Skaftafell: Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull with Gear & Guide

4.70

(580 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Don’t worry — the ice always looks scarier from here,” our guide Jón said, grinning as he handed me a helmet that still smelled faintly like wool. I’d never seen blue like that before — not sky blue, but deeper, almost electric in places where the glacier cracked open. The wind was sharp and cold against my cheeks, but honestly, I barely noticed once we started moving. There were only eight of us, swapping nervous jokes while Jón showed us how to strap on crampons (I fumbled it — he just laughed and fixed it). The main keyword for this trip is definitely “Skaftafell glacier hike,” but nobody here talked about keywords. It was more about figuring out how to walk without looking ridiculous.

We crunched over the ice together, boots squeaking with every step. At one point Jón pointed out Hvannadalshnúkur in the distance — tallest peak in Iceland, apparently — and told us how the glaciers are always shifting underfoot. He tapped his axe against some weirdly smooth ice and explained moulins (those deep holes that look like portals). I didn’t expect to feel so small or so awake at the same time. And then there was this silence up there — not empty, more like everything else had paused for us to listen. Someone passed around chocolate from their pocket (not sure if it was official or just kindness), and my fingers were clumsy with cold but it tasted way better than usual.

I guess I thought a day trip on Vatnajökull would be all about views for photos, but it felt different being right there on the glacier itself. Even when my nose ran from the wind and my hair stuck to my hat weirdly. Jón told stories about filming crews getting lost in fog here (“they should’ve hired Icelandic grandmothers instead of GPS,” he joked) and I realized you really need someone who knows these places inside out. We ended up back at the van with hot coffee that steamed up my glasses — simple things hit differently after three hours outside. I still think about that first step onto the ice sometimes; it’s not something you forget easily.