Reykjavík: Snæfellsjökull Glacier and Volcano Hike

One of the most popular glacier hikes in Iceland.

If you are just starting hiking and want to try out  a day of mountaineering this is the tour for you.

Starting from Reykjavík the drive to Snæfellsnes takes about 3hours with a few stops on the way. First stop is in Borgarnes at a gas station ( WC brake ) it’s also good to grab a coffee or some snacks if you need. From Borgarnes to Gerðuberg is a 40minutes drive with nice view on the way.

Gerðuberg is an beautiful basalt columns. From Gerðuberg to Ölkeldu is a 30minutes drive. Ölkelda is mineral spring with carbonated water. Mineral springsare said to have healing powers, so feel free to take a sip. The farm house is named Ölkeldna which means mineral spring in Icelandic. Our next stop is Snæfellsjökull which is 40 minutes from Ölkelda to the glacier parking lot.

At the parking lot we are going to prep you with the right gear for the hike. This hike takes from 4 to 6 hours, approach to the glacier takes 40-60min. When we get to the edge of the glacier, we’ll put on the glacier gear; crampons, harness and ropes. It takes about 3-4hours to go from the base to the summit. The summit of Snæfellsjökull is at 1446m above sea level. Usually we stop in 1418meters, but we can go to the true summit 1446m, but it is a steep slope on top of rock and ice peak.

Lunch brake on the summit is nice to enjoy the view while you eat something, on a clear day the view of the peninsula is stunning, but of course we can’t promise a clear day. After the lunch we have to start the descent from the summit and back to the car, that will take us about 3 hours.