Glacier Kayak Adventure

Top Attractions:

Vatnajökull Glacier National Park

Overview

Experience the magnificent Heinaberg Lagoon in this kayaking adventure. Join us on an unforgettable tour and enjoy the unbeatable panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers reflected upon the mirror-like water of the Heinaberg Lagoon. A short glacier hike is also included, offering the great views over this magical area.

Tour Snapshot

Duration

4 hours

Level

Moderate

Availability

may - september

Starting point

Gerði Guesthouse

End point

Gerði Guesthouse

Trip style

One-day tours

Minimum age

14 years

What to expect

On Tour

All necessary kayaking gear
All necessary glacier hiking gear
Licensed kayaking guide
We offer dry cases for your cameras and/or smartphones upon request

Transportation

Meet on Location
The base camp is located by Hotel Smyrlabjörg, 46 km West from the town of Höfn and 34 km East from Jökulsárlón. At the meeting point, our guides will outfit all participants with the appropriate kayak equipment and provide additional gear, so please make sure to come to the meeting point 15-20 minutes before departure time.
GPS coordinates: 64.2173538, -15.7195644,17
Pick & up drop-off in Reykjavik

Accommodation & Meals

Meals
Accommodation

Itinerary

4 hours

Tour Itinerary Overview

Kayaking on a glacier lagoon is a great opportunity you should seize while in Iceland. The lagoon was formed because of the retreat off Heinabergsjökull, on of Vatnajökull outlet glaciers, and has proven to be a great location for kayaking amongst the icebergs. The majestic nature welcomes paddlers into its serenity and sometimes you feel you have become a part of the scenery. From the lagoon, you have an excellent view over Vatnajökull and on the tour, we do set foot on the glacier as well - of course safely equipped with the appropriate glacier gear.

Hreinabergslón glacier lagoon is "out of the beaten path", so you will be far from the big crowds kayaking with us. Our experienced guides have a great knowledge of the area, its hidden spots and history - and they will be happy to inform you.

The Glacier Kayak Adventures suits beginners as well as more experienced kayakers. Our kayaks are SIT-ON-TOP, very stable and suitable for persons who have not gone kayaking before.

Packing List

Get ready for your trip, here are some items, you should not forget

What to bring (Required)

Warm clothing to wear under the dry-suit that we provide
A change of clothing
Warm socks
2-3 pairs, made of wool or synthetic materials

We're here to answer your questions

Warm outdoor clothing is well recommended, for example, a fleece or wool sweater and pants. It is also a good idea to bring a change of clothing and swimwear.

There is no prior kayaking experience required for the tours as our professional guides will teach all the technique on location.

All of our kayaking tours are listed at a level easy or moderate so most people should be able to do the tour. Just bear in mind that the activity is an outdoor nature activity so some physical strength is needed.

Top of the line plastic sea kayaks is used on all of our kayaking tours.

Our kayaks are very stable and easy to use.

Of course, they can tip over, although they are very stable and it happens rarley. If they tip over the guide has the necessary equipment and ability to quickly tip them over again.

Do not worry if your kayak tip over as all participants get life jackets and neoprene suits so they will stay warm even if they fall in.

Yes, all of our kayaking tours are operated by experienced and certified professional 4-star BCU sea kayak guides.

We recommend a waterproof camera when going on a kayaking tour. However, we do not recommend you to take too much with you on the kayaking tour as there is really no need for it.

You don’t need to be able ‘’swim’’ while kayaking, although we recommend that you can. People that can’t swim tend to panic when they are in the water. You must be comfortable with floating in the water.

Iceland is known for unforeseeable weather. It is likely that you can see all 4 seasons in one day.

Dressing for that kind of weather can always be demanding, so we suggest dressing in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended, for example, a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.

Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they are not suitable for the weather conditions, they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.

Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are convenient and wear wind/waterproof pants over them. There is high UV and sunlight reflecting off on the glacier so we highly recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy.

You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out suitable hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.

It is good to bring your own backpack on our full day or half day tours. It’s the best carry-on for a small lunch, extra clothes and other necessary items.

The scenery on the tour is full of stunning, scenic views that are photographable so you should definitely bring your camera along.

This is surely a personal choice, we do not deny pregnant women on our glacier trips but we highly recommend you to take a closer look at our trip description and difficulty ratings, they will hopefully give you a better idea. We also recommend you to contact your physician, as pregnant women’s health can be quite different. If you have any further questions or concerns then feel free to contact us.

Lunch is not provided on any of our trips, therefore we recommend you to bring your own lunch especially for the longer trips, snacks and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip).

Crampons make you enable to walk on the glacier ice without slipping. They are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes.

Yes, we have specially trained and certified glacier guide on every glacier tour that we offer. And for our 3rd party tours we only partner with operators that meet our quality and safety standards.

Yes, we provide you with all the necessary glacier gear for our glacier hiking tours. Ice axe, crampons, harness, and helmets are provided. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.

Iceland is known to have a lot of snow and when the snow stays long enough in one place than it turns to ice. Over long periods of time, the ice layers up becoming huge blocks called glaciers. It forms to create ginormous glaciers that sweep across huge masses of land. Iceland is home of the largest glacier in Europe that is called Vatnajökull. The Glacier Guides can tell you more about and everything you need to know about the Glaciers.

Rain is common in Iceland but we never let the rain be in our way to go forward with our tours.
That’s why we highly recommend appropriate clothing so you can be warm and dry on the tours.
Nature is out of our control and therefore we need to adapt to the weather. Your safety is our first priority so if your safety is compromised by going on the tour then we will cancel it and you will get full reimbursement.

Still not convinced?

Customer Care

For Iceland, Scandinavia & Baltic tour

Open daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM GMT

Address

Köllunarklettsvegur 2

104 Reykjavík

+354 562 7000

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