Day Trips to Icelandic Glaciers

A guided glacier tour in Iceland is one of the many must-do activities on your list of things to see and do in Reykjavík. There are many glaciers scattered throughout Iceland, as they occupy more than 10% of the country's territory and will certainly take your breath away. It is also very interesting to learn about their composition, how they originated and the impact of this large amount of glacial ice on the country's weather and climate.

Some are better known than others, and depending on which one you choose for your adventure, you will be able to opt for different activities and excursions, such as trekking, snowmobiling, ice caves, glacier lagoons, among others. Here are the best tours to visit Iceland's glaciers from Reykjavík.

Langjökull glacier is the second largest glacier in Iceland. To give you an idea of its grandeur, its highest point can reach 1,360 metres above sea level.

Of all the glaciers, this is the closest to Reykjavík, so a day trip from the capital is a great option. You will also be able to visit one of Iceland's best waterfalls, the famous Hraunfossar waterfall.

In this type of excursion, when you arrive at the glacier, you will be able to explore its natural structure, contemplate its surroundings and get to know its artificial ice cave.

You will arrive at the cave in a huge truck that is specially equipped for this activity, but then you will be able to walk inside the glacier. At all times you will be accompanied by an expert guide who will tell you all about the place, from its origins to the present day.

Snowmobile tour

There are also other ways to explore this glacier with one of Iceland's snowmobile tours, accompanied by an expert guide to learn about this natural wonder while having fun like a kid.

It's important to know that a valid driver's licence is required for these tours.

You can take advantage of these excursions to grab a bite to eat at Húsafell Bistro and recharge your batteries for what's next. Please note that food is not usually included in these tours, so you will have to pay for it yourself.

Details of interest

• Price: you can enjoy this type of excursion for a price starting from €193 per person.
• Duration: 11 hours.
• Timetable: Usually depart early in the morning from Reykjavík, as these are day trips.
• Departure point: Usually departs from Reykjavík Terminal, located at Skógarhlíð 10, and some may even pick you up at your accommodation.
• Maximum number of passengers: This tour can accommodate up to 25 people.
• Advantages of this type of tour: You will see the impressive glacier, the Hraunfossar waterfall and the artificial ice cave.
• Disadvantages of this type of excursion: Meals are not included.

On this type of tour you will see the Snæfellsjökull glacier, a stratovolcano located at the top of a volcano at an altitude of 1,446 metres above sea level. Sometimes, if the weather helps and the sky is clear, you can even see it from Reykjavík.

It is usually one of the most popular places for trekking enthusiasts to take long walks surrounded by natural beauty. In addition, this glacier has a very famous history, as Jules Verne's novel "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" was inspired by this landscape.

Not only will you get to see this impressive glacier, but you will also have access to the Snæfellsjökull National Park, where you will find unique examples of local wildlife, including seals and seabirds, rock formations and beaches.

The famous Kirkjufell mountain, Iceland's most photographed mountain and world renowned for its triangular shape, will also be part of the tour. You will probably recognise it as the arrowhead mountain from Game of Thrones.

If you are a fan, I recommend you book one of the Game of Thrones tours in Reykjavik.

Interesting details

• Price: You can enjoy this tour for a price starting from €128 per person.
• Duration: 10 hours.
• Time: Starts at 8am.
• Departure point: You will have different departure points to choose from in Reykjavík.
• Maximum number of travellers: this tour has a capacity of up to 99 people.
• Advantages of this type of excursion: includes return bus transfer with Wifi connection, which will be very useful as there is usually no signal in the area. In addition, you will have included entrance to Snæfellsjökull National Park and an expert glacier guide. A great way to see many interesting sites in a day trip.

In this type of excursion you will live a complete experience, getting to know the glacier, the south coast and its amazing waterfalls and lagoons.

In addition to visiting the Solheimajokull glacier, one of the most popular and touristy glaciers due to its easy access, you will enjoy the best landscapes of the south coast of Iceland.

Along the way you will see Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, two of the most famous and impressive waterfalls on the island, as well as explore icebergs and lava fields.

You'll also be able to visit some of Iceland's lagoons in the company of an expert guide and grab a bite to eat in the small town of Vik.

Interesting details

• Price: you can enjoy this type of excursion for €83 per person.
• Duration: 10 hours.
• Timetable: they usually start early in the morning as they are day trips.
• Departure point: You will have different departure points to choose from in Reykjavík. You can even arrange to be picked up from your accommodation.
• Maximum number of travellers: This tour has a capacity of up to 65 people.
• Advantages of this type of tour: In addition to seeing the glacier, you can also take advantage of the opportunity to see the south coast in general and access other attractions.

With these excursions you will be able to get to know the western end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, with all the impressive nature that composes it and where the glacier and stratovolcano Snaefellsjokull is located.

This glacier is located about 120 kilometres from Reykjavík and can often, depending on the climate and weather conditions, be seen from far away from the capital.

It also includes a tour of Snæfellsjökull National Park, as this is where the glacier is located. The entire national park covers an area of 170 square kilometres, but bear in mind that you will always be accompanied by an expert guide, so you will be able to get to know its paradisiacal and varied landscapes better.

At the top of this glacier is the inactive ice-covered crater, which you can access depending on the weather at the time of your visit, as during the winter it is impossible to reach its highest peaks.

Interesting details

• Price: you can enjoy this type of excursion for a price starting at €140 per person.
• Duration: 10 hours.
• Timetable: they usually start early in the morning as they are day trips.
• Departure point: You will have different departure points to choose from in Reykjavík. You can even arrange to be picked up from your accommodation.
• Advantages of this type of excursion: in addition to seeing the glacier, you can take advantage of the Snæfellsjökull National Park and other natural wonders.

You can book any of these excursions online, quickly and easily, indicating the exact date you want to do it. Immediately after making the purchase you will receive confirmation of your booking and that's it!

In case you later regret it or your plans change for any reason, don't worry, you can cancel the tour free of charge 24 hours before the start time of the tour.

Please note that you will need a full day to do one of these glacier tours, which vary in length from 10 to 11 hours.

These tours are scheduled to leave Reykjavík very early in the morning so that you can spend the whole day exploring the different destinations. Therefore, you should consider that you won't have time to do much else that day.

You can enjoy these excursions for prices ranging from €83 to €193 per person. Unless you choose the snowmobile experience, which will cost around €257 per vehicle, i.e. per two people.

The main price variations are due to the route, the destinations included, the duration and the number of people you share the tour with. You will need to take these into account to choose the option that best suits everything you want to see.

My main recommendation is that you wear warm, waterproof clothing and comfortable shoes suitable for the tour. Ski trousers would be ideal, thermal T-shirts are a must, even more so if you choose to do this tour in winter, and depending on the tour, snow shoes.

While you'll be spending a lot of time on the bus, most tours include some walking, so be prepared.

It is important to know that these excursions are conditional on the weather and the state of the road, so in the event that they cannot be done for either of these reasons, you will be refunded or the money will be rescheduled.

And remember that if you plan to go on a snowmobile tour, you must present a valid driver's licence that is in good standing.

None of the excursions include food, but don't worry. All the glaciers are close to small villages, where you can stop to rest and recharge your batteries and have a bite to eat.

Here are some good options.

• Gilbakki Kaffihus, near the Snaefellsnes glacier: it is a beautiful and cosy wooden house with a traditional style that offers soups and homemade meals ideal to fight the cold and recharge your batteries.
• Vidvik Restaurant, near the Snaefellsnes Glacier: this quaint restaurant offers signature cuisine with tasty, quality dishes. And best of all, a beautiful view of the sea.
• Restaurant Húsafell, near Langjökull Glacier: located in a hotel, it is a strategic place to have a bite to eat on your excursion to the glacier or at the end of it, its menu is varied and its dishes are delicious.
  Húsafell Bistró, near the Langjökull glacier: it is the ideal place to stop for a coffee or a quick bite to eat and continue with the excursion.
• Sudur Vik, near the Solheimajokull glacier: in Vik, the small town where you will stop on this tour, you will find this place to grab a bite to eat. It is a beautiful restaurant serving local and European food.
• Smidjan Brugghus, near the Solheimajokull glacier: this is an American food bar for a bite to eat in the small town of Vik. It's a bit of a shock to find such a bar in such a quiet town, but it's worth it.

It is important to bear in mind that all excursions to the glaciers are conditioned by the weather and the state of the roads, as it is necessary to keep them passable and safe in order to be able to enter them.

I know that it is almost impossible to guess the weather conditions on the exact day of your excursion or how the roads will be to get to the different points, but I can tell you which are the best months to do this type of glacier excursions.

While these are excursions that you can do all year round, there are certain months when the weather conditions can cooperate and you are less likely to have your excursion cancelled due to bad weather, and that is usually during the winter, when the glaciers are stronger, steadier and more stable.

Winter is not only a good time to explore glaciers, you'll have plenty of other activities to do in Reykjavík in winter.

Also, during the winter months there are fewer daylight hours and it's the ideal time to see the Northern Lights.

If you're looking for more information, here's an article to help you consider the best time to travel to Iceland, which may help you organise your trip.

If you are in Reykjavík, you can't miss the chance to see the natural wonders of Iceland's glaciers.

These excursions allow you to have a different experience touring the majestic glaciers of the region, along with the experience of an expert guide who will accompany your tour and tell you unique details of each place.

These types of tours are highly recommended and have a very good reputation because it is often difficult to get to these places on your own when you don't know the weather or road conditions and a tour will always be the best and safest option.

They are also ideal for you to have fun and be entertained for about 10 hours while enjoying the most breathtaking views and landscapes of Iceland and best of all, you have several very different options to choose what to see, how to combine it and design the experience to your preference.

You'll have several options and all of them recommendable: trekking, snowmobiling, combining glaciers with ice caves, breathtaking waterfalls, national parks, volcanoes, you name it!