Day Tours/Activities
Snæfellsjökull Glacier Ice Experience
Known world wide as the entrance to the centre of our Earth, Snæfellsjökull glacier is a mystical place, featured in folklore, novels and providing the inspiration for artists throughout the centuries. Not only is the glacier beautiful but it sits on top of a dormant volcano, so when you hike to the summit you can tick off two items on your bucketlist.
- Trees planted 1
- Available all year
- Duration 5 hours
- Location Snæfellsjökull glacier
- Difficulty
- Number of participants Min. 1, max. 8
- Age limit Minimum age 8 years
What you'll experience.
The Snæfellsjökull glacier Ice Experience will take you to the very top of this magical and mysterious glacier.
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. This is the perfect opportunity to learn how the landscape has been influenced by the retreating glacial crown of Snæfellsjökull. This taste of Icelandic mountain life will reward you with incredible views over the Snæfellsnes peninsula and Atlantic Ocean.
The Hike
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.
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Included in final tour price.
Included
- All glacier equipment (ice axes and crampons) are included in the price of the tour.
Not included
- Bring warm clothes, hiking boots and a sense of adventure
What to bring.
- Good shoes
- Warm clothes
- Rain gear
- Camera
Highlights.
- Snæfellsjökull glacier
- View over Snæfellsnes peninsula
- Glacier hike
Tour operator
This tour is operated by our friends at Go West. This family run company takes environmental responsibility to another level and is at the forefront of sustainable travel in Iceland. Their main driving force is to preserve the Icelandic nature so future generations can enjoy it as well.
Go West's certifications:
59.900 ISK