Glacier Xtreme - Glacier Hiking & Ice climbing tour

Top Attractions:

Vatnajökull Glacier National Park

Overview

Join us on this unforgettable journey to the heart of Iceland's icy kingdom, where every step, every climb, and every breathtaking view will make your pulse race with excitement. Get ready to push your limits, embrace the wild, and experience the adventure of a lifetime!

Tour Snapshot

Level

Challenging

Availability

june - september

Starting point

Skaftafell Nature Reserve

End point

Skaftafell Nature Reserve

Languages

English

Trip style

One-day tours

Minimum age

14 years

What to expect

On tour

Guided Glacier Hike
All Necessary Safety Equipment
Specialized Glacier Gear
Ice Climbing Boots
English Speaking Guide
Certified Glacier Guide

Transportation

Meet on location
Meet us at Skaftafell booking center
Pick & up drop-off in Reykjavik

Accommodation & Meals

Accommodation
Meals

Itinerary overview

Prepare to embark on an epic adventure through the untamed Icelandic landscape as we take you on a heart-pounding journey to the magnificent Falljökull glacier. Brace yourself for an experience that will leave you breathless and craving more.

Picture this: You slip on your crampons, those spiked shoes that turn you into an ice-walking superhero. With every step, you'll hear the crunching sound of your crampons sinking into the icecap, echoing through the pristine wilderness. It's a sound that will send shivers of excitement down your spine!

But before we unleash your inner ice climber, we start your journey at the Skaftafell Booking Center. Our team will warmly welcome you and brief you on the tour and essential safety rules—because we take adventure seriously while having a blast!

Once you're equipped, get ready for an adrenaline-fueled ride. We'll hop on a drive for approximately 20 minutes (12 km) to the car park of the Falljökull glacier, where the real action begins. It's like stepping into a postcard brought to life!

Now, lace up your hiking boots as we embark on a picturesque trek up the glacier, ascending 350 meters in elevation. And remember to bring your water bottle along because, trust us, the meltwater from the glacier is like sipping from the fountain of adventure!

As you step foot into the rugged terrain of Falljökull, prepare to be awestruck by Iceland's jaw-dropping landscapes. But hold on tight because this tour is about to kick things up a notch with an activity that's as exhilarating as it gets - ice climbing!

As we make our way through the icy wonderland, your glacier guide keeps a glacier rope very handy and ready to be put into action.

Get ready to channel your inner mountaineer and put your climbing skills to the ultimate test. And guess what? You'll be doing it all on Europe's largest glacier! Now that's what we call an adrenaline rush of epic proportions!

The full experience should cover approximately 8 km (5 mi) of hiking distance and 350–400 m (1,150–1,300 ft) of elevation gain total over the course of the tour.

So, if you're seeking thrilling challenges in a mind-blowing natural setting, this tour is for adventurers like you!

Starting point

Skaftafell Nature Reserve

End point

Skaftafell Nature Reserve

Falljokull glacier

Falljokull (known as ' the Falling Glacier') is an outlet of the largest glacier in Europe - Vatnajokull. Falljokull gets its name because of the massive icefall that seems like it is crashing into the ocean.

When hiking on Falljokull, you will move through dramatic ice formations, and get a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains and crevasses. This is not a view to miss out on!

Additional information

Meeting point

Skaftafell Booking Center - Wooden hut with the Arctic Adventures logo

Address: 785 Skaftafell, Iceland

Your adventure starts at our Skaftafell Booking Center, located about 327 km (203 mi) east of Reykjavík. The closest towns are Kirkjubæjarklaustur (69 km / 43 mi west) and Höfn (130 km / 81 mi east).

Clothing and gear

Please bring warm outdoor clothing, waterproof pants, and a waterproof jacket. Ice-climbing boots are included in the tour, so you don't need special hiking boots. You can rent waterproof pants and jackets when booking the tour.

Shoe Size

For safety reasons, crampons are not available for shoe sizes below 35 EU, as they cannot be securely attached to smaller footwear.

Children aged 14 and above must be accompanied by an adult throughout both the transfer and the tour. Safety and supervision are essential when planning the tour for young participants.

Arctic Adventures

Arctic Adventures is a top Icelandic tour operator known for its small-group experiences. Since 1983, they’ve specialized in guiding travelers through Iceland’s wild terrains, from glaciers to volcanoes. Their tours are all about adventure and sustainability, led by expert guides who make sure every trip is safe, fun, and memorable. Arctic Adventures combines deep local knowledge with a strong commitment to nature, making them a trusted choice for anyone looking to explore Iceland up close and responsibly.

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Packing list

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

What to bring (Required)

Warm outdoor clothing
Water & Windproof Jacket and Pants
Sturdy shoes
Headwear
Gloves

We're here to answer your questions

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.

The pickup time is stated on your voucher and therefore we recommend you to review your voucher carefully. We ask all participants to be ready from the start of the pickup time indicated as you may well be the first pick up of the day. Please be at your assigned location at the right pick up time that you chose when booking the tour.

Wait for your guide at your assigned pick up location.

Have your email and phone number listed with us so we can contact you if we run into any trouble finding you.

View our pick-up locations in Reykjavík.

Alcohol is prohibited on all of our tours before and during activities. If we find the participant to be intoxicated, we will prohibit them from taking part in the activity.

After the activities of the day are finished then you are more than welcome to have a drink and relax.

Yes, we do have a tour into Langjökull Ice Cave that has no minimum age and it is a fantastic option for the whole family. As a Whale Watching with our partner company Special Tours, enjoyable tour for a family traveling with young children, these guys have an enormous success rate in seeing whales (upwards of 98% in the summertime).

If you want to explore parts of Icelandic Highlands than we have our magnificent Landmannalaugar Safari tour that also offers you to bathe in natural hot springs. Almost all of our jeep tours are suitable for children over the age of 6 years old. Then we also have a relaxing experience that we highly recommend, our Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon tour.

We reserve the rights to adjust the itinerary and/or take different routes depending on conditions. Your safety is our number one priority.

Please read more information in our terms and conditions in regards to this matter.

Yes, we have specially trained and certified guide on all of our tours, expect on our self-drive tours.

All of our tours are English guided.

No, for all your questions and concerns you would need to contact our customer service.

In Iceland, the standard is 230V and 50Hz and we use F-type power sockets and plugs. If you are visiting from the UK, USA, Canada or other countries using a different voltage, Hz or plugs, therefore, we highly recommend you to bring an adaptor.

We have four different categories that help participants to get a better understanding of what to expect from the tour. The categories are Easy, Moderate, Challenging and Demanding. All of our tours are rated to make it easier for you to find a tour that suits you.

For further information about the difficulty ratings and descriptions.

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