Skaftafell: Glacier Photoshoot Adventure in Vatnajokull

One of the most popular tours is glacier hiking photoshoot. Your guide will drive you to Vatnajokull Glacier via a 4x4 vehicle to begin your adventure. After a hike through an alien-like glacial tundra, we will arrive at the edge of the glacier where your guide will assist you in putting your crampons on.

At the end of your tour, we will edit your photos and you will get a photo package within 14 days as the perfect souvenir to remember your epic adventure by!

Optional: Pickup/Drop-off out of Reykjavik is available for an additional 225,000 ISK per group (max 6 pax) and would automatically make it a private tour. Pickup time would be 8 am from your accommodation and the duration of the tour would change to approx. 15 hours. When this option is available it will be visible once you click ‘continue’ at the checkout.

Summer Ice Cave + Glacier Hike

Meeting with your Guide

You will meet your guide for this Summer Glacier Hike journey at the Glacier Lagoon parking lot in Vatnajokull National  Park. The official address for this location is: í Hornafirði, Jökulsárlón, Glacier Lagoon, 781 Höfn or you can simply type in ‘Ice Pic Journeys’ in Google Maps and we will come up. It is important to be aware that this is a 5-hour drive from Reykjavik so it is always recommended to stay at an accommodation closer to this meeting point.

It is best to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour so you can use the restrooms since there will be none at the glacier. Your guide will be right across from the restrooms in the bus parking lot. You can look for the ‘Ice Pic Journeys’ logo on our 4×4 vehicle amongst the other companies. 

Drive in 4×4 to Vatnajokull Glacier

From the Glacier Lagoon parking lot, you will hop aboard one of our 4×4 vehicles and head towards the glacier. About 10 minutes into your journey, you will turn off onto an F-Road and make the bumpy journey toward the glacier. From the road to the glacier parking lot, this will take roughly 20-30 minutes to reach. As you drive, your guide will teach you the history of the surrounding area as you enjoy a scenic ride through an ancient glacier plain.

Hike to the Ice Cave

Once you arrive at the glacier parking lot, your guide will begin handing out your gear for the tour. This includes crampons, an ice axe, a harness, a helmet with a headlamp, and hiking boots (if you rented them).

Next, once everyone has their gear, you will take a 30-minute hike to the edge of the glacier. The hike is relatively easy for most and will have you walking on flat, yet slightly rocky ground the entire way. We will always go at the pace of our guests so you can take your time and enjoy the walk as your guide leads the way.

Glacier Hike

Next, you will put your crampons into the ice and make your way onto Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier. Hiking on the ice is definitely a unique feeling and may take some getting used to but by the end of the tour, you won’t want to take your crampons off! As you hear the crunch below you, you will march forward and follow your guide up the glacier toward the direction of our beautiful crystal crevasses. Throughout this, your guide will show you different formations on the glacier known as moulins or deep glacial holes. All while admiring the barren landscape around you, you will feel like you are in a different world. 

Exploring our Crystal Crevasses

From seemingly out of nowhere, you will come upon a slope in the ice leading down into a massive ice canyon. This is where you will find out crystal crevasses. You will soon understand why it is called this as you make your way into the deep icy labyrinth. The best part is that the deeper you go into it, the more crystal blue it gets until you get to a point where you are in a world entirely made of blue. This is a major highlight of the tour and you will need a good amount of time to take it all in.

After about an hour of exploring the crevasse formations, you will head back up the slope and off the glacier knowing that you are one of the few that got to experience something so special here in Iceland. 

Return to the Glacier Lagoon

You will finish the tour with a hike back to the glacier parking lot and a 30-minute drive back to the Glacier Lagoon where you will say goodbye to your guide and have memories of an amazing day inside of Vatnajokull National Park.

Please note

– This tour involves roughly 4 hours of total hiking. The first half of the terrain is very flat yet rocky and is relatively easy for a person of average fitness. The second half is hiking on the glacier which goes up a gradual incline for about 20 minutes. The overall hike is rated as easy with some areas of moderate exercise.

– Photo packages may sometimes take more or less than 14 days to edit. This is just our average turnaround time.

- We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the start of the tour to use the restrooms.