we finished our tour. Thank you to our wonderful guide, Vincenzo, for the unforgettable experience!
Yu-Hsuan Lin
The tour is amazing! Our guide is pretty considerate and helpful that he helped us walk like a pro and get our lost glove back :) Also, the glacier info shared is interesting and ensure our background knowledge to enjoy our tour. Not to mention the ice climbing, we cannot make it to the top without their teaching, it was totally worthy and everyone should give it a try! 今天的旅程非常精彩，感謝領隊教了我們很多，讓我們在冰川行走自如，攀冰的經驗更是重點，如果沒有他們的帶領我們絕對無法安心上下冰牆。個人認為這個的長度剛剛好，想體驗的也絕對沒少，很值得！
Emily Wang
This was one of the best tours I did in Iceland. The Icelandic experience would not be complete without climbing the glacier. Our guide was very helpful and informative. We climbed two ice caps. It was really fun and exciting. It was quite a bit of exercise. The tour was about 4.5 hours in total.
Tatiana Namistiuc
Amazing experience! Definitely the best adventure on our trip to Iceland. Big thank you to our guide!
Tim Patterson
Despite some rainy and cold weather, the ice climbing tour with Michael and Oskar was the highlight of our trip. We really enjoyed the climbing, but the walk along the glacier top was also very informative and pretty. The guides really made the tour enjoyable.
Bryan Wei
Geeta Eick
This was a really fun experience! Guides were very knowledgeable (and funny!), and it was wonderful being able to get some ice climbing experience as more of a traditional rock climber. This tour really does cater for all experience levels; if you want to make your ice climbing experience more challenging, you start lower or on a longer rope, and if not you start higher up on a shorter rope. Well worth the money as a unique and enjoyable experience.
becca house
Our Ice climbing tour was the most anticipated stop for our Iceland trip, and it didn’t disappoint. Our guides were informative, funny and knowledgeable and the glacier was absolutely stunning. The ice climbing itself was a unique experience, being lowered into a canyon (only to your comfort level) to ice climb out is something none of us will ever forget. I would say however our group was a little bit too big, 11 people and 2 guides, which meant we had a lot of standing around waiting for our turn to climb, both on the practice and canyon climbs. I would recommend this tour to anyone that visits Iceland and would definitely do it again!
Szilvia Koncz
Our favourite tour during our week in Iceland! Started with some ice climbing which was slightly challenging but loads of fun! We also had an amazing glacier walk afterwards. Our guide Vincenzo was very encouraging and helpful. Amaizing experience, more than worth the price!
Peter
Decided on a whim to go book a glacier hike when I was in Skaftafell. The guides at Troll Expeditions convinced me to book the Ice Climb and Glacier Hike tour and it was the best decision ever! This was definitely the most fun experience I had in Iceland. Our guide was Lydia, she was full of energy and really made the effort to bring the whole climbing group together. We had so much fun and climbed in two different places. Highly recommend!
Fiona
Me and my friends went on this ice climbing tour. We had Lydia as our guide. She was very informative and patient. What we didn’t know is that she was a great photographer too! She really went the extra mile to get us awesome photos! Amazing views as we worked our way onto the glacier - plenty of rest stops en route so will suit anyone - and the highlight was the ice climbing. Highly recommend
Abby Churchill
My husband and I absolutely loved this tour, and most of that was due to our guide, Vincenzo. He took extra care to make sure we were safe and also having an excellent time. Definitely the highlight of our Iceland trip!
Davit Avagyan
I did this tour towards the end of April. Our tour guide was really great at guiding us safely through the different parts of this activity. The tour guide was very friendly, patient and cared for everyone's safety in the group. Make sure to wear warm clothes according to the weather. And most importantly follow the guide's instructions as it is very important for everyone's safety and great experience.
Christine Murray
My sister and I had a blast with Gisli via Troll Expeditions at Skaftafell glacier. We only had 6 people in our group excluding our tour guide. Gisli was very personable, and allowed us to slow down and really enjoy each moment. He had no problem with us stopping to take photos, and even went out of his way to make sure we got really great pictures. He even made sure everyone had a time-lapse video of our ice climb. We were able to have 4 turns at ice climbing, one with one pick to make sure we were using our crampons properly, two with 2 ice picks including getting a sweet photo-op and time-lapse video, and one timed. He made it a fun contest to see who could climb the fastest, representing their country. We hiked for a short bit, taking in the views, and our tour guide had no problem with us asking questions, and he really took the time to turn them into conversations. Our tour guide gave us photos and videos of us via airdrop, and even added destinations into our googlemaps after learning that we planned on making stops along our way back to Reykjavic. Many of these stops we would not have known to look for.He gave us a great restaurant recommendation for dinner in Vik as well. Not just Gisli, but all staff we came into contact with went out of their way to be helpful and ensure we enjoyed our time. We had a great experience and would recommend others do this tour.
Max Parker
My girlfriend and I visited Iceland for vacation and came across the "Skaftafell Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike Tour". We were a bit worried that this would be too intense or extreme for us, but we were pleasantly surprised. Our guide Juan was so knowledgeable, friendly, engaging and encouraging when it came to the glacier and the climbing. We hiked for a few hours across the glacier and came to a wall Juan thought was perfectly suited to climb. It was a bit nerve-wrecking at first, but so exhilarating once you get the hang of it. It was so much fun and nothing to be afraid of as anyone who is fit to hike can climb to the top. Definitely recommend!
Daniélla Faria
My husband & I visited Iceland on our honeymoon. Tröll Expeditions' glacier hike & ice climbing experience was by far the highlight of our trip! Brynjar, our guide, was really awesome, funny and friendly. He was focused on safety and even gave us tips on how to take good photos of the northern lights. We had a group of only 4 people and climbed up two different ice walls - both incredible. The glacier hike consisted of us looking at crevices, the scenery and Brynjar even took us into 2 ice caves - one was almost fully melted and the other was still more-or-less there. Seeing a blue ice cave was not supposed to be included in our tour but Brynjar went the extra mile to make our tour amazing. An unforgettable experience in a beautiful country. Thank you Guide to Iceland for making the search & booking process so easy - you were very quick to answer my questions via email, which ultimately helped us make the decision to go with this tour. Thank Tröll Expeditions for the tour - I would easily do it again!
Eun Jeong Choi
Cason
KRISTINA ERISTAVI
Me and my boyfriend took a glacier hike and climbing with Joss, Ash a Primier (sorry if im spelling it wrong) The tour took 5 hours and although it was raining all the time and we got soaked we enjoyed every minute of it and will come back for more ice climbing for sure. Thank you guys!
Brad Huang
Had a great tour with Tim (don't know how to spell his Iceland name). Did some ice climbing, a little glacier hike, and tried to visit a small ice cave, which unfortunately was flooded during our visit, so we were only able to look inside the cave at the entrance. Overall, it was a beautiful experience!
Liana Brodsky
We had a great tour with Mike! It was only 4 of us, which was great (6 max for ice climbing). I am really glad that we chose to do ice climbing instead of just walking on the glacier (boring). Mike was cool to talk to and he answered all of our tons of questions. The climbing was really cool, although a little scary! I highly recommend this tour and Mike!
samantha cutler
We did the ice climb tour in October 2017. We had a GREAT time and and amazing experience. We loved our guides Sammi and Geiser and felt like we got a lot of personal attention. We were never bored and had a ton of fun. We did have 2 problems though, which were rather disappointing. 1. We were told the tour began at 12 and it didnt begin until 1. We based our whole day around this and it was really upsetting wasting an hour of our timing sitting around when we only had 4 days in Iceland. 2. We were told groups would be small- we had about 18 people in a group with 2 guides. It would have been nice if our group was a little smaller. All in all a great experience and totally recommend it.
betty9416
The ice climbing and gracier walking is interesting, the ice was so blue, the climbing needs a lot of strength, our tour guide is humorous which make the tour a lot of fun. The only drawback is the time is too short, we need a lot of preparation, so next time we want to book a longer gracier walk.
Jessica Flamos
We did the ice climb and glacier hike on Sept. 26, 2017. At first, I thought the staff were pretty unprofessional. They were late arriving to take us to the glacier because of a large group before us. They cursed in front of us, and seemed frustrated and annoyed and like they just wanted to be done for the day. However, this tour is so much less expensive than the others offered by other companies, that I do feel it was a great experience and good value for the money. The hike is something anyone can do, and if you have enough nerve you can do the ice climbing too. I do wish there was a little more climbing and even more exploring the glacier, but it was still one of our best experiences in Iceland. Definitely unique and something some people never get to do. And you'll get plenty of chances for photos.
Kinsley Cutler
We had a wonderful tour! I loved that it was a small group (4 people in total, including us). We did the ice climb/hike on 24.09.17. The tour was just perfect. We all asked questions & they were answered appropriately. We all had plenty of opportunities to take photos and learn about the environment. Our group got to know a little bit about eachother, which was nice. It was just us and nature; that's all we needed! I would highly recommend. (And for those of you wanting to save a few extra ISK/USD/EUR, etc;, this is the tour to select as they are cheaper than other hime/ice climb groups Iceland offers.
Julia Hannah
We had an amazing time learning to ice climb with Troll Expeditions and our guide Mike! The afternoon was definitely the highlight of our Iceland trip. Mike was a fantastic guide--although we had no experience ice climbing, he taught us everything we needed to know and showed us the ropes. He was also full of knowledge about the glacier and even taught us the Troll Expeditions yodel. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we highly recommend if you are planning a visit!
Calley Tinsman
The tour group was 11 people (10 of which were my party, including myself). We started out at the meet-up area changing into climbing boots, putting on harnesses, and sizing crampons. We arrived at the glacier after a short drive. We hiked onto the ice, where our guides Helgi and Mike gave us basic instructions on how to walk in the crampons and proper ice climbing techniques. We went to two climbing areas: an easy slope since we were all beginners, and then more difficult vertical edge. Mike and Helgi were absolutely wonderful guides. They were friendly and energetic, and made us feel safe yet excited on the ice. We had a medical issue with a member of my party, and the guides were professional, caring, and very quick to act. Because this issue took a lot of time, they extended our tour so that we would all still get a chance to climb, for which I am very grateful!! I thank Mike and Helgi for being the wonderful people they are! The glacier was pretty dirty (covered in ash) and there were only a few spots we could see blue ice; however, I still thought it was a beautiful sight, worth 5 stars. The climbing was exhilarating and a real workout. Would love to do this again!
Juan Carlos Martinez
Mike the American Troll was a fantastic guide for this tour. He taught us all the basic skills of Ice Climbing. We started with an easy climb just for everyone to know how to use the ice axes and crampons. Then we could start doing more climbing and more action. This was a perfect tour, and big thanks to Mike.
Conor Boyland
Great tour, me and my wife were in a group with experienced climbers since we've done Ice Climbing before it was a perfect fit. Our guide was very experienced and clearly knew what he was doing. Climbing up those Ice Walls and going down in crevasses to climb back up was amazing. Could not recommend this tour more for everyone.
Anders
It was the first time I've been Ice Climbing, and didn't have any special climbing experience. It was so much fun, getting to know how to use the ice axes and climb up the blue ice wall. Definitely some thing I will do again.
David
Ice Climbing in the blue ice is amazing. A tour that everyone that loves outdoor activity must do in Iceland. They have good guides that take care of your safety while you can explore the wonderful blue ice in the glacier.
Jan Friederich
This Ice Climbing tour is the one to do. We drove there from Reykjavík to visit Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón. On the way we saw this tour and decided to go for it. This was so much fun learning about the glacier the ropes and all the details of Ice Climbing was great. We had two guides the lovely couple Mike and Sigga. They were complete professionals and taught the group how to climb and use the axes. Great tour with great people.
James Brogdon
Fantastic experience, this Ice Climbing tour is one of the best things I've done. Mike was our guide, first he went over the rules and regulations. Then we went on to the glacier where he had found the perfect place to start our journey. Since I've never been Ice Climbing before he taught me the basics of the sport. Then I got the opportunity to try it and it was much easier than I would have thought. With Mike taking care of all the safety procedures I felt 100% safe. After the first climb, I was able to go a bit further and do more climbing and at the end of the tour I was getting good at this. This is the tour I would recommend to everyone. Great experience in great environment.
Juan Stafford
I will never forget this experience, when our guide showed us how fast the glacier is melted, I was out of words. The hiking part is easy because there are special Ice shoes that fit the spikes that we use for climbing. When climbing the guide will teach you before trying the big wall climbing. Being from a country where there are glaciers I have to admit I have never seen an outlet glacier before and I have never climbed the ice before. I was a bit clumsy for the first round but after I got some training from Bjartur I was a lot more sure how to do it. Thank you to Guide To Iceland for the epic holidays.
Tomaz
When I decided to visit Iceland, I had no idea that this was possible. Standing down in a crevasse with Ice axe in my hand trusting my life on a thin line (and in the hands of Johann Guide) I did not even feel cold as the adrenaline was to high. I made it miraculously out by climbing slowly up this perfectly blue wall. Our guide told us this was the best day of the summer and we felt privileged to be a part of this fun group on this day.
Stella R
This was one of the highlights of our trip! Troll Expeditions was wonderful and accommodating. One couple arrived about an hour late and so we had to jump on to the group doing the Glacier Hike only tour for a short period of time so that our guide could pick up the couple. It was great to see how flexible these Troll guides are and how well they work with each other. The Troll guides were personable and knew their stuff in terms of movie trivia, glacier facts, hiking and climbing. Once our guide came back, we continued our tours separately and our group began ice climbing. While climbing, our GoPro fell into the crevasse. Not a big deal since these things happen and the camera is replaceable. The other Troll guide showed up to try and save our GoPro (on his own) while our guide continued our glacier hike. The GoPro was not saved but I was thankful and surprised that they would go through the trouble of climbing down the crevasse on their own to try and save something that is replaceable. Apparently another group was trying to salvage another lost item (car keys!) at the same time. Stuff happens, just make sure you have good trip insurance! All in all, I was impressed by Troll Expeditions and would highly recommend this hike for everyone!
Iztoc Rache
When you drive towards Skaftafell you will pass all these majestic Glaciers, you can not miss this opportunity to climb with Tröll Expeditions. After 3 hours I was still hungry for more adventure. Thank you Tröll Expeditions.
Lucy
This nature is unbelievable! The ice is so blue and beautiful. Our guide was amazing and really kind. The glacier climb was incredible. I also learned some things about the glaciers in Iceland and how they are melting because of the global warming, that is so sad. You won't be disappointed with Trolls Expeditions so I highly recommend them! THANK YOU TROLLS!
Dave
I am a HUGE Game of Thrones fan! :) So, to be able to see the North of the Wall was a great experience for me. If you like awesome (I mean AWESOME) landscape, this is the tour for you. Highly recommended.
Joey
It took me a while do decide which tour Ice Climbing I wanted to go on and after check most of them I decided to go on a Ice Climbing with Troll Expedition. I am very happy with my choice. Skaftafell is just by Road 1 and it is easy to get by, if you have your own car (rent a car). I met the guide who taught us the basics of ice climbing. Both with ropes and all the safety gear. Even tough this is a more of an extreme tour I felt very safe the whole time and the guide clearly knew what he was doing, (feel bad about not remembering his name). I can easilly recommend this tour to all who are looking for a fantastic glacier experiance.
Jessica
I wanted to try something crazy, something that I would never imagine doing and decided to book this tour. This tour is spectacular in every way possible! I was really scared at first but the glacier guides were so friendly and understanding. They convinced me that I had nothing to be scared about. So I did the impossible...or in my mind the impossible and went Ice Climbing! It was such an adrenalin rush and such a thrill. I totally recommend this tour and if you haven't booked it you should do it NOW.
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