Skaftafell
The Skaftafell glacier hike: which route, and what each one asks
Skaftafell is where most of the serious glacier walking in Iceland happens, and the listings there are confusing because half a dozen of them use the same tongue of ice under different names. This page is what the grades actually mean, which glacier each route is on, and how to choose between them.
Quick answer
Skaftafell is a visitor centre inside Vatnajökull National Park, about 330 kilometres from Reykjavík. Eight walks on this site meet there, from $91. They use two tongues of ice — Falljökull and the wider Vatnajökull outlets — and they sort into easy, advanced and extended. The difference between them is steepness and distance, not technical skill.
Skaftafell, at a glance
- What it is
- A visitor centre in a national parkwith a cafe, toilets and marked trails
- From Reykjavík
- About 330 kmroughly four hours in good conditions
- To Jökulsárlón
- About 60 kmanother hour east
- Glaciers here
- Falljökull, Svínafellsjökulloutlets of Vatnajökull
- Walks from here
- Eight on this sitefrom $91
- The easy route
- $101three hours, 1,674 reviews
- Walk and ice cave
- $153four hours, 1,962 reviews
- The longest route
- $230seven and a half hours, with a climb
- Season
- All yearthough winter shortens the routes
- Where to sleep
- Hof, Kirkjubæjarklausturboth fill up early in winter
What the grades mean
Easy, advanced and extended are about the route, not about skill
Easy, advanced, extended and XTreme: distance and steepness, not technique.
Nobody on this page needs mountaineering experience. What separates the grades is how far you walk, how steep it gets, and how much of the day it takes.
Easy means the lower, flatter part of the tongue: a short approach, a route that does not climb much, and a pace that suits a mixed group. Three hours door to door, about two of them on the ice. This is the $101 walk with 1,674 ratings, and for most first-timers it is the right booking.
Advanced means steeper ground, further up the tongue, with more ascent and a group that keeps moving. Five hours. The $155 route carries 1,181 ratings, which is a lot for a route that asks something of you.
Extended means a longer line across the ice rather than a steeper one: five hours, a capped group, and further from the snout than the standard routes go. If the complaint about glacier tours is that they turn round too early, this is the answer.
And then XTreme, at seven and a half hours, which is a full route plus a climb on blue ice. It is the longest time on the glacier anywhere on this site.
Every trip, current fare
Every walk, with the Skaftafell ones making up half the list
Eight of the seventeen walks on this site meet at the Skaftafell visitor centre. They differ on grade, group size and whether there is an axe in the day.
| 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 |
The eight
What leaves from Skaftafell, and who each is for
Two tongues of ice, four grades, and one route with a cave in it.
- The cheapest walk — $91
Three hours on Vatnajökull, crampons and harness included, and the lowest price on this site. 93 ratings at 4.5. If you simply want to stand on a glacier, this does it.
- The easy Falljökull hike — $101
Three hours at the easy grade with 1,674 ratings behind it. The walk most first-timers end up on, and the one with the most evidence for its kind.
- The walk and ice cave — $153
Four hours, small group, and the only listing here that does both halves: the glacier on top and a cave underneath. 1,962 ratings, the most in this niche.
- The advanced route — $155
Five hours, steeper ground, 1,181 ratings. For people who want the walk to be the point rather than the photograph.
- The half-day small group — $153
Four hours in the national park with a capped group. 143 ratings at 5.0, which is the highest score on this site.
- The extended trek — $158
Five hours and a longer line across the ice, further from the snout. Small group only, 375 ratings at 4.8.
- XTreme — $230
Seven and a half hours: a full route and a climb on blue ice at the end of it. The longest time on the glacier on this site.
An hour east is Jökulsárlón, where another walk starts from the lagoon side of the same ice cap.
Vatnajökull in full→Getting there and staying nearby
The practical part, which is most of the planning
Four hours from Reykjavik on the Ring Road. Check road.is before you set off in winter.
Skaftafell sits directly on the Ring Road, about 330 kilometres east of Reykjavík. In summer that is four hours. In winter it is four hours if the road is clear and considerably more if it is not — road.is publishes conditions in real time and is the most useful website in Iceland between November and March.
The obvious places to sleep are Hof, a few minutes east, and Kirkjubæjarklaustur, about seventy kilometres west and the last real cluster of rooms before the sands. Both turn a four-hour drive into a fifteen-minute one on the morning of the walk, and both fill up early in the aurora months.
The visitor centre has a cafe, toilets and a shop, which matters more than it sounds: a winter morning waiting for a group to assemble is a different experience with somewhere warm to stand.
If you are not driving, none of the Skaftafell walks includes transport. The day tours on this site that do include it all go to Sólheimajökull, three hours west.
Common questions
The Skaftafell glacier hike, answered
What is the best Skaftafell glacier hike?
The four-hour walk and ice cave at $153 carries 1,962 ratings, the most in this niche, and is the only listing here that does both halves. For a plain walk, the easy Falljökull route at $101 has 1,674.
How long is the Skaftafell glacier hike?
Three to five hours for the standard routes, of which about two are on the ice. The XTreme route is seven and a half hours and is the longest on this site.
How difficult is the Skaftafell glacier hike?
The easy grade needs no experience: a short approach and a route that does not climb much. Advanced and extended are steeper and longer and assume you can keep up with a group. None of them is technical.
Can you hike Skaftafell on your own?
You can walk the marked trails in the national park, including the path to Svartifoss. Going onto the ice needs crampons, a rope and a guide who knows the crevasse field, and it is not a solo activity.
How far is Skaftafell from Reykjavík?
About 330 kilometres, roughly four hours in good conditions and longer in winter. It is an hour west of the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.
Is there anywhere to stay at Skaftafell?
Hof is a few minutes east and Kirkjubæjarklaustur about seventy kilometres west. Both book up early in the winter months.
Go deeper
More on walking on an Icelandic glacier
What a glacier hike in Iceland costs
Seventeen walks priced per person and per hour, from $91 to $1,803.
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.
