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Solheimajokull Glacier Hike | 3-Hour Walk - Small Group
3 h
Small Group
By walk
Instant confirmation
About this activity
This tour is for anyone looking to experience one of the natural wonders of the earth. You’ll meet your guide in the Sólheimajökull parking lot at your scheduled time and then make your way to the ice itself, a brisk 30-minute walk to get the blood flowing. (The glacier was once closer to the lot, but warming weather and the glacier's own movement has caused it to recede into the distance).
Sólheimajökull is a part of Mýrdalsjökull, one of the biggest glaciers in Europe. It is featured in detail in the 2012 documentary "Chasing Ice", an award-winning investigation of climate change.
Once you reach the ice, you’ll be given plenty of time to marvel at the eerie silence and feeling of isolation, as if you and your fellow hikers are alone in a vast, empty world of ice and snow. You’ll view millennia-old blue ice, created when oxygen bubbles are trapped in the snow and compressed into ice by the enormous weight of the glacier pressing down upon it. You’ll be able to gaze deep into a glacier moulin, a vertical shaft like a well, which can go all the way to the bottom of the glacier.
What’s down there? The ice cap sits on top of the mighty Katla volcano, one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Iceland. On a clear day, you may also be able to see Eyjafjallajökull, another glacier to the east which famously brought European air traffic to a halt in 2010 when its eruption filled the sky with fire and ash.
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Sólheimajökull is a part of Mýrdalsjökull, one of the biggest glaciers in Europe. It is featured in detail in the 2012 documentary "Chasing Ice", an award-winning investigation of climate change.
Once you reach the ice, you’ll be given plenty of time to marvel at the eerie silence and feeling of isolation, as if you and your fellow hikers are alone in a vast, empty world of ice and snow. You’ll view millennia-old blue ice, created when oxygen bubbles are trapped in the snow and compressed into ice by the enormous weight of the glacier pressing down upon it. You’ll be able to gaze deep into a glacier moulin, a vertical shaft like a well, which can go all the way to the bottom of the glacier.
What’s down there? The ice cap sits on top of the mighty Katla volcano, one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Iceland. On a clear day, you may also be able to see Eyjafjallajökull, another glacier to the east which famously brought European air traffic to a halt in 2010 when its eruption filled the sky with fire and ash.
Included
- Certified Glacier Guide
- All the Necessary Glacier Equipment: Helmets, Harness, and Ice Axe
- Small Group (12 Participants Max)
Not included
- Hiking boots (available for rent)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from Reykjavík or other areas
- Food and drinks
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Minimum age is 12 years
- Good hiking shoes are necessary
- Please be at the starting location 15 minutes prior to tour departure.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers
Features
Sport
65%
Tourism
55%
Original
30%
Cultural
30%
Reviews
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Had this tour been in America, you would have put all the gear on, walked to the bottom portion of the glacier, and taken a few good photos to send home. This was an authentic glacier hike where you got to hike to the top and really get the full experience. No climbing is necessary using harnesses or pick axes, just basic crampons, hiking boots, and a pick axe to help as a walking stick. I’d imagine this is much easier in the warmer months when the ice is soft. Had it been winter and the ice was more frozen, it’d be a lot more slippery. I’d say it is fine for all ages as long as you are in good shape. Our guide was great, spoke perfect English, and was able to provide some insight on Icelandic culture.