Prices
Glacier hike Iceland price: all 17 compared, from $91
The price range on this page looks enormous and it is mostly not about the ice. It is about whether you got yourself to the glacier or bought a day that includes the driving. Here is every walk by price and by price per hour, what the money actually buys, and the three costs that appear after you book.
Quick answer
A guided walk on the ice starts at $91 if you get yourself to the glacier, and most of the Skaftafell routes sit between $101 and $158. A twelve-hour day from Reykjavík with the coach and the south coast included starts at $136. Both put you on the ice for about two hours. Every one of the seventeen cancels free.
Iceland glacier hike prices, at a glance
- Cheapest walk
- $91three hours on Vatnajökull above Skaftafell
- The most-booked easy route
- $101Falljökull, 1,674 reviews
- Walk and ice cave together
- $153four hours, 1,962 reviews
- Longer routes
- $155–$158five hours, advanced or extended
- From Reykjavík, full day
- $136–$191twelve hours with the waterfalls and the black beach
- With ice climbing
- $199–$273a rope on a wall of blue ice
- Highest price here
- $1,803a private twelve-hour expedition
- Reviews behind them
- 8,367across the sixteen walks that carry a rating
- Gear included
- On all seventeencrampons, harness and an ice axe
- Cancellation
- Free on all seventeenbooked through GetYourGuide
Why the prices differ
You are buying the driving, not better ice
Distance, group size and whether there is an axe in it. The ice is the same.
The first thing to understand is that the ice at the top of this page is not better than the ice at the bottom. In several cases it is the same glacier. What changes is how much of the day somebody else is doing for you.
Getting there. A three-hour walk at Skaftafell costs $91 to $158 and assumes you arrived in the car park under your own power. Skaftafell is 330 kilometres from Reykjavík. A twelve-hour day tour from the capital costs $136 and includes the coach, a guide for the whole day and three stops on the way — and puts you on the ice for about the same two hours. Divided by the hours, the day tour is the cheaper ticket.
Group size. Eight of the seventeen walks here are capped as small group. On a glacier that is not a comfort question: it decides how often the line stops, how much the guide can explain, and whether the route can deviate for something interesting.
The axe. Six listings add an introduction to ice climbing. That is a second guide, ropes, screws and a wall, and it is the honest reason those tours cost what they do.
And the top of the page: the private twelve-hour expedition at $1,803 is not a walk with a markup. It is a whole day where the group is only you and the pace is yours.
Every trip, current fare
Every walk, cheapest first
Seventeen walks with the column most pages leave out: cost per hour. It shows that the twelve-hour day tours are not the expensive option they look like, and that the cheapest ticket is not the cheapest hour.
| Hike | Length | Price | Glacier | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vatnajokull: Skaftafell Glacier HikeThe cheapest guided walk on the ice | 3 h | $91 | Vatnajökull | $30.33 | 4.5 · 93 |
| Skaftafell: Falljokull Glacier Easy Group HikeThe easy Falljökull group hike, 1,674 reviews | 3 h | $101 | Falljökull | $33.67 | 4.6 · 1,674 |
| Sólheimajökull: Guided Glacier HikeThe closest glacier to Reykjavík | 3 h | $107 | Sólheimajökull | $35.67 | 4.6 · 3 |
| From Reykjavík: Waterfalls, Black Beach & Glacier Day TripWaterfalls, black beach and a glacier, rated 4.9 | 12 h | $136 | Sólheimajökull | $11.33 | 4.9 · 502 |
| Jökulsárlón: Vatnajökull Glacier Guided Hiking TourVatnajökull from the lagoon side | 4.5 h | $140 | Vatnajökull | $31.11 | 4.8 · 1,054 |
| Skaftafell: Half-Day Vatnajökull National Park Glacier HikeHalf a day in the national park, small group | 4 h | $153 | Vatnajökull | $38.25 | 5.0 · 143 |
| Skaftafell: Ice Cave Tour and Glacier HikeA glacier walk and an ice cave, most reviewed here | 4 h | $153 | Falljökull | $38.25 | 4.5 · 1,962 |
| Skaftafell National Park: Falljokull Glacier Advanced HikeThe advanced Falljökull route | 5 h | $155 | Falljökull | $31.00 | 4.8 · 1,181 |
| Skaftafell Glacier Explorer - Extended Small Group TrekFive hours and a longer route on the ice | 5 h | $158 | Vatnajökull | $31.60 | 4.8 · 375 |
| From Reykjavik: South Coast & Glacier HikeThe south coast day with a glacier walk in it | 12 h | $186 | Sólheimajökull | $15.50 | 4.8 · 504 |
| Reykjavík: Glacier Hike, Waterfalls, & Black Sand BeachGlacier, waterfalls and Reynisfjara in twelve hours | 12 h | $191 | Sólheimajökull | $15.92 | 4.7 · 120 |
| Reykjavík: Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing IntroA walk plus a first go at ice climbing | 5.5 h | $199 | Sólheimajökull | $36.18 | 4.8 · 458 |
| Skaftafell: Glacier XTreme - Hike & Ice Climbing AdventureThe longest day on the ice here | 7.5 h | $230 | Falljökull | $30.67 | 4.9 · 83 |
| Sólheimajökull Ice Climbing TourIce climbing on Sólheimajökull, no walk | 4 h | $273 | Sólheimajökull | $68.25 | 4.8 · 52 |
| Glacier Hike, South Coast Iceland, Black Beach & Sky LagoonGlacier, black beach and a hot lagoon to finish | 10 h | $287 | Sólheimajökull | $28.70 | 5.0 · 5 |
| From Reykjavik: Fire And Ice Helicopter Tour with 2 LandingsTwo glacier landings by helicopter | 2 h | $913 | Two landings | $456.50 | 4.7 · 158 |
| Reykjavík: South Coast Glacier Private ExpeditionA private twelve-hour south coast expedition | 12 h | $1,803 | South coast | $150.25 | New |
Almost every walk here gives you about two hours on the ice, whether the tour is three hours long or twelve. That is the number to compare.
The south coast day→Before you book
Seven things that change the price, in order
All seven are on the listing, and each one moves the number.
- Which glacier it uses
Sólheimajökull is 160 km from Reykjavík and is what every day tour uses. Skaftafell is 330 km out. The two are three hours apart and the price difference is mostly that distance.
- Whether transport is included
On six of the seventeen it is. On the rest you are expected to arrive at the meeting point yourself, which for Skaftafell means a hire car and probably a night on the south coast.
- The grade
Easy, advanced and extended are not marketing words here. They describe how steep the route is and how long, and the longer ones cost more because they are longer.
- Group size
Eight walks here are capped. It costs more and it changes the day more than most people expect.
- Whether there is an ice axe in it
Six listings add a climb. That is extra staff, extra equipment and extra time, and it roughly doubles the price of a plain walk.
- How many hours are actually on the ice
About two, on almost everything here. The seven-and-a-half-hour route at Skaftafell is the real exception and it is priced accordingly.
- The review count behind the rating
Three walks here carry more than a thousand ratings. Two carry none because they are new. Both are facts; they are not the same kind of fact.
The three costs that appear later
What is not in the ticket price
The drive east costs more than the walk. That is the shape of this niche.
Getting to Skaftafell. This is the big one. A hire car with winter tyres, fuel and a night at Hof or Kirkjubæjarklaustur costs more than the walk itself. If the glacier is the only reason you are driving east, do the arithmetic before you dismiss the day tours from Reykjavík as expensive.
Boots. Crampons, a harness and an axe are supplied on every walk here. Waterproof boots above the ankle usually are not, and guides do turn people away. Renting a pair in Reykjavík before you drive is far easier than finding them on the south coast.
The day the weather takes. Glacier walks are cancelled for wind and for visibility, refunded automatically, and that refund does not give you back the day. Leaving slack in a winter itinerary is arithmetic, not caution.
Common questions
Iceland glacier hike prices, answered
How much does a glacier hike in Iceland cost?
From $91 for a three-hour guided walk if you reach the glacier yourself. Most Skaftafell routes are $101 to $158. A twelve-hour day from Reykjavík with the coach included starts at $136.
Why are the day tours from Reykjavík more expensive?
Because you are buying about ten hours of coach and three other stops as well as the ice. Divided by the hours they are among the better value on this page.
What is the cheapest glacier hike in Iceland?
The three-hour walk on Vatnajökull above Skaftafell at $91. The cheapest with real evidence behind it is the easy Falljökull group hike at $101, which carries 1,674 ratings.
Is the expensive walk better ice?
No. Often it is the same glacier. The price reflects distance, group size, route length and whether there is an ice axe involved.
Are crampons included in the price?
Yes, on every walk on this page, along with a harness and an ice axe. Boots are the exception: most operators expect you to bring waterproof boots above the ankle.
Can I cancel?
Yes. All seventeen walks on this page are free to cancel, which is why booking early and watching the forecast costs nothing.
Go deeper
More on walking on an Icelandic glacier
The Skaftafell glacier hike
Falljokull and Vatnajokull from the national park, and which route is which.
VerdictThe best glacier hike in Iceland
Seventeen walks ranked for one decision, with a straight answer at the end.
SolheimajokullSolheimajokull glacier hike
The closest glacier to Reykjavik, and the one most day tours actually use.
Glacier walksGlacier walks in Iceland
What a guided walk on the ice involves, and how it differs from a hike.
FalljokullThe Falljokull glacier hike
Easy, advanced and extended on the same tongue of ice — the real difference.
South coastThe south coast glacier day
Twelve hours, three waterfalls, a black beach and a walk on the ice.
